28/07/2025 - The most recent edition of the event directed by founder Claudio Gubitosi also celebrated the successes of other European productions, such as Wolfgang, Honey and Tales from the Magic Garden

The 55th edition of the Giffoni Film Festival (running 17-26 July) – the last under the leadership of its founder Claudio Gubitosi – has now wrapped. Involving upwards of 5,000 young jurists hailing from 30 different countries, the event has once again confirmed itself as one of the most significant international gatherings dedicated to cinema for newer generations.

Selected from 2,500+ titles hailing from all corners of the globe, the winning films reflect the central themes of this year’s festival: identity, inclusion, memory and freedom of expression. They range between fiction films and documentaries, feature films and shorts, tackling frequently thorny topics with a language adapted for younger audiences and inspiring reflection and self-examination.

When it came to the main competition prizes, Super Charlie by Jon Holmberg claimed the Gryphon Award for Elements +6, with its entertaining tale of two brothers – one a newborn with extraordinary powers, the other desperately jealous – who are determined to stop a supervillain. Honey by Natasha Arthy triumphed in the Elements +10 section, painting a sensitive portrait of a shy girl who finds the courage to express herself through music.

The Generator +13 Prize went to Javier Ruiz Caldera’s Wolfgang [+see also:
trailer
film profile], revolving around a pint-sized piano prodigy who tries to repair his relationship with the father he’s never known following his mother’s death. Isle Child by Thomas Percy Kim earned itself the Generator +16 trophy, depicting a young adopted Korean boy’s touching journey as he rediscovers his identity, while the Generator +18 section crowned as its champion Rich Peppiatt’s title Kneecap [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Red Carpet @ European Film …
film profile], offering up a lively, real-life chronicle about a rap trio who use the Irish language as a form of resistance.

In the Gex Doc documentary section, Cutting Through Rocks by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni – which previously bagged this year’s Grand Jury Prize in Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition -  stood out for its focus on the first woman elected to be a councilwoman in a conservative Iranian village, who subsequently finds herself caught up in a lengthy battle with the patriarchy.

The prize for Best Photography (in memory of Gaetano Del Mauro) went to Promise I’ll Be Fine [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Katarina Gramatová, which tells the tale of a teen grappling with poverty and family weaknesses and looking for his missing mother.

Jostling among the victorious short films is The Goldfish by Gisella Gobbi, which distinguished itself in the Elements +3 line-up thanks to its poignant tale about a little girl and her fish, and in the Elements +6 section, Carmen and the Wooden Spoon by Carlos Gómez-Mira Sagrado reigned supreme, taking viewers on a dreamlike journey through the memory of a grandmother with the help of a magic spoon. The Elements +10 section rewarded Marta vuole giocare by Matteo Quarta, which follows a young aspiring female footballer who’s determined to overcome any kind of social barrier, and the Parental Experience Prize, for its part, went to Domenico Distilo’s Vermi, painting a powerful portrait of a Friulian girl who looks after her family by selling worms to fisherman.

Last but not least, the ECFA Award – Best European Film for Children (Elements +6), was bestowed upon Tales from the Magic Garden [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar and Jean-Claude Rozec, which sees three children helping their grandfather to overcome his grief through the power of imagination.

The group hug given to the festival’s historic creator, Claudio Gubitosi - who’s stepping down from his leading role after over half a century of activity, innovation and shared visions – put a symbolic end to an era. Gubitosi officially handed over the torch to his son Jacopo, CEO, and to Luca Apolito, who’s now the festival’s artistic director.

The full list of this year’s winners is as follows:

Elements +3

Gryphon Award
The Goldfish – Gisella Gobbi (Italy) (short film)

Elements +6

Gryphon Award for Best Feature Film
Super Charlie – Jon Holmberg (Sweden/Denmark)

Gryphon Award for Best Short
Carmen and the Wooden Spoon – Carlos Gómez-Mira Sagrado (Spain)

Elements +10

Gryphon Award for Best Feature Film
Honey – Natasha Arthy (Denmark)

Gryphon Award for Best Short
Marta vuole giocare – Matteo Quarta (Italy)

Generator +13

Gryphon Award
Wolfgang [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Javier Ruiz Caldera (Spain)

Generator +16

Gryphon Award
Isle Child – Thomas Percy Kim (South Korea/USA)

Generator +18

Gryphon Award
Kneecap [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Red Carpet @ European Film …
film profile] – Rich Peppiatt (Ireland/UK)

Gex Doc

Gryphon Award
Cutting Through Rocks – Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni (Iran/Netherlands/USA/Germany/Qatar/Chile/Canada)

Other awards

Best Photography – in memory of Gaetano Del Mauro
Promise I’ll Be Fine [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Katarina Gramatová (Slovakia/Czech Republic)

Parental Experience Award
Worms – Domenico Distilo (Italy) (short film)

CONAI Prize for Best Environmental Film
My Penguin Friend – David Schurmann (Brazil/USA)

Acea Prize
No Place Like Home – Valeria Gaudieri (short film)

Lete Prize
Marta vuole giocare – Matteo Quarta (short film)

Tommy Hilfiger Prize
The Secret Floor – Norbert Lechner (Germany/Austria/Luxembourg)

Enel Special Award
Bird of a Different Feather – Manohara (India)

Terna Special Award
Isle Child – Thomas Percy Kim

CGS Creative Journeys Prize 2025 (Generator +13)
Felipe [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Federico Schmukler (Argentina/Spain/Guatemala)

CGS Creative Journeys Prize 2025 (Generator +16)
Christy [+see also:
film review
interview: Brendan Canty
film profile] – Brendan Canty (Ireland/UK)

ECFA Award – Best European Film for Children (Elements +6)
Tales from the Magic Garden [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar, Jean-Claude Rozec (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Slovenia)

(Translated from Italian)