21/10/2025 - Portugal has triumphed at the festival's 54th edition thanks to Pedro Pinho's I Only Rest in the Storm in the main competition and Ary Zara's Sun in Saturn in the Nouveau Marché

The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC) has revealed the winners of its 54th edition, which ran from 8-19 October. Once again, the festival celebrated the audacity, diversity and innovation of contemporary cinema, recognising both feature films and projects in development presented within the framework of the Nouveau Marché.

In the International Competition, the Louve d’Or presented by Québecor, worth CA $15,000 (€9,200), went to I Only Rest in the Storm [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pedro Pinho
film profile] by Pedro Pinho, a fresco about an expat working for an NGO who finds himself in Guinea-Bissau, first screened in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, as decided by the international jury, composed of Naomie Décarie-Daigneault, Maxim Gaudette and Guillaume Vasseur. The Acting Award was presented to Ubeimar Rios for his role in A Poet [+see also:
film review
interview: Simón Mesa Soto
film profile] by Simón Mesa Soto, which also took home the Jury Prize from Un Certain Regard. Lastly, the Daniel Langlois Innovation Award, hailing a work that is bold in aesthetic and technological terms, went to Affection affection [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther, shown in Locarno’s Filmmakers of the Present.

In the National Competition, the Grand Prix Post-Moderne, comprising CA$1,000 (€600) in cash and CA$15,000 in post-production services, was awarded to Blue Heron [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Sophy Romvari, which had previously won Best First Feature at Locarno. The jury also gave a Special Mention to Mon fils ne revint que sept jours by Yan Giroux.

In the Les Nouveaux Alchimistes strand, dedicated to formal experimentation, the Nouveaux Alchimistes Award (CA$1,000 presented by Main Film) went to Mare's Nest [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ben Rivers
film profile] by Ben Rivers, while a Special Mention singled out Zodiac Killer Project [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Charlie Shackleton.

Among the other prizes, the Fierté Montréal Award, rewarding the best 2SLGBTQIA+ feature at the festival (CA$2,000, or €1,220), was given to A Useful Ghost [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke; the FIPRESCI Award went to The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) by Mexican director Ernesto Martínez Bucio; and the Audience Award – Peace Prize, presented by the Réseau pour la paix et l’harmonie sociale (CA$2,000), was bestowed upon Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Sepideh Farsi.

On the industry side, the FNC’s Nouveau Marché also singled out several promising projects: the Nouveau Marché Award (CA$25,000, or €15,300) went to the Portuguese project Sun in Saturn by Ary Zara “for the sensitivity of its writing and its formal boldness in the service of a universal emotion”. The ArteKino International Award (€6,000 in development funding) was presented to the Kyrgyz project 18th Birthday by Aizada Amangeldy. The First-Feature Pitches Award (CA$10,000, or €6,120) went to the Canadian project Tears of My Enemies by Holly Brace-Lavoie. Finally, the SLA Location Award (CA$1,200, or €735, in equipment rental) was given to Des fleurs en hiver by Alexia Roc.

Here is the full list of winners:

International Competition

Louve d’Or
I Only Rest in the Storm [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pedro Pinho
film profile] – Pedro Pinho (Portugal/France/Romania/Brazil)

Acting Award
Ubeimar Rios – A Poet [+see also:
film review
interview: Simón Mesa Soto
film profile] (Colombia/Germany/Sweden)

Daniel Langlois Innovation Award
Affection affection [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Maxime Matray, Alexia Walther (France)

National Competition

Grand Prix Post-Moderne
Blue Heron [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Sophy Romvari (Canada/Hungary)
Special Mention
Mon fils ne revint que sept jours – Yan Giroux (Canada)

Les Nouveaux Alchimistes Competition

Nouveaux Alchimistes Award
Mare's Nest [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ben Rivers
film profile] – Ben Rivers (UK/France/Canada)
Special Mention
Zodiac Killer Project [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Charlie Shackleton (USA/UK)

Other awards

Fierté Montréal Award
A Useful Ghost [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (Thailand/France/Singapore/Germany)

FIPRESCI Award
The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) – Ernesto Martínez Bucio (Mexico)

Audience Award – Peace Prize
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Sepideh Farsi (France/Palestine/Iran)

Audience Award – Temps Ø
Mag Mag – Yuriyan Retriever (Japan)

Nouveau Marché

Nouveau Marché Award
Sun in Saturn – Ary Zara (Portugal)
Production: Andreia Nunes (Wonder Maria Filmes)

ArteKino International Award
18th Birthday – Aizada Amangeldy (Kyrgyzstan)
Production: Nazgul Dolotkeldieva (Creative Bureau)

First-Feature Pitches Award
Tears of My Enemies – Holly Brace-Lavoie (Canada)
Production: Patrick Bilodeau (UGO Média)

SLA Location Award
Des fleurs en hiver – Alexia Roc (Canada)
Production: Jérémie Battaglia (Films Extérieur Jour)

(Translated from French)