The tenth Beyond Borders Kastellorizo International Documentary Festival wrapped on 31 August with a celebratory finale marking the beginning of a new decade for the event. This year’s edition combined screenings with a wide array of activities, including master classes, a co-production forum, concerts, children’s workshops, podcasts and a critics’ corner. In total, ten awards were distributed across the two competition sections.

The Main Competition featured 18 medium- and feature-length documentaries. The Grand Prix – Golden Wreath of Megisti was awarded to Lo by Thanasis Vassiliou (Greece). The jury – presided over by director, screenwriter and producer Tassos Boulmetis, and comprising Claudia Bucher (commissioning editor, ARTE), Eugenia Giannouri (associate professor, Sorbonne Nouvelle), director Jobst Knigge, and documentary filmmaker, screenwriter and journalist Maria Louka – said of the film: “With densely layered storytelling, the director dares to make a profound descent into the impenetrable and shadowy landscapes of his family history, transforming the fragments of a collapsing middle-class apartment into a vivid, multi-dimensional mosaic of memory, loss and hidden trauma. It’s a compelling and immersive cinematic experience.” The prize, worth €7,500, honours the best film addressing historical events, sociopolitical issues or human rights.

The Silver Wreath of Megisti went to Letters from Wolf Street [+lee también:
crítica
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ficha de la película] by Arjun Talwar (Poland/Germany), praised for its honesty and humour in addressing belonging and racism through a portrait of contemporary Warsaw. The award, sponsored by ERT, includes a €3,000 cash prize. The Bronze Wreath of Megisti was given to The Lost Season by Mehdi Ghanavati (Iran), lauded for its sensitive depiction of Iranian women’s resistance to patriarchal and theocratic oppression. This award, also supported by ERT, comes with a €2,000 prize.

The EKKOMED Award for Best Greek Documentary was bestowed upon Sculpted Souls by Stavros Psillakis, an inspiring film about the power of solidarity. The accolade comes with a €1,000 cash prize. The “Odysseus” Award, offered by the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad & Public Diplomacy, was also awarded to Lo. Meanwhile, the #ThisisEU Award went to Das Deutsche Volk [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Marcin Wierzchowski, for its urgent reflection on racism and xenophobia following the 2020 Hanau attack. Finally, the FIPRESCI Award was given to The Longer You Bleed by Ewan Waddell (Ukraine), recognised for its innovative use of storytelling techniques that merge social media, cinema and absurdist humour to confront contemporary violence.

In the μicro Competition, the Golden Phoenix was awarded to Clear Sky by Marcin Kundera (Poland), a striking depiction of childhood innocence set against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. The jury commended the film’s artistic cinematography and its unflinching portrayal of devastation through the eyes of children. The award includes a €1,250 prize, supported by Phoenix TV.

The Silver Phoenix (comprising a €1,000 prize) went to Simply Divine by Mélody Boulissière and Bogdan Stamatin (France), an animated work that transforms fragments of personal memory into a universal love story. The Bronze Phoenix, with a €750 prize attached, was awarded to My Land Is Burned by Abdulrahman Alshowaiki, a tender yet powerful portrait of resilience in a refugee camp in Lebanon. Special Mentions were given to Refuge by Partha Das (India) and Albgreko by Ilir Tsuko.

In the Pitching Lab, the jury selected Fragments of Humanity by Maros Pulscak, from Slovakia. The project, praised for its clarity and overall excellence, was awarded a professional colouring package worth €3,000, offered by colourist Dimitris Karteris.

Here are all of the award winners at the tenth Beyond Borders:

Main Competition

Grand Prix – Golden Wreath of Megisti
Lo – Thanasis Vassiliou (Greece)

Silver Wreath of Megisti
Letters from Wolf Street [+lee también:
crítica
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ficha de la película] – Arjun Talwar (Poland/Germany)

Bronze Wreath of Megisti
The Lost Season – Mehdi Ghanavati (Iran)

EKKOMED Award for Best Greek Documentary
Sculpted Souls – Stavros Psillakis (Greece)

Odysseus Award
Lo – Thanasis Vassiliou

#ThisisEU Award
Das Deutsche Volk [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Marcin Wierzchowski
ficha de la película] – Marcin Wierzchowski (Germany)

FIPRESCI Award
The Longer You Bleed – Ewan Waddell (Ukraine)

μicro Competition

Golden Phoenix
Clear Sky – Marcin Kundera (Poland, short film)

Silver Phoenix
Simply Divine – Mélody Boulissière, Bogdan Stamatin (France, short film)

Bronze Phoenix
My Land Is Burned – Abdulrahman Alshowaiki (Belgium, short film)

Special Mentions
Refuge – Partha Das (India, short film)
Albgreko – Ilir Tsuko (Greece, short film)

Pitching Lab
Fragments of Humanity – Maros Pulscak (Slovakia)