Inside Amir has won the GdA Director's Award at the 22nd edition of the Giornate degli Autori event in Venice. Out of the ten titles competing this year, Iranian director Amir Azizi’s new feature film, revolving around the doubts assailing a young man as he gears up to leave his tormented homeland, bowled over the jury led by Dag Johan Haugerud and further composed of Francesca Andreoli, Sofian El Fani, Josh Siegel and Lina Soualem, who explained their decision as follows: “The film we will honour tonight is a meditation on everyday life. It reminds us of how daily routines, movements, and conversations with friends provide both security and freedom. With framing that gradually reveals a complex life marked by loss and grief against a backdrop of exile and social upheaval, the film asks fundamental questions about what it means to belong and the existential doubts that follow in the wake of such thoughts. It is a film that takes the time to listen, and that shows how unexpected, spontaneous encounters build a rich life. […] Another thing that gives great pleasure when watching this film is the subtle use of different time periods, often in the same frame, and often during the same bike ride”. Inside Amir has walked away with a prize worth 20,000 euros to be split 50/50 between the director and the international sales agent.

The Europa Cinemas Label, funded by the EU’s MEDIA programme and dedicated to European productions and co-productions, went to Greek title Bearcave [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Stergios Dinopoulos y Krys…
ficha de la película] by Stergios Dinopoulos and Krysianna B. Papadakis, which is a queer story set in a remote village in the Balkan mountains. The jury composed of Manuel Asín (Cine Estudio del Círculo de Bellas Artes), Simon Blaas (Cinema Middelburg), Ivan Frenguelli (PostModernissimo) and Signe-Annie Lindstedt (Zita Folkets Bio) justified their decision as follows: “Bearcave is a really fresh and energetic feature debut […] Both a clash and a fusion of the old and new, the film is constructed a little like a thriller, but there is also more than a touch of the supernatural. The music, editing and photography are really original, and the performances by the two girls are exceptional”. As a result of this award, Bearcave will receive support for promotional work from Europa Cinemas, and wider distribution.

Determined on the basis of preferences expressed by viewers in the Sala Perla cinema following screenings of the Official Selection, exceptionally the People’s Choice Award was won by two films on this occasion: this year’s opening title, Memory [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Vladlena Sandu
ficha de la película] by Vladlena Sandu, revolving around the director's childhood memories during the war in Chechnya, and A Sad and Beautiful World [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Cyril Aris
ficha de la película] by Cyril Aris, which tells a love story in the wounded country of Lebanon, with both films winning 77.4% of the audience vote.

Readers will also recall that the SIAE Prize for Creative Talent - geared towards Italian arthouse directors and awarded over the past few days during the Giornate degli Autori event - went to Tekla Taidelli for her film 6:06 [+lee también:
tráiler
entrevista: Tekla Taidelli
ficha de la película], which revolves around a road trip embarked upon by two youngsters treading the line between salvation and self-destruction. The director explains: “I’ve been focusing on socially oriented cinema for over 20 years now, an uncomfortable, unconventional and independent brand of cinema which lends a voice to people on the street, to invisible people. It’s not an easy path, it’s a mission involving body, mind and soul, both yours and those of the people who believe in the same things as you do and who support you in your struggle. This prize is a collective prize for me and for the family we’re turning into on set, and it means that our struggle has real meaning and that we don’t ever need to stop fighting for our dreams”.

The list of winners:

GdA Director's Award
Inside Amir - Amir Azizi (Iran)

Europa Cinemas Label 
Bearcave [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Stergios Dinopoulos y Krys…
ficha de la película] - Stergios Dinopoulos, Krysianna B. Papadakis (Greece)

People’s Choice Award (tie-break)
Memory [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Vladlena Sandu
ficha de la película] - Vladlena Sandu (France/Netherlands)
A Sad and Beautiful World [+lee también:
crítica
entrevista: Cyril Aris
ficha de la película] - Cyril Aris (Lebanon/USA/Germany/Saudi Arabia/Qatar)

SIAE Creative Talent Prize
6:06 [+lee también:
tráiler
entrevista: Tekla Taidelli
ficha de la película] - Tekla Taidelli (Italy/Portugal)

Galería de fotos 05/09/2025: Venecie 2025 - Ceremonia de premios Giornate degli Autori

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© 2025 Isabeau de Gennaro for Cineuropa @iisadege