The 31st Athens International Film Festival came to a close on 12 October with the announcement of its award winners. The festival, which ran from 1-12 October, presented its Golden Athenas in the International Competition, the International Documentary Competition and the Greek Short Stories section, honouring new voices and perspectives from both Greece and abroad.

The Golden Athena for Best Film in the International Competition went to Sound of Falling [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Mascha Schilinski
ficha de la película] by Mascha Schilinski. The jury, presided over by British producer and filmmaker Stephen Woolley, and also featuring critic and programmer Jessica Kiang, programmer Milja Mikkola and editor Ioanna Spiliopoulou, stated: “Sometimes, you may feel that there is nothing new in this world. And then you see a film like this, which speaks a new cinematic language with such ease that its strange story – about four generations of different women haunted by the same ghosts – feels at once sad and playful, classical and experimental, contemporary and timeless.”

The City of Athens Award for Best Director was presented to Mary Bronstein for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, with the jury praising “the orchestration of a kinetic visual style, an irreverent, intelligent screenplay, a dynamic and meticulously precise edit, and an outrageously brilliant central performance. It’s a tremendous achievement in directing.”

The Best Screenplay Award went to Memory [+lee también:
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entrevista: Vladlena Sandu
ficha de la película] by Vladlena Sandu, as “the script is filled with intensely personal memories of coming of age amid conflict, yet it tells a broadly universal story and becomes a living monument not only to that childhood, but to every childhood stolen by war”. The jury also decided to give a Special Mention to Urchin [+lee también:
crítica
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entrevista: Harris Dickinson
ficha de la película] by Harris Dickinson, for “the striking, daring, complex and heartrending portrait of a character at war with himself, pushed to the limits of society and the boundaries of his own reason”. The Fischer Audience Award, presented by the festival’s official sponsor, was given to The President’s Cake by Hasan Hadi.

In the International Documentary Competition, the jury, presided over by director Eva Stefani, and also including filmmaker and producer Alexander Nanau, programmer Fabienne Moris and journalist Maria Katsounaki, awarded the Golden Athena for Best Documentary to Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk by Sepideh Farsi. The jury praised the film, stating: “War is everywhere today – in politics, in families, in the environment, in rural and urban life, in football, in the media… Fatma Hassona’s strength was her purpose: to preserve images through the camera lens and speak for what was happening... Her courage and dignity remain an image that must not be forgotten.”

In the Greek Short Stories Competition, the Golden Athena for Best Greek Short Film went to Or How to Disappear by Giorgos Aggelopoulos, with the jury – led by filmmaker Giannis Sakaridis, and featuring actors Myrto Alikaki and Katia Goulioti, costume and set designer Eva Goulakou, and comic artist Antonis Vavayiannis – describing it as “an electrifying experience that reaches the viewer with the same intensity felt by its protagonist”. The Silver Athena – Special Jury Prize was awarded to Magdalena Hausen: Frozen Time by Yannis Karpouzis, while the Best Director Award was given to Tawfeek Barhom for I'm Glad You're Dead Now.

Here is the full list of award winners at the 31st Athens International Film Festival:

International Competition

Golden Athena for Best Film
Sound of Falling [+lee también:
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entrevista: Mascha Schilinski
ficha de la película] – Mascha Schilinski (Germany)

City of Athens Award for Best Director
Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (USA)

Best Screenplay Award
Vladlena Sandu – Memory [+lee también:
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entrevista: Vladlena Sandu
ficha de la película] (France/Netherlands)

Special Mention
Urchin [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Harris Dickinson
ficha de la película] – Harris Dickinson (UK)

Fischer Audience Award
The President’s Cake – Hasan Hadi (Iraq/USA/Qatar)

International Documentary Competition

Golden Athena for Best Documentary
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk - Sepideh Farsi (France/Palestine/Iran)

Greek Short Stories Competition

Golden Athena for Best Greek Short Film
Or How to Disappear – Giorgos Aggelopoulos (Greece, short film)

Silver Athena – Special Jury Prize
Magdalena Hausen: Frozen Time – Yannis Karpouzis (Germany, short film)

Best Director Award
Tawfeek Barhom – I'm Glad You're Dead Now (Palestine/France/Greece, short film)

Best Screenplay Award
Dimitris Papathanasis – Dust to Dust (Greece, short film)

Best Female Performance Award
Filia Papaggelidi – Mitch (Greece, short film)

Best Male Performance Award
Ieronymos Kaletsanos – Mikro Soma (Greece, short film)

Special Mention for Animation
Holy Shit – Taxiarchis Deligiannis, Vasilis Tsiouvaras (Greece, short film)

Special Mention for Documentary
Beware of the Southern Stars – Christos Karteris (Greece, short film)

Onassis Film Award
Prelude to a Supernova – Christos Artemiou (Greece, short film)

GSC Award for Best Cinematography
Giannis Georgiou – Ludyas (Greece, short film)
GSC Special Mention for Best Cinematography
Konstantinos Koukoulios – Last Tropics (Greece, short film)