The 28th Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People, which ran from 29 November-6 December in Pyrgos and Amaliada, wrapped on Saturday with an awards ceremony celebrating a diverse and sensitively curated programme. Across its fiction feature, documentary and shorts competitions, the juries honoured films that foreground the perspectives of young protagonists, championing stories rooted in empathy, curiosity and social awareness.

The Best Feature Film Award was presented to On the Invention of the Species by Tania Hermida. The international jury praised the film as “a poetic coming-of-age story about a girl who finds her voice and the purpose of living again”.

The European Children’s Film Association Award for Best Feature Film went to Spilt Milk [+lee también:
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In the national section, the Award for Best Greek Short Film for Children and Youth went to The T3st by Alexandros Tsilifonis. The jury highlighted its “honest alignment with a child’s perspective” and the protagonist’s subtle, playful performance, which opens a window into how differently children can perceive the world.

In the documentary strand, the Best Feature Documentary Award went to Future Council by Damon Gameau. The jury cited its extraordinary sense of intimacy and inventiveness, noting how the director “becomes part of the children’s world while letting their voices remain central”. The Best Short Documentary Award was bestowed upon Shadows by Rand Beiruty, whose “striking animation and authentic narration convey a personal voice, transforming a private experience into something universal”. The ECFA Award for Documentary went to Clear Sky by Marcin Kundera, an intimate portrayal of two Ukrainian boys growing up amid conflict. A Special Mention was given to The Angels by Mahdi Zamanpoor Kiasari, lauded for its tender depiction of a family living with disability.

In the Short Fiction category, the Best Short Fiction Film Award was handed to Little Rebels Cinema Club by Khozy Rizal, a multilayered work that blends cinephilia with inventive storytelling. The Best Animated Short Film Award went to Autokar by Sylwia Szkiłądź, an imaginative 2D journey that captures a child’s perspective on migration with expressive visual flair. The ECFA Award for Best Short Film was granted to Down in the Dumps by Vera van Wolferen, celebrated for its paper-cut animation and its tender, age-appropriate approach to mental health. A Special Mention went to América by Javier Augusto Arias-Stella.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Best Feature Film Award
On the Invention of the Species – Tania Hermida (Ecuador/Spain/Cuba)

ECFA Award for Feature Film
Spilt Milk [+lee también:
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CIFEJ Prize
Sunshine – Antoinette Jadaone (Philippines)
Special Mention
I Accidentally Wrote a Book [+lee también:
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Best Greek Short Film for Children and Youth
The T3st – Alexandros Tsilifonis (Greece, short film)

Best Feature Documentary Award
Future Council – Damon Gameau (Netherlands/Australia)

Best Short Documentary Award
Shadows – Rand Beiruty (Jordan/France, short film)

ECFA Award for Documentary
Clear Sky – Marcin Kundera (Poland, short film)
Special Mention
The Angels – Mahdi Zamanpoor Kiasari (Iran, short film)

Best Short Fiction Film Award
Little Rebels Cinema Club – Khozy Rizal (Indonesia, short film)

Best Animated Short Film Award
Autokar – Sylwia Szkiłądź (Belgium/France, short film)

ECFA Award for Best Short Film
Down in the Dumps – Vera van Wolferen (Netherlands, short film)
Special Mention
América – Javier Augusto Arias-Stella (Peru, short film)

International Youth Jury

Best Animated Short Film
Forevergreen – Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears (USA, short film)

Best Short Fiction Film
Pica – Sepide Berenji (Iran, short film)

Children’s Juries (up to 12 years old)

Best Feature Film
Honey – Natasha Arthy (Denmark)

Best Short Fiction Film
The Day We Became Heroes – Selini Papageorgiou (Greece, short film)

Best Animated Short Film
Forevergreen – Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears

Best Short Documentary
Wheelie Boys – Aisha Adepoju (Belgium, short film)

Children’s Juries (over 12 years old)

Best Feature Film Award
The Boy with Pink Pants [+lee también:
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Best Short Fiction Film
Atlantic – Alexander Stamatiadis (Greece, short film)

Best Animated Short Film
My Brother, My Brother – Saad Dnewar, Abdelrahman Dnewar (Egypt/Germany/France, short film)

Best Feature Documentary
Sunu Gaal (Our Cayuco) – Josep T París (Spain/Senegal)

Best Short Documentary
Clear Sky – Marcin Kundera

Hellenic Parliament “Human Values” Award
The Boy with Pink Pants – Margherita Ferri

Greek Film Critics’ Association Award
Passing Dreams [+lee también:
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Greek Film Clubs’ Association Award
I Accidentally Wrote a Book – Nóra Lakos