Cinema Jove, the international film festival organised by the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Universities, and promoted by the Valencian Institute of Culture (IVC), held the closing ceremony of its 41st edition last Saturday, after taking place between 19 and 27 June. During the ceremony, the Luna de València Award for Best Film in the official feature film section was presented to Filipiñana, directed by Rafael Manuel, which was also the jury’s favourite.

The jury, comprising Maria Ekerhovd, Isabel Ivars and Frédéric Boyer, highlighted that the award celebrates “a bold and visually unforgettable work of remarkable artistic ambition”. Set in a Filipino golf club, the film – which was screened at other film festivals such as Sundance and the Berlinale – is described as a “powerful meditation on social class, power, exploitation and hidden stories”. The jury praised its meticulous imagery, striking cinematography and moments of black humour and absurdity.

The jury’s special mention for best director went to the Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat for No Good Men, which also won the Audience Award. The jury commended her courage in portraying the intersection of the personal and the political during the turbulent days leading up to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, through a “deeply moving story of resilience, love and survival” that paints a powerful portrait of women fighting to preserve their voices.

The award for best cast went to the ensemble of Tudor Cristian Jurgiu’s film On Our Own,  comprising Denisa Vraja, Vlad Furtuna, Mara Diaconu Ducica, Sofia Vasiliu and Dominique Toma, who were praised for their “extraordinary honesty, warmth and resilience in portraying children forced to navigate adulthood far too soon”.

Regarding the technical awards, Tang Ka Hei received a Special Mention for Best Cinematography for I Heard That They Are Not Going to See Each Other Anymore (directed by Ka Ki Wong), recognised for transforming Taipei into “a dreamlike landscape of longing, memory and possibility”. Finally, the Award for Best Sound Design and Music went to Ryan Billia and Jon Natchez for Żejtune, directed by Alex Camilleri, for creating a soundscape that intertwines with traditional Maltese folk music to become “the heartbeat of the film”.

Meanwhile, the jury for the official short film section – comprising Amélie Queret, Lucía Casañ and Laurence Boyce – awarded the Luna de València Award for Best Short Film to Nobody Barks by Catalan director Júlia Coldwell. They praised the creation of “a unique and surreal universe with precise imagery, excellent sound design, strong performances and a witty, thoughtful script”. The special mention in this category went to Night of Passage, by Reza Rasouli, while Apolline Andreys received a Special Mention for Best Performance for her short film Lady Attila.

The Young Jury awarded its prize to the Norwegian short film Sand i tissen, by Ingrid Runde Saxegaard, because “it reflects the bond between a mother and daughter from a very intimate and personal perspective”.
 In addition, the Feroz Cinema Jove Award went to Un buen salvaje, by Joan Vives i Lozano from Valencia. Finally, the audience voted overwhelmingly in this category for Esto está frío, by Iván Fernández de Córdoba, also from Valencia.

The list of winners:

Feature Films

Luna de València for Best Film
Filipiñana - Rafael Manuel (Singapore/United Kingdom/Philippines/France/Netherlands)

Jury’s Special Mention for Best Director
Shahrbanoo Sadat - No Good Men (Germany/France/Norway/Denmark/Afghanistan)

Jury’s Special Mention for Best Performance
Denisa Vraja, Vlad Furtuna, Mara Diaconu Ducica, Sofia Vasiliu and Dominique Toma - On Our Own (Romania/Italy)

Jury’s Special Mention for Best Cinematography
Tang Ka Hei - I Heard That They Are Not Going to See Each Other Anymore (Hong Kong/Taiwan)

Jury’s Special Mention for Best Sound and Music Design
Ryan Billia, Jon Natchez – Żejtune (Malta/Germany/Qatar)

Short Films

Best Short Film
Nobody Barks - Júlia Coldwell (Spain)

Special Mention
Night of Passage - Reza Rasouli (Austria)

Special Mention for Best Performance
Apolline Andreys - Lady Attila (France)

Official Series Section

Best Series
Hundanra - Lisa Linnertorp (Sweden)

Best Director
Dear Killer Nannies - Pablo Fendrik, Felipe Cano Ibáñez (United States)

Most Original Concept
Respire fort - Arthur Fanget (France)

Youth Audiovisual Encounter

First Prize in the Amateur Category
Wounded Light - Abril Catalina Beascoechea

Special Mention for Best Director
Wounded Light - Abril Catalina Beascoechea

Special Mention for Best Script
Irene Roig - Canta, xiqueta, canta

Special Mention for Best Art Direction
María Lucía Suárez Berbery, Erick Rafael Montes Molina - El niño de las orejas rojas

Special Mention for Best Cinematography
Andrea Anghinetti - Catarsis

Special Mention for Best Performance
Álex López, Julia Balserini - El Lambo de San Blas

Runner-up and Special Award ‘La Aventura del Saber’
El Lambo de San Blas - David Sendín

Young Jury Award
A la vejez, viruelas - Pol Aguilera

Selected to take part in the Young Filmmakers’ Residency
Abril Catalina Beascoechea, David Sendín, Irene Roig, André Brugnara

Kids Cinema

Ages three to six
Il était un fois à Dragonville - Marika Herz (France/Switzerland, short film)

Ages six to nine
La légende du colibrí - Morgan Devos (France, short film)

Curt Creixent

Best Short Film Project
Ocle - Manuel Omonte
Production: Andreu Corberà and Begoña Palomares

Best Short Film in Post-production
La noche tendrá tus ojos - Amanda Cots, Ángel Suárez
Production: Cots y Carolina Gómez

Other Awards

Youth Jury Award for Best Feature Film 
Filipiñana - Rafael Manuel

Youth Jury Award for Best Short Film
Sand i tissen - Ingrid Runde Saxegaard (Norway)

Youth Jury Award for Best Series
Das Manko - Arne Feldhusen (Germany)

Audience Award for Best Feature Film
No Good Men - Shahrbanoo Sadat

Audience Award for Best Short Film
Esto está frío - Iván Fernández de Córdoba (Spain)

Youth Jury Award for Best Series
Das Manko - Arne Feldhusen

Best Poster
María Cristina Pérez - Una vez en un cuerpo (Colombia) (Short film)

Movistar Plus+ Short Film Project Award
PAM - Blanca Camell (Spain)

Feroz Award for Best Short Film
Un buen salvaje - Joan Vives i Lozano (Spain)

Un futuro de cine Award
Priscilla Delgado

Luna de València Award
Félix Sabroso