2025 Festival Moments
2025 Competition Winners
International Feature Competition
- Best Feature Film Award"Echoes of Tomorrow" - Elena Vasquez (Spain)
- Runner-up Feature"The Last Garden" - Akira Tanaka (Japan)
- Best DirectorMaria Santos - "Whispers in the Wind" (Portugal)
- Best ScreenplayDavid Kim - "Silent Stories" (South Korea)
- Emerging Filmmaker AwardAlex Petrov - "New Horizons" (Bulgaria)
European Short Film Competition
- Best European Short"Fragments" - Sophie Mueller (Germany)
- Best Animation"Dancing Shadows" - Pierre Dubois (France)
- Emerging Talent Award"First Light" - Emma Richardson (UK)
- Best Experimental"Abstract Memories" - Marco Rossi (Italy)
- Audience Choice Short"The Bridge" - Anna Kowalski (Poland)
Documentary Showcase
- Best Documentary Feature"Voices of Change" - Robert Thompson (USA)
- Best Documentary Short"Hidden Truths" - Fatima Al-Rashid (Lebanon)
- Social Impact Award"Ocean's Last Call" - Hans Zimmermann (Austria)
- Best Cinematography"Journey Through Time" - Chen Wei (China)
- Community Choice Award"Earth's Symphony" - Isabella Martinez (Chile)
Special Recognition Awards
Performance & Technical Excellence
- Best ActressCatherine Laurent in "Silent Waters" (Belgium)
- Best ActorMiguel Rodriguez in "Desert Dreams" (Mexico)
- Best Cinematography"Midnight Sun" - Ingrid Holm (Sweden)
- Best Editing"Time Collage" - Sarah Chen (Taiwan)
- Best Sound Design"Urban Echoes" - Marcus Weber (Austria)
Festival Special Awards
- Young Filmmaker AwardAlex Petrov (22 years old) - "New Horizons" (Bulgaria)
- Cultural Bridge Award"Crossing Borders" - Maria Gonzalez (Argentina/Germany)
- Innovation in Storytelling"Digital Dreams" - Interactive Media Project
- Lifetime AchievementProfessor Hans Weber - Contribution to German Cinema
- Festival Patron AwardDr. Elena Richter - Festival Development
2025 Festival Highlights
Award Ceremony Highlights
The 2025 award ceremony, held on June 21st at Kino in der Brotfabrik, was an intimate celebration of independent cinema. This year's jury praised the high quality of submissions and the diversity of voices represented in our competition programs.
2025 Statistics
- 85 films submitted
- 22 films selected for competition
- 15 countries represented
- 8 world premieres
- 12 European premieres
Notable Achievements
- Record attendance for award ceremony
- Youngest winner: Alex Petrov (22)
- First Bulgarian film to win major award
- Increased media coverage
- Strong audience engagement