Welcome to the
"Madrid Fiesta Film Award"

Matteo Di Loreto, Tom McKenzie

Best Experimental

Between dream and reality a girl finds herself in the audience of a theatre (Royal Danish Theatre) to find out there are other people there with her. While events between the dancers unfold, a voice guides them on a journey of surreality where the relation between the audience and the stage is connected by a subtle veil.

Eve Jablonkay

Best Biographical Film

Katalin Karady was a film star, a sex symbol and a bisexual in the era of the early European cinema.

Simon Tate

Best Feature

The Unlock is a genuine first of a kind. The actor playing the lead role, Stephen, has not seen a script and knows nothing about the story. Not even the genre of the film. He was isolated entirely from cast and crew until filming ended. Being completely in the dark even reaction is real. We call it Hyper Real filmmaking and it has never been done before. Waking up chained to the ceiling in a warehouse somewhere in Lithuania Stephen, an ex-soldier, is faced by his interrogators. They tell him that he was involved in the kidnap of the Russian Foreign Minister by a far right group in a NATO country who will execute the Minister live on the internet in 90 minutes. An act of war between a NATO country and Russia which could trigger World War 3. They believe Stephen knows the whereabouts of the kidnapped Minister, but Stephen has amnesia and time is running out. His interrogators however have been given permission to use any means necessary to unlock his memories - and that means taking them all to some very dark places.

Andrea Cacciavillani, Tonino Di Ciocco

Best Cinematographer

In 1903 a courageous and farsighted priest managed to fight usury with solidarity and mutuality. A dream that still survives today. Nel 1903 un prete coraggioso e lungimirante riuscì a combattere l"usura con la solidarietà e la mutualità. Un sogno che ancora oggi sopravvive.

Terrence Turner

Best Human Rights

A five year old girl is caught in middle of a struggle between her recently widowed father and his elderly aunt who disagree on how best to adapt to the customs and laws of their newly adopted home in the United Kingdom. The aunt’s failure to abandon ancient African tribal traditions, including the harmful practice of FGM or female genital mutilation, leads to potentially devastating consequences for the young girl. All six characters in the film are played by one remarkable female actor, Mimi Ndiweni.

Matteo Banfo

Feature Documentary

“FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED” is an inspirational feature-length film that explores the life-changing journey of high school students engaged in the Winners Circle Project. Throughout the course of a year, these students embark on an extraordinary endeavor: building a real race car from scratch. As the documentary unfolds, their unwavering spirit shines amidst adversity, including the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. From overcoming obstacles to achieving success, the film celebrates their journey of personal growth and highlights the transformative power of education, opportunity, and resilience.

Jeremy Lee

Best Animation

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Penang Street in Malaysia lay quiet and empty. As murals come to life, Azam, a diligent food delivery rider, is accompanied by his very own creations, the Three Murals. These animated characters follow him on his rounds, aiding him in delivering food to locals while helping those in need, making a positive impact on the community.

ILIYAS DAUDI

Best Actress

A student of the directing faculty of VGIK falls into disgrace with the master of the course Gleb Glebovich and goes to military service in the army in Syria. In one of the battles, George is seriously wounded, as a result, he goes completely blind. Beloved girl Lisa, with whom George studied together, understands that she is not ready to shoulder the burden of dedication to a disabled person. George falls into depression, life is going to hell.... The desire for a full life, the desire to stay in the profession, the participation and mentoring of the former master of the course Gleb Glebovich mobilizes George to work and high creative achievements. Georgy moves from the director's studio to the playwrights' workshop, writes the script for the film — "the story of the rescue of a Syrian family by the Russian military", awarded the prize of the Venice Film Festival.

杨思倩

Best Student Film

ABHINAV SINGH

Best First Time Filmmaker

Life takes yet another distressing turn for the reclusive and introverted architect TANISH (29yrs) when he has a scuffle with his lady colleague, STUTI (33yrs).Already begrudged with Tanish due to professional rivalry at their workplace VG & Associates, Stuti falsely accuses Tanish of molesting her. To protect the firm’s interests, management at VGA insists on a written apology from Tanish, which could put the matter to rest. However, Tanish, not a worldly-wise person, refuses to apologize. Resultantly, the complaint is escalated, and an investigative PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committee is formed. Caught in the cross-fire is DIYA (24yrs), the newest member in Tanish’s team. Post the molestation incident, she reluctantly chooses to remain in the team as quitting would mean giving up a prestigious project. As they work together, Diya discovers that Tanish is a brilliant, yet broken individual with genuine intentions. She develops a soft corner for him. Tanish also learns that Diya is truthful and has strong work ethics – the qualities he admires and rarely finds in people. An unspoken but restrained friendship develops between the two. However, it would only be short lived. To his utter shock and disbelief, during the PoSH hearings, Tanish learns that there is not one but two complainants; Stuti and Diya. Diya, in turn, also finds about this for the first time in the hearings. She figures that her statements were twisted by Stuti and were misrepresented. She rushes to clarify this to an already upset Tanish, but to no avail. Devastated, Tanish resigns and becomes incommunicado. Worried, his sister TANYA (23yrs), visits Tanish and admonishes him that triggers an emotional outburst. Tanish spends the following days in introspection as something within him begins to change. He finally decides to meet Diya, with an intention to make amends.

Best Scriptwriter, Best Unproduced Script

Based upon a true story a wise old horse narrates his extraordinary life. After a near death accident he finds the meaning of life through the eyes of a special needs little girl.

Stephen Wallis

Best Director

AFTERWARDS is a dark yet spiritual drama that follows the tormented journey of a man who's been abandoned in the frozen north for thirty years after his death.

Stephen Wallis

Best Actor

The Performance is a wonderfully dramatic and heartbreaking film that follows a well known actor as he prepares for a one night only performance in a theater run down by time. It was the home of his first performance over 60 years before and as the night progresses he reflects on a lifetime of regrets whilst trying to ensure that it's a performance that will be forever remembered.

Kat Hostick

Supernatural

An author tries to investigate a decades old mystery and finds himself stuck in his own ghost story.

Paolo Furino, Felice Antignani

Best Nightmare Horror Film

Marina and Piero, both lovers of transgressive dates, find Ric and Luna on their way, who hide other intentions.

Gary Jack Hewitt

Best Composer

A vigilante comes face to face with her demons while tracking down criminals tied to her past.

Pavlo Peleshok

Best Producer

Two successful film producers with an office in the center of Kyiv after the russian occupation of Crimea in 2014 decide to leave everything and volunteer for the war in eastern Ukraine, to defend the homeland from the russian occupiers. After two years of war (2016), the film they started producing on the Maidan, "Winter on Fire" became a nominee for the American Academy Award, the "Oscar". Commander releases boys on short-term leave so they can travel to California A week after the awards ceremony and elite cocktail parties in Los Angeles, they are returning to the trenches of the russian-Ukrainian war. Five years later, veterans, at the cost of losing close friends, "survivor's guilt syndrome", post-traumatic stress disorder, medals for bravery, return to their profession to show from fragments of memories and their own video archive why the russian-Ukrainian war was possible in the 21st century

Matteo Berdini

Best Short

Piero, a local comedian, dreams so much of going on television that when he does... he can't get out of it.