ClujShorts Awards 2025

ClujShorts Trophy

Film: Cava / Dig/ Sapă

Directed by: JANDRO
Country:  Spain
Genre: Thriller
Jury motivation:
Awarded for the extremely effective way in which it tells a story that is both comic and tragic, using all the resources of cinematic expressiveness—script, cinematography, editing, direction—and delivering a powerful final twist.

Best Student Film

Film: Die Letzte Wette / The Last Bet

Directed by: Meike Wüstenberg
Country: Austria
Genre:  Drama
Jury motivation:
Awarded for the craftsmanship with which this student film is constructed and for the stylistic maturity it demonstrates.

Best Animation

Film: J’ai Avalé Une Chenille / My Teenage Blackout/

Directed by: Basile Khatir
Country: France
Genre:  Drama
Jury motivation:
Awarded for the way it combines a deeply moving tragic story with an animation style that may seem simple but fits perfectly with the innocence of the narrative voice.

 

Jury Award

Film: The Eggregores’ Theory/ Teoria eggregorilor

Directed by: Andrea Gatopoulos
Country: Italy
Genre:  Animation
Jury motivation:
Awarded for the strong visual representation of a dystopian universe where words become deadly, for the memorable imagery in various shades of black and white, and for the innovative use of modern technology to critique those very technologies.

 

Persona Association Award

Film: Heaven Forbid

Directed by: Alexandra Bégin
Country: Canada
Genre:  Drama
Persona Association’s Award Motivation

The Organiser’s Award is presented to a film that transcends the conventional boundaries of short storytelling and creates an authentic space for reflection, emotion, and humanity.

Through the eyes of a young girl who, after losing her mother, seeks meaning, faith, and hope
in her relationship with her father and her dog, Joan of Arc,
the film gently navigates themes such as grief, unconditional love, spirituality, and belonging.

The “baptism” ritual of the dog, performed in an empty church, becomes a pure act of faith.
A tender form of resistance against dogma.
A declaration of how suffering can be transformed into light.

For its emotional depth,
for the sincere questions it raises, and for the beauty with which it gives voice to innocence and absolute love, Heaven Forbid receives the Persona Association Award.

 

Best Direction

Film: L’enfant À La Peau Blanche / The Boy With White Skin

Directed by: Simon Panay
Country: Mali
Genre: Dramă / Drama
Jury motivation:

Awarded for a boldly undertaken approach, for a story full of meaning, and for the challenging shoots that were handled with great directorial creativity.

 

Best Screenplay

Film: Kidnapping John Malkovitch

Directed by: Koya Kamura
Country:  France
Genre:  Comedy
Jury motivation:
Awarded for a highly dynamic screenplay, for the wacky story imagined by the film team, filled with humorous lines, and for the way the writing highlighted specific aspects of the actors’ performances.

 

Best Editing

Film: Les Liens Du Sang / Blood Ties

Directed by: Hakim Atoui
Country: France
Genre: Horror
Jury motivation:
Awarded for the creative use of editing in building both horror and intensely comedic moments, elevating the film’s aesthetic impact.

 

Best Soundtrack

Film: À Toi Les Oreilles

Directed by: Alexandre Isabelle
Country: Canada
Genre: Dramă / Drama
Jury motivation:
Awarded for an ordinary story in which sound and music not only contribute to the narrative but actually become main characters and a source of salvation for the dysfunctional characters depicted.

Best Cinematography

Film: Ahora Vuelvo / Be Right Back

Directed by: Lucas Paulino & Gabe Ibañez
Country:  Spain
Genre: Horror
Jury motivation:
Awarded for a film that, through its cinematography, masterfully uses all the resources of horror: slow shots, sudden transitions, detailed frame composition, and a haunting color palette.

 

Best Acting

Film: Vida o Teatre / Life Or Theater

Directed by: Guillem Manzanares

Actresses: Laia Manzanares & Miriam Iscla
Country: Spain
Genre:  Drama
Jury motivation:
Awarded for the energetic performances of the two actresses, their expressive delivery, physical interaction, and the emotional complexity they bring to the screen.

 

Press Award (ex aeqvo)

Film: The Last Bet

Country: Austria

Genre: Drama

Jury motivation:

A film full of gentleness, that speaks about death without taking away the beauty of life. I truly appreciated how the end-of-the-world kind of light and the understated set design support and complete the story, alongside the carefully chosen music and the actors’ impeccable performances. Even though death is present in almost every line, humor and playfulness turn life into something bearable — even luminous. And the wisdom of old age reminds us that sometimes, a prize — one last piece of chocolate — is all we can wish for from life.

 

Film: Blood ties

Country:  France

Genre: Horror

Jury motivation:

The creators demonstrate a very good understanding of (dysfunctional) family relationships and of the attempts to substitute them with electronic alternatives. We appreciated the flawless mastery of horror-introducing techniques, the perfect pacing of the story, and the happy ending: everyone dies.

Audience Award

Film: Jocurile Nomade/ Nomad Games
Country: România
Genre: Documentar

ClujShorts 2025 Program

Thursday, April 10th  
Friday, April 11th  
Saturday, April 12th  
Sunday, April 13th  

 

18:00	Cinema Arta Tickets online	Short film premiere   Nomad Games — Beyond time   Director: Alexandra Ghejan   The screening is followed by discussions with the film’s director.   Hosts: Ioana Cosman and Vasile Cipcigan   Event organized in partnership with Nomadis

 

 

16:00	Cinema Victoria Tickets can be bought at the cinema or online	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h30m) 3MWh Czech Republic, Documentary Astra Spain, SF Lenin in reverse / esrever ni nineL Russia, Comedy Portraits? Great Britain, Animation Les mousses France, Comedy One time muse Romania, Drama
17:00	Cinema Mărăști   Free admission within the limit of available seats.	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h15m) My teenage blackout France, Animation/Drama Stateless Iran, Drama Ana can do everything Germany-Spain, Drama Professional Parent Romania-Slovakia, Drama And that’s for this Christmas Bulgaria, Drama
17:30	Casino   Free admission within the limit of available seats.	Opening of the International Short Film Festival ClujShorts 2025
		One Frame, One Story, A Story Installation opening – “Apocalypse after AI”   Installation with works created with the help of artificial intelligence.   Members of the ClujShorts 2025 team imagine a possible apocalypse caused, due to, generated by artificial intelligence, somewhere, sometime in the future… Exhibitors: Nicoleta Stoica, Camelia Chirteș, Alexandra Ghejan, Dana Ungur, Andra Dîrvariu, Natalia Radu, Rareș H. Stoica. Curator: Radu Sălcudean
		Presentation „Artificial Memories” Florin-Adrian Marc The work “Artificial Memories” explores the border between technology and emotion by creating a digital avatar that embodies the memory, personality and experiences of a real person. Using technologies such as MetaHuman, Blender, Unreal Engine and ConvAI, the avatar becomes a mediator between the past and the present, allowing natural interactions with the audience. Visitors can carry out authentic dialogues, thus having the opportunity to discover fragments of the personal history of a lived life, now preserved in a complex digital database. Through this work, the audience is invited to reflect on how artificial intelligence can preserve, reconstruct and reinterpret human memories, transforming them into a living and interactive legacy.   The works will remain available for viewing and interaction until the ClujShorts 2025 Closing Gala, Sunday, April 13, 2025.
		ClujShorts Talks (1)   Gabriel Ovidiu Lucaciu, specialist in computer security and cybernetics   Behind the screen   What is AI, AI pattern recognition, AI applicability in cinematography, awareness of the dangers posed by AI and the defense mechanisms we have at our disposal.
		Press conference in a friendly and familiar setting. ClujShorts 2025 opening cocktail — The joy of reunion
18:00	Cinema Victoria Tickets can be bought at the cinema or online	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h30m) Mr. Hope Canada, Animation/Drama Your ears Canada, Drama Unwanted relatives Germany, Documentary Narranext Canada, SF/Comedy At Joanna’s Belgium, Drama Hills like white elephants Romania, Drama
18:00	Cinema Mărăști Free admission within the limit of available seats.	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (18+) (1h30m) The Sea in Between Croatia-Czech Republic-Slovenia, Drama The game Russia, Comedy Medea Adrift Spain, Animation The dinner Spain, Comedy 6,21 Israel-Russia, Other Basri and Salma in a Never-Ending Comedy Indonesia, Comedy
20:00	Casino Free admission within the limit of available seats.	ClujShorts film screening with and about AI (1h10m) X Brazil, Animation OVO France, Animation Athena Germany-Ukraine, Thriller Frail Switzerland, Drama Humormatic Spain, Comedy

 

14:00	Cinema Victoria Tickets can be bought at the cinema or online	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h30m) The Last Bet Austria, Drama Sweeter is the night France, Animation Know Your Stones Germany-The Netherlands, Documentary notETERNALS Russia, Fantasy Kidnapping John Malkovitch France, Comedy
16:00	Cinema Victoria Tickets can be bought at the cinema or online	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h20m) The Visit Romania, Animation Black Balloons Israel, Drama Casting Spain, Drama Hey little one Canada, Animation Titanic, suitable version for Iranian families France-Iran, Comedy Catlands Croația-Slovenia, Animation Fear Not Fear Itself United States of America, Musical Two-Sided Romania, Drama Q&A
17:00	Cinema Mărăști   Free admission within the limit of available seats.	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h30m)   Amanda, you lied Spain, Drama It’ll pass Lithuania-Great Britain, Drama The boy with white skin Mali, Drama Unfamiliar Skin Brazil, Drama Dig Spain, Thriller
17:30	Casino   Free admission within the limit of available seats.	ClujShorts Talks (2) Ciprian Turcu, software developer, AI practitioner and enthusiast   Living with Artificial Intelligence: How Our Work and World Are Changing   A broad view of artificial intelliegence influence beyond IT. Since when has artificial intelligence been around, where is it now, and where is it headed?
18:00	Cinema Victoria Tickets can be bought at the cinema or online	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h15m) Heaven forbid Canada, Drama Life or theater Spain, Drama The crown shyness Canada, Drama Nomad Games Romania, Documentary Q&A
18:30	Casino   Free admission within the limit of available seats.	ClujShorts Talks (3)   dr. eng. Vivi Năstase – researcher in natural language processing and machine learning at Idiap Institute/University of Geneva   Large Language Models and Artificial Intelligence   What happens inside large language models and what is their connection to artificial intelligence? We will talk about language and why it is so difficult to process when it seems so simple to us, I will tell you secrets about chatGPT (spoiler alert: it learns based on a word game), what is the connection to artificial intelligence, and we will discuss your questions on the topic.
19:00	Cinema Mărăști Free admission within the limit of available seats.	Short film screenings: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (18+) (1h13m) Be Right Back Spain, Horror The Unbearing United Stats of America, Horror She Stays Mexico, Horror Paradigm United States of America, Other You’re the one I love Spain, Drama
20:00	Casino Free admission within the limit of available seats.	Short film screenings with and about AI: Official selection ClujShorts 2025 (1h30m) Joey Skaggs: The Solomon Project United States of America, Documentary The Eggregores’ Theory Italy, Animation Vera’s Dream of Sushi Russia, Drama Blood Ties France, Horror Time Sensitive Characters France, Documentary

 

18:30	Casino	Closing Gala of the ClujShorts International Short Film Festival 2025
		ClujShorts Talks (4) Prof. dr Rodica Mocan, Faculty of Theater and Film, University Babeș-Bolyai   Artificial Intelligence between Cinematic Metafiction and Dystopian Reality Movies are a popular way to escape from a sometimes difficult reality. With the help of artificial intelligence, special effects and stories are becoming more impressive, making it harder to distinguish reality from fiction. This makes us think about how AI influences our perceptions and what this means for society, especially as the boundaries between real and imaginary blur. (rephrased to less formal, by GPT 4.0)
		Awards Gala ClujShorts 2025 Moderators: Dragoș Pop and Alexandra Ghejan
		Astronomical observations through a telescope: Let’s look up!   Ștefan Pop – Coț, vice-president of astROmania, SRPAC, professional astrophotographer/photographer and personal brand administrator Coțmic with Mobile Astronomical Observatory and astrophotography.   The exhibition of astro-photographs made by Ștefan Pop-Coț will be open from April 10-27.
		Concert Marquis Collective   Marquis Collective is an instrumental band, led by Patricia Marchiș, that aims to redefine the boundaries of the fusion style. Each song combines complex jazz harmonies, electrifying rock riffs and funky grooves. Through an original approach, the group defies musical conventions, creating its own sound.   Line up: Patricia Marchiș – Saxophone, Marius Roje – Piano, Cristina Lazariuc – Bass, Sebastian Arvai – Drums