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