On November 29th we announced the winners of LFF 2025.
The Jury composed of:
Anna Serdiukow, Anastasia Naumenko, Balázs Szövényi-Lux
has awarded following films:
FOCUS: CHILDREN
Financial award in the amount of 2000 PLN
What’s Inside That Crate?, dir. Bram Algoed
This animated film is, above all, an excellent concept and its execution as a metaphor for life. A simple but charming plot, precise use of forms, playful sets of colours that beautifully builds the sequence of events. Life is a children’s book. Nothing more, nothing less. Each page is a delight, a discovery, a disappointment, and yet another dream (in a box).
Special mention:
Asiunia, dir. Tomek Ducki
Sensitively tells a story about a troubled period that is still relevant today. The technique always serves the narrative, and its tools are artistic enough to be accessible to younger viewers. It fills the characters of the written work with life, so it becomes much more than an illustration of a fairy tale.
FOCUS: ANIMATION
Financial award in the amount of 2000 PLN
Martyr’s Guidebook, dir. Maksymilian Rzontkowski
Film, which accurately traces the erratic, die-hard Eastern European dilemma of being a good person, uses a rhythm and style rarely seen in correlation with this topic, making this point of view a unique and immersive experience.
Special mention:
Ploo, dir. Jon Frickey
Film, which could as well be a riddle, generously offers a viewer the tools for comprehending technology in our lives, which, for a change, don’t feel like the end of the world but more like an invitation to curiosity, courage, and play.
FOCUS: TRANSGRESSION
Financial award in the amount of 2000 PLN
Sewing Machine, dir. Ülo Pikkov
A rare skillful example of how a personal family history becomes universally interesting and important. The narrative is precise and tense throughout, the documentary and fictional elements mix organically with a beautifully constructed sound space. It is a work that can be experienced and enjoyed.
Special mention:
Bloodline, dir. Wojciech Węglarz
A short slow cinema film set in the Polish-Belarusian context, but its strength lies in its ability to intuitively empathise with creatures other than humans. A brilliant change in perspective portrays an ancient forest ecosystem marked by the migration crisis, giving a voice to creatures that have no chance to speak for themselves. Visually spectacular. Brilliant sound design.
Special mention:
The Ghosts You Draw on My Back,dir. Nikola Stojanović
A piece that shows beauty in the raw mixture of feelings and emotions of a teenager experiencing loss. An embodiment of rage, longing for closure, and erotism found in unexpected places, it does not shy away from the reality of human experience, which is anything but orderly or clear.
FOCUS: COMMUNITY
Financial award in the amount of 2000 PLN
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir. Nebojša Slijepčević
With restrained and clean images, it tells the story of an ordinary situation that develops in an absurdly terrible direction. It presents historical trauma not with overly controlled music, but with excellent acting, silences, and suppressed gazes. Free from all frills, short and to the point, it evokes the best short film tradition.
Special mention:
Lift Lady, dir. Marcin Modzelewski
The introspective story of an elevator operator, a former war sniper, reveals a microcosm of relations forgotten by the West. Brutalist architecture is the everyday reality of this perfectly narrated, wonderfully shot and precisely edited documentary. This film will only lift you up to such levels as the grotesqueness of the world, the complexity of human nature, the tragicomic roots of everyday situations. It really feels like a feature!
Special mention:
Majonezë, dir. Giulia Grandinetti
The power of this short film lies in the depth of its narrative, the contrast between black and white, and the minimal dialogue. Set in Albania, thanks to its excellent visual storytelling, the film has a universal character: it is both very local and intimate, yet poignantly powerful. However, the stunning cinematography is not just a clever gimmick – it is an idea that makes a simple story become impactful.
LUBLIN FILM AWARD: SHORT FILM
Financial award in the amount of 2500 euros
Blanche, dir. Joanne Rakotoarisoa
Film, crafted with tenderness and care, unravels with today’s urgency and skill the complexities of grief as a social construct, which, infused with family history, location, nationality, and ethnicity, can, against all odds, become a shared space for bonding and mutual understanding in spite of predestined narratives.
LUBLIN FILM AWARD: LONG FILM
Financial award in the amount of 2500 euros
Under the Grey Sky, dir. Mara Tamkovich
It brings you closer to an ongoing national tragedy and to those who report the truth in an oppressive system. A work that is distant and yet empathetic, dramatic but never sentimental. It touches on the lives of real people with a good sense, is never intrusive, rather hints instead of showing its horrors. Its open ending is like a well-placed exclamation point.
In addition, the organizers awarded
THE KRZYSZTOF SZOT AWARD
Guideprice 1100pcm, 1 Bed Flat to Rent, dir. Jake Kuhn
For the deeply humanistic story of passing and of human life in its various phases, presented using the simplest possible means.
LUBLIN AUDIENCE AWARD
Financial award in the amount of 4000 PLN
Sunday, dir. Shokir Kholikov (Uzbekistan)
Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to everyone who contributed to LFF 2025!