The 27th Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival (TISFF) announced the award winners tonight in a festive ceremony that took place this evening at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque. Due to the protest scheduled for tonight at 20:00 at Hostage Square, the festival management decided to hold the ceremony earlier than planned, at 18:30, as a symbol of their identification with the families of the hostages, and to enable the filmmakers, students, and guests of the festival to take part in the struggle for the immediate release of the hostages.
“We are excited to announce the festival winners this year. Amidst such a difficult and painful reality, we are proud and happy that we succeeded in holding a festival that nurtures young filmmakers, providing them with a warm home for creating, and enables audiences to encounter new and inspiring voices. This year more than ever, the cinema was filled with viewers who came to celebrate young cinema, and who emerged with a bit more hope in their hearts. Many thanks to those who came, embraced and supported us, and who were part of this celebration,” stated Festival Directors Oshrit Bitton and Daniel Gal.
Israeli Competition
Judges: Limor Shmila, Eran Riklis, Martin Scheuring
After Counting All Votes, written and directed by Amnon Halbersberg (Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Jerusalem) was awarded Best Film in the Israeli competition. The judges statement: “A very personal, moving, and painful, exploration of the national existence from 2022 onwards, which had a painful turn in 2023. The personal merges with the complex state of Israeli society in all its different hues and generations.”
Riki Rotter won the Most Promising Director Award for her film Kosher Test. Best Screenplay was awarded to Yehuda Bogomolny for his film The Witness. Ben Maor was awarded Best Cinematography for the film Exposure. Mika Friehmann was awarded Best Editing for the film Kamad. An Honorable Mention for Best Acting was awarded to Mariam Mora for the film Sila. Audience Favorite was awarded to Tomer Shaham for the film Savta and I. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Gal Salomon for the film Bottle. Sea. Love.
International Competition
Judges: Tamira Yardeni, Karin Anna Rywkind Segal, Valentina Zalevska, Or Lee-Tal, Eliran Peled
Skin on Skin, directed by Simon Schneckenburger (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Animationsinstitut) with a screenplay by Schneckenburger and Marie Wagner was awarded Best Film in the International Competition. The judges statement: “The director Simon Schneckenburger presents a bold and mature vision, that merges physical intimacy with pointed social critique. Through impressive visuals and mesmerizing acting, he builds a powerful story in which a fragile delicacy manages to survive within institutional cruelty. This entirety makes Skin on Skin an unforgettable work and worthy of a prize.”
Agustina Sanchez Gavier was awarded Most Promising Director for the film Our Own Shadow. Boris Gavrilović, Laura Lybaschenko, and Ecem Calisir were awarded Best Screenplay for the film Balkan, Baby. Best Cinematography was awarded to Elisa Fioritto for Phantom. Best Editing was awarded to Lucas Lörch for the film The Last Bet. Honorable Mentions were awarded to the films The Risk of Childhood, directed by Luis Fernando Portales Ruiz, and The Truck, directed by Elizabeth Rao.
This year, for the first time, the “Golden Bone” will be awarded to Roger the dog, for the Best Performance by an animal, in the film And a Whisper Will Be Heard (Last Scenes at my Father’s House), directed by Yuval Parnass-Madar.
Short Independent Competition
Judges: Noé Debré, Alma Dishy Plaut, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg
Nothing Special, written and directed by Efrat Berger, was awarded Best Film in the Short Independent Competition. The judges statement: “It is rare to find a short film that succeeds in including so many diverse layers: funny and sad, poetic yet grounded in reality, socially relevant, and daring in its own way. Each shot reveals a clear idea and yet the whole comes together for a cinematic experience that is light, flowing, and natural. This is a unique creation on the cinematic landscape that merges impressive technical achievements with a personal, deep, and moving voice.”
Lev Brodinsky was awarded Best Director for the film Roma. An Honorable Mention was awarded to the film The Holiness, written and directed by Daniel Moreshet. Audience Favorite was awarded to the film Where Language Falls Short, written and directed by Tamar Peled.
The Israeli Film Critics Association (Alina Rebel, Yael Shuv, Hagit Bat-Eliezer) selected How to Love Your Mom in 150 (or less) Words, written and directed by Roni Yaniv (Sam Spiegel School for Film and Television) as Best Film. Honorable Mentions were awarded to About to Have Sex, Today is the Day, and Sila.
The International Experimental Film & Video Art Competition
Judges: Sally Haftel Naveh, Haviv Kaptzon, Maya Lahat-Kerman
A TechnoBotanical Tale, written and directed by Lior Yeger, won the award for Best Project. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Try It, written and directed by Gadi Yampel and Xin Zhe Jiang. Merlijn Willemsen received an Honorable Mention for Cinematography in the film You River.
The International Digital Media and AI Competition
Judges: Maya Shekel, Nir Miretzky, Omer Shiby
Breaking News, written and directed by Tamir Hertzberg (Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Israel) was awarded Best Project. Some.Body, written and directed by Netanel Kafka (The School of Visual Theater), was awarded Best Film in the AI Competition.
Short on the Way has awarded a production development grant to Nitzan Giladi for “Nechama”. Production awards for two animated film projects have been awarded to Roee Nitzan, Shani Melamed Nitzan and Michael Faust for “HaSachyan”; and Itai Ivankovsky and Uri Gold for “Ohad Yaron Rotzeh Lidfok Makot Retzach LaBen Zonah SheYitasek Im HaHavera Shelo.”
