The 28th 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.
“We are proud and excited to close the festival and announce this year’s winners. This is a special year for us, marking the festival’s 40th anniversary. Forty years of young, bold, and subversive cinema. We felt an amazing and unusual energy throughout all the days of the festival. We were especially excited to host international students and filmmakers who came to celebrate with us and with the local audiences who filled the cinematheque. Our deepest thanks to the filmmakers, viewers, and everyone who embraced and supported our celebration of cinema. We close this week with hearts full of inspiration and hope,” stated Festival Directors Oshrit Bitton and Daniel Gal.
Israeli Competition
Judges: Ella Armoni, Justyna Guziec, Assaf Amir
Away from the Sun, written and directed by Daniel Shagaev Budanov (Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Jerusalem), was awarded Best Film in the Israeli competition. The judges statement: “A touching film that creates a complete cinematic experience and contains surprising and moving elements. The relationships in the film are complex and the performances are excellent. He returns to the cultural roots of Russian literature and film. This film is an achievement.”
Gidi Herman won the Most Promising Director Award for his film British Pool. Best Screenplay was awarded to Ella Shaul for her film Lay it to Rest. Adir Boker was awarded Best Cinematography for the film Home Base. Gil Peled was awarded Best Editing for the film The Way Fish Are. An Honorable Mention for Best Acting was awarded to Nadav Eder for the film King of the Eyesores. Audience Favorite was awarded to Tal Davidovich for the film Fully Loaded. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Keshet Gadish for the film Yours Truly, Water Girl, and to Tal Chaimovitz for the film Insurance Fairy.
International Competition
Judges: Estee Yakov-Mecklberg, Hadar Morag, Nir Bergman, Baher Agbariya, Wolf Plesmann
Engine of Love, directed by Mira-Belle Rose Bryld (The University of Television and Film Munich (HFF München) with a screenplay co-written with Paula Essam), was awarded Best Film in the International Competition. The judges statement: “We fell in love with the characters of Engine of Love, we loved the complete and original screenplay, the confident and mature directing, and especially the wonderful casting of the two protagonists. All the together created a whole, funny, original, and very moving experience for us.”
Jona Schloßer was awarded Most Promising Director for the film Trance. Csaba Kozma was awarded Best Screenplay for the film Paws in Paradise. Best Cinematography was awarded to Anna Filicheva for the film Happy As Can Be. Best Editing was awarded to Tatyana Luchina for the film Sun Fell and Rolled. Audience Favorite was awarded to Mayan Ninio for the film Rio and Nafez. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Batien Nignan for the film Sãana the Stranger, and to Michele Omer Zvi Moise for the film From One End to the Other.
The “Golden Bone” will be awarded to Shenkar the bull for the Best Performance by an animal, in the film The Old Bull Knows, Or Once Knew, directed by Milan Kumar.
The Short Independent Competition
Judges: Elite Zexer, Karina Gechtman, Maya Amsellem
Haltura, directed by Maayan Blech, was awarded Best Film in the Short Independent Competition. The judges statement: “The film succeeds in merging humor and feelings in a natural and precise manner, with a balance that works on the viewer with a spectrum of feelings from beginning to end. The screenplay is intelligent and unified, the excellent performances of the actors gives the characters depth, authenticity, and presence, and the directing is sharp and extraordinary. This is a complete film, alive and moving, that proves that an excellent idea and original execution can turn a small story into a grand experience. For all these reasons, the judges choose to award Best Film to Haltura.”
Bar Cohen was awarded Best Director for her film Photos of Her. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Efim Graboy for the film 2:30 Minutes for 5 Shekels, and to Timna Perets for the film Yerus. Audience Favorite was awarded to Alon Reter for the film Crownless Queen of the Garden.
The Israeli Film Critics Association (Hagit Ben Eliezer, Naama Rak, Rita Koren) awarded Best Film to two films: Fully Loaded, written and directed by Tal Davidovich, and The Way Fish Are, written and directed by Eliya Dekel.
The International Experimental Film & Video Art Competition
Judges: Veronica Kedar, Roee Rosen, Hila Cohen-Schneiderman
Something with Yoav, written and directed by Yuval Steinberg, won the award for Best Project. Honorable Mentions were awarded to I Don’t Repeat it Twice, written and directed by Ksusha Kernosenko, and Self Portrait (Mirroring), written and directed by Negar Soufi.
The International Digital Media and AI Competition
Judges: Rotem Levim, Asaf Geva, Hila Gavron
For the Ministry of the Interior by Jenny You was awarded Best Project. The Amazing Kitsuverse by Leo Neumann was awarded Best Film in the AI Competition.
