International Jury
Jury's statement
The jury members are impressed with the overall quality of the festival selections including many new discoveries. We would like to congratulate the filmmakers and their cast and crew. We also wish to thank the festival staff and many wonderful and highly qualified volunteers for their generous accommodation and never wavering assistance in making our job easy and our stay pleasant during these extraordinary times. Viva Olympia!
The awards
Best feature film
I never cry, Piotr Domalewski, Poland-Ireland, 100’, 2020
Best feature film award goes to a film that has been brilliantly written, performed and executed. A film that sheds light on cross-border family drama and the resilience and resourcefulness of our protagonist.
Best short fiction film
Five Pebbles, Ankit Kothari, India, 14’, 2020
The price goes to a film that you should not only see with your eyes, but also taste with your tongue. The most tasty-and most mesmerizing image of this year’s competition was one of a popsicle, that was a metaphor of pure and simple joy. With great and visual eloquence, this film talks about the friendship so strong that these girls are willing to share everything from shoes to pebbles.
Best animated short film
Santiago, Andrey Koulev, Bulgaria, 2021
This film is an exceptionally creative adaptation of a classic literature, by setting the story in the arctic and utilizing different animation styles. The friendship between a child and an old man is in full display in this film, quite accessible to the children audience.
Best feature film director
To Ana Laura Calderón for the film Mezquite´s Heart, Mexico, 2019. This female director skillfully invites us to the dreamy world of an indigenous girl in Northern Mexico with captivating imagery and sounds.
Best feature film screenplay
To Jonathan Lemire for the film Noise, Neegan Trudel, Canada, 2019. In this story a young girl fights and struggles against her destiny. All the time the story keeps us close to the protagonist with dialogues, sparkling with life. Despite life’s hardships the story leaves us with a sparkle of hope to cling on to. A girl as strong as Emily deserves a decent life and the story convinces us that this is what she will fight for.
Award for Best child’s performance in a feature film
To Arif Shaikh for his performance in Two Friends, Prasun Chatterjee, India, 2021. We were convinced by a young actor who included in his performance both the joy of life and the sorrows of death and loss. Through the skillful lense of the talented cinematographer, the actor shares with us the pleasure of being young and the charm of a simple rural lifestyle. But in moments of great sadness, his silence says more than all the words that he could speak.
Award for Best child’s performance in a feature film
To Zofia Stafiej for the film I Never Cry, Piotr Domalewski, Poland-Ireland, 2020. She is street smart, she is tough, she is also vulnerable. Her heart is filled with anger as well as love and empathy. Zafia Stafiej in the film I Never Cry, successfully portrayes in two languages a young lady, through a journey of multiple discoveries.
International Kids & Docs Jury
Jury's statement
As the Kids & Docs jury of the 24th Olympia International film festival we saw Documentaries with strong and relatable characters, for and about children and young people sharing their own voices. The program daringly focused on social issues that always initiated long and interesting discussions. Films with cinematic quality intended not only for the youth but wider audiences as well. For our award decisions however, we focused on films that were both outstanding documentaries but would also appeal to a younger audience.
The awards
Best feature documentary
School of Hope, Mohamed El Aboudi, Finland-France-Morocco-USA, 2020
The award for best feature length documentary goes to a poetic and observational documentary. For showing the importance of education and the teachers and students dedication, in a harsh environment, heavily affected by climate change, the award goes to School of hope.
Best short & medium length documentary award
Desert Dogs, Samuel Morris, Switzerland, 20′, 2020
For its vibrant and strong protagonists who explore their own identity between tradition and independence, where skateboarding becomes a creative way of expressing themselves, the award goes to Desert Dogs.
Best feature documentary director
Dear Future Children, Franz Böhm, Germany-United Kingdom-Austria, 2021
Through the balanced and precise rhythm of the film we see an insiders point of view of youth activism in 3 different parts of the world, 3 young women fighting for democracy, environment and social justice at their doorstep. The award for best director goes to Franz Böhm.
Special Mention
Girlhood, by Vania Turner and Maria Sidiropoulou. The film shows the importance of friendship that helps to overcome isolation and insecurities imposed by stereo types. We want to give a special mention to Girlhood, a film that gives a relatable insight in what it means to be a girl nowadays.
Special Mention
Don’t Hesitate to Come for a Visit Mom, by Anna Artemyeva. For its simple, dense, an intimate way to portray family relationship and communication, when distance is an obstacle, Don’t Hesitate to come for visit mom deserves a special mention.
Special Mention
Aya, , by Simon Coulibaly Gillard. By introducing a fictional character in an existing island community under climate change pressure, and for its unique way of exploring the boundaries between documentary and fiction, we would like to give a special mention to Aya.
International Youth Jury
Best short fiction film
Blue , Megan Devaney, Ireland, 2020
Best animated short film
Black Slide, Uri Lotan, Israel, 2021
Children’s Juries Awards (up to 12 years old)
Best animated short film
Fly , Carlos Gómez-Mira Sagrado , Spain, 2020
Best short fiction film
The Kicksled Choir, Torfinn Iversen, Norway, 2020
Best feature film
Spaceboy, Olivier Pairoux, Belgium, 2020
Best short & medium length documentary award
Eve, Lucy Jane & Joya Berrow, UK, 2020
Best feature documentary
Kids Cup, Bortebane Line Hatland, Norway, 2021
Children’s Juries (over 13 years old)
Best short animated film animation
The Seine’s tears, Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer, Alice Letailleur, France, 2021
Best short fiction film
Like the Ones I Used to Know, Annie St-Pierre, Canada, 2021
Best feature film
Dear mr. Führer, Christian Lerch , Germany, 2021
Best short & medium length documentary award
My Uncle Tudor, Olga Lucovnicova, Belgium-Portugal-Hungary-Moldova, 21', 2020
Best feature documentary
US Kids, Kim A. Snyder, USA, 2020
Special awards
Hellenic parliament “Human Values” Award
Neighbours, Mano Khalil, Switzerland, 125′, 2021
Greek Film Critics Association Award
I never cry, , Piotr Domalewski, Poland-Ireland, 100’, 2020
Greek Film Clubs’ Association Award
I never cry, , Piotr Domalewski, Poland-Ireland, 100’, 2020
Centre International du Film pour l’ Enfance et la Jeunesse (CIFEJ) Prize
A school in Cerro Hueso, Betania Cappato, Argentina, 70’, 2021
European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) Awards
Best feature film: Space boy, Olivier Pairoux, Belgium, 2020
Bset short fiction film: I, Julia, Arvin Kananian, Sweden, 15', 2020
Best documentary: A Youth, Giorgio Bosisio, Italy, 2020
"#ThisisEU – European Values" award by the European Commission’s Representation in Greece
Neighbours / Neighbours, , Mano Khalil, Switzerland, 125′, 2021
21nd European Meeting of Young People's Audiovisual Creation - Camera Zizanio
Greek section prizes
Category A' - children upto 12 years old
1st prize: Happy Birthday without, 13th Serres Primary School Film Workshop
2nd prize: Talk to me, Primary School of Kallifitos Dramas
3rd prize: The unbelievable story of Agenios Bekgoua, Panagiotis Bomporis & The apartment building. A night... but which night?, 1st Elementary School of New Psychico
Category B' - children from 13 to 16 years old
1st prize: Never stop looking me in the eyes, Ionidios Model Lyceum
2nd prize: Devised space 2020, Art High School of Gerakas
3rd prize: Tv my love, 1st High school of Volos, theatrical-cinematic students
Category C' - youth from 17 to 20 years old
1st prize: Put your mask on, 1st General Lyceum of Keratsini
[AKMI Education Group offers full scholarships to 2 of the crew members of the film]
2nd prize: The forest, Yannis Akrivopoulos
3rd prize: Never say it’s too late, Second Chance school of Chania
[Hellenic Cinema and Television School Stavrakos offers a full scholarship to a participant of Category C']
Special Prizes
Media Literacy Award - Educational Television / Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs
1st Daytime High School of Livadochori Lemnos
The Greek Ombudsman for children's rights Award
Never stop looking me in the eyes, Ionidios Model Lyceum
Can you hear me?, 3rd Agios Ioannis Rentis Highschool Film Club
Nikos Kavoukides Award
Board gap, Ilias Mathioudakis
International section prizes
Category A' - children upto 12 years old
Schoolyard, Ha Yeon Lee, S. Korea
Category B' - children from 13 to 16 years old
A Roadside Story, Kamo Nattapol Komalarajun, Thailand
Category C' - youth from 17 to 20 years old
Momma, I’m A Stray Bird, Ting Su, China
European section prizes
Category A' - children upto 12 years old
1st prize: Τhe nameless island, Camera Etc, Belgium
2nd prize: SOLItudini, I.C.70 Marino-Santa Rosa, Italy
Magic House, Children's Art Centre,Toon Club, India Poland-India
3rd prize: There are no things unwanted, Primary School No. 90 in Poznań, Poland
Category B' - children from 13 to 16 years old
1st Prize: Wendigo, Max Hendrickson, Ireland & Fomo, Kevin Meggs , Max Hendrickson, Ireland
2nd prize: Distorting Mirror, Alisa Lander, Russia
3rd prize: The hole, Piotr Kaźmierczak, Poland
Category C' - youth from 17 to 20 years old
1st prize: Boredom, Viktor Gelbek, Denmark
2nd Prize: I am there for you, Sissi Carlota Ulmer, Germany
3rd prize: The line of life, Andrea Corazza, Italy & Growing up, Malu de Kruijk, Lente Ljsendijk, Netherlands
4th Olympia Creative Ideas Pitching Lab
Greek Film Center Award: The day we became heroes, Evdoxia Chasapi
ERT Award: Love you more than peanut butter, Αριάδνη Αγγελική Θυφρονίτου Λήτου