International Jury 2023
Silver Bear for Best Director
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay
Angela Schanelec
Music
by Angela Schanelec
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Hélène Louvart for the cinematography in
Disco Boy
by Giacomo Abbruzzese
Encounters Jury 2023
Award for Best Film
Here
by Bas Devos
For the ability to create an enchanted cinematic space, where sensorial perceptions expand a traditional narrative approach, inviting the viewer to experience the intangible nature of human relationships, the Best Film Award goes to Here by Bas Devos.
Award for Best Director
El eco
by Tatiana Huezo
For the gentle confidence and uncompromising honesty in directing, which magnifies both the powerful human qualities of its protagonists as well as their connection with nature, the best director award goes to Tatiana Huezo for her film El eco.
Special Jury Award
(ex aequo)
Orlando, ma biographie politique
by Paul B. Preciado
For the in depth and unmediated account of affirmation of self identity, for the innovative and multi-layered, politically rigorous yet formally playful, approach, the Special Jury award ex aequo goes to Orlando, ma biographie politique by Paul B. Preciado.
Special Jury Award
(ex aequo)
Samsara
by Lois Patiño
For the capacity to embark the viewer on a unique and transcending audio visual journey, which goes beyond narrative conventions and explores in a bold and daring way the potential of the medium, the Special Jury award ex aequo goes to Samsara by Lois Patiño.
International Short Film Jury 2023
Golden Bear for Best Short Film
Les chenilles
by Michelle Keserwany, Noel Keserwany
Through carefully arranging image and sound, this complex, sensual film transforms the means of woman’s oppression into those of their liberation. When the third person becomes an “I”, the women are no longer objects of exploitation but have instead become subjects. The silkworms metamorphose into spiders whose nets do not serve silk production but their own survival. An immediate friendship connects two women in whose bodies the consequences of colonisation are inscribed. The magic of their bond will continue to exist in our perception. The Golden Bear for Best Short Film goes to Michelle and Noel Keserwany’s Les Chenilles.
Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film)
Marungka tjalatjunu
by Matthew Thorne, Derik Lynch
This film exposes and weaves together those tender and difficult threads of living in multiple worlds: worlds which are your own, full of loss and love, of trauma and survival; and worlds which are thrust upon you, often violent, often unrelenting, and often unforgiving. Marungka tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) navigates beautifully and eloquently an assured sense of self in body and language, while also exploring the questions of what happens when you leave your homeland, and how you can return. This is a film of healing and elegance, and the places that exist between sunrise and sunset, dusk and dawn.
Special Mention
It’s a Date
by Nadia Parfan
Instead of Parisian parks, we see hastily constructed metal garages. Army road blocks take the place of the Arc de Triomphe. Abandoned buildings substitute French hotels and a church surrounded by artillery guns replaces the Basilique de Sacre Coeur. The filmmaker succeeds in liberating a 1976 farcical short and turns it into something more complex where all the urgency has a reason: it is now about the war rather than a macho whim – and even more so because the Ukrainian soldier on home leave is herself a woman. This year’s special mention goes to Nadia Parfan’s It’s a Date.
Berlin Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards
Children's Jury Generation Kplus 2023
Crystal Bear for the Best Film
Sweet As
by Jub Clerc
A film that touched us by virtue of the personal stories of the characters and its impressive backdrops. You’ve seen various characters grow together.
Special Mention
Zeevonk
by Domien Huyghe
A determined and enraged young girl who never gave up hope caused us tension as well as sadness. The rough sea and the proper music created a great atmosphere.
Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film
Closing Dynasty
by Lloyd Lee Choi
An impressive film, both in terms of the settings and the emotions, with a great actress. We were compelled to think about poverty and wealth.
Special Mention
Deniska umřela
by Philippe Kastner
A real story which triggered an abundance of emotions: A great animation, with a special drawing style and beautifully used colours, inspired us!
Generation Kplus International Jury 2023
The Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for the Best Film
Mimi
by Mira Fornay
From its very first shot, this film had the jury under its spell. All manner of issues, characters and complexities meet in the enchanted microcosm of the forest, which sets the stage for its wilful, young protagonist. This film celebrates ingenuity, creativity and openness. Through its tone, pace and humorous spirit, it beautifully walks the tightrope between reality and fantasy. This is the story of a young girl looking for a bird.
Special Mention
L’Amour du monde
by Jenna Hasse
The jury was struck by this film’s quiet and rich portrayal of its protagonist’s evolving desires. It depicts a constellation of lost characters stuck in states of transition, and offers a surprising, poetic, multigenerational take on the coming-of-age narrative.
The Special Prize of the Generation Kplus International Jury for the Best Short Film
Waking Up in Silence
by Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi Faezi
We would like to give the prize to a film that offers a tender glimpse into the daily rhythms of a dislocated childhood. This film’s effortless intimacy bears witness to enduring joy, strength and innocence against a backdrop of profound loss. We were moved by the film’s confident approach. It powerfully evokes a sense of place and history as it offers an important snapshot of the urgent present.
Special Mention
Xiaohui he ta de niu
by Xinying Lao
Breath-taking cinematography, deeply charming characters and deft storytelling all come together in this poignant short. This is a story of love and chosen family. It’s also a story about survival, and honours the emotional hardships of its characters, both boy and cow.
Youth Jury Generation 14plus 2023
Crystal Bear for the Best Film
Adolfo
by Sofía Auza
Bus stop exterior night.
Detail shot of a packet of cigarettes. The bus has already left, but we are still taken on a trip.
Through an unexpected, yet intense encounter between strangers and their witty humor, we accompany two fundamentally different people through an enchanting night full of colors, thoughts and poetic-philosophical dialogues. The film won us over thanks to its attention to detail, with which it draws inspiring characters who try to come to terms with their past and at the same time look towards the future.
Just one night instead of a thousand - and maybe the cigarettes are enough in the end?
Special Mention
And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine
by Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck
This film has set itself apart with its unique style and humorous as well as creative storytelling of a technology you are all familiar with. It illuminates not only the development of the medium, but also the advantages and disadvantages it brings. We particularly liked the use of colourful excerpts from a wide variety of sources which, when put together, still form a unit.
Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film
Man khod, man ham miraghsam
by Mohammad Valizadegan
Woman: A person who identifies as female.
Life: The period of time between birth and death. The experience of being alive.
Freedom: The absence of coercion and restrictions. The ability to express yourself as you wish.
Dance: A ritual, a custom, a profession, a sport, a form of therapy, a social interaction or simply an expression of feelings. Dancing is liberation.
The film not only moved and touched us, but it also made us thoughtful and, above all, combative, through the authentic presentation of topics which are unfortunately still as relevant today as they were years ago.
Special Mention
Szemem sarka
by Domonkos Erhardt
Do you remember this one moment in your life? Perhaps it was particularly magical, maybe it was rather intense... A film reminded us of such moments and, from the very start, whisked us away on a journey behind the reflection of reality. We find the harmonious style to be inspiring and thought-provoking. In the end, the attention to detail and the touching encounter convinced us. A glimpse into a possible dream world from the corner of your eye.
Generation 14plus International Jury 2023
The Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Film
Hummingbirds
by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
For a touching and subtle glimpse into the intimate moments of memorable characters that grow within their friendship.
Their self-determination and playfulness, as both protagonists and authors, is inspiring.
Their actions, jokes, songs, laughs, and bodies are political and necessary as a way of resistance.
Special Mention
Mutt
by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz
For a film with complex, ambivalent characters and relationships in the story of a single day, where the past comes back into the protagonist’s life. With brilliant acting and surprising storytelling.
The Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Short Film
Infantaria
by Laís Santos Araújo
For an atmospheric tale, that builds a unique cinematic world where womanhood takes a complex shape within each of the characters.
A film full of layers, whose paint-like frames, bright colours, and intriguing world evoke the importance of support between women.
Special Mention
Incroci
by Francesca de Fusco
For a warm and personal coming of age about a feeling that is hard to define. Like a photograph, it captures a moment in the protagonist’s life, which made us feel and remember what curiosity and connection mean at a young age.
GWFF Best First Feature Award Jury 2023
GWFF Best First Feature Award 2023
Adentro mío estoy bailando
by Leandro Koch, Paloma Schachmann
The GWFF Best First Feature Award goes to a film that takes us on an unexpected journey weaving real life events and mysticism. It is a contemporary tale frequently surprising with the filmmaker’s openness towards new encounters. The film uncovers traces of a disappearing world and shows that music descends borders of identity. The award goes to Adentro mío estoy bailando by Leandro Koch and Paloma Schachmann.
Jury Berlinale Documentary Award 2023
Berlinale Documentary Award 2023
El eco
by Tatiana Huezo
In rural surroundings, young people discover the world. Luminous, intimate images of a grandmother, rainstorms, and school classrooms reveal a complex community. This deeply affectionate film shows time passing, a world opening up. It is a fascinating new piece in the director’s already distinguished body of work. Our award goes to Tatiana Huezo for El eco.
Special Mention
Orlando, ma biographie politique
by Paul B. Preciado
We would like to give a special mention to a film whose beautifully written voice over weaves together the lives of trans people. Innovative tableaux vivants images and layers of ideas, together with a certain sense of collective process, make this impressive first feature revelatory, moving and spirited. Our special mention goes to Orlando, ma biographie politique.
Honorary Awards of the Festival 2023
Berlinale Series Award Jury 2023
Berlinale Series Award
The Good Mothers
by Julian Jarrold, Elisa Amoruso
The Good Mothers captured us with its multi-layered characters that are treated with care and allow to evolve before our very eyes. We were moved, anxious and, at times, breathless.
The series creators (directors Elisa Amoruso, Julian Jarrold and writer Stephen Butchard) have been meticulous in recreating an authentic and detailed world, presented by a stellar cast, with performances that made our hearts skip a beat.
The beautiful cinematography, production design and locations contribute to the ultra-realistic feel of the show, which is only right, considering it is based on true events and on real life characters – the courageous women who stood up to decades of oppression and misogyny and helped bring down the Calabrian mafia.
All Awards & Juries 2023
All Awards and Juries of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival
International Jury 2022
Golden Bear for Best Film (awarded to the film’s producers)
Alcarràs
by Carla Simón
produced by María Zamora, Stefan Schmitz, Tono Folguera, Sergi Moreno
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
