We are pleased to present the films that triumphed at SBIFest 2025, emerging as winners in the Final that took place at the Biblioteca Municipal Vicente Campinas – Vila Real de Santo António (Portugal) from November 28 to 30, 2025.
Best Short Film
"Detour" by Demian Alan Mancino
Detour is a tense, emotional drama about a young woman trapped in the shadows of abuse while working at a high-pressure corporate job. She hides the truth behind polite smiles and late nights, but her friends begin to notice cracks in her carefully built façade. As her boss piles on pressure and hostility, the walls close in, leaving her questioning if she’ll ever find a way out—or if the road she’s on will end in ruin.
United States, United States, Runtime: 18:55
Director Biography - Demian Alan Mancino
Best Short Documentary
"Adas Falasteen" directors Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini, Samar Taher Lulu
"Palestine Lentils" is a documentary film that tells the story of a Palestinian chef and his role in using his hobby as a shield against the famine caused by the war on Gaza, preserving the spirit of resilience and hope within his community.
Palestine, State of, Runtime: 7:55
Directors Biography - Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini, Samar Taher Lulu
Samar Taher Lulu, a passionate filmmaker from Gaza-Palestine, a multifaceted artist and storyteller.
Her filmmaking journey began with her debut documentary, "Religious Tolerance," in 2019. Her latest tow films, "Jawaher" and "Khalil Hanaa" which she directed, won two awards at the 2023 and 2025 ConnectHer Festival.
er mission is to bring the inspiring voices of the untold stories to the global stage through her documentaries.
________
Hamdi Elhusseini is a documentary filmmaker from Gaza with a strong background in capturing compelling humanitarian and social stories through film. A graduate of the Faculty of Science at Al-Azhar University – Gaza, Hamdi has dedicated his career to documenting the resilience of the Palestinian people amid war, occupation, and environmental challenges.
His acclaimed documentary "Jawaher" won Best Documentary Film in the Women & Environment category at the ConnectHER Film Festival 2023, while his poetic film "Khalil Hanaa" was named a finalist in the 2024–2025 ConnectHER "Stand Up Men" category, highlighting stories of male allies supporting women’s empowerment.
Best Italian Short Film
"La mister" director Domenico de Ceglia
Alice is the new coach of a men's soccer team. Between sexist jokes and distrust towards her methods, she challenges prejudices, obtaining the esteem of her team, educating the values of respect and correctness
Italy, Runtime: 16:36
Director Biography - Domenico de Ceglia
Domenico De Ceglia is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and media educator from Molfetta, Puglia. In addition to his work in cinema, he also teaches literature in high school. He holds a degree in Literature, having written his thesis on screenwriting as a literary genre, with a specific focus on Pier Paolo Pasolini's work and his "cinema of poetry." This background allows him to combine humanistic knowledge with a vision of cinema as a tool for social transformation.
His works address often marginalized social issues, such as youth isolation, disability, and gender dynamics, using an introspective visual language that eschews conventional dialogue.
In 2009, he co-founded Gruppo FARFA – Cinema Sociale Pugliese, a collective dedicated to media literacy, dissemination, and production of socially-focused and sustainable cinematic works.
His filmography includes short films, documentaries, and medium-length films that have received awards at numerous national and international festivals.
The Awards: Best Moroccan Short Film and
The “Best Social Message” Award
"Forty Days Road" director Ali Ziani
In Forty Days Road, two colleagues (Ali and Ian) set out on a captivating journey across Egypt to trace the long route of camels traveling from Sudan to a market near Cairo. Along the way, they uncover the tough conditions of transport and join the camels on a 24-hour journey from the Sudanese border to one of the biggest Egyptian camel market near Cairo.
Morocco, Runtime: 29:55
Director Biography - Ali Ziani
Ali Ziani is a 33-year-old investigator and animal welfare activist from Morocco. His passion for animal protection has been the driving force behind his career, motivating him to work tirelessly for the well-being of animals. In 2017, Ali moved to Spain to pursue a master's degree in Granada. He is now based in a small village near Barcelona.
For the past six years, Ali has been working full-time as an investigator for Animals' Angels, an international NGO dedicated to animal protection, focusing primarily on the issues surrounding animal transport and markets. His work has taken him to numerous countries, including those in the European Union, Morocco, Egypt, and the Middle East, where he has personally witnessed the harsh realities faced by animals during their transport and trade.
Ali is deeply motivated by his belief in the importance of animal rights. His role extends beyond gathering information; he is committed to raising awareness among the public and authorities about the systemic issues within these industries. To achieve this, he uses photography and filmmaking as essential tools in his investigations.
Best Spain Short Film
"Remar" director Adán Aguilar
A group of veteran women train more than 4 times a week to compete in rowing, without achieving results. What motivates them?
Spain, Runtime: 20:40
Director Biography - Adán Aguilar
Over 27 years of experience on stage in dance and theater. Has participated in various musicals in Spain and New York and was a member of Cirque du Soleil. As a Choreographer and Stage Director, he ventured into on-camera acting and discovered his curiosity about storytelling in 2021. In mid-2022, he presented "Sin Zero", his first short film as a Director and Producer, and participated in its soundtrack. "Sin Zero" went on to earn 8 laurels and is currently streaming on Flix Olé. In 2023, he launched his own production company, KALAXY Stage & Films, where he wrote and directed "¿Tú T Escuchas?" and "Los Herederos", two short films for film festivals.
He is currently the Artistic Director of the Sex Education Film Festival in Terrassa and directs two theater groups in La Selva.
Best Portuguese Short Film
"The Shell" director Marco Santos
Haunted by the world’s relentless cries, a young woman seeks solace where the sea swallows every sound.
Portugal, Runtime: 6:22
Director Biography - Marco Santos
Marco Santos is a Portuguese filmmaker who began studying cinema after the age of forty, following a career as a software project manager. His films explore the pursuit of balance, blending technical precision with emotional depth.
Best Feature Documentary
"GUERRILLA" director Joan Gamero
In the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, some 6,000 guerrilla fighters and over 100,000 collaborators formed a hidden resistance across the country. Francisco Martínez, “El Quico”, almost 100 years old, is one of the last surviving guerrilla fighters of that era. With remarkable clarity, he recounts his firsthand experiences of daily life resistance in rural areas of León and Galicia against the fascist dictatorship. As a communist, he endured the fallout of Stalinism and witnessed the brutal assassination of a comrade. The rugged beauty of El Bierzo, Ourense, and Cabrera forms the backdrop to Quico’s story, transporting us to a time of terror, still largely unknown to many in Spain today.
Spain, Runtime: 01:31:22
Director Biography - Arantxa Vela
Joan Gamero is a director and screenwriter from Barcelona with more than 40 years of experience and an extensive filmography, as well as being a cameraman, photographer, editor and producer. He has received, among other awards, the Ondas Internacional and his work has been screened at film festivals such as Berlin, San Sebastián, Cinespaña (Toulouse) and SoHo (New York); as well as at INPUT’90, Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, Expo Sevilla 1992 and Centre Pompidou (Paris). His most renowned works are Vivir la utopía / Living utopia (1997, Arte/TVE), the first documentary made in Spain about the anarchist movement, and Prisma (1990-1991, TVE), an experimental series that blended fiction and reality and drew audiences of up to one million viewers per episode, despite being broadcasted at midnight. Director at TVE-Catalunya for three decades, in the last 25 years he has focused on documentary, his favorite film genre. The award-winning Els Karamazoff, A Walk on the SoHo Years (2016, 85’-55’, Paradocs, TV3, La Quimera), is one of his most notable works. El Petit Peó / The Little Pawn, (2025, 80’-59’, Minimal Films / La Perifèrica, 3CAT, TVE, XAL); and Guerrillero / Guerrilla, (2025, 91’. Paradocs) are his most recent works.
Best Horror Short Film
"TITO" director Javier Celay
In a small town, Filo, a retiree, owns a house for rent. For the past year, Tito has been living alone in Filo's house after the passing of his mother. Tito, who suffers from severe mental health issues, hasn't paid the rent, leading Filo to take desperate measures. A chance encounter at Jere's bar will set the stage for a showdown between them.
Spain, Runtime: 12:00
Director Biography - Javier Celay
Javier Celay, born in 1985 in Pamplona, is a versatile audiovisual creator with a degree in Audiovisual Communication from the Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes (2005-2010). He has worked across various media platforms and produced a wide range of audiovisual projects for both cinema and television. Celay has also blended visual arts, music, and audiovisual work throughout his career. His notable filmography includes Agustín (2014), Fucsia (2020), Txori Maitea (2021), Yegua(2022) and Tito
Best Mid-Length Film
"I'MPOSSIBLE" by JElvira Mora Lázaro
I'MPOSSIBLE follows Abdellah, Rachid, Mohamed, Toufik, and Saikou, five men who migrated to Europe in search of better opportunities and now work in the greenhouse industry of Almería,
southeast Spain. Through their testimonies, daily routines, and the use of participatory filmmaking, the film explores the link between migrant labour exploitation and the precarious living conditions
in informal settlements. Due to their documentation status, exploitative labour, and the absence of housing solutions, many migrants in Almería endure daily struggles: unreliable water and
electricity, extreme summer heat, poor waste management, and social marginalization. By placing the camera in the hands of some participants and filming others in close collaboration, I'MPOSSIBLE moves beyond victimization and shows migration as a state rather than an essence.
Spain, Runtime: 33:00
Director Biography - Antonio Rodríguez Cabal
Elvira Mora graduated in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Seville and recently specialized in Visual Ethnography through a master’s program at Leiden University. As part of her master’s, she created her first visual ethnographic project, focusing on migration, labour exploitation, and participatory filmmaking in Campos de Níjar, Almería (Spain). Her personal connection to this territory, where she grew up, inspired her to collaborate with her mother, Teresa, to explore the realities faced by migrants working in the agro-industrial sector.
Prémio Luz do Guadiana
"Fandango" directors Remedios Malvárez, Arturo Andújar
A musical journey through one of the oldest popular musical manifestations that exist in the Iberian Peninsula and it is Huelva, the province that has safeguarded it and where it has evolved the most in its flamenco version.
Spain, Runtime: 01:29:00
Directors Biography - Remedios Malvárez, Arturo Andújar
