WINNERS
SBIFest - August 2025
Please note that among the winning films of the monthly competitions (not all), those selected to participate in the Grand Finale in Vila Real de Santo António (Portugal) will be chosen, with public screenings in November 2025, culminating in the Gala Finale. Films that win in a particular category in the monthly competitions will continue to compete in other categories they have entered if selected for the Grand Finale .
Best Short Film
"Ana Sofia" directors Beto Besant, Mayara Magri
in Best Short Film
Brazil, Runtime: 23:01
"Unit 13" director Deniz Ghorbani
This film tells the story of a husband and wife who, by approaching lonely young women and forming seemingly secret relationships, engage in fraud. Along the way, the story takes an unexpected twist when one of the victims discovers she is pregnant, giving the narrative a new tone and direction. The film highlights the dark corners of human nature and shows how many mistakes are paid for through a single event.
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Runtime: 12:13
Best Horror Short Film
"Walker's Game - Proof of Concept" director Luke David Ollerton
Robert ventures into the woods and finds Jacob — an injured, paranoid man convinced someone is stalking his camp. Their tense encounter unravels into mistrust, fragments of memory, and unsettling discoveries buried beneath the forest floor. Shadows move at the edge of sight, whispers bleed into silence, and both men are forced to confront whether the threat is real, imagined, or far more dangerous than either expected.
Walker’s Game is a taut psychological survival thriller that blurs fear and memory in equal measure. Conceived as a proof of concept for the feature, the short film captures the claustrophobic paranoia of being hunted in the open.
United Kingdom, Runtime: 11:37
Best Portuguese Short Film
"New Heaven - Flowers 15" director Julia Shuvchinskaya
in Best Portuguese Short Film
Julia Shuvchinskaya is an award-winning film director, photographer & visual artist.
She works with topics like sexuality, body language, loneliness, woman and her soul, nature.
Participant of 76 Venice Film Festival and more than 110 other international festivals.
Portugal, Runtime: 4:49
Best Mid-Length Film
"I'MPOSSIBLE" director Elvira 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
Best Italian Short Film
"SKILL" director ROBERTO DI FABIO
A cocky young man believes he can easily rob two girls in a park.
But he finds himself faced with an unexpected situation.
The next day, he has apparently forgotten what happened and shows up with two friends at a bookstore, acting like a hooligan.
But here, his recent past returns with a even more dramatic impact.
His bully arrogance deflates when he faces the resolute eyes of the girl he himself had attacked the day before.
The symbolic weapon of dignity is more disruptive than a real gun.
Italy, Runtime: 5:00