WINNERS
SBIFest - September 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 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
"Racing Against Europe" director Anton Iversen
Santiago prepares for a 4000 km bike ride across Europe while stuck in a decade-long wait for EU citizenship.
Denmark, Runtime: 13:00
"DREAM IT, MAKE IT - Corentin Osouf" director Tony Nuon
Nature and Corentin share a common trait: a quiet strength. Corentin knows where he wants to go and isn’t afraid to explore artistic paths unfamiliar to the broader audience. He stays always guided by one constant goal in his work: the pursuit of pleasure. For himself and for his clients.
Give him a pencil or a computer, and let him do what he loves: observe, imagine, recreate.
France, Runtime: 10:47
Best Short Film
"THE TENDER ONES WILL TRIUMPH" director Francisco Bassignana
A young Ukrainian girl live in Poland as immigrant. she received several calls from her mother but sfhe dont want to answer because she think that something bad is going on.
Poland, Runtime: 14:47
"Detour" director 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
Best Horror Short Film
"One Night with Misty " Director Maksimilian Damnjanovic
After fleeing her abusive husband, a troubled woman hitches a ride with a charismatic stranger only to discover her new companion might be even more dangerous than the past she left behind.
United Kingdom, Runtime: 19:59
"Rite of Passage" directors Nikola Radivojevic, Nikola Radivojevic
At a remote hotel, a young actor’s audition trip becomes a transformative descent.
Serbia, Runtime: 10:32
"The exchange" director Davide Cancila
A desperate father wants to heal his terminally ill daughter
summoning a mysterious man, whom he and a priest friend of his met during an exorcism.
Italy, Runtime: 9:21
"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
"Mr. Taps" director Kristian James
A man loses his family and begins to spiral. That’s when he hears random taps that end up leading to his own demise.
United States, United States, Runtime: 6:36
Best Portugal Short Film
"Beleaf" director Carolina Conceição
A girl wakes up in the middle of an unfamiliar forest when she's greeted by an equally mysterious monster. This friendly monster takes the girl on a journey through the unknown, but a surprise awaits her deep within the wilderness.
Portugal, Runtime: 2:59
"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
"Dog Thieves" director Ievgen Koshyn
A middle-aged, grumpy neighbour accuses an immigrant girl of stealing his dog.
Portugal, Runtime: 8:00
Best Spanish Feature Film
"Entre el agua y la tierra" director Karlos Alastruey
After attending a party organized by a group of young artists, two girls - Lur and Ura - appear in the middle of a remote and snowy mountain. They start looking for the way back home, but in the meantime something very obscure will grow in their relation.
Spain, Runtime: 01:20:00
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
Alice è la nuova allenatrice di una squadra di calcio maschile. Tra battute sessiste e diffidenza nei confronti dei suoi metodi, sfida i pregiudizi ottenendo la stima del suo team, educando ai valori del rispetto e della correttezza.
Italy, Runtime: 16:36
Best Feature Film
"Reparations" director Chrystal Rose
An adopted British woman delays the search for her birth parents to save feelings, but drawn to Nigeria, she discovers a life changing connection to her past which disrupts her picture-perfect life.
United Kingdom, Runtime: 01:59:36
"Kuppan" director Sasikumar S
Kuppan was born into an oppressed society. He raises a girl child as if she were his own daughter. She grows up lovingly and caringly like her own father. After she becomes a grown woman, she suddenly disappears one day. Kuppan is heartbroken and searches for her. Society criminalises and tortures Kuppan. Will Kuppan find his daughter and get out of trouble?
India, Runtime: 02:17:27
"Halved" director Cris Fuego
Set in 2006, Maya, a young woman from a quiet fishing island in Southern Leyte, shoulders the burden of her family's survival while dreaming of college. Her father's passivity forces her to become the household provider. During squid season, she meets Nilo, a fisherman from another town.
What begins as a business exchange soon deepens into love, offering Maya a brief escape from her daily hardships. But their joy is fragile—money remains scarce, and their future uncertain. As desperation mounts, a friend suggests a possible solution: finding a foreigner willing to support her.
Torn between loyalty, love, and survival, Maya must confront a life-altering decision—one that could save her family, but cost her everything she holds dear.
Philippines, Runtime: 01:59:06
"ADHURA KHVAAB" director Faizuddin Siddiqui
In "Adhura Khvab" (An Incomplete Dream)** is a poignant Hindi feature film that follows the journey of a struggling Indian couple desperate to have a child. Unable to conceive naturally, they turn to an IVF center, only to be confronted with the staggering cost of the procedure—approximately 15 lakh rupees. Determined to fulfill their dream of parenthood, the husband takes on the burden of arranging the money, borrowing from a local landlord...
India, Runtime: 01:50:00
Best Feature Film Director
"Old Heart Feature Film" directors Directors Kirk Wahamaki, Leslye Wit
Adapted from Peter Ferry’s award winning novel, Old Heart tells the story of Tom Johnson, an American soldier who is part of the Allied liberation of the Southern Netherlands in the fall of 1944. He works with a Jewish translator, Sarah van Praag, to smuggle food and supplies to starving residents of northern cities trapped behind Nazi lines. They also fall in love.
Sixty years later, in the summer of 2005, Tom foils his family’s plan to move him to assisted living by secretly flying to Amsterdam. With his family in hot pursuit, Tom is determined to find Sarah, the love of his life.
United States, United States, Runtime: 01:32:22
Best Feature Documentary
"Dad Genes" director Craig Downing
Dad Genes is a documentary that tells the story of a former sperm donor whose carefree bachelor life takes an unexpected turn two decades later. After registering with a DNA ancestry site, he discovers he may have dozens of children, leading to an unprecedented family reunion, a surprising romance with the mother of a donor child, worldwide media attention, and a remarkable experiment in instant family and an unconventional fatherhood.
United States, United States, Runtime: 01:02:34