Italian
The jury composed of Giulia Angelon, President of Rocking Motion Aps Festival Daqua, Maria Di Razza, director, and Livio Meo, artistic director of Fiaticorti Film Festival, awarded the best short film to “Ciro’s Birthday” by Marta Esposito (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «For skillfully telling, with great dignity and without rhetoric, the tragedy of Ciro Colonna, the boy from Ponticelli who died at 19 on June 7, 2016, an innocent victim of the camorra, with a masterful direction, a graceful performance, and with the final archival images that give us a vivid memory of Ciro».
The special mention goes to “Pluto” by Alessandro Padovani (Italy, 2025): «For the rare sensitivity in weaving an intimate and delicate narrative, capable of juxtaposing the minimalist and cold character of space with the painful solitude experienced by the protagonists within the domestic walls. Through a rigorous direction that redefines the boundaries of a home suspended between the wound of loss and the illusion of a fragile harmony, director Alessandro Padovani builds an intimate family lexicon inspired by the metaphor of Pluto, a ghost planet, erased from maps, yet stubbornly continuing to orbit in the dark».
The jury composed of Giovanni Ferrazzano, a PhD student in Linguistic and Literary Studies at the University of Udine, Nicolò Frasson, a film critic and writer, and Elena Grassi, a film critic and cultural and entertainment journalist for La Tribuna di Treviso, awarded the best short film of the Focus Nordest section to “Anime giovani” by Annalisa Fania (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «Staying together until death is a fortune for few, rediscovering love after it is even more so. “Anime Giovani” manages to diligently transpose this original theme without flaws, with a skin that is initially ironic, then dramatic in the final resolution. But not all tears are a bad thing: in the drama, love; in the storm, the rainbow. Thanks to excellent writing, great direction, and two protagonists who give hope for Italian cinema. To quote the initial setting that recalls Una settimana da Dio, we pay homage in turn: 16 minutes from God!».
The special mention goes to “The Guardian of the Lake” by Simone Bressello (Italy, 2025): «From fiction to reality. 2026 sees the hottest June ever recorded, with the Po reduced to a trickle: in some places it has reached the sad record of eight meters below average. The documentary reminds us of the urgency of the present, but from Lake Fimon, with a touching love story between an elderly guardian and the suffering natural beauty. However, as the protagonist suggests in the poignant final line, it is not a one-sided feeling: the lake has chosen to “die” first rather than witness the disappearance of its historic friend. The lake thus becomes an active counterpart, a living and tragic subjectivity, a mirror of our relationship with the environment and a tool to delve into the fragilities and loneliness of its guardian. The credit goes to a mature writing, top-level direction, and a protagonist with whom it is impossible not to resonate».
The EFF 2026 has another event planned: the appointment is set for Friday, September 4th, when, as part of the 83rd International Film Art Exhibition and hosted by the Veneto Region and the Veneto Film Commission at the Excelsior Hotel (Lido di Venezia), a panel titled “Cinema as a Communication Vehicle for New Generations” will take place at 11:00 AM, organized by the Cultural Association Orizzonti. Moderated by Gloria Aura Bortolini, speakers will include Daniela Magnetti (artistic director of Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), Claudio Ghini (Private Banker Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), and Arianna Cattarin (director of the Career Service at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice). Admission will be free until seats are filled.
We also remind you that the Edera Film Festival is promoted by the Cultural Association Orizzonti, in collaboration with the Edera Cinema, with the sponsorship of the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Treviso, the Benetton Studies and Research Foundation, the Rotary Club Treviso Terraglio, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and is supported by the artistic direction of film historian Giuseppe Borrone, director Gloria Aura Bortolini, and the director of the Edera Cinema and FICE President Giuliana Fantoni.
Following the jury composed of Paola Brunetta, film critic, Sara D’Ascenzo, film critic for Corriere della Sera and Corriere del Veneto, and Giuseppe Ghigi, film critic for Il Gazzettino, awarded the best feature film to “Yalla Parkour” by Areeb Zuaiter (Sweden-Qatar-Saudi Arabia-Palestine, 2024). The motivation: «A film made by two hands: those of Areeb and Ahmed in a song of nostalgia for a home that no longer exists and a counterpoint of the desire to escape from the hell of Gaza, marking with a delicate thread of hope a story of resistance to the madness of war that does not get lost in rhetoric and skillfully uses editing with a double narrative register».
The special mention goes to “Femmenell” by Andrea Fortis (Italy, 2024): «In a sort of journey between the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the material, it immerses the viewer in Neapolitan culture and the life reality of the femminielli, explored both psychologically and socially through their testimonies, but it would be better to say the stories of some of them, like the late “Ciretta”. It opens up a discussion about time and change, also in relation to the persistence of traditions in an increasingly globalized reality».
The jury composed of Selene Colombo, documentary director, Arcadio Lobato, illustrator and fresco artist, and Marco Pavan, documentary filmmaker, awarded the best documentary to “Women for Iran” by Sara Hourngir (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «“On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini died following the beatings of the morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly. From that moment, she became the symbol of rebellion, but above all of freedom.” With these words, 50 breathtaking minutes begin, which, with the sober rigor of investigative journalism, tell, through the faces of the women of the Iranian resistance and the images of the fighting squares, the reasons for a revolt that began four years ago and was baptized in innocent blood. Yet, Sara Hourngir, the young Italian-Iranian director, does not describe victims: she tells the story of fighting women and men who use the weapons of words and their indomitable courage in defense of civilization».
The special mention goes to “The word love did not exist” by Eva Demattè (Italy, 2025): «For the sensitivity with which she transforms a family memory into a universal reflection on time, love, and memory. Through an intimate and poetic gaze, Eva Demattè effectively weaves together observation of the present and imagination, giving shape to a delicate dialogue between presence and absence. A work capable of telling the strength of bonds without resorting to rhetoric, relying on the power of small daily gestures, silences, and images. A film that puts different times and sensibilities in dialogue, questioning the forms in which love manifests and communicates».
The jury composed of Giulia Angelon, President of Rocking Motion Aps Festival Daqua, Maria Di Razza, director, and Livio Meo, artistic director of Fiaticorti Film Festival, awarded the best short film to “Ciro’s Birthday” by Marta Esposito (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «For skillfully telling, with great dignity and without rhetoric, the tragedy of Ciro Colonna, the boy from Ponticelli who died at 19 on June 7, 2016, an innocent victim of the camorra, with a masterful direction, a graceful performance, and with the final archival images that give us a vivid memory of Ciro».
The special mention goes to “Pluto” by Alessandro Padovani (Italy, 2025): «For the rare sensitivity in weaving an intimate and delicate narrative, capable of juxtaposing the minimalist and cold character of space with the painful solitude experienced by the protagonists within the domestic walls. Through a rigorous direction that redefines the boundaries of a home suspended between the wound of loss and the illusion of a fragile harmony, director Alessandro Padovani builds an intimate family lexicon inspired by the metaphor of Pluto, a ghost planet, erased from maps, yet stubbornly continuing to orbit in the dark».
The jury composed of Giovanni Ferrazzano, a PhD student in Linguistic and Literary Studies at the University of Udine, Nicolò Frasson, a film critic and writer, and Elena Grassi, a film critic and cultural and entertainment journalist for La Tribuna di Treviso, awarded the best short film of the Focus Nordest section to “Anime giovani” by Annalisa Fania (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «Staying together until death is a fortune for few, rediscovering love after it is even more so. “Anime Giovani” manages to diligently transpose this original theme without flaws, with a skin that is initially ironic, then dramatic in the final resolution. But not all tears are a bad thing: in the drama, love; in the storm, the rainbow. Thanks to excellent writing, great direction, and two protagonists who give hope for Italian cinema. To quote the initial setting that recalls Una settimana da Dio, we pay homage in turn: 16 minutes from God!».
The special mention goes to “The Guardian of the Lake” by Simone Bressello (Italy, 2025): «From fiction to reality. 2026 sees the hottest June ever recorded, with the Po reduced to a trickle: in some places it has reached the sad record of eight meters below average. The documentary reminds us of the urgency of the present, but from Lake Fimon, with a touching love story between an elderly guardian and the suffering natural beauty. However, as the protagonist suggests in the poignant final line, it is not a one-sided feeling: the lake has chosen to “die” first rather than witness the disappearance of its historic friend. The lake thus becomes an active counterpart, a living and tragic subjectivity, a mirror of our relationship with the environment and a tool to delve into the fragilities and loneliness of its guardian. The credit goes to a mature writing, top-level direction, and a protagonist with whom it is impossible not to resonate».
The EFF 2026 has another event planned: the appointment is set for Friday, September 4th, when, as part of the 83rd International Film Art Exhibition and hosted by the Veneto Region and the Veneto Film Commission at the Excelsior Hotel (Lido di Venezia), a panel titled “Cinema as a Communication Vehicle for New Generations” will take place at 11:00 AM, organized by the Cultural Association Orizzonti. Moderated by Gloria Aura Bortolini, speakers will include Daniela Magnetti (artistic director of Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), Claudio Ghini (Private Banker Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), and Arianna Cattarin (director of the Career Service at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice). Admission will be free until seats are filled.
We also remind you that the Edera Film Festival is promoted by the Cultural Association Orizzonti, in collaboration with the Edera Cinema, with the sponsorship of the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Treviso, the Benetton Studies and Research Foundation, the Rotary Club Treviso Terraglio, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and is supported by the artistic direction of film historian Giuseppe Borrone, director Gloria Aura Bortolini, and the director of the Edera Cinema and FICE President Giuliana Fantoni.
The Benetton Foundation Research Studies Award “Landscapes that Change”, awarded to a particularly significant work on the theme of landscape, in its continuous evolution, and for the perspective on the relationship of people and communities with their living places, goes to “A Close Thing” by Loris G. Nese (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «Skillfully mixing documentary, fiction, and animation, and drawing on archival materials and family home movies, the author deconstructs and reassembles in an original way pieces of a difficult and painful family history, in an attempt to reconstruct and understand the events that have profoundly and forever marked those who remained. A challenging journey that begins from those places that, starting from the domestic environment/microcosm, take on a very different meaning in light of the discoveries made in adulthood. Just like the suburban neighborhood where he was born and raised (the Z.O. of his previous short film), the city, and even the destinations of family trips, all places of memory that are the key elements of the narrative from which, inevitably, to start, in a continuous reference between public topography and
private topography, to “tell the confusion that characterizes a life spent between doubts about one’s past, which seep under the skin in the interpretation of the world.” An experimental film, intense and at times disturbing but extremely sincere and courageous, which has also taken shape thanks to decidedly remarkable stylistic choices (impossible not to mention here the editing by Chiara Marotta) that make it deserving of this recognition, of those it has already received and many others we wish for it in the future».
The Astoria Award – Celebrating Life for the best film on the theme of inclusion, tolerance, and multiculturalism goes to “Los peces no se ahogan” by Lea Vidotto Labastie (Cuba-France-Italy, 2025). The motivation: «We decided to award this story because it speaks of a bond that goes far beyond the so-called biological family and explores the relationship that can be created between two people who have only met due to the twists of life, finding in each other support and strength to endure and move forward, just like the protagonist who cares for refugees within his own home. The film indirectly speaks of a country and a people living in extreme difficulty due to a very complicated geopolitical past and which is at the center of political discussions about the stability of North America even in these months. “Los peces no se ahogan” allows us to go beyond the brutal rationality that often characterizes the decisions of great world powers and reminds us that behind every decision made on paper in a cold office, there are real people who suffer the impact of decisions over which they had no say.»
The Rotary Club Treviso Terraglio Award for the best short film on a social theme goes to “The Guest” by Alberto De Grandis (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «War leaves behind rubble and shattered lives, but above all invisible wounds that weigh forever on the conscience of humanity. Remembering its horror means safeguarding the value of peace and the dignity of every person, values that guide the action of Rotary. This recognition celebrates those who, through their work and constant effort, contribute to keeping alive the memory and hope for a future without violence».
The audience of Cinema Edera has finally elected the best feature film “Yalla Parkour” by Areeb Zuaiter, best documentary “Berthe is Dead but it’s Ok” by Sacha Trilles, best short film “Pentest” by Benjamin Chevallier and Tristan Lhomme, and best short film in the Focus Northeast section “The flowers don’t wear shoes” by Matteo Vicentini Orgnani (Italy, 2025).
Following the jury composed of Paola Brunetta, film critic, Sara D’Ascenzo, film critic for Corriere della Sera and Corriere del Veneto, and Giuseppe Ghigi, film critic for Il Gazzettino, awarded the best feature film to “Yalla Parkour” by Areeb Zuaiter (Sweden-Qatar-Saudi Arabia-Palestine, 2024). The motivation: «A film made by two hands: those of Areeb and Ahmed in a song of nostalgia for a home that no longer exists and a counterpoint of the desire to escape from the hell of Gaza, marking with a delicate thread of hope a story of resistance to the madness of war that does not get lost in rhetoric and skillfully uses editing with a double narrative register».
The special mention goes to “Femmenell” by Andrea Fortis (Italy, 2024): «In a sort of journey between the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the material, it immerses the viewer in Neapolitan culture and the life reality of the femminielli, explored both psychologically and socially through their testimonies, but it would be better to say the stories of some of them, like the late “Ciretta”. It opens up a discussion about time and change, also in relation to the persistence of traditions in an increasingly globalized reality».
The jury composed of Selene Colombo, documentary director, Arcadio Lobato, illustrator and fresco artist, and Marco Pavan, documentary filmmaker, awarded the best documentary to “Women for Iran” by Sara Hourngir (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «“On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini died following the beatings of the morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly. From that moment, she became the symbol of rebellion, but above all of freedom.” With these words, 50 breathtaking minutes begin, which, with the sober rigor of investigative journalism, tell, through the faces of the women of the Iranian resistance and the images of the fighting squares, the reasons for a revolt that began four years ago and was baptized in innocent blood. Yet, Sara Hourngir, the young Italian-Iranian director, does not describe victims: she tells the story of fighting women and men who use the weapons of words and their indomitable courage in defense of civilization».
The special mention goes to “The word love did not exist” by Eva Demattè (Italy, 2025): «For the sensitivity with which she transforms a family memory into a universal reflection on time, love, and memory. Through an intimate and poetic gaze, Eva Demattè effectively weaves together observation of the present and imagination, giving shape to a delicate dialogue between presence and absence. A work capable of telling the strength of bonds without resorting to rhetoric, relying on the power of small daily gestures, silences, and images. A film that puts different times and sensibilities in dialogue, questioning the forms in which love manifests and communicates».
The jury composed of Giulia Angelon, President of Rocking Motion Aps Festival Daqua, Maria Di Razza, director, and Livio Meo, artistic director of Fiaticorti Film Festival, awarded the best short film to “Ciro’s Birthday” by Marta Esposito (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «For skillfully telling, with great dignity and without rhetoric, the tragedy of Ciro Colonna, the boy from Ponticelli who died at 19 on June 7, 2016, an innocent victim of the camorra, with a masterful direction, a graceful performance, and with the final archival images that give us a vivid memory of Ciro».
The special mention goes to “Pluto” by Alessandro Padovani (Italy, 2025): «For the rare sensitivity in weaving an intimate and delicate narrative, capable of juxtaposing the minimalist and cold character of space with the painful solitude experienced by the protagonists within the domestic walls. Through a rigorous direction that redefines the boundaries of a home suspended between the wound of loss and the illusion of a fragile harmony, director Alessandro Padovani builds an intimate family lexicon inspired by the metaphor of Pluto, a ghost planet, erased from maps, yet stubbornly continuing to orbit in the dark».
The jury composed of Giovanni Ferrazzano, a PhD student in Linguistic and Literary Studies at the University of Udine, Nicolò Frasson, a film critic and writer, and Elena Grassi, a film critic and cultural and entertainment journalist for La Tribuna di Treviso, awarded the best short film of the Focus Nordest section to “Anime giovani” by Annalisa Fania (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «Staying together until death is a fortune for few, rediscovering love after it is even more so. “Anime Giovani” manages to diligently transpose this original theme without flaws, with a skin that is initially ironic, then dramatic in the final resolution. But not all tears are a bad thing: in the drama, love; in the storm, the rainbow. Thanks to excellent writing, great direction, and two protagonists who give hope for Italian cinema. To quote the initial setting that recalls Una settimana da Dio, we pay homage in turn: 16 minutes from God!».
The special mention goes to “The Guardian of the Lake” by Simone Bressello (Italy, 2025): «From fiction to reality. 2026 sees the hottest June ever recorded, with the Po reduced to a trickle: in some places it has reached the sad record of eight meters below average. The documentary reminds us of the urgency of the present, but from Lake Fimon, with a touching love story between an elderly guardian and the suffering natural beauty. However, as the protagonist suggests in the poignant final line, it is not a one-sided feeling: the lake has chosen to “die” first rather than witness the disappearance of its historic friend. The lake thus becomes an active counterpart, a living and tragic subjectivity, a mirror of our relationship with the environment and a tool to delve into the fragilities and loneliness of its guardian. The credit goes to a mature writing, top-level direction, and a protagonist with whom it is impossible not to resonate».
The EFF 2026 has another event planned: the appointment is set for Friday, September 4th, when, as part of the 83rd International Film Art Exhibition and hosted by the Veneto Region and the Veneto Film Commission at the Excelsior Hotel (Lido di Venezia), a panel titled “Cinema as a Communication Vehicle for New Generations” will take place at 11:00 AM, organized by the Cultural Association Orizzonti. Moderated by Gloria Aura Bortolini, speakers will include Daniela Magnetti (artistic director of Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), Claudio Ghini (Private Banker Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), and Arianna Cattarin (director of the Career Service at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice). Admission will be free until seats are filled.
We also remind you that the Edera Film Festival is promoted by the Cultural Association Orizzonti, in collaboration with the Edera Cinema, with the sponsorship of the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Treviso, the Benetton Studies and Research Foundation, the Rotary Club Treviso Terraglio, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and is supported by the artistic direction of film historian Giuseppe Borrone, director Gloria Aura Bortolini, and the director of the Edera Cinema and FICE President Giuliana Fantoni.
High quality and difficulty of the juries in choosing the winners
In a packed Edera Cinema, both for the penultimate screening of Odyssey and for the panel on environmental sustainability, the awards ceremony of the eighth edition of the Edera Film Festival took place.
After the screening of the beautiful video logo of the Festival, created by Azzurra Stilo, the three presenters of the ceremony, Giuliana Fantoni, Giuseppe Borrone, and Gloria Aurora Bortolini, gradually invited the guests of the evening.
First of all, the cultural assessor De Gregorio emphasized the importance of the festival in its role of scouting for those working in cinema in our area, also recalling how our city and province have become the set for many recent films, as well as having been in the past. She then informed those present that there will be a call for proposals of 70 thousand euros that will be announced on September 1st and will expire on October 10th for a fund to develop this sector.
The following guest was Saskia Terzani, daughter of the famous journalist and writer Tiziano, who, as an intellectual, supports the festival, as Giuseppe Borrone recalled. Then those who organized the buffet spoke: the Accademia del Tiramisù, Pasticceria Max, and Naturasì.
In particular, the representative of this last sponsor reminded how organic farming could substantially reduce the CO2 impact on climate warming.
The awards for special prizes began, resulting from collaboration with important entities in the cultural, social, and entrepreneurial landscape of the area.
The Benetton Foundation Research Studies Award “Landscapes that Change”, awarded to a particularly significant work on the theme of landscape, in its continuous evolution, and for the perspective on the relationship of people and communities with their living places, goes to “A Close Thing” by Loris G. Nese (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «Skillfully mixing documentary, fiction, and animation, and drawing on archival materials and family home movies, the author deconstructs and reassembles in an original way pieces of a difficult and painful family history, in an attempt to reconstruct and understand the events that have profoundly and forever marked those who remained. A challenging journey that begins from those places that, starting from the domestic environment/microcosm, take on a very different meaning in light of the discoveries made in adulthood. Just like the suburban neighborhood where he was born and raised (the Z.O. of his previous short film), the city, and even the destinations of family trips, all places of memory that are the key elements of the narrative from which, inevitably, to start, in a continuous reference between public topography and
private topography, to “tell the confusion that characterizes a life spent between doubts about one’s past, which seep under the skin in the interpretation of the world.” An experimental film, intense and at times disturbing but extremely sincere and courageous, which has also taken shape thanks to decidedly remarkable stylistic choices (impossible not to mention here the editing by Chiara Marotta) that make it deserving of this recognition, of those it has already received and many others we wish for it in the future».
The Astoria Award – Celebrating Life for the best film on the theme of inclusion, tolerance, and multiculturalism goes to “Los peces no se ahogan” by Lea Vidotto Labastie (Cuba-France-Italy, 2025). The motivation: «We decided to award this story because it speaks of a bond that goes far beyond the so-called biological family and explores the relationship that can be created between two people who have only met due to the twists of life, finding in each other support and strength to endure and move forward, just like the protagonist who cares for refugees within his own home. The film indirectly speaks of a country and a people living in extreme difficulty due to a very complicated geopolitical past and which is at the center of political discussions about the stability of North America even in these months. “Los peces no se ahogan” allows us to go beyond the brutal rationality that often characterizes the decisions of great world powers and reminds us that behind every decision made on paper in a cold office, there are real people who suffer the impact of decisions over which they had no say.»
The Rotary Club Treviso Terraglio Award for the best short film on a social theme goes to “The Guest” by Alberto De Grandis (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «War leaves behind rubble and shattered lives, but above all invisible wounds that weigh forever on the conscience of humanity. Remembering its horror means safeguarding the value of peace and the dignity of every person, values that guide the action of Rotary. This recognition celebrates those who, through their work and constant effort, contribute to keeping alive the memory and hope for a future without violence».
The audience of Cinema Edera has finally elected the best feature film “Yalla Parkour” by Areeb Zuaiter, best documentary “Berthe is Dead but it’s Ok” by Sacha Trilles, best short film “Pentest” by Benjamin Chevallier and Tristan Lhomme, and best short film in the Focus Northeast section “The flowers don’t wear shoes” by Matteo Vicentini Orgnani (Italy, 2025).
Following the jury composed of Paola Brunetta, film critic, Sara D’Ascenzo, film critic for Corriere della Sera and Corriere del Veneto, and Giuseppe Ghigi, film critic for Il Gazzettino, awarded the best feature film to “Yalla Parkour” by Areeb Zuaiter (Sweden-Qatar-Saudi Arabia-Palestine, 2024). The motivation: «A film made by two hands: those of Areeb and Ahmed in a song of nostalgia for a home that no longer exists and a counterpoint of the desire to escape from the hell of Gaza, marking with a delicate thread of hope a story of resistance to the madness of war that does not get lost in rhetoric and skillfully uses editing with a double narrative register».
The special mention goes to “Femmenell” by Andrea Fortis (Italy, 2024): «In a sort of journey between the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the material, it immerses the viewer in Neapolitan culture and the life reality of the femminielli, explored both psychologically and socially through their testimonies, but it would be better to say the stories of some of them, like the late “Ciretta”. It opens up a discussion about time and change, also in relation to the persistence of traditions in an increasingly globalized reality».
The jury composed of Selene Colombo, documentary director, Arcadio Lobato, illustrator and fresco artist, and Marco Pavan, documentary filmmaker, awarded the best documentary to “Women for Iran” by Sara Hourngir (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «“On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini died following the beatings of the morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly. From that moment, she became the symbol of rebellion, but above all of freedom.” With these words, 50 breathtaking minutes begin, which, with the sober rigor of investigative journalism, tell, through the faces of the women of the Iranian resistance and the images of the fighting squares, the reasons for a revolt that began four years ago and was baptized in innocent blood. Yet, Sara Hourngir, the young Italian-Iranian director, does not describe victims: she tells the story of fighting women and men who use the weapons of words and their indomitable courage in defense of civilization».
The special mention goes to “The word love did not exist” by Eva Demattè (Italy, 2025): «For the sensitivity with which she transforms a family memory into a universal reflection on time, love, and memory. Through an intimate and poetic gaze, Eva Demattè effectively weaves together observation of the present and imagination, giving shape to a delicate dialogue between presence and absence. A work capable of telling the strength of bonds without resorting to rhetoric, relying on the power of small daily gestures, silences, and images. A film that puts different times and sensibilities in dialogue, questioning the forms in which love manifests and communicates».
The jury composed of Giulia Angelon, President of Rocking Motion Aps Festival Daqua, Maria Di Razza, director, and Livio Meo, artistic director of Fiaticorti Film Festival, awarded the best short film to “Ciro’s Birthday” by Marta Esposito (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «For skillfully telling, with great dignity and without rhetoric, the tragedy of Ciro Colonna, the boy from Ponticelli who died at 19 on June 7, 2016, an innocent victim of the camorra, with a masterful direction, a graceful performance, and with the final archival images that give us a vivid memory of Ciro».
The special mention goes to “Pluto” by Alessandro Padovani (Italy, 2025): «For the rare sensitivity in weaving an intimate and delicate narrative, capable of juxtaposing the minimalist and cold character of space with the painful solitude experienced by the protagonists within the domestic walls. Through a rigorous direction that redefines the boundaries of a home suspended between the wound of loss and the illusion of a fragile harmony, director Alessandro Padovani builds an intimate family lexicon inspired by the metaphor of Pluto, a ghost planet, erased from maps, yet stubbornly continuing to orbit in the dark».
The jury composed of Giovanni Ferrazzano, a PhD student in Linguistic and Literary Studies at the University of Udine, Nicolò Frasson, a film critic and writer, and Elena Grassi, a film critic and cultural and entertainment journalist for La Tribuna di Treviso, awarded the best short film of the Focus Nordest section to “Anime giovani” by Annalisa Fania (Italy, 2025). The motivation: «Staying together until death is a fortune for few, rediscovering love after it is even more so. “Anime Giovani” manages to diligently transpose this original theme without flaws, with a skin that is initially ironic, then dramatic in the final resolution. But not all tears are a bad thing: in the drama, love; in the storm, the rainbow. Thanks to excellent writing, great direction, and two protagonists who give hope for Italian cinema. To quote the initial setting that recalls Una settimana da Dio, we pay homage in turn: 16 minutes from God!».
The special mention goes to “The Guardian of the Lake” by Simone Bressello (Italy, 2025): «From fiction to reality. 2026 sees the hottest June ever recorded, with the Po reduced to a trickle: in some places it has reached the sad record of eight meters below average. The documentary reminds us of the urgency of the present, but from Lake Fimon, with a touching love story between an elderly guardian and the suffering natural beauty. However, as the protagonist suggests in the poignant final line, it is not a one-sided feeling: the lake has chosen to “die” first rather than witness the disappearance of its historic friend. The lake thus becomes an active counterpart, a living and tragic subjectivity, a mirror of our relationship with the environment and a tool to delve into the fragilities and loneliness of its guardian. The credit goes to a mature writing, top-level direction, and a protagonist with whom it is impossible not to resonate».
The EFF 2026 has another event planned: the appointment is set for Friday, September 4th, when, as part of the 83rd International Film Art Exhibition and hosted by the Veneto Region and the Veneto Film Commission at the Excelsior Hotel (Lido di Venezia), a panel titled “Cinema as a Communication Vehicle for New Generations” will take place at 11:00 AM, organized by the Cultural Association Orizzonti. Moderated by Gloria Aura Bortolini, speakers will include Daniela Magnetti (artistic director of Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), Claudio Ghini (Private Banker Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.), and Arianna Cattarin (director of the Career Service at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice). Admission will be free until seats are filled.
We also remind you that the Edera Film Festival is promoted by the Cultural Association Orizzonti, in collaboration with the Edera Cinema, with the sponsorship of the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Treviso, the Benetton Studies and Research Foundation, the Rotary Club Treviso Terraglio, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and is supported by the artistic direction of film historian Giuseppe Borrone, director Gloria Aura Bortolini, and the director of the Edera Cinema and FICE President Giuliana Fantoni.
