The 7th edition of Linz International Short Film Festival 2024 Dear audience, a very warm welcome to this evening of the award ceremony of the 7th edition of Linz International Short Film Festival 2024. Applause for that, please. Applause for that, please. I'm absolutely delighted to be your host again. My name is Michaela Schausberger, for the ones who did not experience my moderation yet. I hope we will have a nice time here together. I already apologize for any non-correct pronouncing of names or something. I'm very sorry about that. But it is an international festival. And yeah, I just speak four languages, but not any language of this world. And so, yeah, I'm sorry for that. I hope we will still have a nice evening together here. Thank you very much. So, yeah, I wrote something for me because normally Parisa Hasemi, the director or one of the directors of this festival, normally she does the speeches for me. But today she asked me if I want to say something probably something personal about this festival and yeah so I made my thoughts and yeah I asked myself what means a film festival for me or what means Lindt International Short Film Festival for me. Me myself I'm an actress an actress, and so I thought, yeah, what really does it mean? And here are some thoughts about that. First, I would like to say a film festival is the possibility for coming together, people who share the same passion for a certain genre, for watching films together, discussing about what you've seen, getting in touch with the filmmakers and the audience as well. The second thought I had was, it means work. Work I love to do, but still it is a kind of work. I have to prepare, I have to be here, I have to be present, prepare some lines or probably know them by heart. But especially for the inventors and leaders of this festival, it means a lot of work. Parisa, Askan and their team, they do a lot of work in any segment. Whether you think about putting together all these films and the program organized locations speaking to dozens of people in terms of funding sponsoring partnering or if you think about putting together a team and some helping hands or finding the members of the jury which is also also very important work here. So, yeah, I could continue this list like a never-ending story, but I won't go for that. But the most important part was the third thought I had about this film festival. And for me, it's the word or the term participation. And... Sorry sorry next one and participation means that I actually would like to ask you all of you who is here present now this evening to participate one more time because, yeah, you know, we don't have any politicians today on stage. So I thought probably I'm going to ask the audience. I would love you to participate once again. And I just would like you to speak up now. Tell us about your impressions about this year's Linz International Short Film Festival, about your impressions about this year's linds international short film festival about your impressions what you had what you appreciated the most or maybe there is something to criticize now there would be some time some open stage some open mic here for uh or if you want to be thankful whatever comes to your mind it would be a great pleasure if you want to be thankful, whatever comes to your mind, it would be a great pleasure if you participate right now. I got the microphones. They don't reach till the very last part. Probably you can speak up loud, but I would love to hear some voices over there. Who's in with me? Is there anybody who likes to speak up? Yeah, perfect. Perfect. I tried to reach you, but I'm not sure if that's working. I think that might work. Just speak up. Would you like to stand up as well? Thank you. Great applause. Okay. I wanted to say that I couldn't watch all the film blocks, but for the most part, what I watched was really powerful. So congratulations to all the filmmakers who are here and the ones who couldn't watch all the film blocks but for the most part what I watched it was really powerful so congratulations to all the filmmakers who are here and the ones who couldn't come and also a big thank you for all the film festival crew who joined us in this journey who was which really cool it was my first lab that I ever attended so it was a very important part of a career but also a very learning, beautiful learning process so thank you so much Parisa, Asha and all the team and congratulations to all the filmmakers, wonderful work. Thank you very much, great, thank you. I just got the announcement that we have to speak through this microphone if it's possible any anyway because we got some live broadcasting and without microphone the people outside there they can't listen to us so is there anybody else who wants to share something with us. Perfect, perfect. Would it be okay for you just to come up here? I'm sorry, I'm asking for a lot, I know. I'm sorry. But the mics don't reach. Thank you very much. So regarding the team of participation participation it just fell into my mind I loved the workshop especially the feminist workshop yeah it gave me a lot of inputs and I think this is also a very nice part of a festival to have the workshop and open discussion with themes that concern movies yeah thank you very much thank you an open discussion with themes that concern movies. Yeah. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay. Any other comments, statement? Okay, perfect. Yeah. Perfect. Thank you very much. Wow. That's participation. Perfect. I already like the evening. It's a very small detail, but maybe it's still a sign of the whole festival atmosphere. I brought a poster from a different event that will happen in November to the party on Thursday. And, you know, it was a bit, it was late at night and I thought I just threw it on the table in an ugly way and it was just lying there and with the intention to hang it on the next morning and I came there and it hung perfectly and then I asked hey who did this and thank you thank you and then I heard one of the festival directors called Parisa did this so thanks a lot so thanks i mean thanks for these small details that you then can see here so thank you very much yeah that's participation which goes beyond thank you very much okay anything else that comes to your mind you would like to share? If not, I can not, yeah, yes, here is one more hand. Yes, thank you very much. That's great, it's an open mic night. Yeah, thanks, no singing, not yet. It's not karaoke moment yet, it's later. Yeah, but I just wanted to say this is one of my first times abroad at a film festival with my own film that I'm representing with. And I was a bit anxious because I'm alone traveling here. The film directors are at another festival in Cyprus, so I'm representing the film here on my own. But you guys, I've met so many awesome people here, watching awesome films and then talking about them and talking about everything else with the new friends I've made here. It has been a highlight of my year until now. So I just wanted to thank all of you here for our great festival. Thanks. Thank you very much. So yeah, I would say that's already a very nice beginning, a very nice start. So I go up on stage again, the place where I belong. So I'm sorry, I'm sorry. the place where I belong. So, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I also just say what comes to my mind. I'm sorry about that. Okay. So, but I think, yeah, let's start this evening. And we're going to start the award ceremony. And now I would like to have Parisa Rashemi here on stage and the two members Katharina Fahrenleiter and Wildtod Hackl. Please come up on stage and a big applause for them. Ich kann es nicht hören. Was ist denn da? Guten Abend, alle. Danke, dass ihr hier seid, beim letzten Fest, bevor die Party. Eine sehr wichtige Teil des Festes ist die Party, ein Ort, wo ihr zusammenkommen und treffen könnt. Das ist das Ziel unseres Festivals, Festival is a party, a place, so you can come together, talk together. And this is actually the goal of our festival, that you make some new friends, that the filmmakers can find some other collaborators for their project. This is our main goal. And when we see some of you could work together or have some ideas to do something together, this is what we wanted to do and we are really happy to see that happening thank you for that and I'm here somehow for also telling the award because one of the juries are not here so knows had bodish that she we had also the feminist master class with her it was online because she couldn't be here but we still used the opportunity to do that online and I think I think everybody was like if it works good like online but I think it was really good as also one of our dear filmmaker was telling about this masterclass so I meant reading the statement that knows had actually should read as a part of the jury panel and the other lovely juries I should also tell thank you to you for watching the whole 75 films and to rate them and I know it is it was really hard maybe you can also explain a little bit about the process how was it for you to watching this film and how was the decision yeah thank you Parisa for having us of yeah I speak for myself now but I think Katrin yeah first of all it was like facing 17 hours as far as I can remember and I said yeah short films I mean short films yeah and then I said all in all I think it took me really long because you want to be very careful and you don't want to miss a thing and then you forget something and then you have to look again and you listen again. Yeah, but it was a great honor and a super pleasure for me to watch all those excellent movies, I have to admit, really. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. really yeah thank you thank you yeah as viltro said i'm i'm really thankful to be here it's a great pleasure and big honor to also for me as a shuri member to get to know all these people it was really it was so such lovely evenings and i really enjoyed the discussions and um all the new inputs i i got from all of you and um yes i'm just thank you thank you maybe we can start with Thank you very much. So, yeah, perfect. So then let's start with the first category. Our first category will be the award for the best sound design sponsored by Ambient. No, that's Parisa. Yes. We'll wait for a second. Ah, yeah. It's within here already. Perfect. Okay. I will start to read the jury statement. I wasn't the one who was writing it at as i said but i'm reading for you for the best sound design this film stands out for its powerful reliance and sound design using real sounds to create an immersive and deeply affecting experience through the voices of people recounting their encounters with death. The film takes us on a profound journey into the afterlife, allowing us to feel as though we are experiencing it alongside them. This use of sound transports us beyond the screen, creating a haunting and extraordinary cinematic experience. For this innovative and moving work we are proud to present Simo Pitkennen for Bright Light Life. Yeah and as you can see he is present. Please come up on stage. No singing yet. Still, yeah. What can I say? Thank you so much. This truly is a great, great honor. I'm so humbled. And I got to say, like, this film for me is personally an experience that taught me and gave me more confidence in my own expression as a sound designer and a composer as well, because I worked on both. And I feel like Esu and Henna gave me a lot of space to me a lot of space to sort of implement my own vision in their film and give like, support them and their ideas of telling the story and being like all around great people to work with. I worked with them for like almost 10 years now, like different projects. And I think this was like a combination of that collaboration that we trust each other so immensely that we feel really comfortable, like giving each other our confidence in the roles that we are, with this film, it was the first time I worked with a 5.1 mixer as well, so I want to give a shout out to Tomi Pietilä, who assisted me with spreading all the details I created in the film, in the surround system. So he did a great job with that. And a friend of mine, Juho Vornanen, joka antoi minulle modulaarisia äänikäyksiä, jotka olivat lisäksi kuvattuja elokuvan äänikäyksissä. Kiitos paljon ja rakastan tätä festivaalia ja rakastan teidät! And the award is, yeah, you can open it like to show it to others. And the award is sponsored by Ambient Recording. I think we will give it to you then afterward or maybe we send it to some of them we send to the filmmaker and some of them are here thank you the next category is best editing and Parisa is again so best editing through intelligent Editing and Parisa is again. So, best editing. Through intelligent editing and carefully chosen meaningful shots, this film masterfully highlights its most powerful moments, drawing us into the emotion of the characters and allowing us to feel as if we are right beside them. The filmmaker's thoughtful approach ensures that every scene resonates inviting us to connect deeply with the story for this exceptional work we are proud to present the award to leila jaff for the film into the wild land Congratulations to Leila Jaff. She cannot be here, but we got some video message. Hallo, Leila da, die Editorin von Ins wilde Land. Ja, erstmal liebe Grüße aus Köln. Ich bin da wegen dem Edie Motion Film Festival, also ein Festival speziell für Schnitt. Umso mehr freue ich mich, dass ich gerade einen Preis für Best Editing gewonnen habe. Also danke, danke dafür. für Best Editing gewonnen habe. Also danke dir dafür. Ja, ich kann nur sagen, es hat super viel Spaß gemacht, mit Emil zu arbeiten. Also die Schnittphase war richtig cool. Und ja, freut mich, dass das gut angekommen ist. Und ich hoffe, ihr habt noch eine gute Zeit. Und ja, ciao. eine gute Zeit und ja, ciao! Ciao! it's on again great uh yeah she said she's in colna and in another film festival which is especially for the editing so she is really happy that she is also now winning an editing award like it's what's the main thing yeah and yeah i think the award is uh sponsored by close film and we have also some magazine sponsors for all austrian winners this is also an austrian film so they will receive also one year of subscription for Ray Magazine, Colic Magazine and EPD Magazine. They will all have this award also as well. Thank you, Parisa. Okay, we continue with the third award of this evening. And this is going to be Best Cinematography. And do you know by heart it was sponsored by? You forgot to write it down. TELTEK. Okay, thank you very much. And this is Wildroth. In this wonderful film, the camera accompanies the young female character alongside her complicated but caring relationship with her father. It takes us on a ride with the everyday struggle of the life of small thieves and smugglers and immerse with us in the water. The camera is present, authentic and keeps our gaze fixed to the screen. We award Tamás A. Porméder with Best Cinematography for his work in Preis by Dovidas Traxas. The filmmakers cannot be here in present but we also got some video message. Hello everyone, I'm Tomasz, the cinematographer of PRIS. If being selected to be part of this wonderful film festival wasn't enough, receiving this award is really the cherry on the top. I want to thank the organizers, the jury, and everyone involved in the making of this festival possible, and congratulations to all the other filmmakers. I'd like to accept this award on behalf of the entire team that came together from eight different countries to make it happen. To me, this is a testament on how film can be a connecting platform both on the screen and behind the camera as it's truly a group effort. Without everyone's input, I would just be a person platform both on the screen and behind the camera, as it's truly a group effort. Without everyone's input, I would just be a person with weird ideas for camera angles. Whether we love or hate a movie, it brings us together, we talk about it, and it helps us understand each other. So thank you again, it's truly a privilege. I wish I could be there to meet you all and celebrate with you, but if not now, hopefully on the next one. I have to make some little announcement. I'm sorry. Parisa, do you know if there is some more of the awards? Because we are some awards missing. I'm sorry. I think it's just the half over here. Do you know where they are? Ashkan, can you hear me in the back over there? The present. Filmmaker, they have it. Okay, good. Thank you very much. Now I got it. Sorry, that was a lack of preparation. I'm sorry for that. Yeah, perfect. Okay, now they know. Good. So then let's continue with category best screenplay. Best screenplay. What does the loss of one's homeland mean? This film lets us glimpse the trauma of forced emigration and shows how friendship can comfort us in difficult times. An incredibly touching film about two women who share the same fate, the same pain. Authentic dialogues, vivid images and simply a very, very strong story. Michelle Kesavani receives the Best Screenplay Award for Le Genil. Screenplay Award for Le Chenille. And Michelle Kesservany also sent us some video message. Hello, I'm Michelle Kesservany, I'm the director and writer of Le Chenille that I I co-directed with my sister Noelle and played a part in the film Next She Must Azaleh. First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of all the team. It really means a lot to us, even though we can't say how we're happy these days, given the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, on Gaza and on the region and the killing of so many innocent people. and the killing of so many innocent people. But it stays important to us to get such appreciation because it pushes us to tell you our stories with our own voices and our own narratives, which is important given how badly we think that the region is portrayed in the Western media. So Leshami for us is also a way to remember that the colonization and historical events are not stuck in time, but they go through with us and we take them as a road in our daily lives. And unfortunately, it's something that's happening again today. So that's why it was so touching for us to get to the news, I think of this appreciation. And we thank the jury, we thank you all and I wish you all a very pleasant rest of the week Our next category is a category for best acting Oh, that's me again. That's you again. The actor had a very challenging role. The struggles of character Maxim, his profound trauma of abuse and the pressure his dad is putting on him. All of this we could feel while watching his convincing performance. A natural born actor who is present in every moment of this film. The award for best acting is presented to Igor Van Dessel for A Good Boy. Actually, I'm not sure if we got some video message. I don't think so. No, no, unfortunately not. So congratulations, but yeah, we just continue then. It's going to be a short evening, so the party is going to start soon then. Sure. so it's gonna be parisa again and the category is for best directing yeah it's really special because the best directing actually goes to an animation film in this animation we are faced with a professional and brilliant director. The filmmaker uses mise-en-scene, framing, atmosphere, scene design and music well to project her story ideas and gives life to her paintings and makes us feel that we can experience living in a dream. The award goes to Wait for me in a dream by natalia durshevich yeah we have a video message from her but there is another award that she actually wins. So I read also the statement, she is not here, she sent us the video message. And the category, the next one, is for best animation. And there was already some spoiler alert. Because in the video there is a spoiler, so I wanted to announce before spoiling myself. With its creative and intelligent design, this animation accompanies us with the life story of an old couple and through poetic image it arouses our feelings and questions the stereotypes of ageism and shows a pleasant and beautiful image of a romantic relationship in old age and as you know the price is to wait for me in a dream And now we see the award. Hi, thank you very much for the awards. I'm really happy and grateful that you appreciated my work. This film, Wait for me in a dream, is my personal story about my grandparents. And also this is my graduation film and first film as a professional filmmaker. I would like to thank my crew, especially my composer, Sebastian Wadizzynski, and my producers, Fumi Studio. Thank you once again. I'm really honored and happy to be a part of Linn's Film Festival. I'm sorry, I always have to wait for some seconds because then the microphones have to work again so that everybody can listen to us. The next category we're going to present is for Best Documentary. And I think it's Parisa again. There is an honorable mention. So the jury decided to give an honorable mention to one of the documentary films. With a powerful and unflinching lens, the director documents the devastating reality of her sibling's condition, crafting a film that challenges ignorance and deepens our understanding of some disease. Her courageous storytelling leaves a lasting impact highlighting the urgent need for more films that spark empathy and awareness. For this remarkable achievement an honorable mention goes to Sophie Horry for the film Little Boy. And Sophie Horry is here in the audience. Big applause for her. And please come up on stage. Thank you very much. Thank you, really. Thank you for this honorable mention. It's an honor. And yes, I didn't expect it. I really appreciate it. And I want to say one thing. It's, you know, I hate this movie. That's the reality. Because it was really painful for me to make it. I don't keep good memories about it. But for me, what catches it up, what sums it up, is the fact that, you know, one of the bad things that I feel is like being ashamed of my sensitivity. And I feel like that in our society, it's very easy to feel ashamed about how sensitive you can be and how much you can show of your feelings and your privacy. And for me, this honorable mention and any kind of recognition towards this work is a sign that being sensitive is not a bad thing. It's a good thing. And it's been I've been ashamed of being an oversensitive person for a long time. And thank you for helping me accepting that. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, Sophie. And now we continue for the best prize or the best documentary. And Wiltrud has a statement. Yeah. This documentary tackles an often unseen and untold issue, questioning patriarchal structures and definitions of safety within a strict religious system where talking about sexual violence against men is a taboo. It challenges the gender stereotype that often silences men from sharing their trauma for fear of damaging their masculinity. By addressing sexual abuse as a global issue rather than one specific to Iran, it creates a tense, intimate atmosphere where the discomfort and helplessness surrounding the protagonist is tangible. Beautiful animations soften the harsh realities when they become too difficult to watch, allowing us to share in the character's suffering without exaggeration or sentimentality. For her brave and honest portrayal of her husband's story of abuse, characters suffering without exaggeration or sentimentality. For her brave and honest portrayal of her husband's story of abuse, we award Elahe Ismaili the Best Documentary Award for Can I Hug You? Congratulations again, but still we don't have any video message as far as... Oh, we have one! Video message, yes. Oh, sorry. Yes. Aha, yes. And the award is sponsored by... No, from... Yeah, by... FADF, Verwertungsgesellschaft von Filmschaffenden. Microphone, please. I'm mixed, everything. Hey, everyone. This is Ella here. I'm the director of the film. And I'm also the director of the film. And I'm also the director of the film. Fadija fürs Verwertung Gesellschaft vom Filmschaffende. it with the audiences there in Austria. Can I Hug You is about the importance of safety for children and the importance of supporting them as adults. And this past year has been such a tough year for us in the Middle East and in the world to have witnessed tens of thousands of children being brutally killed in Gaza. And I hope that tomorrow, not even the day after, tomorrow we'll see a safer world in which all children all around the world have the safety that they need, the safety that they deserve. But now, I mean, I've made you sad enough with my film so i want to show you before israel actually launches a new attack on iran i want to um show you a different side of us who love dancing and music and fun. So make sure that you get your DJ to play, the festival DJ to play some Persian songs for you. I know some Iranians are there, so come on. I know some of you Indians are there, so come on. Thank you.. what a wonderful message that's great we have to advise Björn Büchner then afterwards our DJ at the party then to play some Persian music I tried already also on Thursday to put some Iranian music. I tried my best also then. Okay, did it work out? We wanted to have a chilly night, so I started some music myself. I don't know if it works good for them or not. Okay. I don't know. We will see tonight then probably. Okay, our tenth category for this evening is for Best Fiction. And this is Katharina again. This film unfolds quietly and unobtrusively, much like its protagonist, who leads us on an intimate emotional journey. A poetic road movie that reaches straight to the heart. It boldly addresses societal taboos and beautifully conveys the idea that saying goodbye is not a single moment, but a gradual process. What better way to capture this than through a cinematic journey? For this deeply moving debut, the jury is proud to present the Best Fiction Film Award to director Yeah! The producer is here with us. And the award is also sponsored by Friday FFest. Congratulations! Thank you very much! Thank you so much! Thank you so much. Okay, can I have a moment to cry? Okay. I have no words right now, but I'm so happy. I'm so happy to be here. And I'm so happy that our work is recognized and we thought that this simple idea would like we didn't we didn't know that it would be like universal and it would be like so touchy we just made it out of personal experiences so we're so happy i'm so happy and i wish him would have been here but she would i know i know she would jump off her feet like because she's so clumsy but thank you so much i'm so honored to be here and there were so many beautiful films honestly honestly, I didn't expect at all to win. But thank you very much. Thank you very much. Although you guys, I made a lot of good friends here. Congratulations again! The next category we're going to present is for Best Austrian Film. How is it. Sorry. It's a pleasure for me. The filmmaker employs a structure that masterfully balances intimacy, strictness and openness, creating a space where vulnerability thrives. Set in a public spa and sauna, the film uses this environment as a metaphor for our desire for fluidity and connection, while also exploring the human need to be seen and loved as who we choose to be in any given moment. With humor and tenderness, it cleverly challenges gender norms through the lens of swimming pool rules, ultimately concluding that in their dreams, all jellyfish are wet. For this insightful and heartfelt work, we are honored to award Marie-Louise Lehner the Best Austrian Film Award. Thank you so much. I'm so happy. Thank you very much. It's very nice also to come back to this festival after being here, having been here part of the jury in the past. This is a film about rules and how rules are totally changeable thank you thank you very much thank you for this cheerful we're making some photos We're making some photos. Thank you. Congratulations again. Now we got some special award. It's also called the Masa Gina Amini Award. It's the best queer feminist award. And it's just the second time that we give that award away. Is that correct, Parisa? Yeah, exactly. And it's kind of grant for making the next film happen. Ah, perfect. That's good. That's good. Wiltrud is going to speak about that. Just a question. Yes. Okay. Ah, yeah. We had an honorable mention in that category. War requires certain constructions of masculinity and thus is a toxic, traumatizing problem human beings have to deal with for generations. We heard about this topic on screen and concerning the bombings. Sorry for the personal point. This way too rarely told and examined topic is the center of this movie. Two men and a boy somewhere in the countryside in Lebanon. What does it mean to act as a man who needs to be strong? Why does a boy have to learn to shoot? The director questions not only patriarchy structures but leaves us with a soothing thought. What if boys worldwide refuse to learn to shoot. Feminism means all of us, no matter what gender or age. We award Manatee by Hussein Ibrahim, a honorary mention for his film. And I have the... Ayak. It's a video mail. Yes. From him? Okay. Yes. Greetings. I'm Hussein Ibrahim. I'm the director of the short film Manatee, Mawsam. I would have loved to be with you now, to share with you the inspiration and the backstory of my film. But unfortunately, I couldn't. and the backstory of my film. But unfortunately, I couldn't. And I'm really grateful and so happy to receive the honorable special mention from the jury. And I hope next year I will be able to join with you. Thank you so much. So now we have the award. In this film, gender constructions are playfully So now we have the award. Yeah. In this film, gender constructions are playfully and cleverly deconstructed. The result is a hilarious and bold story about three trans women who plan a robbery. To avoid being identified as women under their masks, they train to act like men, adding layers of humor and irony to the narrative. They train to act like men, adding layers of humor and irony to the narrative. Both the screenplay and the performances stood out as award-worthy, with Isa Schieche excelling both as actor and director. For this impressive and compelling work, we are proud to present the Robbers with the Best Queer Feminist Film Marsha Gina Amini Award. the best queer feminist film, Masha Gina Amini Award. And this is not Isa Schiecher coming up on stage, but you're the producer as far as I know. No, I'm not. Just a representative. I'm a dear friend of Isa who cannot be here with us tonight, but we watched this film just two days ago in Gartenbau Kino and I think it's a really great film and I'm very happy on behalf of her and I'm gonna deliver this to her happily and I think very well deserved. Thank you so much. Thank you. I would love also to add this is this award is somehow part of our cooperation with Women Office of the City of the Linz and Rainbow City Network of Linz, which we together cooperate this Queer Feminist Day at our festival and also this award. Perfect. Thank you very much. So this was the part for the awards awards um well the first part of the awards uh i say thank you very much katarina and wiltroth now you are allowed to take a seat again if you want thank you if you don't want give them a warm applause please And now the lights went out. Thank you very much. And now I would like to invite Martina Petrovic on stage. Watch out, watch out. Watch out, watch out. So thank you for being here with us. I will a little bit explain about this part of this evening and why Martina is here with us. As you maybe know, we have some kind of program which is called Talent Academy of linz international short film festival there we have some film labs for emerging talented filmmakers and till now we had a short film lab which filmmakers could attend in it and we had some online mentorship and also in-person mentorship and a residency in canton film festival during the they have visited short film corner there and also the other part of the festival and martina is also one of our mentors there are more mentors like four or five other mentors who were also working on the project of the filmmakers and martina was also here and they had also a kind of rehearsal together with martina and what they gonna they did here was a pitch uh it they were making and preparing their project pitch. They were making and preparing their project for pitching events and today this morning we had the pitch session with our filmmakers and we were really impressed with their pitch. A big applause! And now we want to give away the awards that they will win in this pitch. One of the main awards that one filmmaker will win is a 2000 euro co-production fund Fund, which is supported by Keloz Film Association, which is the organization that we do the film festival with it. And also Creative Europe Media Desk Croatia, which is Martina is representative of it. And Martina also offers two other prizes for the filmmakers because we thought there are more filmmakers. Actually, more than three. You were so good today. Yes, they should win some prizes. Maybe you can explain about these two prizes and also what was your experience. Just before we dive in, can I say something? Yeah, sure. Okay. Well, it's already the second time to be present at Linz Film Festival. And I need to say something out loud. Unfortunately, the politicians are not here, but I bet that you will be a good messengers and the word of mouth to whom it needs to be transferred the message Linz Film Festival is one of the rare film festivals where you can really have an amazing diversity of films an amazing diversity of films and in a way meeting diverse filmmakers from all over the world which is not usually the case and there is always some magic going on in Linz and I feel at home and the family from year to year grows bigger. Thanks to a really small but a really important uh team that does an amazing job for linds and the film industry as such so can i ask you also to uh clap and give a big applause to ashkan parisa but also to clara and angelica but also to Clara and Angelica, but also Michaela. Thank you. I mean, who can say no to Parisa, you know? You can be saw all over the place. It took me really some time to arrive, but still I made it. And this lady, she really does an amazing job for the film industry. And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you. With all this mess in this world nowadays, it is important that we make films and that we screen them. And just to back you up in this thought, Alejandro Gonzalez Zinarrito said that cinema is universal beyond flags and borders and passports that we tend to forget quite often nowadays. So it is important also that we create safe spaces. I know that I repeat myself with this wording, but safe spaces I know that I repeat myself with this wording but safe spaces for your stories so that we can really share and see and I was I'm really privileged and honored to help those filmmakers of tomorrow to find their journeys how to make your stories, your personal stories. So it was an amazing time. We met in Cannes, we met online twice, and now finally physically here. And I want to thank Luigi, just a second, in order of the projects. Luigi, Martin, Alexandra, Curtis, Anita, Dennis, and Larissa for allowing me to be part of your stories and your journeys. You were all really wonderful and great and you really progressed and made a huge effort. So thank you yes no can I go yes yes you can take the prize okay okay this is a present for you thank you thank you very much from the lady one of the Iranian citizen of the Linz yeah thank you very much nice yeah any presents for me or no I'm giving the awards you know so uh as parisa mentioned there are three awards so we will start first uh with the one that um assumes the participation at the workshop event that i organized in zagagreb, Croatia. It's called Let's Pitch Some Shorts. So this is the explanation. This project presents a strong, clear, and compelling female-driven story that resonates universally. Its relatable narrative has the potential to connect with the broad audience, making it an exciting project to watch. The opportunity for further participation in the Let's Pitch Some Shorts event in 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia will be instrumental in helping the project grow, providing valuable networking opportunities and essential partnerships. For this promising and powerful pitch, we are excited to award larissa murai from brazil with the participation and the project treat their mother larissa come here thank you thank you you're welcome yes I'm surprised so I didn't plan what to say but thank you I'm very happy it was very helpful everything I loved all the films that I watched o que você disse, mas obrigada. Estou muito feliz, foi muito ajudante tudo. Eu amei todos os filmes que eu assisti e todo mundo foi tão bom, desde Khan, nós viemos do Brasil, então eu sempre estava com os amigos dizendo, podemos ficar um dia mais? E ela sempre falando, sim, sim, sim, eu posso fazer isso. Acho que eu não sei não. Então, sim, é isso. Thank you very much guys. Thank you. Luigi, make some photos. It's difficult to see you with this live broadcasting. Thank you. So the second award is related to mentoring as regards to the festival and distribution strategy on my behalf this project has tremendous potential to connect with festival audiences right away making it an ideal candidate for the mentoring in festival and distribution strategy for its promising potential and ability to resonate with audiences we are pleased to award SOS by Anita Morina. thank you all this is really nice i can't you will not get rid of me i'm i'm gonna be very annoying so thank you so much, it means a lot. Thank you so much. You're welcome. We can also take some photos. Thank you. Opa! Sorry. So, and the next award. It was really a challenging decision, really. We had a hard time to decide which project should win. And then we decided to have these three awards. This project stands out for its clarity and creativity, with the filmmaker presenting a compelling vision that resonates with contemporary audience. The pitch masterfully conveyed the significance of the story, making it clear how personal it is while still having wide appeal. The writer-director's deep engagement throughout the entire development process was evident, showcasing a strong commitment and passion for the project. For this outstanding pitch and vision, we are pleased to award… You say that! Alexandra Gingostea! And the project Preskos of Memory! because of memory yeah wow I mean thank you so much I'm speechless I did not expect this thank you so much thank you for trusting in my project giving me more strength motivation to work further to develop it that like I know this is a very personal story from like a small minority region and I was working alone I didn't know like if it resonates with other people with broader audience and I'm so alone. I didn't know if it resonates with other people, with broader audience. And I'm so happy that it does, that it makes sense to make films, animations further. I mean, in this crazy world, as we heard before and we know it, it still makes sense to make films. I'm really happy about that. And thank you so much. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you very much. And also a big applause again for Martina Petrovic. Thank you very much. Thank you, Martina. Yes. Can I just give it away? Pass it on to me. Yeah. So, at the end, I think it's time to say thank you. We tried to be not so long. Ah, what? Oh my God. Okay, we forgot some award. In times like these, when war, hatred and expulsion are omnipresent and it seems as if the only stories told are the ones of narcissistic warmongers, they have been setting a counterpoint for seven years now. That could not be more important. They highlight those stories and biographies in which we discover commonalities and find hope. They invite and bring lovely people to Linz who tell us in short yet powerful films about how the world is, but more important, how it should be or could be. Therefore, we want to award Parisa Gassemi and Ashka Nematian for their commitment, kindness and artistic foresight. Thank you. Thank you very much. One of the most important prizes to give away. Thank you. And also, I will thank just now, but also our team. We have a really small team. Team of, I think we are five people. Sometimes there are some people who are working and helping us during the festival. No, we are six people, I think. Mia and Ashkan as festival director. Klara Schultes, I would like to thank her a lot. She is really supporting us in every way possible. Yeah, big applause for her. Big applause for Klara. Yeah, big applause for Clara. Maybe she's still outside checking if somebody wants to come in or not. But she's responsible for all the cooperation and communication. So she's in contact with everyone that we want to have a partner, especially the one in Austria and also yeah, she's here Ah, here she is Applause, Kala I can see Ashkan in the back as well Ashkan, would you like to come up on stage? For once see ashkan in the back as well ashkan would you like to come up on stage for once oh ah yes okay okay good so he brings the next wonderful woman Perfect. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. many times with Angelica she's writing you so many emails from the first moment that the film is selected in the festival we can go a little bit like this and then we start to send emails to the filmmakers to check if they want to join us at the festival or not and it's a really long process and she is really organizing everything to has to do with our guests and as you see both of them also helping us in ticketing and many many other things they are really multitasking and helping us in every different part you cannot believe and our graphic designer also marianne baradaran she is living in iran she is also one of a friend of us she helped us with all all these beautiful graphic designs and she just sent us with the low-speed internet of Iran, which is really hard for her all the time when we tell her we need to edit, please write this text. It's like a correction of this text, she should again do it and upload it. It takes so much time always to upload them again and I want to say thank you and she is not here and Majd who is now preparing the party place for you there and yeah big applause to Majd for his beautiful spirit like he's a really cheerful how to say chill chill chilling chilled guy who whatever happened he's just there and help and he's just calm and dance all the time also with us in the party and also help at the bar and every possible way yeah i say also thank you too much did i forgot somebody because yes from the team yeah exactly i want also to thank to the team of the cinema, the city cinema, Stefan Messner and also Philip, Mario and Paul. Thank you to them also. It was really helpful this year for us to be because in recent years we were some part Es war uns sehr hilfreich, dass wir hier sind, weil wir in den letzten Jahren in der Universität ein Teil der Screenings waren, in einem anderen Raum, nicht in diesem. Es gibt auch ein Video-Raum dort und wir hatten einige Screenings dort und einige hier im Film. Aber es ist das erste Mal, dass wir hier in der Filmarbeit alle Filme zeigen. Und es ist uns sehr hilfreich, den Unterstützung, die der Film macht. films here in cinema and it is really helpful for us the support that cinema does so i say thank you to the cinema and of course mishaela she is always so and she is so flexible as a moderator i really enjoy to work with her and is like she's always cheering up and it's really nice to have you and you're really positive and great energy here. Thank you very much. It's always a pleasure to be here. It's already my third time now. Yeah, so I nearly belong to the team. Yeah, exactly. And what I really love about Michaela is that she really comes and watches. about about michaela is that she really come and watch like if she has time she stay here in leeds she's living in vienna but she doesn't come just for opening and our ceremony but most of the time she comes stays and watch every films and like it's it's i think it is one of the most important Ich denke, es ist eines der wichtigsten Dinge, dass Sie sich so im ganzen Festival engagieren. Ich liebe es und genieße es. Vielen Dank. Vielen Dank. Und nochmals danke ich den Jury. Ich weiß, es war eine sehr schwierige Arbeit. Und Martina, sie unterstützt mich immer so und ich bin auch'm really happy to get to know you also. And Ashkan. Finally, you can see him. Yes. He's always hiding himself in backstage. So we are doing everything together. It's not just me. Most of the things that I do, Ashkan is part of it. We always everything like the whole time we are talking about how to manage this festival and other project and he's always there but he he's really good supporter and yeah I really thankful for support. Thank you. He's not the man of many words. Thank you very much. Thank you, Teresa. Thank you for this great festival. Thank you, our filmmakers, for fantastic movies. Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much. It's also really important, because if there is no film of you, then there is no festival. We are really thankful for you for sending your film to us, for believing in our festival, for being here during the festival and be also engaging and be in every screening and discussion and masterclass. This is actually the point that we do this festival, that you are attending these events and come together and have some networking with other talented emerging filmmakers. And I would say thank you for you to be here. And a big applause for the filmmakers, please. All filmmakers, you are all winners. For the filmmakers, please, all filmmakers, you are all winners. Like this, there is no difference between the other filmmakers who didn't win a prize. It's a really hard decision to decide which one wins the prize. In every category, we have so many nominations. We should try hard to select just one of them. We would like, because of that, we also try to have more prizes because I think it's a bit, for me, it feels unfair if there is one or two prizes between every film that we show here. And as I think we... Yeah, you can yeah thank you thank you and I would also say we already named our partners and the sponsors in our opening. I would also name them again and tell maybe something about them. KELOSFIM is our association which we made it to make this festival happen. And this is the main organizer of the festival. And from the very first year we had Kunz University at Linz, Linz Art University, as a big supporter. Every location we need, they always try to give it to us. And really, many, many supports we had from their sides in all these seven years. And we have some funding from Cultural Department of Province Upper Austria and the Federal Ministry of Austria, Art, Culture, Civil Service and Sport, and also Cultural Direction of the City of Linz and FADFS. And we have also this new cooperation with the Women's Office of the City of Linz and Rainbow City Network, which they are also cooperating in funding and they're cooperating in this Queer Feminist Day and Linz Tourismus, Creative Austria as a press partner and Dorf Tifa, I should tell big thanks and also maybe we can give an applause to Dorf Tifa who are now have a live broadcast of our event thank you very much and thank you for believing in our event from the very first edition of the festival Dorf Tifa was always supporting us in broadcasting the opening and also award ceremony and I will just name also as I said there are some magazine for Austrian winners because it's in German we give it away to the Austrian filmmakers like film a PD colleague film ray magazine and we have some other press partners like Dot Magazine, Subtex, Radio Fogo and as I said we had some award sponsors that we named it in the award and I would also thanks Global Print which support us with our print material this year which was really helpful for us. I'm really thankful and Brotzustig the bread and cakes that are in the other room are from Brotzustig. I'm really thankful that they offer this to us and we have some drinks like macava maybe you know it now really good. I have to say I was some time addicted to it because it was really good and I was working and drinking macava. it was really good and i was working and drinking macabre yeah and one day i couldn't drink it anymore i cannot drink it anymore because i drank so much of it my body doesn't accept it anymore because it's really good and we had also pedacola good and we had also pedacolor, and as I said city kino which is the main part of this festival and the VKLMK from Oberösterreich, Hunger of Kunst und Kultur, Front Food Info Screen and Creative Europe Media in Croatia. And Dom Hotel, the hotel that you are there and they are also really helpful. So thank you for being here with us. Thank you very much. It was a big line. I hope you are not tired. So thank you. I now leave the stage. Thank you again, Parisa Ghasemi. Ah, and you got some flowers. That's great. Yes, um, it's time to say goodbye to this cinema. It's time to leave over here. It was a wonderful evening. I think we had a lot of fun. There were some awards given away. There were some good thoughts brought up here and some nice speeches. I'm thankful to be here and I hope to see you next year again. I think it's going on and going on as far as I know. So there will be some festival next year. And yeah, this was the award ceremony of the seventh edition of Linz International Short Film Festival in the year 2024. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you very much for being present. of Linz International Short Film Festival in the year 2024. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you very much for being present. And thank you. And now everybody is invited to join the after party in the Kunstuniversität at the University in Linz at the Hauptplatz Nummer 11. Is that correct? Eight. That's okay. Thank you very much and have a wonderful evening. Goodbye.