Winners - ISFFT 2026

Winners
ISFFT 2026

Best Short Film

"Tarik"

Directed by: Adem Tutić
Film School: Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade
Run time: 25:00 min
Country: Serbia

Synopsis: After being expelled from school in his hometown, Tarik is forced to leave his single mother, Marija, and move to Novi Pazar to live with his father, Safet, and his family.

Adem Tutić was born in 2002 in Novi Pazar, Serbia. He studies film directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. He began his journey in cinema with the film “Epitaph to the Forgotten”, which was screened at Free Zone Festival, DokuFest and Ethnographic Film Festival. His first short feature film, “Belezi”, was screened at Moving Image Festival and Kameo Festival, while the documentary “In My City, According to Islam” received a Special Mention at Bistre Reke Festival. His film “Forty” was presented at Herceg Novi Festival, Kameo, Blokadni Fest and Kustendorf, where it won the Bronze Egg award. His feature documentary “Tour de Strasbourg” follows a 14-day student protest trip against political repression in Serbia. Adem has also contributed to theatre and multimedia projects and has been a jury member at Bistre Reke Festival and Paris Author's Film Festival. His short feature film “Tarik” will have its world premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival. He is currently developing his first feature-length documentary, “Shahid's Home,” which tells the story of a Moroccan migrant and his resilience after enduring severe violence while traveling through the Balkans.

Best Documentary

"We Play With All Our Heart"

Directed by: Alvin Çyço
Film School: University of Arts
Run time: 44:30 min
Country: Albania

Synopsis: A documentary about rock and roll music in the Albanian lands. Accompanied by historical and political moments of Albanian history.

Alvin Çyço, born in 2003, is a film directing student with a Bachelor’s degree in Film and TV Directing from the University of Arts in Tirana, Albania. He has made a number of short films and documentaries. Through his works, he aims to bring to light human stories that connect individual memory with broader social and historical contexts, exploring the relationship between people, their environment and the time in which they live.

Best Animation

“Absorta”

Directed by: Luiza Pugliesi Villaça
Film School: FAAP
Run time: 8:00 min
Country: Brazil

Synopsis: Nara, an exhausted young adult, decides to take a shower after a long day. But when she lies down in the bathtub to relax, her moment of introspection is interrupted by a fish stuck in the drain. Deep and unknown waters will be explored as she is invaded by different phases of her life.

Luiza Pugliesi Villaça, born in France, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Luiza Pugliesi Villaça graduated in 2022 in Social Communication, specializing in Cinema and Animation, at Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP). During this period, she developed and explored her skills in creation and direction. She subsequently wrote and directed the animated short film “Cadim”, a project that has won several awards at international festivals, as well as “Absorta”, a short film currently in the distribution phase. Luiza has also been part of the technical jury for the selection of films within the framework of the International Animation Day exhibition.

"Gjergj Xhuvani" Award

“The Contact”

Directed by: Mert Erez
Film School: Ankara University
Run time: 20:00 min
Country: Turkey

Synopsis: Ali returns to the town he left years ago after the death of his son, and when he returns, he confronts the remains of his son, whom he never knew. A wallet, a photo and his son's cell phone. Ali tracks down his son, whom he has never met, by talking to people in his phone book like a detective, and tries to get to know his son.

Mert Erez was born in 1993. He completed his primary and secondary education in Tire, Izmir. During his high school years, he began writing and directing short films. After his university studies in cinematography, he began working professionally as a screenwriter and director. With his first feature-length documentary, “Iska”, he was nominated and awarded at several important festivals, including the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. The short films he has written and directed have also been screened and awarded at various festivals. He has also written articles on football for Fitbol Magazine and Galatasaray Magazine. He is the author of three short story books, published by different publishing houses.