TIFF closes its 24th edition, announcing awards in every category

The closing night of the Tirana International Film Festival (TIFF) ended with the announcement of this year’s winners, crowning the films and auteurs that stood out for their artistic language, treatment of contemporary themes and distinctive cinematic approaches.

The Best Director award went to Emi Imanishi for “Nomad Shadow,” a co-production of France, Spain and the U.S. The jury praised it as an extraordinary directorial debut that turns displacement and belonging into an intimate human drama. The film stands out for its visual language and its restrained, sensitive treatment of characters.

The Best PerspecTIFF award, one of the festival’s top honors, went to “Lust,” directed by Ralitza Petrova, a 2026 co-production of Bulgaria, Denmark and Sweden. The jury praised its lucid, illusion-free portrait of contemporary Bulgaria, describing the film as a work that transcends the schemes of social drama and becomes an exploration of alienation, desire and heritage. At its center stands a complex character through whom the personal and social dimensions intertwine.

In the Best Short Film category, the award went to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “Flesh Impact,” a 2026 American production. The film, which is being put forward for candidacy at the 99th Academy Awards in 2027, was praised for its high level of craft and its direct, physically charged approach to the body, as well as its controlled use of image, sound and performance.

The Best Live Action Short Film award went to “And If Thuy Didn’t Exist,” directed by Carlo Francisco Manatad, a co-production of France, Indonesia and the Philippines. The jury praised its sensitive portrayal and the way the film weaves emotion together with moments of subtle humor, giving weight even to what remains unsaid.

In the Best Documentary category, the winner was “With Sand in Our Eyes,” directed by Kiki Ho, from the Netherlands. The documentary was praised for the courage to give space to invisible battles and for the gentle, compassionate way it treats pain, loneliness and loss.

The Best Animation Short Film award went to “Once in a Body” by María Cristina Pérez, a Colombian-American production. The film was praised for the way it turns the body into a living space of memory, change and imagination through a distinctive visual language.

The Best Short Documentary award went to “Anatomy of a Portrait,” directed by Juan Felipe León, from Colombia. The jury praised the film for the way it treats the theme of death — one of life’s most meaningful experiences — with respect, dignity and beauty.

In the Best Video Art & Experimental category, the award went to “I Think You Should Be Here,” directed by Anna-Marija Adomaitytė and Élie Grappe, a Franco-Swiss production. The film was praised for the way it treats the phenomenon of online banality with a lucid, observational approach.

The Best Balkan Short Film award went to “Desert, She” by Ioanna Digenaki, from Greece. The jury singled out the film’s distinctive cinematic language, the powerful sense of the heat of everyday life, and its portrayal of a generation facing uncertainty in a city where water is running out.

In the Best in Albanian Short Film category, the winner was “angel777,” directed by Brilant Pireva, from Kosovo. The film was praised for its fresh, original narrative structure and for the way it treats a range of issues tied especially to the reality and concerns of the younger generation.

The Best Student Fiction award went to “Silent Voices” by Nadine Misong Jin, a South Korean and U.S. production. The film stood out for its sensitive, authentic treatment of family relationships and unspoken emotions, while its minimalist direction trusts the power of image and silence to create an intimate atmosphere.

With the announcement of these awards, TIFF closed its edition with a diverse panorama of contemporary cinema, a high number of world and national premieres, bringing into focus new auteurs and established creators, as well as stories moving between personal experience, social reality, memory, identity and the challenges of the time.