Turin Film Festival: The Winners
Morgan Knibbe triumphs with “The Garden of Earthly Delights”, while Ester Ivakič wins the Special Jury Prize with “Ida Who Sang So Badly Even the Dead Rose Up and Joined Her in Song”.
The curtain has fallen on the 43rd edition of the Turin Film Festival, which celebrated cinema in all its forms. From feature films to short films, the jury handed out awards highlighting works with strong social engagement. Led by Ippolita di Majo, the jury of the 43rd Turin Film Festival rightfully crowned The Garden of Earthly Delights, the first feature film by Dutch director Morgan Knibbe. Set in Manila, it follows the resigned odysseys of 11-year-old Ginto and his sister Asia: Ginto seeks to join the circle of drug dealers in search of an identity and role he is denied because of his age, while Asia becomes a sex worker to finance her escape abroad.
The award for Best Film, accompanied by €20,000, goes to “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Morgan Knibbe. The jury, chaired by Ippolita di Majo, assigned the Special Jury Prize (€7,000) to “Ida Who Sang So Badly Even the Dead Rose Up and Joined Her in Song” by Ester Ivakič. Best Screenplay goes to “Ailleurs la nuit” by Marianne Métivier, while the Best Performances were awarded to Sadie Scott “Fucktoys” and Maria Wróbel “Que ma volonté soit faite”.
Documentaries and Short Films: Winners and Jury Statements
In the Documentary Competition, “Seeds” by Brittany Shyne wins the top prize, commended “for its ability to tell, through powerful imagery, the daily life of a community forced to endure the hypocrisy of the ‘words of the law.’”
The Special Jury Prize goes to “Coexistence, My Ass!” by Amber Fares “for showing how irony can convey the complexity of a tragedy,” while a Special Mention is awarded to “Bobò” by Pippo Delbono because “we are grateful for the wisdom found in madness.”
Short Films:
Best Film: “What Have You Done, Zarina?” by Camila Sagyntkan, which “portrays with sensitivity and courage the story of a 15-year-old girl who becomes pregnant after an assault, intertwining psychological trauma with the contradictions of a patriarchal family and social injustices.”
Special Jury Prize: “175” by Sepehr Nosrati “for its dynamic and impactful staging of the contradictions surrounding immigration.”
Special Mention: “Fin” by Ward Kayyal “for its moving synthesis of the tension between war and normality in the Palestinian tragedy.”
FIPRESCI Prize
The award of the International Federation of Film Critics goes to “The Anatomy of the Horses” by Daniel Vidal Toche, “for its poetic exploration of Indigenous culture through magical realism, reflecting a necessary truth: revolution is made of action and bloodshed, yet it is a state of mind destined for failure.”
All Awards
Feature Film Competition
Best Film: The Garden of Earthly Delights – Morgan Knibbe
Special Jury Prize: Ida Who Sang So Badly Even the Dead Rose Up and Joined Her in Song – Ester Ivakič
Best Screenplay: Ailleurs la nuit – Marianne Métivier
Best Performances: Sadie Scott (Fucktoys), Maria Wróbel (Que ma volonté soit faite)
Documentary Competition
Best Film: Seeds – Brittany Shyne
Motivation: “For the ability to portray, through powerful images, the daily life of a community forced to endure the hypocrisy of legal language.”
Special Jury Prize: Coexistence, My Ass! – Amber Fares
Motivation: “For showing how irony can tell the complexity of a tragedy.”
Special Mention: Bobò – Pippo Delbono
Motivation: “We are grateful for the wisdom found in madness.”
Short Film Competition
Best Film: What Have You Done, Zarina? – Camila Sagyntkan
Motivation: “For the sensitivity and courage in portraying Zarina’s psychological trauma, intertwined with the contradictions of a patriarchal family and social injustice.”
Special Jury Prize: 175 – Sepehr Nosrati
Motivation: “For a remarkably dynamic staging addressing the contradictions of immigration.”
Special Mention: Fin – Ward Kayyal
Motivation: “For its emotionally compelling synthesis of the tension between war and normality in the Palestinian tragedy.”
FIPRESCI Prize
The Anatomy of the Horses – Daniel Vidal Toche
Motivation: “For its poetic exploration of Indigenous culture through magical realism.”
Collateral Awards
Rai Cinema Channel: 175 – Sepehr Nosrati
Achille Valdata Prize: Fucktoys – Annapurna Sriram
Gandhi Glasses Prize: Coexistence, My Ass! and The Clown of Gaza
Interfaith Award: Bobò – Pippo Delbono
Looking Ahead
The Turin Film Festival is already looking toward the next edition: in 2026, the festival will be dedicated to Marilyn Monroe on the centenary of her birth, with Giulio Base confirmed as artistic director. It will be a tribute to the diva who transformed cinema into myth, transcending artistic boundaries to enter the collective imagination.