The 2025 edition of the Lisbon International Independent Film Festival (IndieLisboa) concluded with strong recognition of bold and deeply personal works by both established and emerging filmmakers. The top award in the International Feature Film Competition, the City of Lisbon Grand Prize (€15,000), went to On Becoming a Guinea Fowl by Zambian director Rungano Nyoni. The jury praised its “courageous narrative and impressive cinematography,” as well as its “sensitive and powerful direction” that makes the viewing experience “a breath of fresh air,” capable of delivering a profound reading of family traditions and transforming them into universal themes.

The TVCine Channels Special Jury Prize, which guarantees the acquisition of the film’s rights for distribution in Portugal, was awarded to Vitrival – The Most Beautiful Village in the World by Belgian filmmakers Noëlle Bastin and Baptiste Bogaert, for its ironic and contemplative portrait of rural life and its “dry humor.”

In the International Short Film Competition, the EMEL Grand Prize (€4,000) was awarded to Their Eyes by French director Nicolas Gourault, for its critical reflection on the invisibility of human labor in the development of artificial intelligence technologies.

The shorts Servicio necrológico para usted by Cuban María Salafranca and The Building and Burning of a Refugee Camp by Irish filmmaker Dennis Harvey shared the Special Jury Prize.

In the National Competition, the MAX Award for Best Portuguese Feature Film (€5,000) went to Hanami by Denise Fernandes, celebrated for its immersive visual language and emotional restraint. The Best Directing Award (€1,000) was given to Duas Vezes João Liberada by Paula Tomás Marques for its free and intelligent approach to historical and cinematic language. Gods of Stone by Iván Castiñeiras Gallego received a Special Mention for its sensitive portrait of a community shaped by time.

The Best Portuguese Short Film Award (€2,000) went to Antígona ou a História de Sara Benoliel by Francisco Mira Godinho, recognized for its sharp writing and tonal balance.

In the Brand New section, dedicated to new talents, the main prize was awarded to In Repair by Beatriz Machado Oliveira, for its social and cultural relevance in rescuing traditional trades and shedding light on immigrant labor. Honorable mentions were given to Winners by Edgar Gomes Ferreira and Entre o Mar e a Ilha by José Rodrigo Freitas.

The Honda Silvestre Award for Best Feature Film was shared by Ariel by Galician filmmaker Lois Patiño and little boy by American director James Benning, for expanding the poetic and political boundaries of contemporary cinema. The best short film in the same section was Razeh-del by Maryam Tafakory.

In the IndieMusic competition, the prize went to Orlando Pantera by Catarina Alves Costa, an intimate documentary about musical legacy seen through the eyes of a daughter.

Among the parallel awards, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl also received the Amnesty International Prize. The MUTIM Award was given to Amanhã Não Dão Chuva by Maria Trigo Teixeira. Antígona… won again as Best Short Film in the Schools Jury Award, while Gods of Stone was chosen as Best Portuguese Feature by the Universities Jury.