The Venice International Film Critics’ Week, an autonomous section running parallel to the prestigious Venice Film Festival and organized by the National Union of Italian Film Critics, has announced the winners of its 40th edition, held from August 26 to September 6. The international jury, composed of Valentina and Nicole Bertani, Nathalie Jeung and Lee Hong-chi, awarded the IWONDERFULL Grand Prize to Straight Circle, by British director Oscar Hudson. The work was described as “a colorful and absurd black comedy that gradually transforms into a waking nightmare, set in a dystopian world where two soldiers from opposing factions are forced to coexist on a deserted border.” The jury praised its visual power, the flawless performances of its leads, and its value as a parable against war in times of border conflicts. The film also received the Verona Film Club Prize for Most Innovative Film.

The audience, meanwhile, favored Ish, by Imran Perretta, which won the Audience Award with an average score of 4.3 out of 5. For his part, Giulio Bertelli’s AGON was honored with the Luciano Sovena Award for Best Independent Production, with critics highlighting it as a solid, daring, and narratively innovative example of independent cinema. The prize for Best Technical Contribution went to Waking Hours, by Federico Cammarata and Filippo Foscarini, praised for its experimental yet purposeful use of cinematography and its ability to transform matter into abstraction.

In the SIC@SIC short film section, the jury formed by Alessandra Speciale, Gianluca Matarrese and Alessandro Amato awarded Marina, by Paoli De Luca, for its sensory visual approach and delicate staging, while also granting it the award for Best Technical Contribution. The Best Director prize went to Nadir Taji for Family Feast, while Paolo Baiguera’s The Lost Child received a Special Mention. Finally, the National Short Film Centre presented its award to The PØrnØgraphər, by HARIEL, described as a provocative work that, far from nostalgia, embraces imperfection and excess in order to craft its own language in defiance of algorithms and convention.

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