On the evening of 3 September, the 18th BuSho Film Festival awards were presented in the Verdi Hall of the Italian Cultural Institute. This year, 65 short films out of the 1000 entries were included in the competition programme and were screened at the Puskin Cinema and other venues in the capital and the countryside.

After the pre-jury, the films were awarded by 2 juries again, as the international jury was joined by the Student Jury, consisting of Lilian Tánczos (METU), Dávid Kántor (SZFE), Károly Ascher (ELTE) and Klaudia Kádár (MOME), who commented on their decision:

Student Jury Best Fiction:
“A sensitive and sophisticated treatment of a very difficult subject.”
‘Something Must Happen’ by Dániel Botos from Hungary

Student Jury Best Animation:
“This piece of work showed the complexity of human attachment in a profound way.”
‘In The Upper Room’ by Alexander Gratzer from Austria/Hungary

Strudent Jury Special Prize:
“A witty and absurd articulation of an honest story about oppression.”
‘Big’ by Daniele Pini from Italy

The next were the awards of the International Jury, whose members were introduced first:

Hajni Kiss, director, who was once awarded at BuSho with her short film ’Last Call’
Xavi Herrero, Spanish director, festival director of the Ibiza Cinefest
Pál Laska, screenwriter
Wolfgang Leis, who was part of the jury for the 18th time at the 18th BuSho

First listed were the winners who unfortunately could not be present at the awards ceremony:

Best Experimental Film:
‘Professor Television’ by Joep Gerrits from The Netherlands

Best Cinematography:
Sandro Chessa with the film ’Big’ by Daniele Pini from Italy

Best Comedy:
‘The Interview’ by Inga Moren Tapias from the US

Best short film from a Visegrad country:
‘Stagnant’ by Konrad Kultys from Poland

Jury’s Special Mention:
‘Zarzal’ by Flavio Armone from Colombia

Then came the winners who were able to collect their prizes in person.

A special prize offered by Sziget Kft., a weekly ticket for a mini crew of 3 with a filming permit for the 2023 Sziget Festival!
‘Parental Guidence’ by Péter Dóczé from Hungary

Best Animation:
‘Love in the Time of Corona’ by Ágnes Szucher from Romania

Best Performance:
Iván Pellicer in ‘Useless’ by Raquel Guerrero from Spain

Before the announcement of the main prizes, Pál Laska took the stage to summarise the events of the past intense week on behalf of the international jury, thanked the organisers and announced the 3 main prizes.

The Bronze BuSho Award and the Festival’s 500.000 HUF prize for the best Hungarian film:

“As a dedicated follower of the Hungarian animation tradition, Géza M. Tóth’s short film is a means of expressing possibilities and imagination. The perfect blend of adult themes and childlike playfulness in playing with matches makes it a first-rate work.”

‘Mitch Match #27’ by Géza M. Tóth from Hungary

 The 2022 Silver BuSho Award winner:

“This film shows a world in Eastern Europe where even the most basic conditions of life, such as the freedom to listen to music, have to be fought for. The filmmaker brings a serious subject to the screen with sensitive cinematography and vivid characters.”

‘Techno, Mama’ by Saulius Baradinskas from Lithuania

The 18th Golden-BuSho statue and the Festival’s 500,000 HUF prize for Best International Film:

“A powerful conceptual work that condenses a complex story into 11 minutes. The filmmaking is outstanding in every aspect, and the critical edge of the society suggests a mature filmmaker whose first feature film is eagerly awaited.”

‘4AM’  by Mehdi Fikri from France

Before the screening of the award winners, thanks were expressed to this year’s sponsors for making the event possible for the 18th time, namely the National Film Institute, the National Cultural Fund, the Hungarian Academy of Arts, the Creative Europe Office, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Portuguese Camoes Institute and the Spanish Embassy, in cooperation with the Csíki Sör, Solide Art, Sziget Kft, and media support from Filmvilág, Film.hu and Fotovideo!

See you in 2023 at the 19th BuSho International Short Film Festival!