– The Georgian effort by Mariam Khatchvani has been honoured at the annual celebration of short film, while Best Documentary went to the Swedish film Son by Leona Cauklija
Director Mariam Khatchvani accepting her award via video link (© Erica Dahlstrom Dezonne)
Mariam Khatchvani’s Inherited Silence walked away with the Grand Prix in the Tampere Film Festival’s International Competition this past weekend. The Georgian film – which premiered last year at Winterthur – is a powerful drama about a woman who, in the face of domestic violence, chooses to flee. But her choice is soon disputed in the most unlikely of places. The jury said, “With simplicity and a sharp narrative, this short film offers a complex look at how domestic violence becomes normalised along with the social structures that allow it to continue.”
Best Documentary in the International Competition went to the Swedish work Son, in which filmmaker Leona Cauklija follows a mother whose homeless son tags the city in graffiti and who soon sees communication forming amongst said tags. The Irish effort Unanimated Strangers by director Róisín Kelly, which sees a young woman reflect on a past relationship, with her memories meshing with the people around her, garnered Best Animation. Best Fiction went to A South Facing Window by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir. The latest work by the Mongolian filmmaker – whose Snow in September won Best Short Film at both Venice and Toronto in 2022 – explores a married couple looking for happiness.
The International Audience Award went to the documentary Living Despite Them, directed by Antonia Colodro and Alaa Hathleen. A candidacy for the European Film Academy’s European Short Film – Prix Vimeo 2027 went to Igor Smola’s It Lives Under the Snow. The jury praised its carefully crafted cinematography and its haunting urban-legend story that keeps audiences holding their breath until the very end.
In the National Competition, Risto-Pekka Blom’s experimental documentary Too Blue a Sky won Best Film Under 30 Minutes. According to the jury, the film reminds us that the planet doesn’t belong only to us, nor to the millionaires and billionaires. It’s not the first time Blom has received praise at Tampere, with his film Theme Park garnering him a prize in 2015.
A Special Prize in the same category was awarded to Puolanka Pussy Rally, a Finnish doc by Inka Achté and Einari Paakkanen. The jury described it as a film that paints a picture of the structural changes happening in a small Finnish community, using endearing humour to deliver a sharp social commentary.
The Youth Jury Award in the under-30-minute category went to In My Hand by Marja Helander and Liselotte Wajstedt. In the National Competition for Films Over 30 Minutes, the Main Prize was awarded to Jukka Kärkkäinen’s documentary The Beauty of Errors, a film that invites us into the life of a family living in a small Finnish village.
Kärkkäinen also received the annual Risto Jarva Prize from the Finnish Film Foundation. Exceptionally, the accolade was granted for two of his films: The Beauty of Errors and The Beauty of Automobiles, the latter of which competed in the under-30-minute category. The jury stated that this year, they found it important to honour two works distinguished by their originality and personality, representing two different but equally important ways of making movies.
The Award for Best Genre Film in the Generation XYZ Competition went to Jocelyn Charles’ animation God Is Shy, an existential horror that has been extremely popular on the circuit since it premiered in the Critics’ Week last year.
For the third year, the Writers’ Guild of Finland presented the Sylvi Prizes, granted solely on the basis of the script. The Sylvi Prize for Best Film Script went to Jossain on valo joka ei sammu, written by Lauri-Matti Parppei, while the Sylvi Prize for Best TV Series Script was awarded to Niklas Lindgren for Kurjen kirous.
The ceremony marked the end of the always-popular festival, which celebrated its 56th edition in 2026. Alongside screenings and industry gatherings, the event also welcomed Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson, who presented a master class alongside a retrospective of his shorts and features.
Here is the full list of award winners:
International Competition
Grand Prix
Inherited Silence – Mariam Khatchvani (Georgia)
Best Fiction
A South Facing Window – Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (France/Mongolia)
Best Documentary
Son – Leona Cauklija (Sweden)
Best Animation
Unanimated Strangers – Róisín Kelly (Ireland)
International Audience Award
Living Despite Them – Antonia Colodro, Alaa Hathleen (Palestine)
Candidacy for the European Film Academy’s European Short Film – Prix Vimeo 2027
It Lives Under the Snow – Igor Smola (Azerbaijan/Singapore)
National Competition
Best Film Under 30 Minutes
Too Blue a Sky – Risto-Pekka Blom (Finland)
Special Prize
Puolanka Pussy Rally – Inka Achté, Einari Paakkanen (Finland)
Youth Jury Award in the Under-30-minute Category
In My Hand – Marja Helander, Liselotte Wajstedt (Norway/Sweden/Finland)
Special Mention
The Lightning Rod – Helmi Donner (Finland)
Best Film Over 30 Minutes
The Beauty of Errors – Jukka Kärkkäinen (Finland)
The Church Media Foundation Prize
A Gate to Paradise – Selma Vilhunen (Finland)
Sustainability Award Verso
Entire production team of Lessons in Fire – John Webster (Finland)
Student Award
Memories Move Like Distant Islands – Saarlotta Virri (Finland)
Golden Shade Equipment Rental Prize for Cinematography
Annika Miettinen – Memories Move Like Distant Islands
National Award Special Mention
The Lightning Rod – Helmi Donner
National Audience Award
8000: An Art Odyssey – Sami Sänpäkkilä (Finland)
Special Prize Over 30 Minutes
Days of Wonder – Karin Annika Pennanen (Finland)
Generation XYZ
Best Film
God Is Shy – Jocelyn Charles (France)
Special Mention
Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts – Rein Maychaelson (Indonesia)
Audience Award
TMWYH – Helen Esther Aschauer (Austria)
Sylvi Prize for Best Film Script
Jossain on valo joka ei sammu (Finland)
Writer: Lauri-Matti Parppei
Sylvi Prize for Best TV Series Script
Kurjen kirous (Finland)
Writer: Niklas Lindgren
