The biggest children and young people film festival in Europe, Olympia International Film Festival has come to an end with an awards ceremony for its coming of age, 18th edition. As it does every year, the festival took place in the Peloponnesian city of Pyrgos, near to ancient Olympia.

"Today [...] when Mediterranean seas are becoming a cold watery grave for children and the elderly, for men and women and walls and fences are erected to prevent the passage of the desperate, [...] this festival becomes even more significant.", commented, among others, in his greeting message artistic director Dimitris Spyrou.

This year΄s Competition section included 68 films (102 amounting the Tributes and Special Screenings) from 45 countries across the world, fiction, animation and documentaries. Alongside the films, dozens of film workshops, seminars, events were held, as well as the festival’s beloved younger sibling, the 15-year-old Camera Zizanio, with more than 100 selected audiovisual creations from Greece, Europe, and the rest of the world. 

Fiction and Animation International Jury Awards 

14+ by Andrey Zaytsev (Russia, 2015)

For portraying in a delicate, sensitive and emotional way the power of first love.

Milky Brother by Vahram Mkhitaryan (Poland/Armenia, 2014, 30΄)

For giving through cinema powerful insight to an archaic world, where the survival of every being is valued.

Of Shadows and Wings by Elice Meng & Eleonora Marinoni (Switzerland, 2015, 13΄)

A poetic and masterly crafted film that reflects the age-old conflict between uniformity and freedom.

Best feature film director 

Flocking by Beata Gårdeler (Sweden, 2015)

The director was able to guide a diverse ensemble of characters building a truthful and realistic community.

Best feature film screenplay 

Flocking by Beata Gårdeler (Sweden, 2015)

For dealing with a difficult topic in a brilliantly constructed manner.

Βest young actor in a feature film 

To Gleb Kalyuzhny for 14+ by Andrey Zaytsev 

For bringing to life a delicate and identifiable character, which was powerful both in action and silent moments.

Βest young actress in a feature film 

To Fatime Azemi for Flocking by Beata Gårdeler

For her impressive ability to bring across emotions of a character in crisis with excellent control and refined acting skills.

Enclave by Goran Radovanovic (Serbia, 2014)

The film gives in a cinematographic way, a universal story, where the young characters carry the hope of change.

Agg by Ståle Stein Berg (Norway, 2015, 11΄)

For dealing with a serious subject in a challenging and powerful cinematography.

The Elephant and the Bicycle by Olesya Shchukina (France/Belgium, 2014, 9΄)

For a cheerful, delicate and colourful story with basic truths, that every audience can relate to.

The Present by Jacob Frey (Germany, 2014, 4΄)

Βest short fiction film 

An Amertican Piano by Paul Leeming (Japan, 2014, 20΄)

Labirynthus by Douglas Boswell (Belgium/Netherlands, 2014)

Best Feature Documentary  

The Living Fire by Ostap Kostyu (Ukraine, 2014)

Best Short Documentary 

To School by Soe Moe Aung (Myanmar, 2015, 15΄)

Coming of Age by Teboho Edkins (Lesotho/South Africa/Germany, 2015)

Agri and the Mountain by Hasan Serin (Turkey, 2013. 14΄)

No Candies from Heaven by Vangelis Kalambakas (Greece, 2014)

Blanka by Kohki Hasei (Italy/Japan/Philippines, 2015)

Birds of Passage by Olivier Ringer (Belgium/France, 2015)

Seven Ravens by Alice Nellis (Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2015)

Enclave by Goran Radovanovic (Serbia, 2014)