Mad Loves and Revolutionary Bodies: The Winners of the Seventh Edition of the Andaras Traveling Film Festival

The seventh edition of the Andaras Traveling Film Festival came to a close on Saturday, July 19. This year, the festival embraced the theme Cyberlove to explore the journey in all its forms — physical, emotional, technological, and romantic. The result was a vibrant and eclectic selection of 37 international short films, capturing the infinite nuances of desire and intimacy in the age of algorithms.

Fiction, documentary, animation, experimentation, and eroticism intertwined across seven categories, sketching out new maps of imagination and movement. With courage and vision, the festival celebrated cinema as a vehicle for discovery and transformation, welcoming works that offered fresh perspectives on human relationships and inner landscapes.

“It’s been an incredible edition from every point of view: the quality and originality of the films in competition, the warmth and participation of the audience, the beauty and human strength of the guests who brought every corner of this festival to life" said Artistic Director Joe Juanne Piras. "Cyberlove portrayed love as a journey through the present time, between real intimacies and bodies that refuse to be mediated by machines. This edition reminded us that love is still the most powerful of revolutionary acts.”

During the closing ceremony, nine official awards and several special recognitions were presented by the two juries that accompanied the festival throughout this week of cinema and connection.

Marco Corrias, founder of Andaras, emphasized the cultural importance of the initiative, which “not only brings quality cinema to remote areas but also serves as a catalyst for the local economy and a remedy against the risk of depopulation in small villages.” Meanwhile, Maria Paola Pisanu, president of the Andaras Association, highlighted “the extraordinary participation of the public, especially the younger generations, who every evening filled the squares, arenas, and beaches, transforming the festival into a true collective celebration.”

Two juries were tasked with selecting the best among the 37 finalists of the seventh edition.

Special Jury “CyberLove”: Irene Maiorino – Andrea Zuliani – Francesco Motta

Classical Jury: Flavio Natalia – Francesca Maria Scanu – Selene Caramazza

best Andaras Noas - New Paths 2025

“Two for the road”  by Lochlainn McKenna

For the refined way in which it stages a touching and sincere story about the bond between a father and son in 1990s Ireland. A short yet intense journey, memorable for its delicate gaze, aesthetics, and the emotional strength of its images. It finds its way into the viewer’s heart thanks to an intimate and authentic direction that celebrates memory and the vulnerability of childhood.

best Gazes from the World 2025

“Wafaa from Gaza”  by Elisa Ward

How can a long interview never feel boring and still portray a different aspect of travel? With direct storytelling and nothing superfluous, this short film tells not of discovering a new place, but of rethinking one’s roots — a journey in reverse centered around a feeling that we islanders know all too well and always resonates with us: the longing for home.

best Narrative Short 2025

“Le Derapage” by Aurélien Laplace

For its ability to make a seemingly minor incident a collective and social event that disrupts a character’s life; for the sharp writing that mocks today’s politics and media, and for the precise execution of its mise-en-scène.

best Animation 2025

“Trash” by G. Boudiz, M. Crançon, R. Delaporte, M. Durand, R. Fleischer, A. Le Ral, M. Lutz, F. Vecchie

For the sensitivity and care with which it tackles a central and universal theme like the struggle for survival and the drama of social warfare; for its ability to merge protest and poetry through meticulously crafted visuals and a precise, never obvious direction.

best Another Love 2025

“Cry me a river” by Suman Sen

What stood out was the original idea and the actress’s powerful performance — not to mention the cinematography. A modern fresco built around a possible paradox that inevitably makes us reflect — through a reverse process made possible by the story’s originality — on what it means today to cry, to feel, and to reinvent oneself in order to exist.

best Erotic Art 2025

“Freak” by Claire Barnett 

For its ability to address two taboo themes — sex and religion — in just over ten minutes, and for the way it brings them into collision through what seems like a simple yet is in fact a deep, bittersweet, and humorous couple’s crisis. All of this is rendered in a raw, home-video style that makes it feel even more intimate, essential, and real.

best Strange World 2025

“You are the truck and I am the deer” by Max Ferguson

For the courage and skill in building a disturbing yet fascinating world where reality and symbolism merge masterfully, giving life to a surreal and original imaginary, accompanied by a soundtrack perfectly integrated into the narration.

CyberLove Special Award 2025

“Amelìa” by F. Orefice, R. “Belusci” Croce

Is it really possible to replace a human figure with a robot? Just a few years ago this was science fiction, and yet today it’s the drift we risk as A.I. becomes part of our lives. For its ability to propose this timely and relevant reflection through a highly poetic visual framework.

Special Andaras Award 2025

“Two for the road”  by Lochlainn McKenna

For telling, with elegant and profound direction, a journey that is both physical and emotional, portraying with great delicacy a human relationship of extraordinary complexity. For being able to convey the essence of travel, capturing its intimacy, transformations, and silences. A film that touches deep chords, offering a story of rare sensitivity and intense humanity.

Andaras Honorable Mention 2025

Vincenzo Nemolato per la sua performance in "Sharing is caring"

For delivering a surprising and irresistible performance as Marco, a disillusioned thirty-something overwhelmed by the tragicomic consequences of technology. With a perfect balance of irony and vulnerability, he brings to life a tragicomic antihero of our time. His performance embodies the contemporary paradox between intimacy and overexposure — a brilliant portrayal that makes the absurd feel believable.

Andaras Honorable Mention 2025

"HIV fell in love with me" by M. Iacono, J. de la Mar

For the undeniable courage — both in front of and behind the camera — in telling the story of living with HIV through one’s own body and personal experience. For the strength the authors show in affirming that living with the virus does not erase the deeply human need to love and to desire.