"Our prize is "For a glorious first feature which tells the story of a colourful group of New Yorkers, who in any other film would be labelled as 'outsiders'. Instead Israel lets us experience their world from the inside, and it's a wonderous place to be. It is a tender film with a simple narrative, driven by complex emotions. By letting herself be inspired by her magnificent actors' personal experiences of life on the autism spectrum, writer/director Rachel Israel has created a work that is inclusive, fresh and thoroughly engaging. It has also one of the funniest scripts we have ever come across, with a sense of humour that ranges from the crude jokes of conflicted protagonist David, to the no-nonsense cutoffs by its leading lady Sarah - a female character with a personal brand of vivaciousness never before seen on the cinema screen. We were deeply affected by this heartfelt story of coming of age and finding love, proving there is nothing wrong with being weird."

"With a gentle approach, the film portrays a journey towards acceptance and the pursuit of love. The unique bond formed between the characters strengthens a healing process that brings them a new life. It allows the viewer to connect to the most important of human values, something that overcomes all prejudices: love."

"The jury was struck by the film's non-judgemental stance on the characters' different perspectives, brought to vivid life by its fine cast, the universality of its theme of the value of forgiveness not just of others, but of ourselves, for past actions, its relevance to Europe's future as a community, and its subtle commentary on the negative aspects of masculinity."

"For the simplicity in directing his debut feature film, focused on the everyday life of a family, whose members, no matter that the family is separated after the divorce of the parents, at their reunion, celebrate the meeting and enjoy it in a spontaneous and friendly way that brings positive energy into their lives."

"For its strong, corageous take both in visuals, sounds and silences on how violence and war eats the soul."