"For respecting the basics of the film language."

"Flatform's Quantum. is a an extremely strong demonstration of cinema's possibilities to go beyond reality while using in a magnificent but surprising way many forms of art: opera, stage performance special effects, sound composing and landscape painting."

"For the feature length winner we have selected Over the Years by Nikolaus Geyrhalter. Over The Years is sensitive and attuned to the unique characters it follows, capturing their everyday lives with stunning imagery and rhythmic narrative. The ten year shooting period displays a technical craftsmanship that supports the themes of ageing, transition, and resilience."

"A film that portrays the love between a son and a mother who are equally depending on each other, a fresh take on a traditional story told in a very subtle and clever way. The award goes to Casa Blaca by Alexsandra Maciuszek"

"A quirky, humorous films with a score to die for. Told with respect to its characters whose passion - 'joie de vie' - shines through. The Silver Eye Award for best short film goes to Snails."

"For honourable mention, we would have chosen Drifter. In this film, director Gabor Hörcher discovers an extraordinary young character living on the edge of society, and portrays his experiences with an unbelievable presence and sensitivity. The film maintains masterful camera work while closely observing dramatic, life-changing events."

"Vitaly Mansky inhabits the hidden frames of propaganda filmmaking to circumvent and unravel the official images North Korea's closed society. His incisive point of view, intimately connected with the childhood vulnerability of his primary subject, echoes beyond the borders of any individual totalitarian state."

To Abdul & Hamza for the promise of a fresh new voice and its formally innovative approach to a crucial subject."

"A personal tragicomic story which combines fiction and reality of the Czech society in the 1990s, told in a simple and apposite manner that does not try to impress with an unnecessary exhibition of authorial skills."

"For the impressive use of film as a personal diary that defies social stereotypes and prejudices."

"For its sublime use of archival footage, and artfully crafted personal history, we the jury select a film that resonates with contemporary relevance while maintaining a sense of history that ranges from playful to serious. There are many coming of age stories and many films about refugees, but our winner finds everyday poetry in this story of romance amidst dislocation. Congratulations to Flotel Europa, winner of the First Light award."

"For any filmmaker, managing a confrontational main character can be a challenge. For a first-time director investigating one of the darkest moments in recent European history, this task could be herculean. So we the jury honour a director who exhibits extraordinary patience, empathy and intelligence - traits that will carry her far in her career. Our special mention goes to Kristýna Bartosová for her direction of The Dangerous World of Doctor Dolecek."

"On the minimalist scale of a pseudo-voyeur fragment from the banal life of a young family on the backdrop of an impersonal and harshly depressing environment of urban social periphery, Bolivian director Kir Russ manages to capture the multivalent implications of the topic, the ambivalence of love, desire and commitment, the multifaceted nature teetering on the borderline of a magical-metaphorical gesture reaching beyond the elementary determinateness, the presence and the future of human life. The jury appreciated the film's balanced nature and the varied coherence, to which it refers using minimalist expression means. The film language organically re-frames conventional perspectives, overcoming the pitfalls of superficial and unequivocal interpretations and opening up a space for the perception of the indefiniteness of the human situation."