Beijing, China – August 18, 2025 — The 2nd edition of the 33 International Film Festival (33IFF) proudly announces the winners and official selections of Season 2, honoring daring creativity, powerful narratives, and fearless voices from around the world. This season, 33IFF once again proved its commitment to championing all forms of cinema—from thought-provoking documentaries and innovative animations to boundary-pushing cult shorts and even dance films. No genre is off-limits here.
🏆 Best Short Film
Winner:
EL CUERO – Directed by Jose Tomas Urrutia Goldsack & Hans Von Marées Peede
El Cuero unfolds as a poetic meditation on guilt and retribution. The directors employ stark landscapes and oppressive soundscapes to evoke an atmosphere of death and resurrection. Blending psychological horror with mythic allegory, the film explores cycles of violence and the haunting persistence of unatoned sins.
Official Selections:
• A FILM BY ROLAND WEHAP – Directed by Roland Wehap
• A PERFECT SPICE – Directed by Han Kim
•CRESTS – Directed by Dmitry Pasichnyuk
• LONGING BAYSHORE｜惜別港灣 – Directed by Bobby Pan & Orion Zhang
• THE HOG – Directed by Dmitry Baryshnikov
• WE TOOK YOUR MUM – Directed by Evgeniy Viharev
• THE WICKED GAME OF ICE CUBES – Directed by Joaquín Górriz Portella
Special Mention:
SCARAMAZZA – Directed by Linjing Wang
With its minimalist setting and corporeal performance, Scaramazza examines the paradox between devotion and desire. The work transforms a religious ritual into a visual metaphor for human greed, merging experimental aesthetics with spiritual allegory. Wang’s daring formal approach redefines the boundaries of faith-based narratives.
🎨 Best Animation
Winner:
MONSIEUR FIGARO – Sarah Benhammou-Lionnard
Rendered in a hybrid of hand-drawn and felt animation, Monsieur Figaro presents a biting allegory of ownership, deception, and complicity. The exaggerated character design and rhythmic narrative pacing imbue the short with both absurd humor and sharp social commentary, highlighting the filmmaker’s satirical voice.
Official Selections:
• NOT ALONE – Directed by Momo Cao
• DOBRINA – Directed by Hannes Rall
• RELIC: AWAKENING – Directed by Jiahao Di
• KILLA MAID! – Directed by Chonnajun Waitayawinyoo
📽️ Best Documentary
Winner:
THE ANARCHIST AND THE FRIDGE – Directed by Yunchang Zhang
The documentary follows the story of a long-time anarchist who builds New York’s first free fridge in Bed-Stuy. With observational intimacy and a restrained cinematic style, Zhang crafts a portrait of resilience and grassroots solidarity, revealing the tension between utopian ideals and systemic realities.
🎭 Best Performance
Winner:
Rebeca Sala in THE WICKED GAME OF ICE CUBES
This striking short film employs stark black-and-white visuals and dark humor to depict a protagonist driven to madness by desire. The screenplay skillfully weaves absurdity, suspense, and social critique, while Rebeca Sala delivers a compelling and nuanced performance, capturing the progression from insecurity and obsession to full-blown paranoia.
Official Selections:
• Jaine Pujol in THE WICKED GAME OF ICE CUBES
• Oleg Vasilkov in CRESTS
• Alexander Samoylenko in THE HOG
• The father in WE TOOK YOUR MUM
🎬 Best Directing
Winner:
EL CUERO – Directed by Jose Tomas Urrutia Goldsack & Hans Von Marées Peede
Official Selections:
• THE HOG – Directed by Dmitry Baryshnikov
• SCARAMAZZA – Directed by Linjing Wang
• WE TOOK YOUR MUM – Directed by Evgeniy Viharev
🎥 Best Cinematography
Winner:
EL CUERO – Cinematography by Manuel Vlastélica
Official Selections:
• CRESTS – Cinematography by Roman Boyko
• SCARAMAZZA – Cinematography by Jarvis Wang
📝 Best Screenplay
Winner:
THE WICKED GAME OF ICE CUBES – Written by Górriz Portella
Official Selection:
• WE TOOK YOUR MUM – Written by Evgeniy Viharev
• EL CUERO – Written by Jose Tomas Urrutia Goldsack & Hans Von Marées Peede
• THE HOG – Written by Dmitry Baryshnikov
🎞️ Best Editing
Official Selections:
• THE WICKED GAME OF ICE CUBES – Edited by Joaquín Górriz Portella
• SCARAMAZZA – Edited by Wanqiu Sun
🎼 Best Original Score
Official Selection:
• SCARAMAZZA – Composed by Junlin Liu
• DOBRINA – Composed by Michael Roedinger
About 33 International Film Festival
Established to celebrate the art of short filmmaking, 33 International Film Festival (33IFF) is a quarterly competition culminating in an annual awards ceremony. 33 International Film Festival is a global stage for fearless independent voices. Our jury of international professionals spotlights originality, artistic risk, and emotional power.
In addition to international recognition and IMDb qualification, annul winners will enjoy a range of valuable benefits, including cash bonuses, exclusive offline screenings, and custom-crafted annual trophies.
We are also pleased to announce our official partnership with the Golden Panda Awards. Through this collaboration, all 33IFF seasonal winners will be automatically advanced to the second round of evaluation for the Golden Panda Awards, providing an exceptional platform for further recognition🐼.
