The jury
Omnia Adel (Egypt), Pamela Cohn (US), Govindapurath Pisharath Ramachandran (India)
Awarded films
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Always by
Deming Chen
(United States, France, China, Taiwan, 2025, 95 min)
Motivation: “Our jury was unanimous in its decision to give this brilliant cinematic work the International Federation of Film Critics’ prize. It’s thrilling to discover such an exciting talent, a filmmaker who uses his young protagonist’s poetic voice and sensibility within which to structure a story that felt like a prayer, an offering to the future. Like a finely distilled perfume, moment by moment, the story unveils itself through the director’s intimate and loving lens: with devotion, with fortitude, with commitment, and most of all, through sheer audiovisual beauty. This film spoke to us in a multitude of cinematic languages, orchestrating and displaying an ever-expansive palette of craft and storytelling mastery, an epic journey writ small, but one that will continue to loom large in our memories”.
FIPRESCI Celebrates 100th Anniversary:
Film Criticism at 100: Tradition and Transformation Panel. Marking 100 years of FIPRESCI, this panel reflects on the critical role of film criticism in shaping cinema and supporting filmmakers. As audiences now engage through social media and new platforms, critics are redefining their tools to remain relevant. The discussion explores how criticism continues to influence audiences, impact industry directions, and what defines meaningful criticism in today’s world of limitless reviews.
Speakers: Ahmed Shawky, Ola Salwa, Dubravka Lakic, Moderator: Mohamed Tarek
