Today were announced the winners of the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Awards at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. Recognizing exceptional artistry and storytelling in independent cinema, the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Awards are given at major international festivals by an international jury of arthouse cinema exhibitors and programmers, and aim at bringing high-quality films to the arthouse cinemas. The Jury is composed of arthouse cinema exhibitors and members of the association, who apply through our website to become part of this initiative. In the case of Berlinale, the festival hosts yearly two CICAE juries, one for the Panorama Section, and a second one for the Forum Section.
CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award - Panorama
The Panorama Jury proudly awarded the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award to the Spanish film "Sorda" (Deaf) directed by Eva Libertad. The film moved the jury with its " powerful and emotionally resonant exploration of identity, love, motherhood, and the unspoken challenges of navigating in a world that often fails to listen". They praised the capacity of the film to "transcends boundaries, delivering a sensitive and profoundly moving cinematic experience". (full statement below)
CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award - Forum
Meanwhile, the Forum Jury honored the Austrian film "Wenn du Angst hast nimmst du dein Herz in den Mund und lächelst" (If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart into Your Mouth and Smile) directed by Marie Luise Lehner with the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award. The jury applauded a "rich, complex and rewarding film from a new voice", and lauded the director's ability to make “a remarkable artistic achievement, tackling a lot of timely social issues with a diverse cast of characters, allowing and empowering us to be ourselves.” The jury finally underlined that "above all, we had a wonderful time with this film, and we sincerery hope it will reach the broadest of audiences." (full statement below)
The jury panels, composed of distinguished arthouse cinema exhibitors and professionals from across Europe, including Greece, Belgium, Lithuania, and Slovenia, carefully deliberated to select the winners.
Panorama Jury members
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Panos Achtsioglou - Thessaloniki Film Festival, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Laura Bartusevičiũtė - Skalvija Cinema Center, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Samira Zaïbat - Mouv' Itinerant Cinema Jolifanto, Forest, Belgium
Forum Jury members:
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Juliette Duret - Center for Fine Arts - BOZAR, Brussels, Belgium
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Marlene Hofmann - Filmkunsttheater Casablanca, Nürnberg, Germany.
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Jure Matičič - Mestni kino Domžale, Domžale, Slovenia
The Arthouse Cinema Award helps the films towards distribution, by systematically informing the over 2,400 member cinemas and the numerous contacts in its network.
As part of the award, the members of the CICAE will receive a special newsletter with a "Film in Focus", which will include information on the awarded films: synopsis, cast and technical information, international sales and distributors contacts, promotional material and when possible a screener of the film.
Likewise, the CICAE will promote the awarded films on all our social media channels, mainly Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.
The CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award celebrates outstanding filmmaking that challenges, inspires, and resonates with audiences on a profound level. The awarded films exemplify the power of cinema to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and foster understanding.
Contact: Valentin Jassin
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Full Statements
PANORAMA
The CICAE Arthouse Cinema award in the Panorama section goes to Sorda (Deaf) by Eva Libertad. A powerful and emotionally resonant exploration of identity, love, motherhood, and the unspoken challenges of navigating in a world that often fails to listen. Rather than making a statement about deafness, the film immerses us in the lives of its characters portrayed not by limitation but driven by strength and ambitions. With deeply intimate cinematography, sound design as an extension of perspective, it masterfully captures the nuances of both the deaf and hearing worlds—seeking connection while acknowledging the tensions that arise. Through raw performances and deeply human storytelling, Sorda transcends boundaries, delivering a sensitive and profoundly moving cinematic experience.
FORUM
The three of us feel we were given a warm embrace by a very open, frivolous and nonjudgemental film that does not put it's caharacters into boxes, but rather lets them openly express themselves. WENN DU ANGST HAST NIMMST DU DEIN HERZ IN DEN MUND UND LÄCHELST just might be a new catch phrase for the three of us. It is a rich, complex and rewarding film from a new voice. Marie Luise Lehner has made a remarkable artistic achievement, tackling a lot of timely social issues with a diverse cast of characters, allowing and empowering us to be ourselves. But above all, we had a wonderful time with this film, and we sincerery hope it will reach the broadest of audiences
