On Sunday 6 March, the second edition of the Film O'Clock International Festival was brought to a close by the awards ceremony for the short-film competition.

The festival took place simultaneously from 1-6 March in select cinemas and cultural centres in countries lying on the 25^th meridian east: Lithuania (Cinema Skalvija, Vilnius), Romania (Cinema Muzeul Țăranului, Bucharest), Bulgaria (Dom na kinoto, Sofia), Greece (Studio New Star Art Cinema, Athens), Egypt (AUC-Tahrir Cultural Center, Cairo) and South Africa (Cinema Labia, Cape Town).

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The 12 titles were selected from among nearly 100 entries by the festival's curatorial board, which included Mirona Radu (filmmaker and Film O'Clock International Festival director, Romania), Andrew Mohsen (film critic and director of the Cairo International Film Festival art desk) and Dian Weys (a writer and director from South Africa).

The jury members were Greek director Vassilis Vafeas, Romanian producer Ada Solomon, South African exhibitor Ludi Kraus and Egyptian actress Tharaa Goubail.

The Jury Prize, awarded by DACIN SARA and consisting of a cash prize of €600, was bestowed upon Carina Gabriela Dașoveanu for her short Love Stories on the Move (Romania). The jury defined Dașoveanu’s effort as “a very original, intense and concise film, which is not only very well made, with a formidable performance, but is also reminiscent of Caragiale in terms of the script”.

“I always wanted to be an actress, but I was afraid that people would see me and judge me, so I decided to be the person behind the camera. But then I realised that being a film director is just as scary because people are looking inside you, as that's what they see on the big screen. It's the best feeling that people can see what's inside of me, and they've decided they like what they see. And it's an honour for me,” added Dașoveanu.

The Audience Award, offered by UPFAR ARGOA and worth €800, went to the producer of Nexting by Karina Logothetis (Greece/USA), billed as “a parable about the tenuous connection of relationships in the digital age”, and acclaimed by most viewers from the six participating countries.

The shorts screenings were followed by showings of classic art films from the six participating countries and online discussions with special guests, such as renowned Greek filmmaker Pantelis Voulgaris, Egyptian documentarian Tahani Rached and cinematographer-director Nicolae Mărgineanu.

In addition to the screenings and Q&A sessions, the Film O'Clock International Festival organised two online panels on heritage (see the news) and opportunities for collaboration between festivals based in countries on the 25^th meridian east, as well as a master class on film journalism.

The festival is an annual, competitive, non-specialist event, and its second edition was organised and produced by Creatrix Fama and the ABI Foundation. The gathering was backed by DACIN SARA, UCIN and UPFAR ARGOA.

Here is the full list of this year’s award winners:

DACIN SARA Jury Prize
Love Stories on the Move – Gabriela Dașoveanu (Romania)

UPFAR ARGOA Audience Award
Nexting – Karina Logothetis (Greece/USA)

Special mentions
Bella – Thelyia Petraki (Greece)
Once Upon a Time in the Café – Noha Adel (Egypt)
Five Tiger – Nomawonga Khumalo (South Africa)