2026 Paper Bird Award for Documentary
Documentary Winner – Someone Else’s Life
(Directed by Umi Aravena)
“In this work, director Umi Aravena addresses a significant theme that is deeply relevant to
contemporary discussions. Particularly notable is the originality with which the filmmaker
appropriates archival footage filmed by her father and transforms it into an intimate narrative about abandonment that spans three generations of her family. It is a brave and profound work that succeeds in generating genuine reflection in the audience.”
Special Mention – Handwoven
(Directed by Dasha Levin, Mason Cazalet, Mihika Das, Matthew Wisdom)
“The film sensitively and powerfully addresses the struggle for gender identity, portraying the search for self-definition, dignity, and belonging with great humanity. At the same time, the work situates this personal journey within the broader cultural context of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, highlighting the resilience of their traditions and communities. Through this intersection, the film offers a moving reflection on identity,
resistance, and the importance of cultural continuity.”
2026 Paper Bird Award for Animation
Animation Winner – Closing Hour
(Directed by Tim Smink)
“The winning film is a stunningly skilful and styled 2D animation which fully immerses the audience into the world with detailed environments and excellent attention to sound design. Closing Hour is not only a metaphor for abusive relationships, but a horror in its own right, abundant in ambience and a tension that keeps growing throughout.”
Special Mention – How We Hamsters Die
(Directed by Phoebe Burdick & Mio Gribskov)
“The judges would also like to give a special mention to the funny, but disturbingly realistic, How We Hamsters Die. This fast-paced, cute, and rather dark, mockumentary holds a genuinely important message while displaying incredible animation (and filmmaking) skills.”
2026 Paper Bird Award for Fiction
Fiction Winner – Come Sit with Us
(Directed by Elis Rumma)
“Come Sit With Us is a hypnotic reflection of modern womanhood. The enchanting use of sound sparks a deep reflection on the concept of silence as violence and how patriarchal control has affected the lives of women in the past and, perhaps more poignantly, in the present. The meditative framing of the setting provides an eerie stillness that exquisitely evokes contemplation on the natural world, which contrasts the man-made social hierarchy which the film critiques. Come Sit With Us represents the successful encapsulation of a generational message in a contemporary context.”
Special Mention – Bridal Car
(Directed by Parsa Ansari & Ali Asadi)
“This film represents high level cinematic ambition that is realised in a detailed and visually exciting way. Bridal Car’s music and editing provides a palpable atmosphere that evokes a relatable connection to the interpersonal dynamic of the two morally ambiguous protagonists and the sparkling city nightscape that they inhabit. The striking use of aesthetics make Bridal Car extremely deserving of this Special Mention.”
2026 Paper Bird Award for Experimental
Experimental Winner – Verses from the Water
(Directed by Amadis T. Loyer)
“A gentle voice drifts over the rushing water. It recalls a kiss, a red dress, red lips. We plunge into a deep darkness. Passing lights reveal, for a fleeting moment, the hidden depths of a soul yearning to be accepted as it is. The red bursts forth from the black surroundings with its intensity, shattering the boundaries of what can be clearly defined. The pressure of the water becomes an unstoppable flow of dreams. This film touched us with its words and images of profound poetry and its rigorous form, whose pull we, too, could not escape.”
Special Mention – Embroidering the Abyss
(Directed by Fikri Al Murtaky)
“We want to give a special mention to a film that has astonished us with its overall conceptual design. The topic of human’s utilization and exploitation of natural materials correlates with the actual film’s analogue material: deconstruction, exploitation and reuse of materials is thereby expressed on many different layers. Content, footage and film come together perfectly and open up discussions about resources and sustainability.”
2026 Paper Bird Audience Award
