The Jury from left Shin Kim, Reinhold Jaretzky, Brigitta Portier (Chair), Alessandro Masi and Dubravka Lakić

Padua celebrates the winners of the Golden River Awards. The UNESCO-sponsored edition concludes with record-breaking success. The Scalinata del Portello was packed for the awards ceremony, attended by Parsifal Reparato and the international jury.

The twentieth edition of the River Film Festival (RiFF) has come to a close on a triumphant note. The Padua-based festival, which celebrated twenty years of independent cinema, saw an unprecedented turnout: the steps of Porta Portello were the beating heart of the city’s cultural life every evening, with a record turnout of young people and a huge buzz on social media.

THE INTERNATIONAL JURY’S VERDICT

The closing ceremony saw the international jury — comprising Brigitta Portier (Chair), Shin Kim, Alessandro Masi, Dubravka Lakić and Reinhold Jaretzky — present the prestigious Golden River Awards, unique trophies handcrafted by the master glassmakers of Murano.

Here are the winners of the 20th edition:

• FEATURE FILMS: *Beyond the Skin* by Alessandra Usai (Italy)

• ITALIAN PERSPECTIVES: *La macchina di Renato* by Andrea Orsenigo (Italy)

• FILM SCHOOLS: *Nice Guy* by Philip Schafferhans (Germany)

• INTERNATIONAL HORIZONS: *Too Far, Too Late* by Reza Daghagh (Iran)

• DOCUMENTARIES: *The Last Puestero* by Belle Casares (USA)

• ANIMATION: *Rukeli* by Alessandro Rak (Italy/Sweden)

• SCI-FI: *Candido* by Giorgio Clementelli (Italy)

• ANTHROPOCENE: *Ice Ice Bye Bye* by Sebastien Abdelhamid Godelu (France)

• QUEER / LGBTQIA+: *Sante* by Valeria Gaudieri (Italy)

• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI): *Silent Echoes* by Carlo De Togni (Italy

Interview with Philip Schafferhans director of ” Nice Guy”:

Interview with Andrea Orsenigo director of ” La macchina di Renato”:

Interview w:ith Parsifal Reparato director of “She”:

AN EVENING OF GREAT CINEMA AND COMMITMENT

As well as the announcement of the winners, the closing night was enhanced by a special screening of “SHE”. Director Parsifal Reparato was present in person at the Scalinata del Portello to present his film and meet the audience, in a deeply moving moment shared with the institutions and the public. “Celebrating twenty years with such a warm response from the city is a source of great pride,” said Artistic Director Emilio Della Chiesa. “This year’s success, particularly amongst the younger generations, confirms that independent, high-quality cinema has an engaged audience eager for content that looks to the future, as demonstrated by the reception given to the new sections dedicated to AI and feature films.”

HB