The jury of the five-thousand-euro prize praised the “strong and engaging story, highlighted by an intense narrative” of “The Composer,” as well as “the bold and rhythmic direction, showcasing an audacious aesthetic,” stated the festival’s organizers.
An Honorable Mention in the Best Portuguese Horror Short competition was awarded to “Attached” by Jonas Costa.
The Méliès d’Argent awards, part of the European competition, were given to the short film “Amarelo Banana” by Portuguese director Alexandre Sousa and the feature film “Her Will be Done,” a French-Polish co-production by French filmmaker Julia Kowalski.
The Audience Award went to the British film “Dragonfly” by Paul Andrew Williams, while the award for Best Portuguese Horror Screenplay was given to António Xavier Rodrigues for “Quem Mata no Camarido? (Seis Betos e Meia).”
The animated short “The Legend of the Hummingbird” by Morgan Devos won the Lobo Mau Award, in the section aimed at younger audiences and families. The jury of this award also gave an Honorable Mention to the animated short “Nube” by Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada and Christian Arredondo Narvaez.
The Betclic Monster Odds MOTELX Award was given to the screenplay “The Wednesday Knitting Club” by Maurício Valentino Borges.
The author will receive 1,500 euros and support for the production of the short, with a budget of up to four thousand euros. According to the festival’s organization, “the film will be produced between September 15 and October 20, 2025, with the winner acting as a creative consultant throughout the process.”
The winners were announced during the closing session of the 19th edition of the festival at Cinema S.Jorge in Lisbon, where the film “The Home” by James DeMonaco was screened.
MOTELX began on September 9, featuring guest of honor Gale Anne Hurd, producer of films such as “Aliens” and “The Terminator,” who was honored with the Noémia Delgado Award for Notable Women in Horror, a new festival distinction.
The festival concludes on Monday with screenings of several films, including the short and feature films that won the Méliès d’Argent Award.
