The award ceremony commenced in the early evening at Culturgest, followed by the screening of ‘A Árvore do Conhecimento’ by Eugène Green, the closing film of the festival ending on Sunday.
The jury described ‘The Night Is Fading Away’ as a celebration of cinema as the ultimate collective adventure, where imagination and solidarity light the way through darkness.
The film tells the story of a solitary projectionist who, after losing his home and being demoted, begins secretly living in the cinema where he worked, turning it into a refuge for himself and homeless friends, thereby rediscovering a purpose.
After his secret is discovered, the projectionist challenges the authorities to reclaim the space, offering a narrative that honors the art of cinema as a vital place of gathering and resistance, especially during challenging times in contemporary Argentina.
The Doclisboa Jury Prize for the International Competition was awarded to ‘Tell Me a Fairy Tale,’ by Ebrû Avci (Turkey), praised as an elegant, honest, and disarming film in its simplicity, revealing depth in silent gestures and truth in restraint.
The Doctors Without Borders – Portugal Prize for Best Direction in the International Competition was awarded to ‘Fantasy’ by Isabel Pagliai (France), described as an intimate, tender, and visceral portrayal of grief, love, and longing, a raw poetry that remains alive in its fragility.
In the Portuguese competition, the Doclisboa Prize for Best Film went to ‘Água Mãe’ by Hiroatsu Suzuki and Rossana Torres (Portugal), praised as a bold and elegant work elevating the everyday to the sublime, inviting viewers to experience a world beyond cinema.
The Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores Award from the Portuguese competition jury honored ‘As Estações’ by Maureen Fazendeiro as a tactile and immersive film that combines a discovered past with a near-timeless present.
The Escola Prize – Escola de Tecnologias Inovação e Criação was awarded to ‘Explode São Paulo, Gil’ by Maria Clara Escobar, acknowledged as a collaborative work of punk sensitivity and generosity where dream and reality coexist in a gesture of pure cinematic vitality.
‘Complô’ by João Miller Guerra received an honorable mention in this category, while in the Verdes Anos Competition, the Conserveira de Lisboa Prize for Best Film went to ‘Ping Pong’ by Tianji Yu.
The Pedro Fortes Prize for Best Portuguese Direction was awarded to ‘Se Eu Não Morresse Nunca!’ by David Falcão, and ‘I Lit the Fire!’ by Valeria Lemeshevskaya (Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan) received an honorable mention.
In the transversal competition, the Doclisboa Revelation Prize for Best First Feature Film was given to ‘Under the Flags, the Sun’ by Juanjo Pereira (Paraguay), while ‘Do You Love Me’ by Lana Daher (France, Qatar, Lebanon, Germany) received an honorable mention.
The prize for Best Short Film was awarded to ‘Baumettes Studio’ by Hassen Ferhani (France), and the Safe and Healthy Workplaces Award – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was given to ‘Wishful Filming’ by Sarah Vanagt (Belgium).
In audience awards, ‘Aurora’ by João Vieira Torres won the Legal Partners Direitos e Liberdades Audience Award, while ‘Soco a Soco’ by Diogo Varela Silva won the Canais TVCine Award.
The 23rd Doclisboa edition spanned eleven days, attracting about 20,000 spectators through sold-out sessions, conversations with directors, and public interactions, according to the organization.
A tribute was also paid to filmmaker, editor, and actress Patrícia Saramago, who passed away on Thursday.
Screenings of the awarded films from this Doclisboa edition will take place from Monday to Wednesday at Cinema Ideal in Lisbon.
Doclisboa will return in 2026 from October 15 to 25, with Greece as the guest country, as announced.
