Golden Horseman Animated Film - International Competition

PARADAÏZ by Matea Radic (Canada, 2025)

Can coming back to a place once called home ever be easy? Probably not. But the traces of past homes left behind us like a snail’s slime constitute who we are right now. The winning film is a coming-of-age story about coming to terms with life and teaches us that sometimes even the smallest change, like covering a bullet hole with a smiley face sticker, can bring us peace.

Sponsor: €7,500 - State Chancellery of Saxony

Golden Horseman Animated Film - National Competition

PROCRASTINATION YOGA by Paulina Martyna Ziolkowska (Germany, 2026)

Waking up screaming from a sweat-soaked dream and remembering a pending request. Stop-motion, cut-outs, costumes and live-action footage. A fascinating array, an unusual rhythm and deep concerns. Through humour, the filmmaker succeeds in having the audience empathise with them.

Sponsor: €3,000 - Deutsches Institut für Animationsfilm (DIAF) & Lumatic Animation & VFX GmbH

Golden Horseman Short Film - International Competition

WATER SPORTS by Whammy Alcazaren (Philippines, 2024)

Our children are the future but what if that future literally evaporates? Whilst a blazing heat melts perceptions, bodies and hearts – hot queer choreographies of desire, sweaty and sticky dances become technologies of survival. A surreal trip of virtuosity and camp, roasting the apocalyptic reality in a world on fire – a politically sharp and aesthetically abundant explosion driven by the beat of resilience.

Sponsor: €7,500 - Saxon State Media Authority (SLM)

Golden Horseman Short Film - National Competition

BLEIFREI 95 by Emma Hütt, Tina Muffler (Germany, Austria, 2025)

Over an intoxicating night, this film takes us on a high-energy and powerful tour de force through the lives of three women. It is a raw and unfiltered story of desire, love and life itself, centred on a friendship that overcomes all.

Sponsor: €3,000 - Filmnächte am Elbufer

Golden Horseman Youth Jury - International Competition

HUNTING (QUI PART À LA CHASSE) by Lea Favre (Switzerland, 2025)

If these few minutes can encapsulate a terrible experience to the point where everyone feels uncomfortable in their seats, it is because of the animation that feels raw and compelling, the storytelling that keeps you guessing and guts you, and the script that draws you into the moment. It raises awareness for a topic which is not only important to us but should be important to everyone.

Sponsor: €2,000 - Balance Film GmbH

Golden Horseman Youth Jury - National Competition

BAD LUCK by Jan Eilhardt (Germany, 2025)

Successful choreography requires discipline, but also consideration of every individual. The film succeeds in capturing the personalities of the protagonists in a very humorous and colourful way, giving them space to express themselves. In doing so, it highlights how much our society gains through inclusion. Or to put it in the words of the film: “Long live imperfection!”

Sponsor: €2,000 - Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden

Golden Horseman of the Audience - International Competition

S THE WOLF by Sameh Alaa (France, 2025)

Sponsor: €3,000 - Sächsische Zeitung

Golden Horseman of the Audience - National Competition

BLOB AND THE WOLF (BLOB UND DER WOLF) von Georg Kästle, Valentin Bolte (Germany, 2025)

Sponsor: €4,000 - MDR Public Broadcaster

Saxon Film Promotion Prize - National Competition

GAÏA by Gwenola Heck (Germany, 2025)

The winning film draws a parallel between violence against nature and violence against the human body. Assuming an ecofeminist perspective, the filmmaker personifies a problem and makes it accessible through the 2D animation tailored to the story. The lighting design provides the final accent and conveys the film’s emotional impact right into every viewer’s gut. At a time when the rights of marginalised groups in our society are being increasingly restricted and the state offers no real protection, this work radiates the relevance of self-determination to the outside world.

Sponsor: €20,000 - Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism

Golden Horseman Central German Competition

UNBEMERKT VERSTORBEN by Alina Cyranek (Germany, 2026)

The end of a life is also reflected in objects: furniture, papers, dust – traces that no one else browses anymore. The camera becomes a silent observer: close, patient, non-judgmental. It is precisely in this restraint that the film unfolds its special power. It creates empathy without a single word being spoken – for a person we never knew. It asks no questions, gives no answers, instead providing space for silence, reflection and compassion. What remains when we are gone from this world?
.

Sponsor: €3,000 - Saxony Film Association

Audience Award Central German Competition

COLD CALL by Stefanie Schroeder (Germany, 2025)

Sponsor: €500 - Friends of FILMFEST DRESDEN

Golden Horseman Sound Design – International & National Competition

PRIMARY EDUCATION (PRIMERA ENSEÑANZA) by Aria Sánchez & Marina Meira (Cuba, Spain, 2025), Sound: Lilliam Chacón

How do you keep your voice when the system tries to silence you? The film is compelling not only for the questions it raises, but also for its sound design and superb mixing. The sound allows for a complete immersion in the narrative.

Sponsors: € 1,500 prize money - FILMFEST DRESDEN & €1,500 non-cash prize for studio session - Ballroom Studio

LUCA GenderDiversity Film Award - National & International Competition

THE GIFT (EL REGALO) by Lara Izagirre Garizurieta (Spain, 2025)

Following three young women, we look not at them but rather with them at the racist system they have to fiercely confront – an intersectional feminist gaze. When they look directly into the camera, they flip the perspective and the film gives us the gift that we, as viewers, will never forget.

It is a film that does not stop at telling the story of discrimination, but goes further. The protagonists Desirée Clavería Duval, Samara Jiménez Vega and Aurora Cortés Clavería gaze back courageously and joyfully celebrate their Romnja community.

Sponsors: €2,000 - LAG Jungen- und Männerarbeit Sachsen, Genderkompetenzzentrum Sachsen, LAG Queeres Netzwerk Sachsen

ARTE Short Film Prize - National & International Competition

ACID CITY by Jack Wedge, Will Freudenheim (USA, 2026)

In the apocalyptic setting of a fictional metropolis, alien-like creatures live surrounded by a vast expanse of water. Under the scorching sun, shrouded in toxic fumes, the inhabitants of this atoll seem to be left to their own devices, recounting episodes from their daily lives, which resemble a struggle for survival. Featuring original sound recordings from the streets of New York City, this masterfully animated and visually stunning film blurs the boundaries between the real and the surreal. This film takes us to a place that seems so far away and yet is frighteningly close. And still, despite all the dystopia, one thing remains: hope. So let us remain hopeful!

Sponsor: towards purchase of a film - ARTE

DEFA Promotion Prize Animation - National Competition

CITY IN THE FOX by Mikael Lindskov Jacobsen (Germany, 2026)

In all its marvellous simplicity, this film takes us on a journey of inevitable evolution. Curiosity opens the door to a radiant and colourful world, but once gained, knowledge cannot be forgotten – and the consequences may be devastating. With playful ease and a great love of detail, this tongue-in-cheek animated film inspired us to reflect while entertaining us wonderfully at the same time.

Sponsor: €3,000 - DEFA Foundation

"fully political" - Short Film Award for Democratic Culture

ABORTION PARTY by Julia Mellen (Spain, 2025)

This film grabbed a hold of us and had us hanging on its protagonist’s every word. This timely and fearless film attests to the importance of humour and dogged perseverance in navigating politically divisive terrain. With an immersive script and skilful attention to structure and flow, the filmmaker refuses to perform politeness or propriety for a conservative gaze. The film approaches bodily autonomy in a way which is confrontational and bold, yet overflowing with heart and humanity. The filmmaker masterfully plays with the audience’s prejudices and preconceptions, daring us to question her life choices and then making us root for her. This film’s power lies in its ability to pull audiences in and invite them to the party. We also enjoyed the intentionally messy animation style that perfectly complemented the tone and content of the film.

Sponsor: €3,000 - Saxon State Ministry for Social Welfare, Health and Social Cohesion

Dresden Short Film Award of the German Film Critics Association

BOUNDARIES (경계) by Seun Yee (South Korea, 2025)

An everyday incident on a bus leads to a multifaceted exploration of egotism and recklessness, culminating in a powerful metaphor for a global political conflict. In her multi-layered animated film, the director continually surprises us with imaginative twists, elegantly composed visual sequences and a clever sound design. A surreal reflection on the coarsening of society and the lust for power in it.

Sponsor: unendowed - German Film Critics Association