Shnit: The winners
The ninth edition of the Shnit International Short Film Festival came to a close on Sunday evening with the awards ceremony at the Stadttheater Bern.
American Luke Matheny, who won an Academy Award this year for his short film *God of Love*, is the president of this year's jury. From the 75 short films that screened in the Shnit Open, he selected the following as the winners following the jury's preliminary selection:
Smart Joe (Videos up to 4 minutes): 15 summers later (5:00 a.m.) by Pedro Collantes from Spain
"15 Summers Later" tells the story of Laila and Aksel, who have an extraordinary encounter on a sunny day at the beach.
Magic Jack (videos ranging from 4 to 10 minutes): The Visit (8:30 a.m.) by Conrad Tambour from Germany
A tragicomic story about an old woman who wants to cook for her long-dead friends in the middle of the night.
Long John (films longer than 10 minutes): The Hidden Smile (The Hidden Smile) (1:00 p.m.) by Ventura Durall from Spain
A young boy flees his hometown for the capital of Ethiopia. Undeterred, he tries to join the other street children.
Swiss Made: Bam Tchak (4:00 p.m.) by Marie-Elsa Sgualdo from La Chaux-de-Fonds
Laetitia isn't happy. For her daughter's sake, she's trying skiing for the first time. A few falls later, all she can think about is giving her rival—who stole her husband, a talented skier—a good slap.
Made in Germany: Couples' Night (8:00 p.m.) by Hardi Sturm
Adele and Tim. Sabina and Sven. Two couples. One evening. What starts out innocently enough ends in a striptease of the soul. Guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
Made in Austria: The Last Guest (3:00 p.m.) by Markus Engel
Late at night in a Viennese bar. Peter, the bartender, is enjoying one last drink with Andi, his friend and the last customer. What begins as an ordinary conversation between two friends turns into a life-or-death situation.
Made in South Africa: New Place (02:10) by Martin Sen
A little hamster feels neglected and decides to leave his shabby cage to find a better home.
Audience Award
This year's Audience Award goes to France. Guet-Apens (8:45 a.m.) Michael Barocas wins over the audience.
Jaques, an elderly gentleman, is enjoying his retirement. One day, as he’s walking home from a stroll, he’s attacked by two men and forced into his apartment. They want his money. But Jaques isn’t going to give in without a fight…
