The Boat, Tomorrow, and Tuulikki Among the Winners of Foyle Film Festival’s Light in Motion Awards 2023

The Foyle Film Festival, which ran from November 9 to 26, 2023, concluded with the Light in Motion Awards ceremony on Sunday evening. The awards, sponsored by City of Derry Crystal, celebrated the best of Irish and international cinema in the categories of animated, international, and Irish short films, as well as the best UK short film. The winners were chosen by a jury of industry experts and filmmakers, and received trophies and cash prizes.

The Foyle Film Festival is one of the few international festivals with Oscar® affiliation, BAFTA and BIFA recognition. This means that UK short films and animations screening as part of the Light in Motion Awards at Foyle Film Festival can be submitted for consideration to the BAFTA Film Awards. The festival is funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen and by Derry City and Strabane District Council.

The winners of the Light in Motion Awards 2023 were:

• Best Animated Short Film: Tomorrow, directed by Aryasb Feiz. Set in Shiraz, Iran, this thrilling and poignant tale follows a resilient 10 year old street urchin grappling with daily hardships. Produced by Bad Stache Studio.
• Special recognition in Irish animation: Wind And The Shadow, directed by Kris Kelly. Starring Niamh Algar and Catherine Clinch, Wind and the Shadow is inspired by real events and created by the BAFTA nominated writer/director Kelly, and produced by Out of Orbit and Enter Yes.
• Best International Short Film: Tuulikki, directed by Teemu Nikki. Tuulikki is in the throes of young love, and the world outside her window is vibrant and inviting. But her mother disagrees, not wanting to let Tuulikki out of her sight. Tuulikki fights back, but nothing seems to be making a difference. Finally, the mother-daughter relationship escalates when the circumstances prove too much for both of them. Produced by It’s Alive Films.
• Special recognition in international short film: Our Males And Females, directed by Ahmad Alyseer. A father and mother are faced with the painful task of washing and shrouding their deceased transgender daughter. But when no one agrees to wash her and shame falls onto the family.
• Best Irish Short Film: The Boat, directed by Luke Morgan and produced by Jake Morgan. When Dhuckia grows up, she wants to be a boat-maker like her Dad. But when he finds out that she is showing the early symptoms of Leprosy, he must make a terrible choice. Based on a true story.
• First runner up in Irish short film: The Innkeeper, directed by Paudie Baggot. When a spirited eight-year-old lands the part of Innkeeper in the school nativity play, she battles her perfectionist teacher who insists that she “stick to the script” and refuse Mary and Joseph a room. Produced by Escape Pod Media.
• Special recognition in Irish short film: Missing, directed by Maura Foley. A new mother, struggling with postpartum anxiety, becomes convinced her new neighbours are harbouring a dark secret that she must investigate. Produced by Escape Pod Media.
• BAFTA Affiliated Award for UK Short Film: A Day In February, directed by Klass Diersman and produced by Flomo Films. A Day In February tells the story of a family torn apart by war and their struggle to reunite.

The festival also featured screenings of Irish and international films, such as Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, Evil Does Not Exist, and The Power of the Dog, as well as Q&A sessions with Oscar®-winning guests, such as Thelma Schoonmaker and Ryūsuke Hamaguchi. The festival also offered educational workshops for aspiring filmmakers and students.