Feature Film Competition #35
IFFI #35
In the feature film competition, six outstanding, international feature-length films are nominated for the prize of the Province of Tyrol, which is endowed with 5,500 euros. The international jury, which changes every year, consists of three experts. Like all juries in the competitions, they will jointly decide on the winning film in a jury meeting.
Six outstanding international feature films are nominated:
Judith Benedikt was born in Lienz and studied cinematography at the Vienna Film Academy with Christian Berger. Since 2003, she has worked as a cinematographer for documentary films for cinema and television, as well as on essayistic and fictional projects. Her work has received numerous accolades, including recognition at the Diagonale, the Romy Awards and the Austrian Film Awards.
Mo Harawe is a Somali-Austrian filmmaker and screenwriter. His award-winning short films include LIFE ON THE HORN (2020) and WILL MY PARENTS COME TO SEE ME (2022; shown at IFFI #32). In 2024, his debut feature THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2025, the film received major awards at the Austrian film festival Diagonale and the Austrian Film Awards, including Best Feature Film.
Dominik Kamalzadeh, born in Vienna, has been co-director of Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film since 2023. He has worked as a writer and curator, including as culture editor at the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard. He has curated various film programmes and series and contributed to numerous publications, including Terrence Malick (2013), co-authored with Michael Pekler.
