53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam
25 January – 4 February 2024

Rotterdam, 2 February 2024

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) announces the 2024 winners from its two feature competitions: the Tiger Competition and the Big Screen Competition. The prizes were handed out during the IFFR Awards Ceremony on Friday 2 February, along with the FIPRESCI, NETPAC and Youth Jury awards. 

^{IFFR Competition winners 2024}

Tiger Competition

IFFR’s trademark Tiger Competition celebrates the innovative and adventurous spirit of up-and-coming filmmakers. From the 14 titles presented in the 2024 edition, the jury granted three prizes: the Tiger Award, worth €40,000, and two Special Jury Awards, worth €10,000 each.

Rei (Japan) by Tanaka Toshihiko wins the Tiger Award 2024. 

The jury stated: “The jury decided to give the Tiger Award to a burgeoning film director who chose to develop his debut film in a loose and unbounded environment. His strength relies on a collaborative environment centred on the actors, an attention to the power of recitation – and, perhaps most importantly, a taste for performative sequences that operate as discrete units within the overall structure, but which typically resist acting as the power of the different chosen locations slowly emerges. The film’s ending suggests that people dwell in constant threat from the outside world. But they might yet live, together.” 

Kiss Wagon (India) by Midhun Murali wins a Special Jury Award. 

The jury stated: “Hypnotic – bewildering – heart-racing. A trip on a speed train where our solitudes are mouth to mouth reanimated. The first special jury award goes to a weirdly beautiful and beautifully weird film.” 

Flathead (Australia) by Jaydon Martin wins a Special Jury Award. 

The jury stated: “This film addresses the people who contributed to society, keep society going and rolling, but not given enough attention and care. The images are powerful and convincing. The cast, in particular the old man, is exceptionally impressive. The execution is calm but touching. The second jury award goes to a film that is a naturalistic and realistic film at its best.”  

The Tiger Competition Jury consisted of Marco Müller, Ena Sendijarević, Nadia Turincev, Billy Woodberry, and Herman Yau.

^{Still from the film Rei}

Big Screen Competition 

The Big Screen Competition presented a selection of 12 titles at IFFR 2024, bridging the gap between popular, classic and arthouse cinema. A jury of film lovers decided the winner of the VPRO Big Screen Award. The winning film receives a guaranteed theatrical release in the Netherlands and will be broadcast on Dutch TV by VPRO and NPO. The award is accompanied by a €30,000 prize, shared equally between the filmmaker and the distributor who will release the film.

The Old Bachelor (Iran) by Oktay Baraheni wins the VPRO Big Screen Award 2024. 

The jury stated: “Gripping from start to finish, this film left a strong impression on the jury long after it had ended. Exploring powerful themes of patriarchy, misogyny, love, violence and tragedy, this film is a masterclass in storytelling, through its gripping, nuanced dialogue, exquisite attention to detail and its development of tension, which simmers throughout the film until it reaches boiling point in the final, explosive act. It is a deeply visceral cinematic experience that takes you captive along with its characters as their world encloses around them. We are sure that the viewers will appreciate the powerful performances from the central cast, who so captivatingly portray a family at breaking point.”

The jury consisted of Samina Khan, Sylvie de Leeuwe, Lisa van der Loos,  Marcos Silva and Ella de Bruijn. 

^{Still from the film The Old Bachelor}

FIPRESCI Award

A jury of international film journalists from the Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique awarded the FIPRESCI Award to their standout Tiger Competition title. 

The FIPRESCI Award 2024 goes to Kiss Wagon (India) by Midhun Murali. 

The jury stated: “We decided to unanimously award a film that astounded us with its epic superhero storytelling and its bold defying of cinematic conventions. With its intricate collage of styles, genres, and themes, and elaborate, artisanal, very personal craft, it reminded us that cinema is a limitless space for play and invention, which constantly renews itself. We would like to celebrate its sheer spunk and freshness in approaching the grave issue of lack of liberties and of sexual and gender repression in a manner that combines humour, spectacle and intrigue.”

The jury was Ela Bittencourt, Dārta Ceriņa, Panagiotis Kotzathanasis, Antonios Lagarias and Ronald Rovers.

^{Still from the film Kiss Wagon}

NETPAC Award

The NETPAC Award is awarded to the best Asian feature film by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema.

Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust (India, France, Germany) by Ishan Shukla wins the NETPAC Award 2024. 

The jury stated: “The NETPAC Award at the IFFR 2024 goes to a film that bravely but not aggressively tackles the problems in current politics and in society, not only in Asia but worldwide. It is a film with a universal approach, done in a spectacular style with a clear vision, with a lot of astonishing ideas and  with a great sense of humour."

The jury was Elena Larionova Haug, Donsaron Kovitvanitcha and Andreas Ungerböck.

^{Still from the film Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust}

Youth Jury Award

The Youth Jury Award, selected by a panel of young local film lovers aged between 16 and 22, goes to Levante (Brazil, France, Uruguay) by Lillah Halla. 

The jury stated: “The film that we chose is daring, fearless and representative of the turbulent experiences and emotions that young people go through. It's a film that finds a balance between being challenging and resonating with a young audience, one with a promising longevity, a film that remains with its viewers long after they’ve left the movie theatre. Moreover, the film we chose spreads a powerful message that touched our hearts that we, as young people, would like to stand behind.” 

^{Still from the film Levante}

Tiger Short Competition

The winning films from the Tiger Short Competition were announced at a dedicated ceremony on Monday 29 January. 

Find them all here.

^{Stills from the films Crazy Lotus, Few Can See, Workers’ Wings}

Audience Award

Stay tuned for the announcement of the IFFR 2024 Audience Award winner, which will be decided Saturday 3 February!