The 2015 NexT International Film Festival, organized in Bucharest between April 15 and April 19, announced its winners on Sunday.

This year’s NexT Trophy went to The Island Is Enchanted with You, directed by Alexander Carver and Daniel Schmidt. The USA / Switzerland / Australia production won a prize of EUR 2,000 offered by the Ministry of Culture and EUR 2,000 worth of digital and lab services (in postproduction) offered by CineLab Romania.

The movie tells the story of Francisco Javiér de Balmis, a doctor who, in 1803, travels to Puerto Rico with orphan children who become living hosts for a vaccine against smallpox. The result is mass vaccination and the origin of global health initiatives.

Director Carlos Conceiçao won the "Cristian Nemescu" Best Directing award for Goodnight Cinderella. The prize consists of EUR 1,000, offered by the Ministry of Culture.

The "Andrei Toncu" Best Soundtrack Award, consisting of EUR 1,000, went to Petro Alcalde for the soundtrack to Ancha es Castilla.

The Audience Award in the International Competition went to Jung Forever, directed by Jean-Sébastien Lopez. The prize amounts to EUR 500, offered by NexT Cultural Society.

Romanian director Tudor Cristian Jurgiu was the winner of the Best Romanian Short Film Award with the film In which the Protagonist Hides and Then Has an Unexpected Encounter. The Romanian Cultural Institute offered the prize of EUR 500.

Ana-Maria Comanescu‘s In the House won the Special Mention in the National Competition, while The Hoods, directed by Bogdan Drumea, got the Audience Award in the National Competition.

NexT Festival, in partnership with Shorts TV, also organized The Pitch contest this year. The jury decided to give the EUR 5,000 award to Paul Muresan for the animation project Mom, Dad, I Need to Tell You Something.

The ninth edition of the festival ended on April 19. It took place at Studio Cinema, Elvire Popesco Cinema, CinemaPRO, the Romanian Cultural Institute, Control Club, J’ai Bistrot, ArCuB, Carturesti and Garajul Ciclop in Bucharest.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com