“Dog Alone” by Marta Reis Andrade wins the Vasco Granja Grand Prize | SPA; ‘Sappho’ by Rosana Urbes wins Best International Short Film | UBBO; and “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” wins the MONSTRA Grand Prize | RTP

 

The winners of the 2026 MONSTRA Festival were announced today, March 21, at a ceremony held at Cinema São Jorge in Lisbon.

The Portuguese short film “Dog Alone”, directed by Marta Reis Andrade, won the Vasco Granja | SPA Grand Prix at the 25th edition of the festival. The jury, composed of Anete Melece, José Manuel Costa, and Marcel Jean, decided to award the Grand Prix to a visually stunning and deeply vibrant fable that portrays the pain of loneliness and hints at secrecy and mystery, leading the viewer toward reconnection. This film also received the Best Portuguese Short Film Award in the Short Film Competition. Also in this category, the Special Jury Prize was awarded to “Sombras de Nós Próprios” by Pedro Serrazina, a work that explores themes of introspection and otherness through a strikingly expressive visual approach.

The French film “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”, directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, won the MONSTRA | RTP Grand Prix. This film recaptures the magic of seeing the world for the first time through a child’s fresh and direct perspective, where reality is revealed through simple forms of light and rain. With precise control of pacing and imagery, it offers a clear and powerful cinematic experience. Empathy is a gift that resides in our humanity, affirm Julia Peguet, Maria Trigo Teixeira, Mohamed Ghazala, and Pierre Yves Drapeau, who make up the jury panel for this competition. “Decorado” by Alberto Vázquez, a co-production between Spain and the Portuguese production company Sardinha em Lata, about Arnold, a middle-aged mouse going through an existential crisis, received the Special Jury Prize.

In the short films competition, the Brazilian film “Sappho” by Rossana Urbes received the MONSTRA | UBBO Grand-Prix. The jury, composed of Aneta Zagórska, Michèle Lemieux, Rita Maria, Rui Alves de Sousa, and Vladimir Leschiov, was unanimous in its assessment: the film combines poetry with various artistic approaches centered on a common theme—the eternity of art. Thanks to its admirers, “Sappho” will live forever, and now it will also be immortalized in a beautiful animated piece.

In the Festival’s new category, dedicated to medium-length films, the MONSTRA | FILMIN Grand-Prix was awarded ex aequo to two films: “Winter in March” by Natalia Mirzoyan, a co-production between Estonia, Armenia, France, and Belgium; and the Hungarian film “Dog Ear” by Péter Vácz.

In the Super Short Films category, dedicated to films under two minutes, the winners were “Telephone Game” by Laura Boráros (Czech Republic), which received the MONSTRA | FNAC Grand-Prix, and “Beak Quiet” by Gonçalo Dias for Best Portuguese Super Short Film.

In the Student Short Films Competition, “Me and You and Smoke,” by British director Rachel Shiloach, received the MONSTRA Grand-Prix. Meanwhile, “Between Hairs” by Feno Dias, Theo Quinhones, and Lucas Serra received the Best Portuguese Student Short Films Award. The MONSTRA Junior Jury Grand-Prix, awarded by a jury composed solely of young students, was presented to the South Korean film “Spore Love” by Kim Seungyea and Park Jeesun.

Finally, the MONSTRINHA | Electrão Grand-Prix was awarded to the French film “The Bear and the Bird” by Marie Caudry.

The 25th edition of MONSTRA, which featured a lineup of over 490 films, began on March 12 and concludes tomorrow, March 22. In Lisbon, the MONSTRA Festival takes place at Cinema São Jorge, Cinemateca Portuguesa, and Cinema City Alvalade. MONSTRA – Lisbon Animation Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports, the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual, Creative Europe MEDIA, and the Lisbon City Council.

MONSTRA 2026 Winners 

NATIONAL COMPETITION

Vasco Granja Portuguese Competition

Vasco Granja Grand Prix | SPA “Dog Alone”, by Marta Reis Andrade (Portugal)
Special Jury Award “Shadows of Ourselves”, by Pedro Serrazina (Portugal)
Audience Award “Because Today Is Saturday”, by Alice Eça Guimarães (Portugal)

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Feature Film Competition

MONSTRA Grand Prix | RTP Little Amélie or The Character of Rain” by Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han (France)
Special Jury Award “Decorado” by Alberto Vázquez (Spain, Portugal)
Audience Award “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” by Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han (France)
Special Mention “A Story About Fire” by Li Wenyu (China)

Mid-Length Films Competition

MONSTRA | FILMIN Grand Prix “Winter in March” by Natalia Mirzoyan (Estonia, Armenia, France, Belgium) and “Dog Ear” by Péter Vácz (Hungary) (ex aequo)
Audience Award “Sulaimani” by Vinnie Ann Bose (France)
Special Mention “Luna Rossa” by Priit Pärn, Olga Pärn (Estonia, France) and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” by Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski (Canada)

Short Film Competition

MONSTRA | UBBO Grand Prix “Sappho” by Rosana Urbes (Brazil)
Best Portuguese Short Film Award “Dog Alone” by Marta Reis Andrade (Portugal)
Special Jury Award “Desi Oon” by Suresh Eriyat (India)
Audience Award “Feed, Wash & Love”, by Veronika Pasterná Szemlová (Czechia)
Special Mention “Radix” by Anne Breymann (Germany) and “Impromptu” by Steven Subotnick (USA)

Student Short Film Competition

MONSTRA Grand Prix “Me and You and Smoke” by Rachel Shiloach (United Kingdom)
MONSTRA Junior Jury Grand Prix “Spore Love” by Kim Seungyean, Park Jeesun (South Korea)
Best Portuguese Student Short Film Award “Between Hairs” by Feno Dias, Theo Quinhones, Lucas Serra (Portugal)
Junior Jury Award for Best Portuguese Student Short Film “The Peel” by NanTung Lin (Portugal, Taiwan, Belgium, Finland)
Audience Award “The Undying Pain of Existence” by Oscar Jacobson (Germany)
Special Mention “Goodbye Waves” by Ruihan YANG (Japan, China)
Junior Jury Special Mention “JUDY1964” by Marie-Hélène Van Thuyne (Belgium) and “Le Jardin Rossini” by William Burger, Siméon Jacob, Odelia Laine, Garance Mondamert, Tara Rewal, Arthur Wong, Mathilde Vergereau (France)

Super Short Films Competition

MONSTRA | FNAC Grand Prix “Telephone Game” by Laura Boráros (Czech Republic)
Best Portuguese Super Short Film Award “Beak Quiet” by Gonçalo Dias (Portugal)
Special Mention “The Worm’s Kiss” by Biakosta and Chila Mochila (Portugal)

Perspectives Competition

Perspectives Features Award: “Link Click: Bridon Arc” by Haolin Li (China, South Korea)
Perspectives Shorts Award: “Silent Cinema” by Krste Gospodinovski (North Macedonia)