The 7th voyage of the Rising of Lusitania AnimaDoc Film Festival took place in Łódź, Poland in 4 consecutive Sundays (07.09. / 14.09. / 21.09. / 12.10.2025): 

The three-person Professional Jury (Małgorza Bosek-Serafinska, Katarzyna Dabkowska, Radoslaw Labarzewski) awarded the “Lusitania Grand Prix Award” for the Best Professional AnimaDoc to the film 'The Rabbit Always Dies' (United States 2025, 08:46). Created by Chicago-based artist Oona Taper, this experimental documentary reveals the facts and fantasies behind the history of pregnancy tests from the 1930s to 1960s, which involved the use of live frogs and rabbits. 

The Jury Special Award went to the deeply moving film 'Blind Spot'  (Tunisia 2021, 13:13), directed by Lotfi Achour, in which we learn, "firsthand", the shocking story of a young man, one of the victims under the dictatorship of Ben Ali, listen in the same time to his mother's incessant, painful question: "Where did you abandon my son's body?"

Blind Spot

The “Rising Award” for the Best Student AnimaDoc went this year to the film 'The Only One to Care' (Ukraine 2025, 07:58), directed by Kateryna Omelianenko (I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television). In this film, in a sparse way and without emotional blackmail, the director addresses the issue of disabled people during the war in Ukraine. 

In turn, the Jury Special Award in the student category went to the 'Confessions of Undecided Women' (Finland 2024, 19:59), directed by Milja Härkönen (ELO Film School Finland / Aalto University). An animated short documentary about the emotional whirlwind women in their thirties go through because they don't know the answer to possibly the biggest question of their lives: Do I want to become a mother?, is the only film that appeared in the verdict of both, professionals' and students' Jury, which decided to award the film the "Students4students Special Mention". 

The  “Students4students Award" for the Best Student AnimaDoc went to 'Polio' (Czech Republic 2025, 05:10), directed by Klára Kubenková (FAMU - Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague). In this hopeful film, we meet elderly women who, despite the lifelong consequences of the polio epidemic, try to live life to the fullest

The full winners list of the Rising of Lusitania - Animation Doc Festival 2025 

PROFESSIONAL JURY

Małgorza Bosek-Serafińska, Katarzyna Dąbkowska, Radosław Łabarzewski

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 “Lusitania Grand Prix Award” for the Best Professional AnimaDoc
THE RABBIT ALWAYS DIES (United States 2025, 08:46), Director: Oona Taper

​ Jury Special Award for the Professional AnimaDoc
BLIND SPOT (Tunisia 2021, 13:13), Director: Lotfi Achour

“Rising Award” for the Best Student AnimaDoc
THE ONLY ONE TO CARE (Ukraine 2025, 07:58), Director: Kateryna Omelianenko, I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television

Jury Special Award for the Student AnimaDoc
CONFESSIONS OF UNDECIDED WOMEN (Finland 2024, 19:59), Director: Milja Härkönen, ELO Film School Finland / Aalto University

MENTION FROM THE JUROR – Małgorzata Bosek-Serafińska
GIRLS ARE MADE TO MAKE LOVE (France 2024, 15:49), Directors: Jeanne Paturle, Cécile Rousset, Jeanne Drouet

MENTION FROM THE JUROR – Katarzyna Dąbkowska
LIFE IS LIKE THAT AND NOT OTHERWISE. (Germany 2024, 12:58), Director: Lenia Friedrich, Academy of Media Arts Cologne

MENTION FROM THE JUROR – Radosław Łabarzewski
NOON, THE BREAD FROM TEHRAN (France 2024, 20:30), Director: Roshanak Roshan

Girls are made to make love

SPECIAL MENTIONS FOR CREATIVE APPROACH TO THE TOPIC

HUMAN RIGHTS: INSIDE, THE VALLEY SINGS (Ireland 2024, 14:59), Director: Nathan Fagan
ECOLOGY: DESI OON (India 2025, 07:03), Director: Suresh Eriyat
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS: THE DOLL 9831 (France, Iran 2025, 11:17), Director: Ali Zare Ghanatnowi
WOMEN'S RIGHTS: BECAUSE, I AM A GIRL (Kyrgyzstan 2025, 06:56), Directors: Sayazhan Ispolganova, Alisa Tyan, Rosita Keneshova, Fatima Chorobekova, Alina Alybekova, Dariya Murzulukova, Education workshops for documentary animation
ARTS/CULTURE: SAPPHO (Brazil 2025, 12:18), Director: Rosana Urbes
CURRENT EVENT: BLACK TIDE (France 2024, 13:35), Director: Kim Yip Tong
SELF-PORTRAIT: HUN TUN (Czech Republic 2024, 14:58), Director: Magdalena Hejzlarová
PORTRAIT OF THE PAST: SEWING MACHINE (Estonia 2024, 16:37), Director: Ülo Pikkov

Sewing Machine

STUDENT JURY
Martyna Ambrosiewicz, Ams Sokołowska, Hanna Tkachova, Wiktoria Witkowska, Ida Woźniak

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 “Students4students Award" for the Best Student AnimaDoc: 
POLIO (Czech Republic 2025, 05:10), Director: Klára Kubenková, FAMU - Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

“Students4students Special Mention"  for the Student AnimaDoc
CONFESSIONS OF UNDECIDED WOMEN (Finland 2024, 19:59), Director: Milja Härkönen, ELO Film School Finland / Aalto University

Student Jury Award  for the Best Professional AnimaDoc
CAN YOU HEAR ME? (Poland 2024, 15:00), Director: Anastazja Naumenko

Special Mention from the Student Jury for the Professional AnimaDoc
THE SACRED SOCIETY (United States 2024, 12:32), Director: Benny Zelkowicz

Polio 

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AUDIENCE AWARDS

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PROFESSIONAL AnimaDoc
SIMPLY DIVINE (Romania 2024, 14:02), Directors: Mélody Boulissière, Bogdan Stamatin

STUDENT AnimaDoc
PACIFIER (China 2024, 05:02), Director: Xiaoxuan Han, Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University

MOCK<anima DOC MAKE-BELIEVE AWARD
THE SOVIET PHOENIX (Germany 2024, 09:10), Director: Tim Aßmann

DISTINCTIONS FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
CHRONICITY (Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024, 03:17), Director: Aleta Rajic 
STAMPFER DREAMS (Austria 2024, 10:50), Director: Thomas Renoldner

The 7th Rising of Lusitania Animadoc Film Festival took place in 4 consecutive Sundays (07.09. / 14.09. / 21.09. / 12.10.2025) in Łódź, Poland

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