La Cinef 2025 Winners Announced: South Korea’s First Summer Takes Top Prize

The 28th La Cinef Selection at the Festival de Cannes culminated in a moving awards ceremony at the Buñuel Theatre, where this year’s Short Films and La Cinef Jury, presided over by filmmaker Maren Ade, announced the winners of the 2025 student film competition. Jury members Camélia Jordana, José María Prado Garcia, Reinaldo Marcus Green, and Nebojša Slijepčević joined Ade in awarding the coveted prizes.

Chosen from 2,679 submissions representing 646 film schools worldwide, the 16 selected films showcased an extraordinary range of emerging talent in cinema.

First Prize: First Summer

Directed by Heo GayoungKAFA – South Korea

A lyrical exploration of youthful awakening and seasonal memory, First Summer stood out for its delicate storytelling and assured cinematic voice. The win earns the filmmaker a €15,000 grant and positions Heo Gayoung as a rising voice in Korean cinema.

Second Prize: 12 Moments Before the Flag-Raising Ceremony

Directed by Qu ZhizhengBeijing Film Academy – China

A nuanced and visually striking meditation on personal identity and collective ritual, Qu Zhizheng’s film receives a €11,000 grant, cementing China’s continued prominence in student filmmaking.

Third Prize (ex aequo):

• Ginger Boy Directed by Miki Tanaka ENBU Seminar – Japan

  A haunting tale of separation and transformation, Ginger Boy captivated the jury with its emotional depth and visual lyricism.

• Winter in March Directed by Natalia Mirzoyan Estonian Academy of Arts – Estonia

• A quietly poetic film marked by its rich atmosphere and melancholic tone, Winter in March becomes a milestone for Estonia’s first-ever participation in La Cinef.Both filmmakers will share the €7,500 grant awarded for the third prize.

Upcoming Rerun in Paris

For those who missed the Cannes screening, the award-winning films will be shown again at the Cinéma du Panthéon in Paris on June 6, offering audiences another chance to experience the future of world cinema.

As Cannes continues to champion emerging voices through La Cinef, this year’s winners signal a future shaped by bold perspectives, cultural introspection, and a clear passion for storytelling.