Golden Punt Award 2024

Cambridge Film Festival Awards Inaugural Golden Punt Jury Award to "Nebelkind - The End of Silence"

The Cambridge Film Festival is proud to announce NEBELKIND - THE END OF SILENCE as the winner of the inaugural Golden Punt Award for Best Discovery Feature. This marks a new chapter for the Golden Punt, which transitions this year from an audience award to a recognition bestowed by a distinguished jury.

The film, directed by Tereza Kotyk, was selected from a shortlist of outstanding new works curated by the CFF programming panel. The jury, chaired by Dr. Geoffrey Maguire and including notable figures such as Dorothy Byrne, former head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4; filmmaker and film policy expert Nasheed Qamar Faruqi; and Dr. Xin Peng, Assistant Professor in Film and Screen Studies at Cambridge University, praised "Nebelkind" for its profound narrative and thematic depth.

"Nebelkind encapsulates the idea of discovery, exposing the traumatic stories that weave themselves within families and between generations," stated the jury. "It tackles an overlooked story of European history for women, particularly emphasizing themes of sexual violence, forced displacement, and historical trauma that resonate powerfully today."

The film's director, Tereza Kotyk, expressed deep gratitude upon receiving the award: 

"This news brought tears to my eyes. I am really very touched that 'Nebelkind' has won the prize for Best Discovery Feature. This award means a lot to me personally—it’s my first award—and for this film especially, with all the political layers it is transporting."

Kotyk also highlighted the potential impact of the film: 

"It was intended that this film could make a change and by awarding it, it has a better chance to get out there and truly make a change. So thank you, CFF, to be part of this change-making journey!! It is truly encouraging."

The Golden Punt Award by the jury reflects the Cambridge Film Festival's ongoing commitment to discovering and promoting films that challenge, inspire, and push the boundaries of cinema. 

As the festival continues to evolve, the introduction of the jury-awarded Golden Punt to sit alongside our longstanding audience awards and Youth Lab Jury award ensures that innovative and bold films receive the recognition they deserve within the international film community.