Salli by Lien Chien Hung won the Feature Film Award – Best International Feature Film at the 23rd RIFF – Rome Independent Film Festival. The drama follows a 38-year-old Taiwanese chicken farmer who doesn’t speak English and develops a online romantic relationship with a French man. Despite everyone calling it a romance scam, she wants to prove that love indeed exists.

The Feature Film Award – Best Italian Feature Film went to Three Infallible Rules by Marco Gianfreda. In the film, 14-year-old Bruno is in love with Flavia, which becomes a huge problem when he realizes that she likes him back. Unsure what to do next, he turns to his archenemy: his mother’s boyfriend Luca, whom he blackmails into teaching him about matters of the heart.

The National Documentary Award – Best Italian Documentary goes to Don’t Shut That Door by Francesco Banesta & Matteo Vicentini Orgnani. The documentary film chronicles Porta Portese, Rome’s historic flea market, and its fate in the digital transition era. Through the testimonies of key figures, it offers a passionate and critical look at a popular reality resisting market pressures, striving to innovate and renew itself.

The Award for Best International Documentary goes to After the Odyssey by Helen Doyle (Italy/Canada). The documentary tells the story of young Nigerian women arriving in Italy searching for a better life, only to fall into the web of human trafficking.

A special mention went to the docu-fiction Memories of a Burning Body by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss (Costa Rica/Spain). “Winner of the Audience Award in Berlin, it is a film between documentary and fiction. An elegantly structured tale that distills the experiences of three women aged between 60 and 70 into a single life that speaks for a generation. The suffocating taboos around female sexuality, love and desire are remembered with admirable candor in a film that poignantly balances insight, humor and emotion.”

Two special LGBTQIA+ themed prizes went to the short film Made of Love by Clèmence Dirmeikis (France) and the feature film Underground Orange by Michael Taylor Jackson (USA/Argentina).

The Rai Cinema Channel Award for Best Italian Short went to “Sommersi” by Gian Marco Pezzoli; the National Short Award – Best Italian Short went to Easy in, Easy out by Giovanni Boscolo; and the International short Award – Best International Short goes to Transformation by Marcel Barsotti (Germany).

A Special Mention for international short films went to 6.21 by Sergei Ramz (Russian Federation/Israel).

Other short film prizes including the Animation short Award – Best Animated Short went to The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball by Roberto Valencia (Ecuador); and the Student Short Award – Best Student Short, went to Better So by Jaakko Ylitalo, a young Finnish debut director who is currently studying screenwriting at the Turku Academy of Arts.

The Award for Best Screenplay for a Feature Film went to Marco Minicangeli for “All’ombra del suo corpo”; the award for Best Short Film Screenplay goes to “Oh boi!” by Sara Mancini; and the Award for Best Subject for a Feature Film goes to “Il burattinaio” by Laura Nuti.

Complete list of winners of 2024 RIFF – Rome Independent Film Festival.

Feature Film Award – Best Italian Feature Film
Three Infallible Rules by Marco Gianfreda

Feature Film Award – Best International Feature Film
Salli by Lien Chien Hung (Taiwan/France)

National Documentary Award – Best Italian Documentary
Don’t Shut That Door by Francesco Banesta & Matteo Vicentini Orgnani.

Award for Best International Documentary
After the Odyssey by Helen Doyle (Italy/Canada).

Special mention to Memories of a Burning Body by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss (Costa Rica/Spain).

LGBTQIA+ themed prizes
short film: Made of Love by Clèmence Dirmeikis (France)
feature film: Underground Orange by Michael Taylor Jackson (USA/Argentina).

Rai Cinema Channel Award for Best Italian Short
“Sommersi” by Gian Marco Pezzoli

National Short Award – Best Italian Short
Easy in, Easy out by Giovanni Boscolo.

International short Award – Best International Short
Transformation by Marcel Barsotti (Germany).

Special Mention for international short films
6.21 by Sergei Ramz (Russian Federation/Israel).

Animation short Award – Best Animated Short
The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball by Roberto Valencia (Ecuador).

Student Short Award – Best Student Short
Better So by Jaakko Ylitalo

Award for Best Screenplay for a Feature Film
Marco Minicangeli for “All’ombra del suo corpo”.

Award for Best Short Film Screenplay
“Oh boi!” by Sara Mancini.

Award for Best Subject for a Feature Film
“Il burattinaio” by Laura Nuti.