The 15th edition of the OFF Otranto Film Festival concluded on September 29, 2024, with a vibrant awards ceremony held at the Castello Aragonese, themed "Kaos." The event featured artistic director Stefania Rocca, Luciano Schito from the Apulia Film Commission, and Otranto's mayor, Francesco Bruni.
Ten awards were presented, each winner receiving unique silver creations by futuroRemoto, a magnum bottle of 2001 Copertino reserve wine, and personalized extra virgin olive oil from Le Saittole.
Gianluca Santoni's film "Io e il secco" won both Best Director and Best Actor for Francesco Lombardo and Andrea Lattanzi. The Best Film award went to Shahab Fotouhi's "Boomerang," praised for its original portrayal of contemporary relationship crises in Tehran. Fereshteh Hosseini secured Best Actress for her role in "Dwelling among the gods," while the Best Screenplay award was given to "Le successeur" by Xavier Legrand and co-writers.
Other notable awards included Best Score for Mina Panagiotis and Best Cinematography for Goga Devdariani's work on "Gondola." The festival also recognized "Dwelling among the gods" for Best Production, highlighting the challenges of depicting war on screen.
The student jury awarded "Io e il secco" for its balanced approach to serious themes, while the audience favorite was "L'abbaglio" by Alessandra Cardone. The festival, part of the Apulia Cinefestival Network, was supported by the Apulia Film Commission and the local government.