A third edition rich in innovative visions and unexpected perspectives: the NABA Cinema Awards 2024 once again confirmed their role as one of the most significant moments in celebrating audiovisual and cinematic production developed within the Media Design and New Technologies Area and the Set Design Area at NABA.
Two award ceremonies — one in Milan and one in Rome — united by a shared purpose: to celebrate the best audiovisual and film projects created by students from the Milan and Rome campuses, recognising experimentation as a space for dialogue between creative languages and authorial visions. The event marked the culmination of a collective journey involving students, faculty and industry professionals, placing cinema at the centre as a living practice, open to cross-disciplinary influences and new expressive forms.
The NABA Cinema Awards 2024 took place in Milan and Rome in March, unfolding over several days of screenings of the finalist short films and award ceremonies, further confirming the event's value as a public moment of presentation and exchange.
In Milan, Anteo Palazzo del Cinema hosted the screenings of the finalist projects and the Award Ceremony, presented by Vincenzo Cuccia (Media Design and New Technologies and Set Design Area Leader) and Alessandro Bertante (BA in Film and Animation Course Leader – Milan). The evening concluded with the screening of the winning short films.
Also in Milan, a distinctive feature of this third edition was the "Lucid Dreams" exhibition, presented at Anteo Rai Cinema – Spazio Realtà Virtuale. The exhibition showcased eight Virtual Reality projects developed by students from the MA in Creative Media Production, led by Course Leader Michele Aquila and supervised by Martin Romeo (artist and NABA lecturer), expanding the language of cinema into immersive and interactive dimensions.
Following the Milan programme, the NABA Cinema Awards 2024 continued in Rome, where Cinema Intrastevere hosted both the finalist screenings and the Award Ceremony. The ceremony was presented by Chiara Becchimanzi (actress, writer and stand-up comedian) alongside Fabio Capalbo (BA in Film and Animation Course Leader – Rome). The evening also concluded with the screening of the winning short films, symbolically closing the 2024 edition.
In 2024, the winning projects of the NABA Cinema Awards were selected by an internal jury composed of NABA faculty members, who awarded the prizes for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best VFX and Best Set Design.
An external jury of industry professionals — including Beatrice Fiorentino (General Delegate, Venice International Critics' Week – SIC), Simone Bozzelli (director and NABA Alumnus), Davide Gentile (director), Eleonora Giovanardi (actress), Valentina Mazzola (writer, screenwriter and President of ASIFA Italia – Associazione Internazionale Film Animazione) and Paolo Vari (director and creative producer) — awarded Best Short Film, Best Short Film – Rome, Best Direction, Best Extra-Short Animation, Jury Special Prize and, introduced in this edition, the Jury Special Mention.
The special awards of the third edition also included the Prem1ere Film Award, curated by Prem1ere Film; the Cinematografo Special Prize, promoted by Rivista del Cinematografo and exclusive to the Rome ceremony; and the WIFTMI Chantal Award, curated by Women in Film, Television & Media Italia.
NABA Cinema Awards 2024: The Winning Projects
In Milan, the following projects were awarded, by category:
- Best Screenplay: Anteros Marra and Fabiana Russo for ALPHA by Anteros Marra
- Best Cinematography: ex aequo Giacomo Garampelli for Prisoncide by Giulio Ferrari and Giovanni Falanga; Giuseppe Spitali for CATALINA by Bianca Mardare and Miriana Pezzoni
- Best Editing: Matteo Boscolo Gioachina for Salicornia by Gaia Longobardi
- Best Sound: Samuele Ferrarini for Sott'acqua by Rebecca Fiori and Carla Giacco
- Best VFX: Sara Aziz for CATALINA by Bianca Mardare and Miriana Pezzoni
- Best Set Design: Marina Basso for Maieti by Matteo Boscolo Gioachina and Daniele Caruso
In Rome, the awarded projects were:
- Best Screenplay: ex aequo Angelica Alinei for Golden by Angelica Alinei; Sara Crescini for Una Donna Particolare by Sara Crescini
- Best Cinematography: Matteo Mudaro for L'Otto Nero by Davide Maria Di Chiara
- Best Editing: Angelica Alinei, Ivan Bertello and Alessandro La Marca for Golden by Angelica Alinei
- Best Sound: Edoardo Cipriani for La Bussola by Edoardo Cipriani
The external jury awarded:
- Best Short Film: Pinoquo by Federico Demattè
- Best Short Film Roma: La Bussola by Edoardo Cipriani
- Best Direction: IRUSU by Chiara Delbecchi
- Best Extra-Short Animation: La rabbia by Eleonora Ceresato
- Jury Special Prize: Maieti by Daniele Caruso and Matteo Boscolo Gioachina
- Jury Special Mention: El Cabrer by Irene Z'graggen
The special awards were conferred as follows:
- Prem1ere Film Award: IRUSU by Chiara Delbecchi
- Cinematografo Special Prize: Golden by Angelica Alinei
- WIFTMI Chantal Award: Kore by Fabiana Russo
All the best projects by students from Milan and Rome were also collected this year in a catalogue, with graphic design by Giordano Cruciani.
As Vincenzo Cuccia noted when reflecting on the event, this third edition marked the start of a new journey for our emerging authors. The shortlisted shorts captured very different experiences, developed through innovative and personal approaches, and represent only part of the rich film production created during the Academic Year.
The NABA Cinema Awards 2024 took place with the support of partners Image&Light, Feltrinelli Librerie, Moovie, Wacom, Prem1ere Film, Il Cinematografo and WIFTMI – Women in Film, Television & Media Italia, who provided special prizes for the selected projects.
The NABA Cinema Awards 2024 trophies were produced in NABA's Design Lab, while the visual identity was developed by students Bertine Constanse Emilie Høyerholt and Sofia Tuscano. The title sequence and animations were created by alumnae Eleonora Ceresato and Jennifer Galli, under the supervision of Jacopo Martinoni (NABA lecturer) and Stefania Carbonara (Media Design and New Technologies and Set Design Area Academic Specialist) for motion design, and Fabio Sirna (NABA lecturer) for sound design.
Faculty and Students
Vincenzo Cuccia, Alessandro Bertante, Michele Aquila, Martin Romeo, Fabio Capalbo, Fabio Sirna, Stefania Carbonara, Jacopo Martinoni
Anteros Marra, Fabiana Russo, Giacomo Garampelli, Giuseppe Spitali, Matteo Boscolo Gioachina, Samuele Ferrarini, Sara Aziz, Marina Basso, Angelica Alinei, Sara Crescini, Matteo Mudaro, Ivan Bertello, Alessandro La Marca, Edoardo Cipriani, Federico Demattè, Chiara Delbecchi, Irene Z’graggen, Daniele Caruso, Rebecca Fiori, Carla Giacco, Bianca Mardare, Miriana Pezzoni, Gaia Longobardi, Giulio Ferrari, Giovanni Falanga, Davide Maria Di Chiara, Bertine Constanse Emilie Høyerholt, Sofia Tuscano.