For the artistry that complements the tension within love and truth that bestows the thriller-drama its sharpness.

For its unsparing and ever-present portrayal of broke Lithuanian youths running scared and chasing cheap thrills to forget-even if those thrills seem more threatening than the thing they're running from-TOXIC wins the award for Best First Film.

For its compelling and nuanced exploration of a young man's life in London, and the link between his ambition to be recognized as a serious writer and his sexual exploits that produce for him the material he needs for his novel, Mikko Mäkelä's sophomore feature captures the intricacies of identity and internalities of queer desire with profound vulnerability. Featuring a searing performance by Ruaridh Mollica in the titular role, the QCinema RainbowQC prize for best film is co-awarded to SEBASTIAN.

For its tender and visceral portrayal of the urban underbelly as it weaves a heartbreaking romance that blossoms amidst danger and for the director's masterful storytelling that excavates the complexities of queer identity, community, and belonging, allowing the beauty and resilience of São Paolo's queer scene to emerge the QCinema RainbowQC prize for Best Film is co-awarded to BABY.

For an intricate rendering of the curiosities and anxieties that make May's journey the film's anchor and give the Dayak's ongoing enviro-social issues essential amplification. Oftentimes, with only the eyes, the performer grants tangibility to the questions and statements May might have about her agency, her world and her future or the loss of all three, if the powers that be continue to be apathetic and destructively hungry.

For his fearless portrayal, bringing depth and intensity to the film's dark humor and unconventional social critique-a performance that leaves a lasting impact and solidifies his place as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.

For conjuring the haunting presence of trauma and memories that are embedded within the landscape, and tenderly following a romance that unfolds deep within the coal mines. Through a spellbinding journey, it draws audiences in with a masterful command of cinematic language.

For its sharp exploration of teenage rebellion and the search for identity within a repressive environment, this screenplay captures the characters' struggles with wit and profound social insight, making a bold statement in contemporary cinema.

For its straightforward storytelling and deeply meaningful reflection of our bittersweet lives and realities, ones that hinge on sacrifice and paternal love, driven by such a powerful desire to provide for his family that he becomes his own God. The award for Best Film goes to Kinakausap ni Celso Ang Diyos by Gilb Baldoza (Philippines).

For a film that questions the intersection between cinema and politics, that exciting relationship between ideology and imagery, where the past in the form of a revolution has become personal and the collective dreams of a people are now embedded in the nostalgia of what to dream, who to wish for, and why love, kinship and the splendor of memory are what make us all imperfectly human and yet human still.

For its bold experimentation and depiction of queer militants whose resistance remains rooted in care despite stark state repression and temptations to give up the fight and conform...the gender sensitivity award goes to RAMPAGE! (o ang parada) by Kukay Bautista Zinampan (Philippines).

For a confident and provocative weaving of dreamy visuals and direct dialogues to comment on family and femininity, offering more proof that Vietnamese visions that are wholly capable of enriching the kind and the number of stories told about the country do exist.

For its strong point of view and visually disturbing proposal that makes its viewers uncomfortable. A film unafraid to push all of the boundaries of Malaysian society...the jury prize goes to WAShhh by Mickey Lai (Malaysia).

Para sa mahusay at sariwang pagkatha ng karanasang sumasalamin sa sirang sistema at ang makulay na pagbabanghay ng pag-ibig ng isang ama, inagawad din namin ang Young Critics' Prize for QCShorts International sa Kinakausap ni Celso ang Diyos ni Gilb Baldoza.

For its ability to tell stories of universal resonance with minimal tools and resources and its reminder to ask ourselves what lost friendships are worth forgiving or forgetting...the special mention goes to Are We Still Friends? by Al Ridwan (Indonesia).

In this coming-of-age film, innocence comes at the expense of certain behaviors, social mores, and valuation. Against the silent beauty of winter, only the frozen water can naturally thaw; the same rigid beliefs about gender and homophobia remain, unmoved, a steady if unforgiving lens for understanding/misunderstanding societies and individuals. *Boku is a pronoun ("I") used only by boys, which means the POV of the film is the young boy's (Takuya).