Category: Best Film Score & Sound Design – 2025 ARFF BERLIN

(Envision Award Winner)

Original Film Title: THE LEGACY OF GILGAMESH

Director’s Name: Sebastian Androne-Nakanishi

Writer’s Name: Sebastian Androne-Nakanishi

Producer: Sebastian Androne-Nakanishi

Country of Origin: Romania

Country of Filming: Switzerland

Language: English

Runtime: 56 minutes 32 seconds

Film Description:

The Legacy of Gilgamesh is a 56-minute epic concept film born from music. Reimagining the world’s oldest written story, it blends original composition, poetic narration, and AI-generated imagery into a symbolic journey through the seven deadly sins. Each chapter reflects one passion—gluttony, lust, envy, wrath, greed, sloth, and pride—mirrored in the encounters of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. At the heart of the narrative stands Humbaba, reimagined as a hidden narrator: a guardian and exile whose envy, loneliness, and sacrifice echo the struggles of humanity itself.

The visuals and voices were generated with artificial intelligence but carefully curated, sculpted, and refined to serve the symbolic and musical integrity of the work. The result is a hybrid of human craft and machine material—an exploration of myth, art, and the meaning crisis in the age of AI.

(Audience Award Winner)

Original Film Title: Berlin Fiction

Director’s Name: Zhivorad Milich

Writer’s Name: Zhivorad Milich

Producer: Zhivorad Milich, Amro Nouraldine

Country of Origin: Germany

Country of Filming: Germany

Language: English

Runtime: 30 minutes

Film Description:

Berlin Fiction follows the journey of DJ Lion, a talented but struggling techno artist in Berlin. After years of performing at the world’s top clubs, DJ Lion finds himself at a crossroads—his passion for electronic music remains, but financial pressures, industry disillusionment, and the fading support of his manager threaten to derail him. One sleepless night, in a moment of creative desperation, he discovers a new path by accident: writing and composing pop music.

Lion’s unexpected venture into commercial music brings fresh inspiration, but it also exposes the harsh realities of the industry, testing his friendships and beliefs about artistry and success. As he wrestles with the betrayal of his trusted manager, Axel, and confronts his fears of selling out, DJ Lion must decide whether to stay true to his roots or embrace change for a chance at survival.

Set against the vibrant yet lonely backdrop of Berlin’s music scene, Berlin Fiction is a poignant exploration of ambition, burnout, and the fine line between artistic integrity and commercial success.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Juliet & the King

Director’s Name: Ashkan Rahgozar

Writer’s Name: Ashkan Rahgozar

Producer: Ashkan Rahgozar

Country of Origin: Iran, Islamic Republic of

Country of Filming: Iran, Islamic Republic of

Language: Persian

Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes 25 seconds

Film Description:

The Iranian King gets an invitation to visit France. While visiting a “Romeo and Juliet” play in Paris, the actress catches his eye. He falls in love with her so deeply that he asks her to perform the same play in Tehran, so he can impress her and win her heart. Julie, the actress, decides to take this chance with the help of her friend Jamal. But she suddenly finds herself among jealous court ladies.

(Honorable Mention)

Original Film Title: Father in Flux

Director’s Name: Zhao Jingjing

Writer’s Name: Zhao Jingjing

Producer: Zhao Jingjing

Country of Origin: Korea, Republic of

Country of Filming: Korea, Republic of

Language: Korean

Runtime: 16 minutes 48 seconds

Film Description:

The Mobile Father is a documentary film about searching and fading. In a Korean tavern, the director meets a special boss, and their encounter opens her mind to the eternal proposition of ‘father’. In the streets of a foreign land, in a late-night tavern, and during long phone conversations, the image of ‘father’ continues to flow and morph, ultimately pointing to a deeper proposition about existence: what is the essence of existence when we have lost all definitions of relationships?

(Winner)

Original Film Title: The Inner Ramblings of Alan Grey

Director’s Name: Teresa Correia

Writer’s Name: Teresa Correia

Producer: Teresa Correia

Country of Origin: Portugal

Country of Filming: Portugal

Language: English

Runtime: 4 minutes 58 seconds

Film Description:

A man’s chaotic inner ramblings trigger a chemical reaction on a painting.treasure, only to uncover a Halloween curse.

(Honorable Mention)

Original Film Title: Treasure Trackers

Director’s Name: Drew Garcia, Nate Garcia

Writer’s Name: Drew Garcia, Nate Garcia

Producer: Drew Garcia, Nate Garcia

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes 30 seconds

Film Description:

A trio of misfit middle schoolers band together to investigate their small town’s mythic
treasure, only to uncover a Halloween curse.