Two Visionär Films Honoured at LUCAS #49
We are delighted to announce that two films from the Visionär Films catalogue have been honoured at the 49th edition of LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers in Frankfurt.
ILUMINADA, directed by Nicolás Rincón Gille, received the Bridging the Borders Award, recognising the film’s ability to build bridges between cultures and people. The film had its German premiere at LUCAS and was presented to the festival audience by director Nicolás Rincón Gille.
ALMOST FOREVER, directed by Lia Hietala and Hannah Reinikainen, received a Special Mention for Best Feature Film in the festival’s Teens Competition. The documentary follows a group of friends in Stockholm over five years, capturing their transition from childhood into adulthood through both observational footage and videos created by the teenagers themselves.
We are incredibly happy to see both films recognised at LUCAS, a festival dedicated to young audiences and one of the established platforms for international children’s and youth cinema.
A big thank you to the LUCAS team, the juries, and everyone who welcomed and supported both films in Frankfurt.
Congratulations to Nicolás Rincón Gille, Lia Hietala, Hannah Reinikainen, and all the filmmakers and teams behind these two wonderful films!
Visionär Films acquires THE H@LLOW MAN
We are thrilled to announce that Visionär Films has acquired international sales rights to The Hallow Man (هلع), the debut feature by Tunisian filmmaker Kamel Laaridhi.
We couldn’t be more excited to join the journey of this bold and unsettling sci-fi film, which will have its World Premiere in Competition at the 41st International Critics’ Week at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 9, 2026.
Only seven first features have been selected for this year’s International Critics’ Week competition, making the selection a particularly exciting recognition for a new voice in Tunisian cinema.
Set in Tunisia, 2059, The Hallow Man takes us into a future where a biochip regulates memory and emotion, and hypnosis has become a crime. Taha, a poet who creates feelings for people who can no longer access their own, secretly undergoes a forbidden hypnosis session — setting him on a journey into a forest, a mysterious house, and ultimately toward the truth of his own birth.
A haunting, thought-provoking debut that explores memory, identity, emotion, and the boundaries of human freedom.
We are proud to represent Kamel Laaridhi’s first feature internationally and look forward to introducing The Hallow Man to festivals, distributors and audiences around the world.
Read the article on SCREENDAILY
VENICE OFFICIAL SCREENING SCHEDULE
Press & Industry Screening:
Tuesday, September 8 | 09:00 AM | Sala Perla
Official World Premiere (Public & All Accreditations):
Wednesday, September 9 | 02:00 PM | Sala Perla
Reruns:
Thursday, September 10 | 07:30 PM | Sala Corinto
ILUMINADA wins the Grand Jury Prize at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival
We are thrilled to announce that Iluminada, directed by Nicolás Rincón Gille, has been awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, one of Asia’s most prestigious A-list festivals.
The award marks an important international recognition for the film and celebrates its powerful coming-of-age story set within Bogotá’s Afro-Colombian community, brought to the screen with remarkable visual sensitivity and emotional depth.
Jury Statement
For its sensitive portrayal of an extraordinary life experience, guiding us through a young girl’s journey of growth. With a quiet and observant approach, the filmmaker reveals an authentic and deeply human story from Latin America.
The Golden Goblet Main Competition Jury was chaired by Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Hong Kong) and included:
- Dora Bouchoucha (Tunisia) – Producer
- Guan Hu (China) – Director
- Aktan Arym Kubat (Kyrgyzstan) – Director
- Déa Kulumbegashvili (Georgia) – Director & Screenwriter
- Fernanda Valadez (Mexico) – Director, Screenwriter & Producer
- Xin Zhilei (China) – Actress.
We warmly congratulate director Nicolás Rincón Gille, the cast and crew, and all our producing partners on this outstanding achievement. We look forward to sharing Iluminada with audiences around the world.