WILLEMSTAD - On Thursday, October 30, the curtain closed on the exciting 9th edition of the 48 Hour Film Project Curaçao with a Screening & Award Show at The Movies Punda. Ten filmmaking teams participated in this year’s international short film competition, held over the weekend of October 17.
This year’s Award Show was particularly special, as Mark Ruppert, the founder of the 48 Hour Film Project, flew down to Curaçao to attend the event in person.
The 48 Hour Film Project has been active on Curaçao since 2014, with a brief hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the kickoff event on Friday, October 17, each team received three mandatory elements and a unique genre. They then had just 48 hours—until Sunday, October 19—to write, shoot, and edit their film. In total, ten films were submitted, of which eight advanced to jury selection.
This year’s jury included director and screenwriter German Gruber Jr., producer Sulin Passial, and Canadian director and producer TJ Scott.
As a tribute to Ramses Petronia, former City Producer of 48 Hour Film Project Curaçao, the Ramses Audience Award was presented for the third consecutive year. Audience members attending the screening were invited to vote for their favorite film.
At the end of the evening, the film ‘De Oversteek’ (The Crossing) by team sunnySide emerged as the big winner, claiming six awards in total, including the coveted Best Film title. The Ramses Audience Award went to ‘They Had One Job’ by team Kua-Ku-Ta, led by former winner of the 48 Hour Film Project Curaçao, Samueldavid Baromeo.
As the winner of Best Film, ‘De Oversteek’ will represent Curaçao at Filmapalooza 2026, taking place next March in Lisbon, Portugal. If the film makes it into the top 12 at Filmapalooza, it could go on to screen at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Team leader and producer Joyce Weert expressed her excitement after the win: “We, as Team SunnySide, strive to represent Curaçao and the 48 Hour Film Project community on the island as best as we can at Filmapalooza 2026. We also aim, together with previous winners, to be a source of inspiration for all film and acting talents on Curaçao to take part in this fantastic film event!”
According to organizers Melissa Verboeket and Bert Aengenendt, the jury had a particularly tough job this year: “We’re incredibly proud of the creativity and craftsmanship of all the teams displayed,” they said. “Each year, the level of storytelling and technical quality improves. It’s wonderful to see how much filmmaking talent Curaçao has to offer, both in front of and behind the camera.”
The organizers also extended their gratitude to all the volunteers, sponsors, and partners who made this event possible, including CX PayMe, MCB, the Curaçao Film Office and The Movies Curaçao, to name a few.
The evening concluded with filmmakers, friends, and supporters celebrating yet another successful Curacao edition of the 48 Hour Film Project!
The 48 Hour Film Project Curaçao continues to serve not only as a creative challenge for local filmmakers but also as a vital platform for strengthening the island’s growing film community and showcasing Curaçaoan talent to the world.
Sponsors
De 9th edition of the 48 Hour Film Project Curaçao is made possible thanks to the generous support of these local sponsors: CXPayMe, MCB, Curaçao Film Office, Mangusa Supermarket, Vidanova Bank, Universal Motors/Kia, IFA Solar Energy, FilmCare Curaçao, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 2Bays Curaçao and Forensic & Compliance Caribbean.