www.oradesibiu.ro/2026/10/24/astra-film-festival-2

The Astra Film Festival 2026 awarded documentaries that delve into human connections with the past, family, and community. In the Romania Competition, Vlad Petri's film "Every Day the Same Train Passes and Never Stops" won Best Documentary, while Dragoș Turea received Best Director for "Lenin's Pawn." The festival emphasized the importance of audience support and highlighted the Astra Film Junior program for youth. Internationally, the Best Documentary award went to "If Pigeons Turned to Gold" by Pepa Lubojacki, exploring family struggles with addiction. Karin Pennanen won Best Director for "Days of Contemplation," and the Special Mention went to "From Dawn to Dawn" by Xisi Sofia Ye Chen, focusing on the Chinese diaspora in Barcelona. The Central and Eastern Europe Competition awarded "The Mountain," showcasing a mother's fight to protect her home from military transformation.