Romanian film The New Year That Never Came was the big winner of this year’s Luxembourg City Film Festival, scooping awards in two categories at the closing ceremony on Saturday evening.

The 15th edition of the festival has been the most energetic yet, with dozens of film screenings, a variety of talks and workshops, and plenty of parties.

This year’s festival, which opened on 6 March and closed on Sunday, reached its climax on Saturday evening when the juries handed out awards across nine categories.

From left to right; actress Valerie Pachner, director and producer Albert Serra, and actress Trine Dyrholm at the LuxFilmFest awards gala photocall © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

The list of winners

Grüße vom Mars by Sarah Winkelstein

Jury member Mohammad Rasoulof giving his speech on the winning film in the Grand Prix category © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

Sieger Sein by Soleen Yusef (special mention: Young Hearts by Anthony Schatteman)

The international critics’ jury, from left to right; Mike Winter, Sonya Aleksandrova, and Jelle Schot © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

Youth jury award by Kinepolis – for young people aged 16 to 19 years and with a €2,000 endowment prize, this year’s jury was composed of students from the Lycée Robert-Schuman Luxembourg

Home Game by Lidija Zelovic

This year’s jury for the Youth jury award © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

Best immersive experience award – for the best immersive (VR) experience at the festival’s immersive pavilion, with a €4,000 endowment prize

Champ de Bataille (Battlefield) by François Vautier (special mention: Ito Meikyū by Boris Labbé)

Magaly Teixeira hosted the evening at Kinepolis © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

The New Year That Never Came by Bogdan Mureşanu

This year’s awards ceremony was held in the presence of the Grand Ducal couple and Minister of Culture Eric Thill © Photo credit: © Laurent Sturm

2030 award by Luxembourg Aid & Development – for illustrating or approaching development issues or for a director with a link to a partner country of Luxembourg Development Cooperation, with a €7,500 endowment prize

The Village Next To Paradise by Mo Harawe

Grand Duke Henri being welcomed on arrival © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

Went Up The Hill by Samuel van Grinsven

Part of the film crew of the Luxembourg co-production La Cache. The film was shown following the awards gala.  © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

Documentary award by BGL BNP Paribas – awarded by the festival’s documentary jury, with an endowment prize of €5,000

The Landscape and the Fury by Nicole Vögele

A photocall shortly before the awards gala began © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

Grand Prix by Orange – awarded to one of the nine films in the official competition by the International Jury, with an endowment prize of €10,000

The New Year That Never Came by Bogdan Mureşanu (special mention to The Village Next To Paradise by Mo Harawe)

Swiss director Nicole Vögele was honoured for her documentary The Landscape and the Fury © Photo credit: Laurent Sturm

Also read:LuxFilmFest jury members Laverty and Rasoulof on cinema in uncertain times

With more than 21,000 spectators for this year’s screenings and another very successful festival behind them, organisers have already announced the launch date of next year’s edition, which will open on 15 March 2026.