BFM students won the Best Student Film award at the Cannes Indie Shorts Awards 2025

FThe festival took place in Cannes, France, from November 5 to 9. “Happy Things” was screened on November 8 in the “We are Young” box set. It was the only film submitted by the Baltic countries to make it into the program.

“Happy Things” takes the viewer on an emotional journey through the eyes of ten-year-old Lilli, pointing out the importance of simple things that tend to be forgotten in today's world. How do you make someone smile? Lilli works on several fronts at once, confronting the questions of the adult world. However, it is often children who know how to live life without making it too complicated and see that the answer to happiness lies in simplicity – whether it is the first rays of sunshine, a hug from a loved one, or a snowball fight.

The young filmmakers were also able to participate in an interview on the festival's red carpet. While normally only the director and producer are invited to festivals, this time the entire creative team of the film was invited, so the entire team got to experience the international aspect, saw their film in the context of the festival, and had the opportunity to make contacts with other filmmakers.

The film was represented by director Alexandra Pärn, screenwriter Elisabeth Madisson, cinematographer Markus Muide, artist Anett Aedla, and producer Margareth Villers. The film's core team also includes editing director Krõõt Kaldre, sound director Andreas Jõesaar, and composer Luisa Susanna Kütson.

Director Alexandra Pärn is delighted not only with the award, but with the entire festival experience, saying: “The most inspiring thing was to see such a united community of young filmmakers, where everyone supported each other and were passionate about the films. I have never experienced such sincere and encouraging energy in a cinema before!”

The film was made as a final project of the 14th year of the Baltic Film, Media and Arts Institute's film curriculum. The film has already successfully participated in several international festivals, including Filem'On, Ale Kino!, Oulu Children & Youth FF, CineMagic / On the Pulse, Ennesimo Film Festival, Rolan IFF and Valga Hot Shorts. The film also received the BOB - Best of BFM Film Festival award for best editing director and was screened in the autumn at the prestigious children's and youth film festival LUCAS - International Festival for Young Film Lovers, where the film received the best short film award in the "Kids" program.

The Cannes Indie Shorts Awards is an international festival focusing on short films and young filmmakers, bringing together both experienced filmmakers and young talents from all over the world. The program includes documentaries, animations and student films and presents several awards, including in IMDb-qualified categories. The festival receives approximately 500-1000 films each season, of which approximately 60 are selected for the main competition program. Although it takes place in a prestigious film festival city, the Cannes Indie Shorts festival is not part of the larger Cannes Film Festival, but a separate festival.

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The students' trip was supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.