Trieste Science+Fiction announces Méliès d’argent winners 2026

The 26th edition of Trieste Science+Fiction Festival concluded on 8 November with its awards ceremony at the Politeama Rossetti. Organised by La Cappella Underground, Italy’s leading science fiction festival welcomed more than 20,000 attendees and presented over 60 world, international and national premieres across three competition sections. The festival once again brought together filmmakers, audiences and genre enthusiasts to celebrate the many forms of fantastic cinema.

And the winner is…

The winner of the Méliès d’Argent Award for Best European Fantastic Genre Feature Film at Science+Fiction Trieste is The Squirrel directed by Markus Lehmusruusu (Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, 2026).

In a future where nature has been wiped out by technology, life is clean, safe and comfortable. Pasi, a designer of synthetic animals, is quite satisfied with this situation until he encounters the last living squirrel in the world and brings it home, in serious violation of hygiene regulations. Keeping a wild animal alive proves much more difficult than designing one, and Pasi’s carefully planned life begins to unravel.

The jury, composed of Valentina Ariete, David Cox and Martin Unsworth, awarded the film for its unique combination of humour, tenderness and imagination. The jury praised its subtle creation of a distinctive future world and highlighted what it considered the best ending among all the films screened at the festival.

The winner of the Méliès d’Argent Award for Best European Fantastic Genre Short Film at Science+Fiction Trieste is Rolling Mother directed by Alexander Peskador (Germany, 2026).

When Wilhelm decides to sell the house of his late mother Hildegard, she unexpectedly returns from the dead — in the form of a murderous tin can.

The Méliès d’argent award for Best European Fantastic Genre Short Film was decided by the audience vote.