The official awards of Pirate International Film Festival.
The Black Flag Awards are presented across the official competition categories at PIFF Stockholm. Each official category winner receives the Black Flag trophy, a physical symbol of bold cinema, sign language storytelling and new screen culture.
The highest distinction is The Black Flag Award for Best Film.
A copper strike. A black flag.
The trophy is built from the PIFF symbol itself: a copper strike and a black flag. A mark of movement, resistance, craft and visibility.
It is not a decoration. It is a signal.
One symbol. Several official honours.
The Black Flag Awards form a clear competition system. Every official category winner receives a Black Flag Award trophy, while Best Film remains the festival's highest distinction.
Grand Black Flag Award
The highest distinction of the festival, presented to Best Film.
Black Flag Category Awards
Presented to official category winners across film, directing, performance, cinematography, short film, visual storytelling, emerging talent and audience recognition.
Special Mentions
Jury recognitions or special acknowledgements. These may be presented separately and do not automatically carry the same full award trophy.
The first-edition award categories.
The first edition will focus on a tight set of official awards that recognise film, performance, craft, visual language and new voices.
- 01The Black Flag Award for Best Film
- 02The Black Flag Award for Best Short Film
- 03The Black Flag Award for Best Director
- 04The Black Flag Award for Best Performance
- 05The Black Flag Award for Best Cinematography
- 06The Black Flag Award for Bold Visual Storytelling
- 07The Black Flag Emerging Voice Award
- 08The Black Flag Audience Award
Final first-edition categories will be confirmed with the official programme. Additional craft or jury recognitions may be announced if the programme calls for it.
Film craft is part of the language.
PIFF recognises that sign language cinema is built through more than story alone. Performance, cinematography, rhythm, framing, movement and visual composition are part of the cinematic language.
Acting and screen presence.
The Black Flag Award for Best Performance honours acting and screen presence across gender, identity and form - including visual presence, body language, rhythm and expression central to sign language cinema.
Visual authorship.
The Black Flag Award for Best Cinematography recognises visual authorship, framing, light and the craft of seeing.
Built to be held. Made to be remembered.
The Black Flag trophy is designed as a physical extension of the PIFF identity. The copper strike carries movement and force. The black flag carries the idea of visibility, resistance and a new cinematic territory.
Presented at The Black Flag Gala.
The Black Flag Awards are presented during The Black Flag Gala at PIFF Stockholm, a night for recognition, performance, celebration and the films that define the first edition.
Grant, Awards, Gala.
Black Flag Grant
Pre-festival support for selected projects in development or early production.
Black Flag Awards
The official competition awards presented to category winners during PIFF Stockholm.
Black Flag Gala
The ceremony and celebration where the awards are presented.