"The CineVision jury is pleased to present SIMON OF THE MOUNTAIN with 2024's top prize at the 41st annual Munich International Film Festival. We singled this film out amidst a very strong field. All of the films demonstrated a dizzying level of skill and compassion, and the directors (and we have to point out the fantastic female directors) show a great deal of promise across the board. SIMON OF THE MOUNTAIN stood out, as the performances in this film were extraordinary; nothing was left outside the purview of the filmmaker's meticulously precise vision for the film. The idea of describing a young man who doesn't know where he belongs, but then self-empoweringly joins a group of young people with cognitive disabilities and perhaps finds a place for himself in this world for the first time, was not only executed, but in fact elevated, by the process of it coming into being. We are all looking for this place, especially among youth. It was an honor to participate in the process of selecting this film. Thank you. Bob, Maksym, and Sarah"
