With “The Encounter,” Herizo Bashy won the first prize for fiction short film at the Madagascar Film Festival ISSM Awards 2026, following a production completed under particularly tight deadlines.
Upon the announcement of the results, tension quickly gave way to joy. “The Encounter” took home the top prize last Sunday. For Herizo Bashy, who is accustomed to animation, this was his first time participating in a fiction competition. “I was a bit nervous before the results were announced, but when ‘The Encounter’ was named, joy immediately took over. It was a huge joy for the entire team,” he shared.
“The Encounter” tells the story of two people meeting, as well as the intersection of two different and opposing timelines. True to his cinematic style, the director favors intrigue and a progressive unveiling of the plot, drawing inspiration from Christopher Nolan’s “Memento.” The film features very little dialogue, relying heavily on the actors’ performances and emotional expression.
This award is particularly notable given the short production time. Informed of the festival just days before the deadline, Herizo Bashy wrote the script in about two hours. With the support of producer Mamihasina Raminosoa, the team was assembled, prepared, and filmed within just a few days. Herizo Bashy handled the editing each night to meet the submission deadline.
The main challenge was time, requiring rigorous organization. However, Herizo Bashy relied on an experienced team of award-winning professionals. Technically, the film was shot with an Arri Alexa Mini camera and featured professional sound mixing at Studio Ony in a Dolby Atmos 5.1 environment.
Herizo Bashy has been active in cinema since 2012, when he won a Zebu d’Or for his first animated short film. This distinction led to training at ILOI in Reunion Island, where he later worked on the animated feature film “Adama” in 2014-2015.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-26 06:23:53 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/cinema-issm-awards-herizo-bashy.html