Mancuso Special

Photograph of the Mancuso Special trophy, made with a shiny gold finish, depicting a male bust.

The Mancuso Special is a film award presented annually at the Mhazar Vegnese Film Festival, held every August in the city of Mhazar, in Vegno. Established in 2025, the award is a special recognition given by the festival's artistic direction to a work, performer, or artistic contribution that has distinguished itself in a unique and unconventional way in the film scene of the year.

History

The Mancuso Special was created on the occasion of the first edition of the Mhazar Vegnese Film Festival, with the aim of promoting works that fall outside the canonical categories but stand out for their originality, emotional impact, or cultural significance. The award bears the name of Mancuso, a symbolic figure associated with the free and independent spirit of Vegnese cinema, and is intended as an auteur award capable of rewarding what is difficult to categorize but impossible to ignore. Over the years, the Mancuso Special has become a symbol of cross-cutting recognition, awarded to innovative films, unconventional performances, groundbreaking works, or, at times, particularly memorable or controversial cinematic moments.

The trophy

The trophy consists of a golden bust depicting Mancuso, a young figure with a determined gaze, dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and T-shirt. The sculpture stands out for its balance between simplicity and contemporary style, and rests on a cylindrical base engraved with the words Mancuso Special. The image of the trophy was designed to evoke the freshness, energy, and non-conformist spirit that the award aims to celebrate.

Awarding

Unlike the other official festival awards, the Mancuso Special is not awarded by a technical jury, but by the festival management, which awards it freely and with justification. It can be awarded to a film, an artist, a scene, an idea, or even a creative gesture that has left its mark on the current edition.

Winners

Year(s)	Winner(s)	Direction	Production Country
2025	Munnozzilla	Goffredo Ripamonti	Vegno

See Also

• Golden Cormorant
• Silver Cormorant
• Marmo Cunno Prize