The Masters of Cinema Awards recognize the greatest cinematic masterpieces, chosen by a team of curators, to shine a light on films that prove the power of Cinema to elevate and transmute us. What makes a film a masterpiece is ambiguous. Is it the script that cements a movie as a classic? Is it a director’s vision that captures something previously unseen? Could it be an actor’s transformation that blurs the line of fiction? There is no one specific, definable, or quantifiable aspect that elevates a film to a timeless hallmark of culture, but you know it when you see it. A masterpiece is found in a story that follows you home from the theater, plays over and over in your head before bed, and changes the way you think about your life and most importantly – awakes something inside of you. There are films and movies, then there is Cinema. And with this award, we pay tribute to the Masters of Cinema all over the world, who have utilized the Power of Cinema to elevate us all.