2025 AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
Congratulations to all of this year's Winners and Nominees!
1. Best Feature Film
• 40 ACRES – R.T. Thorne (Canada)
• BROTHER VERSUS BROTHER – Ari Gold
• CROCODILE TEARS – Tumpal Tampubolon (Indonesia)
• SISTER MIDNIGHT – Karan Kandhari (India / UK)
2. Best Short Film – US
• A STUPID MAN – Amy Frear
• A WOMAN IS MANY THINGS (JUST FINE ISN’T ONE OF THEM) – Chase Musslewhite
• HAZY, HOT & STUPID – Tony McCall
• HECK TO DEATH – Dustie Carter
• REMNANTS OF NOVA – James Barker
• SOIL – Ben McLaughlin​​​​​​​​
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3. Best Short Film - International
EL CANON – Martín Seeger (Chile)
• EL VUELO DE CHAIKA – Belén Abarz, Eduardo Bunster (Chile)
• PARIS 70 – Dani Feixas (Spain)
• PHOENIX – Mohsen Nabavi (Iran)
• ROMCHYK – Alexis Bicât (UK / Ukraine)
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4. Best Student Film – North America
LIKE SMOKE – Ariel Gill-Ehrenreich (Canada)
• AD-LIB – Peter Vu Dien
• DON’T CALL ME FRIEND, I LOVED YOU – Reuben Fuchs
• IN LOVE SIMPLY – Luna Abreia
• LOLA – Grace Hanna
• THE THINGS WE KEEP – Joanna Fernandez
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5. Best Animation
CHICKEN – Hanna Benner (Germany)
• 198 Broadway – Shara Donohue
• BLOODLUST – Jameson Hanna
• CHARRIAGE STORY – Ella Babb
• GLEAM – Anna Palmtag
• THE BRAIN BUCKET – Christopher Flippo
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6. Best Comedy Feature
• FUCKTOYS – Annapurna Sriram
• IN THE MOUTH – Cory Santilli
• MEAT MACHINE – Jeffrey Garcia
• SISTER MIDNIGHT – Karan Kandhari (India / UK) ​
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7. Best Comedy Short
• AH-MA BURNS – Max Kane
• BURN OUT – Russell Goldman
• WHERE’S MY SHIT? – Jerry Stevens II, Phillip Mann
• WHITCH – Hoku Uchiyama
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8. Best Documentary
AMISH COUNTRY QUEER – Colleen C. Brady
• FLOATING ABOVE – Samuel WH Greaves
• HAAGUA – Marc Antony Chavez, Octavio Aceves Coutiño
• THE CAREIST – Matthew Boyd Williams
• WEREE – Tal Amiran (UK / Netherlands)
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9. Best Experimental Film
• BLOODLUST – Jameson Hanna
• MATCH MADE IN HELL 2 – Samuel W.H. Greaves
• OLETHROS – Charles Francis Fisco
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10. Best Horror / Thriller Feature
ALMA AND THE WOLF – Michael Patrick Jann
• CROCODILE TEARS – Tumpal Tampubolon (Indonesia)
• IN THE MOUTH – Cory Santilli
• OBEX – Albert Birney
• SISTER MIDNIGHT – Karan Kandhari (India / UK)
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11. Best Horror Short
• AMYGDALA – Oskar Johansson
• HOWL AT THE DEAD – Gregg Bishop
• THE THINGS WE KEEP – Joanna Fernandez
• VIDEO BARN – Bianca Poletti
• WHITCH – Hoku Uchiyama
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12. Best LGBTQ+
REMNANTS OF NOVA – James Barker
• AD-LIB – Peter Vu Dien
• AMISH COUNTRY QUEER – Colleen C. Brady
• IN LOVE, SIMPLY – Luna Abreia
• THE APPRAISER – C.J. Arellano
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13. Best Music Video
MATCH MADE IN HELL 2 – Samuel W.H. Greaves
• BANNED IN THE USA – Rene Nuijens
• BEFORE THE SNOW – Joshua Glenn Finsel, Amber Artemis Finsel, Dennis Patrick
• WHATEVER – Fiorella Coto Segnini
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14. Best Director – Narrative Feature
• Albert Birney – OBEX
• Ari Gold – BROTHER VERSUS BROTHER WHATEVER – Fiorella Coto Segnini
• Karan Kandhari – SISTER MIDNIGHT – Karan Kandhari (Indonesia)
• Michael Patrick Jann – ALMA AND THE WOLF
• R.T. Thorne – 40 ACRES (Canada)
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15. Best Director – International Short Film
Belén Abarza, Eduardo Bunster – EL VUELO DE CHAIKA (Chile)
• Alexis Bicât – ROMCHYK (UK / Ukraine)
• Dani Feixas – PARIS 70 (Spain)
• Martín Seeger – EL CANON (Chile)
• Mohsen Nabavi – PHOENIX (Iran)
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16. Best Director – US Short Film
• Amy Frear – A STUPID MAN
• C.J. Arellano – THE APPRAISER
• Dustie Carter – HECK TO DEATH
• James Barker – REMNANTS OF NOVA
• Tony McCall – HAZY, HOT & STUPID
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17. Best Student Director – US
Chase Musslewhite – A WOMAN IS MANY THINGS (JUST FINE ISN’T ONE OF THEM)
• Grace Hanna – LOLA
• Joanna Fernandez – THE THINGS WE KEEP
• Luna Abreia – IN LOVE SIMPLY
• Reuben Fuchs – DON’T CALL ME FRIEND, I LOVED YOU
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18. Best Screenplay – Feature Film
• 40 ACRES – R.T. Thorne, Glenn Taylor (Canada)
• FUCKTOYS – Annapurna Sriram
• OBEX – Albert Birney, Pete Ohs
• SISTER MIDNIGHT – Karan Kandhari (India / UK)
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19. Best Actress – Feature Film
Radhika Apte – SISTER MIDNIGHT (India / UK)
• Annapurna Sriram – FUCKTOYS
• Danielle Deadwyler – 40 ACRES (Canada)
• Li Jun Li – ALMA AND THE WOLF
• Marissa Anita – CROCODILE TEARS (Indonesia)
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20. Best Actor – Feature Film
Ethan Embry – ALMA AND THE WOLF
• Albert Birney – OBEX
• Ari Gold & Ethan Gold – BROTHER VERSES BROTHER
• Michael Greyeyes – 40 ACRES (Canada)
• Yusef Mahardica – CROCODILE TEARS (Inonesia)
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21. Best Actress – Short Film – US
Amy Bailey – A WOMAN IS MANY THINGS (JUST FINE ISN'T ONE OF THEM)
• Alice Lin – AH-MA BURNS
• Eloise Lola Gordon – Remnants of Nova
• Katherine Mallen Kupferer – THEY RESCUE HORSES DON’T THEY
• Rebecca Holopter – THE THINGS WE KEEP
• Shannon DeVido – A STUPID MAN
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22. Best Actor – Short Film – US
• Isaac Andrade – HECK TO DEATH
• Jeffrey David Thomas – THE APPRAISER
• Mason Olashavsky – SOIL
• Zion Thomas – VISION
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23. Local Hero – PA Filmmaker Award
Samuel W.H. Greaves – FLOATING ABOVE
• Ben McLaughlin – SOIL
• Colleen C Brady – AMISH COUNTRY QUEER
• Jerry Stevens II, Phillip Mann – WHERE’S MY SHIT?!
• John Bradley – ONE STUNNING DAY
• Joshua Glenn Finsel, Dennis Patrick, Amber Artemis Finsel – BEFORE THE SNOW
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24. PA Student Filmmaker Award
Carter Stoudt – TAKE THREE PLEASE
• Fédor Benton – DOWN SAFE
• Casey Schaffer – BROTHERS: A CIVIL WAR STORY
• Joey Tangradi – HIVEMIND
• Peter Vu Dien – AD-LIB
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25. Audience Award
BROTHER VERSES BROTHER – Director Ari Gold
• 40 ACRES – R.T. Thorne (Canada)
• ALMA AND THE WOLF – Michael Patrick Jann
• FUCKTOYS – Annapurna Sriram
• NEW JACK FURY – Lanfia Wal
• SISTER MIDNIGHT – Karan Kandhari (India / UK)
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26. Best Music Video
MATCH MADE IN HELL 2 – Samuel W.H. Greaves
• 198 BROADWAY – Shara Donohue
• BANNED IN THE USA – Rene Nuijens (Netherlands)
• BEFORE THE SNOW – Joshua Glenn Finsel, Dennis Patrick, Amber Artemis Finsel
• LOTERIA – Daniel Osorio
• WHATEVER – Fiorella Coto Segnini (Spain)​​​​​​​
27. Spirit of Mauch Chunk Award
BEFORE THE SNOW – Josh Finsel, Amber Artemis Finsel, Dennis Patrick
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28. Young Filmmaker Award
• DOWN SAFE – Fédor Benton
• TAKE THREE PLEASE – Carter Stoudt
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29. Best Soundtrack
BROTHER VERSES BROTHER – Ethan & Ari Gold
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30. GRINDHOUSE MASTER
Jeffrey Garcia – MEAT MACHINE​
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