The 31st Slamdance Film Festival this evening announced the winners of their annual Sparky Awards in Audience and Jury categories for 2025. The festival also announced the recipient of their AGBO Fellowship from Slamdance alumni Joe and Anthony Russo, a curated Acting Award, and the second annual Summer Chastant Episodic Award. All winners were announced during the in-person awards ceremony on February 26th at the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles, CA.
“Our first year in Los Angeles hasn’t just been a new chapter—it’s been a breakthrough,” said Taylor Miller, Slamdance Director. “These award-winning films don’t just stake a claim; they redefine what cinema can be. These filmmakers have cemented their place in the future of cinema, proving that Slamdance isn’t just moving—it’s evolving. And we’re just getting started.”
A celebration of emerging filmmaking talent from around the world, this year’s lineup consisted of 146 films – 21 of which are World Premiere features. The fully accessible lineup included 33 features, 104 shorts, and five episodics. For the second year in a row, Slamdance continues to champion female filmmakers, with women directing 55% of this year’s lineup – marking a powerful shift in independent filmmaking. The full Slamdance lineup is still available online on the Slamdance Channel through March 7th.
The AGBO Fellowship was awarded to Margot Budzyna. A friendship is threatened by an unexpected culprit: baseball practice in her narrative short Deuce.
Esteemed auteurs and industry professionals voted to determine the Slamdance Jury Awards which are given to films and filmmakers in nine categories: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Breakout Features, Unstoppable, Animated Shorts, Experimental Shorts, Narrative Shorts, Documentary Shorts, and Episodes.
Now in its second year, the Summer Chastant Episodic Award honoring her storytelling legacy was awarded to Becca Schall and Jessica Taylor for Victorian Ladies (United States).
The Narrative Feature Grand Jury prize was awarded to Gammy Rays directed by Henry Bernadet, with an Honorable Mention given to Alice-Heart directed by Mike Macera. The jury stated: “A moving portrait of youth, stunning cinematography, adept editing, incredible performances by young actors, and a fantastic window into the immigrant youth in Montreal.“
The Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize was awarded to American Theater directed by Nicholas Clark and Dylan Frederick, with an Honorable Mention given to Twin Fences directed by Yana Osman. The jury stated: “American Theater allows us to empathize with the characters beyond our own experience. From the very first shot we were immersed in the story. It introduces a community and compelling characters who may have once felt foreign to us, only to reveal how much more alike we are than we realize.”
The 2025 Slamdance Unstoppable Feature Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Racewalkers directed by Phil Moniz and Kevin Claydon, with an Honorable Mention given to Disposable Humanity directed by Cameron S. Mitchell. The jury Racewalkers was a joyful injection of humor and humanity juxtaposing the tough times we are in. The dynamic duo that made up this buddy comedy showcased disabled talent at its finest.”
The Slamdance Unstoppable Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Iron Lung directed by Andrew Reid, with an Honorable Mention given to Super High: A Period Piece directed by Bianca D. Lambert. The jury Iron Lung showcased excellent cinematography, direction, and production design. The exceptional acting of the two leads played off each other and created a tautly drawn thriller that elevated the stakes and kept audiences on the edge of their seats.”
The 6XTY Jury Prize was awarded to Vermin Beings directed by Kat Messings, with an Honorable Mention given to Red Light, Green Light directed by Corey Grispo. The jury The amount of time dedicated to this amazing 60 second film is clearly evident. Vermin Beings goes above and beyond in creativity and truly deserves to be celebrated.”
The Breakouts Feature Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Silent Trees directed by Agnieszka Zwiefka, with an Honorable Mention given to In the Mouth directed by Cory Santilli. The jury stated: “Silent Trees is beautifully filmed, giving us intimate poetic moments that cultivate a quiet commentary on the struggles of refugees, at a time when our world is increasingly turning a blind eye to them.”
The 2024 Episodes Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Serjan Bartan (Kazakhstan) directed by Alisher Utev, with an Honorable Mention given to I Need Your Love (United States) directed by Walker Kalan. The jury stated: “Incredibly strong, cinematic filmmaking, a unique world, POV, great humor, and authentic vantage into Kazakhstan.”
The 2024 Narrative Shorts Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Bita Joon (United States)directed by Sara Boutorabi, with an Honorable Mention given to Contours (United States) directed by Aisha Amin. The jury stated: “Blurring the lines between reality and fiction, director Sara Boutorabi gives us a powerful portrait of her own mother. A beautiful voyeuristic day in a life, reflecting to the audience the hidden pain of a loved one. Bita Tabatabai gives a tour de force performance. “
The Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Hooked (United Kingdom) directed by Glen Fulthorpe, with an Honorable Mention given to Only If The Baby Cries… (India) directed by Shadab Farooq. The jury stated: “This powerful film, years in the making, resonated with the jury through its profound message: peace is found in search of truth, rather than the truth itself.”
The Experimental Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Your Mailbox is Full (United States) directed by Allie Viti, with an Honorable Mention given to One Rehearses, The Other Doesn’t (United States) directed by Jessica Hankey. The jury stated: “Beautiful photography, explorative nature and fragments allowing the audience to piece together – An unexpected venture into the reality of a life – made up by the reflections left of YOU by others after missing a call.”
The Animated Shorts Grand Jury prize was awarded to A Night at the Rest Area (Japan) directed by Saki Muramoto, with an Honorable Mention given to ‘Never Fall in Love’ (China, Macao) directed by Lucy Sao Wa Iao and Angela En-Yu Lao. The jury stated: “Very seldom does an endeavor into animation strike the balance between peace and purpose. A Night At The Rest Area offers a portrait of a particular slice of life that reveals a unique truth. Exhaustion can be something that unites us. The rest area is treated as sacred. Boundaries are respected. Spaces are shared. Citizens agree to be temporary neighbors. All in exchange for the necessary tranquility needed in order for the rest area to serve its true purpose. This, combined with the film’s exquisite animation style, is what makes A Night At The Rest Area the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival winner for Best Animation.”
The George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award, voted on by filmmakers and given to the filmmaker who best embodies the spirit of the Festival, went to Ben Kjar, subject of the United States project Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (United States). The festival’s Outstanding Acting Award, which is curated by the Slamdance team, went to Lissa Carandang-Sweeney for Alice-Heart (United States).
The 2025 Audience Awards, voted on by Slamdance attendees went to narrative feature Under The Burning Sun (United States) directed by Yun Xie, documentary feature Coroner To The Stars (United States/Portugal) directed by Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno, and Unstoppable feature Disposable Humanity (Austria, Germany) directed by Cameron S. Mitchell.
This year’s lineup was chosen from nearly 10,000 submissions, 1,795 of which were features. All films selected in the Narrative Features and Documentary Features competition categories are directorial debuts without U.S. distribution, with budgets of less than $1 million USD – a feature that has been unique to the festival since its founding in 1995. This year’s lineup consisted of titles from over 20 countries including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Uganda, and the UK (United Kingdom) among others.
In addition to the Sparky’s, sponsored prizes for award winners were provided by Pessah Law Group, Boyd Chastant, and AGBO.
A full list of winners is below:
GRAND JURY AWARDS – FEATURES
Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize: Gamma Rays (Henry Bernadet, Canada)
Honorable Mention: Alice-Heart (Mike Macera, United States)
Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize: American Theater (Nicholas Clark and Dylan Frederick, United States)
Honorable Mention: Twin Fences (Yana Osman, Russia/Ukraine)
Breakouts Feature Grand Jury Prize: Silent Trees (Agnieszka Zwiefka, Poland)
Honorable Mention: In The Mouth (Cory Santilli, United States)
Episodes Grand Jury Prize: Serjan Bratan (Alisher Utev, Kazakhstan)
Honorable Mention: I Need Your Love (Walker Kalan, United States)
GRAND JURY AWARDS – UNSTOPPABLE
Unstoppable Grand Jury Prize: Racewalkers (Phil Moniz and Kevin Claydon, Canada)
Honorable Mention: Disposable Humanity (Cameron S. Mitchell, Austria/Germany)
JURY AWARDS – 6XTY
6XTY Jury Award: Vermin Beings (Kat Messing, United States)
Honorable Mention: Red Light, Green Light (Corey Grispo, United States)
JURY AWARDS – SHORTS
Narrative Short Grand Jury Prize: Bita Joon (Sara Boutorabi, United States)
Honorable Mention: Contours (Aisha Amin, United States)
Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize: Hooked (Glen Fulthrope, UK)
Honorable Mention: Only if the Baby Cries (Shadab Farooq, India)
Experimental Shorts Grand Jury Prize: Your Mailbox is Full (Allie Viti, United States)
Honorable Mention: One Rehearses, The Other Doesn’t (Jessica Hankey, United States)
Animated Shorts Grand Jury Prize: A Night at the Rest Area (Saki Muramoto, Japan )
Honorable Mention: Never Fall in Love (Lucy Sao Wa Iao and Angela En-Yu Lao, China/Macao)
FESTIVAL WIDE AWARDS:
The AGBO Fellowship, presented by Joe and Anthony Russo, Award Winner: Margot Budzyna director of Deuce (United States)
Summer Chastant Episodic Award: Becca Schall and Jessica Taylor directors of Victorian Ladies (United States)
Slamdance Acting Award: Lissa Carandang-Sweeney for Alice-Heart (United States)
George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award Winner: Ben Kjar of Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (United States)
AUDIENCE
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Under the Burning Sun (Xun Xie, United States)
Audience Award for Documentary Feature: Coroner To The Stars (Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno, United States/Portugal)
Audience Award for Unstoppable: Disposable Humanity (Cameron S. Mitchell, Austria/Germany)
