As Slamdance 2025 comes to a close, we can’t help but reflect on some of our absolute favorites from this year’s lineup. Alice-Heart, Racewalkers, Gamma Rays, Under the Burning Sun, Portal to Hell, and Know Me were just a few of the standout films that left an impact. We still have a few more reviews coming, along with our highlighted shorts and documentary recap, so keep an eye out as we wrap up the week. But for now, let’s get to what everyone’s been waiting for—the winners of the 31st Slamdance Film Festival!
During an in-person ceremony at the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles, the festival announced its Sparky Award winners, along with the AGBO Fellowship, the Summer Chastant Episodic Award, and this year’s curated Acting Award.
Slamdance continues to evolve, and this year’s festival, which marked its first time in Los Angeles, showcased 146 films from over 20 countries, including 33 feature films and 104 shorts. With 55% of the lineup directed by women, the festival remains committed to pushing independent cinema forward.
And the Winners Are…
Taking home the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize was Gamma Rays, directed by Henry Bernadet, with an Honorable Mention going to Alice-Heart by Mike Macera. Meanwhile, the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize went to American Theater by Nicholas Clark and Dylan Frederick, with Twin Fences receiving an Honorable Mention.
In the Unstoppable category, celebrating films by and about disabled talent, the Grand Jury Prize went to Racewalkers, while Disposable Humanity earned an Honorable Mention.
The Breakouts Feature Grand Jury Prize, recognizing films that push the boundaries of storytelling, went to Silent Trees by Agnieszka Zwiefka, with In the Mouth receiving an Honorable Mention.
In the shorts categories, the Narrative Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Bita Joon, while Hooked won the Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize. The Animated Shorts category saw A Night at the Rest Area take home the top honor, and in the Experimental Shorts category, Your Mailbox is Full claimed the win.
The Audience Awards, voted on by festival attendees, went to Under the Burning Sun (Best Narrative Feature), Coroner to the Stars (Best Documentary Feature), and Disposable Humanity (Best Unstoppable Feature).
The prestigious AGBO Fellowship, presented by Joe and Anthony Russo, was awarded to Margot Budzyna for her short film Deuce, while the Summer Chastant Episodic Award went to Becca Schall and Jessica Taylor for Victorian Ladies. The Slamdance Acting Award was given to Lissa Carandang-Sweeney for her performance in Alice-Heart.
Slamdance 2025: A Year of Growth and Evolution
Festival Director Taylor Miller summed it up best:
“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 huge thank you to the Slamdance team for another incredible festival. If you missed any of the films, there’s still time to catch the lineup on the Slamdance Channel until March 7th.
We’ll be back next year—but for now, let’s keep the conversation going. Let us know your favorites from Slamdance 2025! 🎥🔥
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)
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