Awards

THE COMPLETE LIST OF 2025 FLICKERS’ RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS FOLLOWS:

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

GRAND PRIZE:

“The Most Powerful Human on Earth” | directed by Andrew Richardson | United Kingdom | 2025.

Jury Statement:

This year’s jury agreed unanimously that this film was wonderfully and perfectly executed. From its score, and costume and production design, to casting and its finely tuned performances, played with subtle nuance and dead-on comic timing. And a script that kept you wondering—and laughing. This year’s Grand Prize goes to “The Most Powerful Human on Earth,” directed by Andrew Richardson.

FIRST PRIZE:

“Seaforth” | directed by John Murdo MacAulay | United Kingdom | 2025.

Jury Statement:

In an epic yet intimate Scottish tale, visually stunning, and emotionally intriguing—so excellently executed by the filmmakers, the jury awards the RIIFF 2025 1st Prize to “Seaforth,” directed by John Murdo MacAulay.

Best Editing:

“A Sisyphean Task” | directed by Gus Flind-Henry, George Malcher | United Kingdom | 2025.

Jury Statement:

This might have been another familiar story about a young teacher who must win over her students. But the filmmakers’ approach is so boldly innovative, it becomes a fresh story, told in a way we’ve never seen told before. This is a 17-minute masterclass in visual storytelling. The jury awards a special prize in film editing to Paco Sweetman, for ‘A Sisyphean Task’. 

Best Cinematography:

“Ne Me Quitte Pas” | directed by Karim Huu Do | Spain.

Jury Statement:

Special Jury Prize for Cinematography for the stunning visual storytelling that perfectly utilizes both B&W and color imagery to push the story forward depicting waking dreams, love, comradery and betrayal.  The film is “Ne Me Quitte Pas” directed by Karim Huu Do

Best Performance:

“Amarela” | directed by André Hayato Saito | Brazil.

Jury Statement:

Melissa Uehara delivers an emotionally nuanced performance beyond her years, as Erika, a Japanese-Brazilian teenager struggling to find her identity and belonging in a community, which sees her as an “exotic” outsider. With almost no dialogue, only her face and body language, Melissa Uehara is able to lay bare her character’s devastating isolation. It is gut-wrenching. Her performance invites the audience into Erika’s inner world and shares a full spectrum of her emotions from childhood joy and empathy to pain and longing.

BEST SHORT ANIMATION

GRAND PRIZE:

“Ovary-Acting” | directed by Ida Melum | United Kingdom | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“Pillowzzz” | directed by Mosh (Animoshe) Benavram Akal | Israel | 2025

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

GRAND PRIZE:

“Voices From the Abyss” | directed by Irving Serrano and Victor Rejón | Mexico | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“Last Days on Lake Trinity” | directed by Charlotte Cooley | United States | 2024.

BEST FEATURE

GRAND PRIZE:

“I’ve Seen All I Need To See” | directed by Zeshaan Younus| United States| 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“DREAM!” | directed by Paul Spurrier | Thailand | 2024.

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

GRAND PRIZE :

“Good Shot”| directed by Joris Debeij | United States | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE :

“Parting the Waters” | directed by Michele Kuvin Kupfer, Marc Levy, Marc Salomon | United States | 2025.

ROBERT ADRICH FILMMAKER AWARD

Presented to a visionary filmmaker from Rhode Island whose work inspires and bolsters the industry on both a local and national level.

Tom DeNucci | director of “The Roaring Game” | United States | 2025.

BEST COMEDY FEATURE

GRAND PRIZE:

“Pools” | directed Sam Hayes| United States | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“A Farwell to Youth” | directed by Adam Jack | Canada | 2025.

BEST COMEDY SHORT

GRAND PRIZE:

“Cake” |directed by Caro Ribeiro | United States | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE: 

“The Trophy King” | directed by Tighe Boudreaux Kellner |United States, 2025.

BEST EXPERIMENTAL

GRAND PRIZE:

“Teach us how to fly” | directed by Liliya Syvytska | Ukraine| 2024.

FIRST PRIZE: 

“Luma”| directed by Rachel Albert| Italy | 2025.

BEST INDIGENOUS FILM

GRAND PRIZE:

KÜI| directed by Kahu Kaiha | New Zealand | 2024.

FIRST PRIZE:

Kusi Smiles | directed by Sisa Quispe | Peru | 2025

BEST DIRECTOR – FEATURE FILM

GRAND PRIZE: 

Daniel Bogran, director of “The Killing Moon”| USA| 2025.

BEST DIRECTOR – SHORT FILM

GRAND PRIZE:

Lilly Zhuang, director of “HERE” | United Kingdom, 2024.

THE MARLYN MASON AWARD

New voices, new perspectives by women in film

GRAND PRIZE:

“How I Learned to Die” | directed by Manya Glassman | United States | 2025.

HEARTS, MINDS, SOULS AWARD

Celebrating Films that Reflect the Jewish Experience.

GRAND PRIZE: 

“In search of Eva Freud”| directed by Isabelle Sieurin, Arthur Quaranta | France | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“Say as I Say” | directed by Daniel Solé | United States | 2025.

BEST SCREENPLAY

GRAND PRIZE:

“Last Day in Sofia” | directed by Denis Spiridonov| France, Bulgaria| 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“The Truck” | directed by Elizabeth Rao | United States | 2024.

NEW ENGLAND FILM FESTIVAL AWARD

Presented annually to a New England director whose work brings cinematic excellence to an international audience.

GRAND PRIZE: 

“Small Potatoes” | directed by Rich Allen | United States | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“My Kind of People” | directed by Joe Picozzi | United States | 2025.

BEST ACTOR

GRAND PRIZE:

Justin Russo | For his role in “My Kind of People” directed by Joe Picozzi, 2025

BEST ACTRESS

GRAND PRIZE:

Odessa A’zion | for her role in “Pools” directed by Sam Hayes.

ALTERNATIVE SPIRIT AWARD (LGBTQ) SHORT

GRAND PRIZE:

“A Thing About Kashem” | directed by Bijon Imtiaz | Bangladesh| 2025.

“Hidden” (迷藏)  | Directed by: Hsuan-Chi Kuo | Taiwan, 2021

ALTERNATIVE SPIRIT AWARD (DOCUMENTARY)

GRAND PRIZE: 

“Tomorrow’s Too Late” | Directed by Terry Loan | United Kingdom | 2025

ALTERNATIVE SPIRIT AWARD (FEATURE)
GRAND PRIZE:

“Starwalker” | directed by Corey Payette | Canada | 2025.

     BEST CHILDREN’S ANIMATED FILM

GRAND PRIZE:  

“Solstice”| directed by Luke Angus | United Kingdom| 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“The Drifting Guitar” | directed by Sophie Roze, | France | 2024. 

The Drifting Guitar | directed by Sophie Roze, | France | 2024.

LIVE ACTION Short

GRAND PRIZE:

“The Almost Adults” | directed by Rafaella Buzzi | Brazil| 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“Low Tide” | directed by David Noblet | France | 2025.

VORTEX SCI-FI, FANTASY & HORROR AWARD (Feature)

GRAND PRIZE:

“Thinestra” | directed by Nathan Hertz | United States | 2025. 

FIRST PRIZE:

“April X” | directed by Michel K Parandi | United States | 2025.

VORTEX SCI-FI, Fantasy & HORROR AWARD (Short)

GRAND PRIZE:

“dont.4get2smile” | directed by Stefano Alessandro Pennisi | United States.

FIRST PRIZE:

“The Knock Knock Game” | directed by Mac Hendrickson | United States.

BREAKING BOUNDARIES

Films that celebrate the endurance of the human spirit and resilience in the face of injustice.

GRAND PRIZE: 

“In The Clouds” | directed by Alexandra Bahíyyih Wain| United Kingdom | 2024.

 FIRST PRIZE: 

“LUCÍA”| directed by Clément Bompart | Canada| 2024.

BEST STUDENT FILM AWARD

College

GRAND PRIZE: 

“No Experience Necessary” | directed by Emily Everhard | United States | 2024.

FIRST PRIZE: 

“Lottie Baby”| directed by Bella Ray Rosales | United States | 2025.

BEST STUDENT FILM AWARD

High School

GRAND PRIZE:

“Stream of Consciousness” | directed by Sadie Schoenberger | United States | 2024.

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BEST MUSIC VIDEO

GRAND PRIZE:

“LAMENTO” | directed by Diego Contreras | United States | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE: 

“Sane Baby by Polly Bessette” | directed by Alex Watrous| United States | 2025.

BEST PODCAST

GRAND PRIZE: 

“Leylines” | Created by Rachel Music| United States | 2025.

FIRST Prize: 

“Josie’s Lonely Hearts Club”| Created by Good Story Guild | United States | 2025.

BEST TELEVISION PILOT/Webisode

GRAND PRIZE:

“The Price of Milk” | directed by Yoni Brook, Nicholas Bruckman | USA | 2025.

FIRST PRIZE:

“What Haunts Us” | directed by Lukáš Hanulák, Andy Fehu, Jan Haluza| Czech Republic | 2024.