The 2025 festival Awards Night is May 19, 2025.

Check back here to learn more about the winners.

Congratulations to last year’s winners, honored at Awards Night on May 13, 2024 at the Paris Theatre:

Best Film Award presented by Good Behavior Films
Paula Bourgie, The Loon

Focus Features Award for Social and Cultural Impact
Juan Paulo Laserna, Not My Name

James Ponsoldt Award for Best Director
Paula Bourgie, The Loon
Javier Hirschler, Bruno & Elena

3Pas Studios Award for Excellence in Producing
Nina Cochran, Dad Swap

Adrienne Shelly Foundation Award for Best Female Director
Paula Bourgie, The Loon

National Board of Review Student Grant Nominees
Mathilde Hauducoeur, Pillow Talk 
Dong-Ren Hong, Youth, Youth
Lunise Cerin, Victorine
Javier Hirschler, Bruno & Elena
Paula Bourgie, The Loon

Marion Carter Green Award Nominees
Prash Sampathkumaran, Something Between Us

Launch Fund Recipients
Vishnu Sinha
Maggie Talbot-Minkin
Chad Hamilton

Milena Jelinek Memorial Award
Miruna Straut

David Henry Hammer Award
Kunao Yan

Robert Gore Rifkind Foundation Launch Fund for Queer Filmmakers
Anastasia Ayazi De Marchi

Richard Brick Fund for Special Distinction in Line Producing
Sharon Mayo

The Michael Hausman/Buffalo Mike Filmhaus Foundation Award
Zing Chen
Laura Ganotis
Claire Hackett

2024 Audience Award Winners:
Program A:  Premiere, Dir. Omer Ben-David, P. Jake Huebner
Program B:  Not My Name, Dir. Juan Paulo Laserna, P. Valeria Contreras
Program C:  Our House, Dir. Maggie Talbot-Minkin, P. Claire Hackett
Program D:  Way Back Home, Dir. Chad Hamilton, P. Gorby Mufan Shih
Program E:  The Last Summer, Dir. Patrick Wei, Writer-Producer. Leah Scott
Program F:  Golden Years, Dir. Jared Wiedmeyer, Co-writer Charlie Netto, P. Ralph Semilla
Program G:  Dad Swap, Dir. Ethan Mermelstein, P. Nina Cochran
Program H:  29 Hour Famine, Dir. Vivienne Shaw, P. Gorby Mufan Shih