Los Angeles, CA – In an exclusive unveiling at an art fair amidst the creative buzz of Los Angeles, Ja’Lisa Arnold has captured the prestigious $10,000 Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award for 2025. Meanwhile, Christopher Guerrero clinched the $2,500 Audience Award, a prize determined by public vote. Both awards were presented during a private ceremony celebrated within the art community.
The Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award, in partnership with Ghetto Film School and Fifth Season, serves as a notable platform supporting emerging filmmakers. Initiated in 2019, the program has encouraged over 40 fellows, fostering new and influential voices in the cinematic landscape.
This year, Arnold impressed the jury with her film “Grief Cannot Exist Without Joy,” a poignant narrative centered around Tobi, a musician reeling from his brother Lou’s death. The film explores Tobi’s journey to emotional recovery, which he navigates through music, particularly by finishing a song he started with his brother.
Claudio de Sanctis, Head of Private Bank and member of the Management Board at Deutsche Bank, commended the film for its profound depiction of brotherly love and the personal fight against engulfing grief. He expressed pride in the bank’s role in nurturing filmmakers in Los Angeles through this initiative.
The award selection was overseen by a distinguished jury including figures from film, art, and media sectors such as de Sanctis; Christine Messineo, Director of Americas at Frieze; Tayanna Todd from Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group; Rhys Ernst, a filmmaker and artist; Erin Christovale from Hammer Museum; and RaMell Ross, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
Conversely, Guerrero’s entry, “Reprogrammed,” presents a retro-futuristic Los Angeles. The narrative follows Andrea, a roboticist who has devoted her life to crafting IRIS, an advanced sentient system. The unfolding story reveals Andrea’s struggles with her creation and paralleling issues with her father, showcasing themes of sentience and human relationship repair.
Frieze’s Director of Americas, Messineo, emphasized the importance of such initiatives in bolstering opportunities for budding talent, highlighting their significant impact visible in works such as those celebrated this year.
The Frieze Los Angeles art fair, holding its sixth edition, continues to be a pivotal event in the local cultural calendar, taking place through February 23. It remains a central stage for recognizing and advancing artistic and filmic talents in the heart of the movie industry.
The awards highlight the continuing commitment to support and develop future cinema through diverse and powerful storytelling, nurturing talent that can articulate complex human emotions and societal issues.
As narratives like “Grief Cannot Exist Without Joy” and “Reprogrammed” take center stage, they reflect the encompassing breadth of human experience and the transformative power of storytelling in shaping perspectives and healing.
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