Los Angeles, California — The 2025 Slamdance Film Festival wrapped up this week, bringing an adventurous close to its first celebration in Los Angeles after relocating and transitioning to a new February schedule. This strategic change aimed to carve out its own niche, distinct from the Sundance Film Festival’s schedule, allowing for a more focused spotlight on its offerings.
Maintaining its tradition of promoting innovation and low-budget independent cinema, Slamdance once again showcased a plethora of debuting filmmakers and fresh narratives. One of the highlight’s from this year’s festival was the awarding of the Narrative Feature Grand Prize to Canadian filmmaker Henry Bernadet for his directorial debut “Gamma Rays.”
The documentary prize was clinched by “American Theater,” crafted by the American duo Nicholas Clark and Dylan Frederick. Demonstrating the festival’s emphasis on fostering new talent, the prestigious AGBO fellowship, which includes mentorship from filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo, was awarded to Margot Budzyna for her film “Deuce.”
The range of categories and winners at the festival highlights the diverse nature of contemporary filmmaking. Other notable awards included the Experimental Shorts Grand Jury Prize won by Allie Viti’s “Your Mailbox is Full” and the Animated Shorts Grand Jury Prize for Saki Muramoto’s “A Night at the Rest Area” from Japan.
In addition to juried prizes, audience favorites were spotlighted with Yun Xie’s “Under the Burning Sun” receiving the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, while “Coroner To The Stars,” a documentary by Ben Hethcoat and Keita Ideno, took home the Audience Award for Documentary Feature.
Impressively, the festival’s reach extended to recognizing emerging talents from various international backgrounds, affirming Slamdance’s commitment to being a global platform. Unstoppable categories, aimed to celebrate films overcoming exceptional challenges, were also prominently featured. Canadian entry “Racewalkers” by Phil Moniz and Kevin Claydon captured the Unstoppable Feature Grand Jury Prize.
Personal stories also garnered significant attention, with Lissa Carandang-Sweeney winning the Slamdance Acting Award for “Alice-Heart” and Becca Schall along with Jessica Taylor earning the Summer Chastant Episodic Award for their directorial work in “Victorian Ladies.”
Moreover, the festival’s “George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award” which honors individual spirit underlined the recognition given to Ben Kjar for his documentary, “Standout: The Ben Kjar Story.” Such accolades not only commend artistic merit but also the enduring spirit of independent storytelling.
As the curtains close on this edition of Slamdance, the festival leaves a lasting impression of vibrancy, resilience, and a rejuvenated sense of community among independent filmmakers. As it continues to grow in its new home, Slamdance is setting a new precedent for what a film festival can offer, both to participants and to an international audience of cinema enthusiasts.
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