Sundance 2025 Closes with a Flourish: ‘Cactus Pears’ Wins Grand Jury Prize Among Notable Global Honorees

Park City, Utah – The Sundance Film Festival, which took place from January 23 to February 2, 2025, has once again highlighted a diverse and vibrant array of cinematic talent from around the globe. This year’s festival ended with a grand awards ceremony at The Ray Theatre, where filmmakers from every corner of the world gathered to celebrate the art of cinema.

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s “Cactus Pears” won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The film, a collaborative venture between India, the UK, and Canada, tells the tale of Anand, who, during a 10-day mourning period for his late father in rural Western India, forms a poignant connection with a local farmer. The jury praised the film as a defining modern love story.

In the same category, “DJ Ahmet,” directed by Georgi M Unkovski from North Macedonia and produced with Czech Republic, Serbia, and Croatia, received both the Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. The film narrates the story of a young boy using music to navigate the challenges of familial expectations and his first love in a conservative community in North Macedonia.

Another notable win came for Alireza Khatami’s “The Things You Kill,” a collaborative project from Turkey, France, Poland, and Canada, which claimed the prize for Best Directing. The film delves into complex themes of masculinity and morality, impressing the jury with its nuanced storytelling and craftsmanship.

The documentary categories also presented thought-provoking winners. “Cutting Through Rocks” by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, an international production involving countries like Iran, Germany, and the USA, captured the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Described by the jury as a compelling portrait, it follows a courageous woman’s electoral campaign in a remote Iranian village.

Additionally, the jury granted “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” the Special Jury Award, while “Coexistence, My Ass!” by Amber Fares and Rachel Leah Jones, a USA and France production, received the Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression.

The festival also saw a strong showing from U.S. filmmakers in the US Cinema Competitions. Among the winners was “Atropia,” directed by Hailey Gates, which took the Grand Jury Prize in the Dramatic category, and “Seeds” by Brittany Shyne, which won in the Documentary category.

The festival not only recognized feature films but also celebrated achievements in short films and provided special awards for innovative work and creative vision. Each winner, from full-length features to shorts, from actors to directors, reflects Sundance’s continuing commitment to diverse voices and stories in cinema.

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival provided a showcase not just for emerging talent but also for the themes and issues pressing on societies around the world, turning individual stories into universal conversations. As films continue to be a lens through which we view the complexities of human experience, Sundance remains a vital platform for artistic expression.

For more information on specific awards and recipients, including interviews and reviews of the films, please refer to the festival’s official sources and announcements.

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