The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the Grand Jury Prize winners and Special Mentions for AFI Fest 2025 Presented by Canva. The Grand Jury Prize winners for Live Action Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short will be eligible for consideration in the 2026 Academy Awards for Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Animated Short.
This year’s jury was comprised of filmmakers Sue-Ellen Chitunya, Katherine Propper, and film programmer, producer, and publicist Rachel Walker.
Grand Jury Prize – Live Action
Majonezë (Dir. Giulia Grandinetti)
Jury Statement: “A young woman breaks free from the imposing forces of her life in this well-acted tale of family, love, and rebellion. Immersing us in the local rituals and natural wonders of the Albanian countryside, Majonezë is an entertaining, cinematic punk rock fable.”
Grand Jury Prize – Documentary Short
Shanti Rides Shotgun (Dir. Charles Frank)
Jury Statement: “For having the intuition to know this local character deserves the spotlight and the skillful economic storytelling that lets her story shine, we award the Grand Jury Prize – Documentary to Shanti Rides Shotgun. We enjoyed learning how to drive through the jam-packed streets of New York with Shanti. The candor, enthusiasm, and commitment she brings to her job as a driving instructor for three decades left us wanting to go on a joy ride with her.”
Grand Jury Prize – Animated Short
Forevergreen (Dir. Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears)
Jury Statement: “Forevergreen captivates with its beautifully realized visual world and profound emotional resonance. Through the touching relationship between an orphaned bear cub and a father-figure tree, the film intertwines themes of friendship and sacrifice with incisive commentary on greed and climate change. It is a work that both enchants and challenges us, reminding us of the fragile interdependence between nature, compassion, and survival.”
Special Jury Mentions
Special Jury Mention for Craft
The Fisherman (Dir. Calvin Brown)
Katherine Propper: “With its top-tier ‘animagic’ style, The Fisherman lures us into the haunting Biblical story of Job. The poetry of speech and skilled craftsmanship on display here is astounding.”
Special Jury Mention for Direction – Documentary Short
Welcome Home Freckles (Dir. Huiju Park)
Sue-Ellen Chitunya: “It’s no easy feat directing oneself in a deeply personal family story where you’re the central character. We were moved by how Huiju delicately balances capturing images and telling an introspective story of unresolved conflicts from her childhood through difficult conversations with her parents and family members.”
Special Jury Mention for Bravery in Storytelling
Coyotes (Dir. Said Zagha)
Sue-Ellen Chitunya: “Coyotes receives a special mention for its bravery in storytelling, with its humanely challenging look at what choices one might make in order to survive in war-torn regions.”
Special Jury Mention for Direction – Live Action Short
Poster Boy (Dir. India Opzoomer)
Rachel Walker: “Every frame counts in this precise and thoughtful glimpse into the audition of an ambitious ’90s boy band hopeful. Throw in the superb tension and pitch-perfect performances, and there’s no question that India Opzoomer is a director to watch.”
Special Jury Mention for Vision – Animated Short
9 Million Colors (Dir. Bára Anna)
Sue-Ellen Chitunya: “A vibrant and melodious stop-motion animation with no dialogue, 9 Million Colors deftly portrays an unlikely friendship between a mantis shrimp and a blind fish. It’s joyous to watch and gives us a new way to see the magical world that lives under the sea.”
Special Jury Mention for Vision – Live Action Short
Water Sports (Dir. Whammy Alcazaren)
Katherine Propper: “A vibrant, apocalyptic vision by a filmmaker having so much fun with composition and form. Water Sports pulses to the beat of its fiery drum.”
This year’s festival welcomed a record number of attendees, with ticket and pass sales up over 10% from the previous year.
The 2025 lineup featured 7 Red Carpet Premieres, 12 Special Screenings, 14 Luminaries selections, 15 Discovery films, 20 World Cinema selections, 15 Documentaries, 6 After Dark titles, 44 films in the Short Film Competition, and 23 films from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks.
There were 5 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres, and 4 U.S. Premieres. Of the official selections, 39% were directed by women and 29% by BIPOC filmmakers. The program represented 56 countries and included 20 Best International Feature Oscar® submissions, including All That’s Left of You (Jordan), Eagles of the Republic (Sweden), Fiume o Morte (Croatia), Happy Birthday (Egypt), Kokuho (Japan), Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan), The Love That Remains (Iceland), Magellan (Philippines), My Armenian Phantoms (Armenia), My Father’s Shadow (United Kingdom), The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (Chile), Orphan (Hungary), Palestine 36 (Palestine), A Poet (Colombia), The President’s Cake (Iraq), Sound of Falling (Germany), The Tale of Silyan (North Macedonia), A Useful Ghost (Thailand), The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia), and Young Mothers (Belgium).
AFI Conservatory alumni with films at the festival included Patrick Creadon, Frederick Elmes, Affonso Gonçalves, Patty Jenkins, Matthew Libatique, Lucy McKendrick, Williams Means, Charlie Polinger, Masanobu Takayanagi, Amy Vincent, and James Wilson.
Returning filmmakers included Bradley Cooper, Annemarie Jacir, Charlie Kaufman, Sam Pollard, Ben Proudfoot, Hong Sang-soo, Clay Tweel, and Thom Zimny.
Festival guests included Mahershala Ali, Will Arnett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Guillermo del Toro, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Patty Jenkins, Spike Jonze, Rami Malek, Kristen Stewart, Sydney Sweeney, Jeremy Allen White, Bruce Springsteen, and SpongeBob SquarePants & Patrick Star.
REELated:
AFI Fest 2025 presented by Canva announces full lineup
