2025 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners Announced
Top L–R: Zodiac Killer Project. Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo), Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Coexistence, My Ass!, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار)
Second Row L-R: DJ Ahmet, Two Women, The Things You Kill, Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears), Plainclothes, Twinless
Third Row L-R: Sorry, Baby, Ricky, Atropia, Selena y Los Dinos, Life After, André is an Idiot
Bottom L–R: The Perfect Neighbor, Seeds, East of Wall, Prime Minister
2025 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners Announced:
A Celebration of Independent Storytelling
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival has officially announced its award winners, recognizing the most powerful and thought-provoking films of the year. With a lineup showcasing bold narratives, innovative storytelling, and impactful documentaries, this year’s festival cemented its legacy as a premier platform for emerging and established filmmakers alike. From Atropia winning the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Competition to Seeds taking home the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentary, the awards honored a diverse array of films that resonated with audiences and critics alike.
Grand Jury Prizes:
U.S. Dramatic Competition: Atropia (Dir: Hailey Gates)
U.S. Documentary Competition: Seeds (Dir: Brittany Shyne)
World Cinema Dramatic Competition: Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) (Dir: Rohan Parashuram Kanawade)
World Cinema Documentary Competition: Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار) (Dirs: Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni)
NEXT Innovator Award Presented by Adobe: Zodiac Killer Project (Dir: Charlie Shackleton)
Audience Awards:
U.S. Dramatic Competition (Presented by Acura): Twinless (Dir: James Sweeney)
U.S. Documentary Competition (Presented by Acura): André is an Idiot (Dir: Anthony Benna)
World Cinema Dramatic Competition (Presented by United Airlines): DJ Ahmet (Dir: Georgi M. Unkovski)
World Cinema Documentary Competition (Presented by United Airlines): Prime Minister (Dirs: Michelle Walshe, Lindsay Utz)
NEXT Audience Award (Presented by Adobe): East of Wall (Dir: Kate Beecroft)
Special Jury Awards:
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting: Dylan O’Brien (Twinless)
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast: Plainclothes (Dir: Carmen Emmi)
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Archival Storytelling: Selena y Los Dinos (Dir: Isabel Castro)
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision: Georgi M. Unkovski (DJ Ahmet)
World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression: Coexistence, My Ass! (Dir: Amber Fares)
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival, which took place from January 23 to February 2 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, showcased 94 feature-length and episodic works and 57 short films from a total of 15,775 submissions. Winning films are available for online viewing through February 2.
A Festival of Powerful Stories
This year’s festival lineup featured films that tackled urgent social issues, intimate personal narratives, and genre-defying storytelling. Many of these films have been covered in our extensive Sundance review coverage, including standout titles like Plainclothes, Sorry, Baby, Together, and Rebuilding, each of which made an impression with their unique cinematic voices. You can read our full in-depth reviews for these films and more on our website.
Notable Jury Members:
U.S. Dramatic Competition: Reinaldo Marcus Green, Arian Moayed, Celine Song
U.S. Documentary Competition: Steven Bognar, Vinnie Malhotra, Marcia Smith
World Cinema Dramatic Competition: Ava Cahen, Wanuri Kahiu, Daniel Kaluuya
World Cinema Documentary Competition: Daniela Alatorre, Laura Kim, Kevin Macdonald
NEXT Section: Elijah Wood
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Key Quotes:
"These works spoke to our commitment to fostering empathy, understanding, and a more vibrant, inclusive society through storytelling." – Amanda Kelso, Acting CEO, Sundance Institute
"We are thrilled to honor these filmmakers for their inventiveness, generosity, and for the valuable conversations their work has offered." – Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival
The Future of Independent Film
As Sundance 2025 draws to a close, the festival once again highlights the vital role independent storytelling plays in the global film landscape. The winners and nominees represent the next wave of visionary filmmakers pushing the boundaries of cinema. Many of these films will continue their journeys through additional festivals, theatrical releases, and streaming platforms, ensuring that their impact is felt far beyond Park City.
For more insights, exclusive interviews, and deep dives into the biggest films from Sundance 2025, stay tuned to our ongoing coverage. and for information and tickets to select award-winning screenings, visit festival.sundance.org/tickets.
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