WINNERS Chicago New Directors New Screenwriters Awards 2025

2025 September 20

WINNERS Chicago New Directors New Screenwriters Awards 2025

NeverWere: a Lycan Love Story

By Chris Ross Leong

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCRIPT & BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITER 2025

The Adventures Of CJ

By Gaby Day

BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION SCRIPT 2025

TRACE-Tracing Rare African Canadian Extraordinaire

By Sonia Aimy

BEST INDIE DOCUMENTARY

Amen-Amen-Amen: A Story of Our Times

By Thomas Gallagher

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR & BEST PRODUCER (Category: Documentary Festure)

Fractures In Time

By Lesley Ann Albiston

BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE, BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT

Monument to Love

By Jacob Comforty

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST PRODUCER & BEST ORIGINAL EDITING (Category: Documentary Feature)

Virulence

By Christopher Pennington

BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT, BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE & BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER

Noise

By R.Scott MacLeay

BEST ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR 2025 & BEST ORIGINAL EDITING

Josh’s Employment Agency of Brooklyn/the Hereafter

By Nancy Kimmel

BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER (Category: International Feature Script)

The Mountain

By Ruth Finnegan

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT SCRIPT & BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER

See me

By Anton Svantesson-Helkiö

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY. BEST EDITING & BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT (Category: Narrative Short)

Asherah’s Colors

By Gary Mazeffa

BEST INDIE NARRATIVE SHORT FILM, BEST PRODUCTION COMPANY, BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER & BEST ACTING

Thankful

By Earnest Diaz

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS FEATURE SCRIPT 2025 & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENWRITER

The Days of Knight: Chapter 1

By John Martinez

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE SHORT 2025, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT, BEST LOCATION & BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Sheldon Mashugana gets Stooged

By Dean Morgan

BEST AMERICAN COMEDY & BEST ORIGINAL ACTOR

Forevermore

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM, BEST ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST EUROPEAN INDIE FILMMAKER

Sequoia Spirits

By Cherie Carson

BEST INTERNATIONAL DANCE MOVIE 2025 & BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER

Credo

By Don Pasquale Ferone

BEST EUROPEAN MUSIC VIDEO, BEST SPIRITUAL SONG & BEST INTERNATIONAL SINGER

Eye of the Storm

By Brooke Wolff

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 2025, BEST BIOGRAPHICAL PROJECT, BEST PRODUCER, & BEST EDITING

Doctor Hyphoteses

By Vicentini Gomez

BEST ACTOR 2025 & BEST INDIE COMEDY 2025

Something ain’t right

By Susan Downs

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY 2025, BEST STORYTELLING & BEST ORIGINAL MOVIEMAKER

Lambada The Dance Of Fate

By Kai Fischer

BEST WRITING STYLE, BEST INTERNATIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT & BEST INDIE WRITER

Fear not, my child

By Michaela Kuti

BEST SONG 2025 & BEST SOUND DESIGN

Mecca

By Monte Albers de Leon

BEST LGBTQ+ & BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER 2025

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

By Ken Kimmelman

BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKER 2025 & BEST VIDEO POETRY

Fire Flies

By Larry Gene Fortin

BEST FANTASY SCRIPT 2025 & BEST ACTION SCRIPT

Flannel & Rue

By Larry Gene Fortin

BEST AMERICAN WRITER & BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION SCRIPT

Boxed In

By Steve Hunyi

BEST ARTHOUSE SHORT FILM, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST INDIE DIRECTOR

The Rorschach Test

By Lena Mattsson

BEST EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2025 & BEST INSPIRATIONAL FILM

Not Without Gloves

By Lena Mattsson

BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST INTERNATIONAL ART FILM 2025

Katabasis

By Samantha Casella

BEST INDIE FILM, BEST CASTING DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature) & BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS

Life Is Beautiful

By Dhanashree Ganatra

BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG 2025 & BEST SOUND DESIGN

The Arcangel Of Death

By Vincenzo Amoruso

BEST INTERNATIONAL YOUNG ACTOR 2025, BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM & BEST ORIGINAL ACTING

Routine

By Russell Emanuel

BEST AMERICAN FILMMAKER 2025, BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST EDITING

The Assassin’s Apprentice 2: Silbadores of the Canary Islands

By Russell Emanuel

BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCER, BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SHORT FILM, BEST CAST, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

In a Whole New Way

By Jonathan Fisher

BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM 2025 & 2025 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION PRIZE

Wacko

By Matthew Roch

BEST AMERICAN NARRATIVE FEATURE 2025, BEST INDIE PRODUCER, BEST SCREENPLAY & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE MOVIEMAKER

Effata

By Anaya Music Kunst 

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC VIDEO 2025 & BEST INTERNATIONAL VOICE

Chateau De Tarot

By Reid Barwick

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER & BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

 “Only You Can Save Her,” pilot teleplay of series THE BOY WHO EARNED HIS MAGIC

By Lynn Elliott

BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION SCRIPT & BEST AMERICAN WRITER 2025

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

The Stones of Rome

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR & BEST HISTORICAL SHORT FILM

The Pathos of Hamlet

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM & BEST ARTHOUSE ACTING

The Dead Ringer

By Suzanne Lutas

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY

The Duchess

By C. Arnold Curry

BEST INDIE DRAMA 2025, BEST WRITING STYLE & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Ominipotent Resolution

By Uniqueness Heiress & Azia

BEST INTERNATIONAL DANCE FILM, BEST ARTHOUSE MUSIC VIDEO, BEST ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR (Category: Musical)

Precious the Baby Dragon

By Dawn Menge

BEST INTERNATIONAL ORIGINAL WRITER & BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Priory of Sion and the treasure of abbey Sauniere of Rennes the Castle France

By Florence Cazebon-Taveau

BEST EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER & BEST HISTORICAL SCREENPLAY

I Just Want To Be With You

By Jeremy and Christine Stork

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE MUSIC VIDEO & BEST ORIGINAL SONG 2025

Queen: checkmate for the king

By Luca De Giorgi 

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST EDITING (Category: Documentary Feature)

A Long Journey

By Mira Kim

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR (Category: Experimental Film) & BEST ORIGINAL EXPERIMENTAL FILM

Croix – The Prequel: Kiss The Ring

By Charli Brown

BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST AMERICAN DIRECTOR, BEST CASTING DIRECTOR & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT

Heat and Love

By Michał Kucharski

BEST FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR (Category: Music Video), BEST ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE MUSIC VIDEO

Get out Breathing

By Nathan Benham

BEST INTERNATIONAL DRAMA & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE DIRECTOR 2025

Colombano e la 21esima Fetta

By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

BEST ORIGINAL FILM 2025, BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY & BEST EUROPEAN ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR

The G-Files

By John Johnson

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR (Category: Documentary Feature) & BEST ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 2025

Black Wolf

By Jamie Sutliff

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST INDIE MOVIEMAKER & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT

The Edge “Into The Past”

By Gary St. Martin

BEST INTERNATIONAL PILOT TV 2025 & BEST SCREENWRITER (Category: Pilot TV)

The Duchess

By Arnold Curry

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENWRITER & BEST INDIE PRODUCER (Category: Drama)

Urban Eats MTL

By Ioannis Koutroubis

BEST INTERNATIONAL WEB/TV SERIES, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER (Category: Web/Tv Series)

The Ghost and the Gold Louis

By Jamie Sutliff

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE TV SERIES OF THE YEAR

I Waited for You

By Jennifer Glee

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST ORIGINAL EDITING (Category: Experimental Film)

Louie (KR.ONE) Gasparro 5POINTZ

By Eirini Alligiannis

BEST ARTHOUSE MOVIEMAKER & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Nossos Caminhos

By Carla Di Bonito

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENPLAY, BEST DRAMA SCRIPT & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE SCREENWRITER

Unmaskyourlife

By Bruno Marro

BEST EUROPEAN SONG OF THE YEAR & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SINGER

Medea

By Andronica Marquis

BEST INDIE DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENWRITER, BEST CAST & BEST MAKE-UP ARTIST (Category: Narrative Short)

Lucky in Long Island

By Michelle Lynn

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCRIPT

An Ever After Drama

By Michelle Lynn

BEST ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Silver Lights

By Michelle Lynn

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE WRITER & BEST INTERNATIONAL BOOK/MANUSCRIPT 2025

Brothers of Babylon

By Gabriel Womack

BEST AMERICAN SCREENWRITER & BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT

Ghost Town, N.M.

By Lynn Elliott

BEST ORIGINAL INDIE SCREENWRITER WRITER (Category: FEATURE SCRIPT)

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS SCRIPT & AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT 2025

Borderline Justice

By Lynn Elliott

BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIP 2025

“Only You Can Save Her,” pilot teleplay of series THE BOY WHO EARNED HIS MAGIC

By Lynn Elliott

BEST INTERNATIONAL PILOT TV

Doctor Hyphoteses

By Vicentini Gomez

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE DIRECTOR & BEST ACTOR 2025

A Child’s Voice

By Karen Matthews

BEST SCREENWRITER (Category: International Television Script)

Dancing with Spies @Goddess

By Francis Billingsley

BEST INDIE BOOK/MANUSCRIPT 2025

The Golden Years

By Joe Starzyk

BEST INDIE SHORT FILM 2025, BEST FILMMAKER & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER (Category: Narrative Short Film)

Walking With God

By Lois Banks

BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE, BEST MOVIEMAKER & BEST SCREENPLAY

Flashes of Light (Bagliori)

By Mattia Paone

BEST EUROPEAN NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST INDIE PRODUCER & BEST EUROPEAN INDIE FILMMAKER

The Devil Wind

By Jamie Sutliff

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR & BEST INDIE DIRECTOR (Category: Narrative Feature)

Water

By Gary Beeber

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR, BEST EDITING & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA (Category: Documentary Feature)

Passacaglia

By Ryosuke Handa

BES ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE FEATURE, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION COMPANY & BEST INTERNATIONAL MOVIEMAKER

Hollywood Elite Podcast Episode 2 Sir Earl Toon Jr Apr 2025

By Tommy Anderson & Sherry Severs

BEST INTERNATIONAL WEB/TV SERIES & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Web/Tv Series)

The Invitation

By Thorsten Schade

BEST INTERNATIONAL HORROR OF THE YEAR, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: Horror)

Dinner With Dance

By Katherine Schimmel

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT SCRIPT OF THE YEAR, BEST WRITING STYLE & BEST ORIGINAL WRITER

Searching for Camelot

By Roger Paradiso

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR 2025 & BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY

Cassandra Venice

By Hugo Teugels

BEST EUROPEAN FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR & BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHY

Emergency Musical Response: Part 1 – Journey to Netherworld

By Alexander Senicki

BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL 2025

The Girl Made of Earth and Water

By Pamela PerryGoulardt

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA, BEST EDITING (Category: International Super Short Film) & BEST SUPER SHORT 2025

Wave Man

By Anna Morelli

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR & BEST EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER

Downriver

By Andea Boll

BEST DANCE FILM 2025 & BEST FILMMAKER (Category: International Dance Film)

I Swear

By Richard VanOverbroeck

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC VIDEO & BEST FILMMAKER (Category: Music Video)

The New Immigrants- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

BEST INTERNATIONAL ORIGINAL DIRECTOR & BEST STUDENT FILM

A Lady’s Love

By Sonia Machado Hines

BEST INDIE NARRATIVE FEATURE & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature Film)

I Know What You Do When I Go to School

Written and illustrated by Siona Talekar

Published by Story Monsters Press

BEST ORIGINAL BOOK OF THE YEAR

Bert the Singing Cat

By Darla Zuhdi

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS MUSIC VIDEO & BEST AMERICAN SINGER 2025