See also AWARD WINNERS OF OCTOBER 2025: TECHNICAL CATEGORIES
Best Short of the Season (Special Jury Award)
Dizzy by Zac La Roc (USA)
Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)
Nothing But the End by Tanguy Pichon (Switzerland)
Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)
Unfair Routes by Giorgos Logothetis (Greece)
Best Short of the Season – Runner-up (Special Jury Mentions)
Echoes by Sean Nam (France)
I Am by Ivan Stepanov (Cyprus)
Past Perfect by Maria Besedova (Russia)
The Witch Pricker and the Hare by Brynn Mitchell (USA)
Thickly Settled by Brian D Jones and Jordan Brooks (USA)
Best Indie Short: Dizzy by Zac La Roc (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Indie Short): Unfair Routes by Giorgos Logothetis (Greece)
Honorable Mention (Indie Short): Past Perfect by Maria Besedova (Russia)
Best Drama Short: The Witch Pricker and the Hare by Brynn Mitchell (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Drama Short): I Am by Ivan Stepanov (Cyprus)
Honorable Mention (Drama Short): The Gift of Talisman by Weixing Chen (China)
Best Student Short: Mirror Of Time by Ciara Schaefer (Ireland)
Honorable Mention (Student Short): Ashes by Yu Zhou (China)
Best Documentary Short: 27 Minutes by Alexander Sworik (Canada)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Documentary Short): Trauma: The New Epidemic by Matthew Jacobson and Backer Hamada (Ethiopia and USA)
Honorable Mention (Documentary Short): Saaya: Our Real Demons by Halimah Tariq (Pakistan)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Comedy Short): Faire Play by Charles Maxwell and Katy Smith (USA)
Honorable Mention (Comedy Short): Mind, Please Sit! by Paulo Magalhães (Netherlands)
Best Dark Comedy Short: Deaf Wish by Leo Servant and Daniel Short (France)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Dark Comedy Short): Shining Armor by Natalie Ruxton (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Action Short): Born Outlaws by Gattlin Griffith (USA)
Honorable Mention (Crime Short): Bloodbound by Mustafa Abbas (UAE)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Thriller Short): Obscura by Santha Rowles (USA)
Honorable Mention (Thriller Short): Rachel’s Room by Matilde Ebeian (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Mystery Short): Satori by Emanuel Amadeus Markskog (Sweden)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Horror Short): Help! by Don Ischa Zhijian Wei (Netherlands and Suriname)
Honorable Mention (Horror Short): Dry Stone by Vitaly Flipgraf (USA)
Best Sci-Fi Short: Echoes by Sean Nam (France)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Sci-Fi Short): Rebel Storm: A Star Wars Collateral Story by Marino Darés (Spain)
Honorable Mention (Sci-Fi Short): Pro by Ray Peng (China)
Best Fantasy Short: Thickly Settled by Brian D Jones and Jordan Brooks (USA)
Honorable Mention (Fantasy Short): Into the Fold by Andrea Manners (USA)
Best Animation Short: Ocher by Chee Ho (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Animation Short): The Family Photo by John Norris Ray and Maria Victoria Sanchez (USA)
Honorable Mention (Animation Short): Him by Jim HuiHui (China)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Children Short): Hide and Seek by Xiyuan Qiao (China)
Honorable Mention (Children Short): Changing Room by Ruchir Kulkarni (India)
Best Women Short: The Witch Pricker and the Hare by Brynn Mitchell (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Women Short): 59 Carmine Street by Isabelle Leonard (USA)
Honorable Mention (Women Short): Second Shift by Jackie Moore (USA)
Best LGBTQ Short: 20:15 México DF by Alejandro Di Meglio (Argentina)
Outstanding Achievement Award (LGBTQ Short): Period by Kat Olson (USA)
Honorable Mention (LGBTQ Short): April 14, 1982 by John G Young (USA)
Best Microfilm: Returning to Olivia by Nikolas Nainoa Langer (USA)
Honorable Mention (Microfilm): Happy Ending by Adrián Rivero (Spain)
Best Experimental Short: Sheroism by Wei Yi (China)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Experimental Short): Through the Looking Glass by Wei Yi (China)
Honorable Mention (Experimental Short): Part of Four by Wei Yi (China)
Best Music Video: Drive You Like A Cadillac by Ryan Maw, Sacha Carlson, and Skyler Poiley (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Music Video): Strolling Down Brighton Pier by Kenny McCracken (UK and USA)
Honorable Mention (Music Video): Wake Up by Joseph Larkin, Zak Dossi, and Tristan Kevitch (USA)
Best Screendance Short: The Crossing by Mike Tyus (USA)
Honorable Mention (Screendance Short): æ – Ⅲ Wholeness and Body by Reiko Yonezawa (Japan and USA)
Honorable Mention (Web Series/TV Pilot): Don’t Do It by Nandi Sharma and Vinnie Falcone (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Parody Short): Fossil Record by Karla Weber (Canada)
Best Trailer/Teaser: The Night Club by Caroline Klank (USA)
Honorable Mention (Trailer/Teaser): Otherside by Luca Handschuh (Switzerland)
Best Short Script: The Seed Between Worlds And Stars by Celeste Escalera (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Short Script): Echoes by Xiaoyi Li (China)
Honorable Mention (Short Script): Silent Screams by Jiayi Ouyang (China)
See also AWARD WINNERS OF OCTOBER 2025: TECHNICAL CATEGORIES
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