2025 Award Winners

FULL FRAME GRAND JURY AWARD

Full Frame Grand Jury Award was presented to Seeds (dir. Brittany Shyne)

FULL FRAME GRAND JURY SPECIAL JURY AWARD

Full Frame Grand Jury Special Jury Award was presented to The Perfect Neighbor (dir. Geeta Ghandbir)

FULL FRAME JURY AWARD FOR BEST SHORT
Presented by Drs. Barbra and Andrew Rothschild

The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short was presented to perfectly a strangeness (dir. Alison McAlpine)

CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY STUDIES FILMMAKER AWARD
Presented by Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies

The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award was presented to Coexistence, My Ass! (dir. Amber Fares)

The CDS Filmmaker Award recognizes documentary films that combine originality and creativity with firsthand experience in examining central issues of contemporary life and culture. In keeping with the Center’s mission, the award was created to honor and support documentary artists whose works are potential catalysts for education and change.

CHARLES E. GUGGENHEIM EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Presented by the Charles E. Guggenheim Family

The Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award was presented to The Other One (dir. Marie-Magdalena Kochová) 

This prize is awarded to a first-time documentary feature filmmaker as a way to foster the work of new directors, young and old. It recognizes the extraordinary care that Charles Guggenheim took with the filmmakers whom he mentored and counseled throughout the filmmaking process.

THE JOHN FRANKLIN HUMANITIES INSTITUTE AWARD
Presented by the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University

The Franklin Humanities Institute Award was presented to Mama Micra (dir. Rebecca Blöcher)

Honorable mentions: perfectly a strangeness (dir. Alison McAlpine) and The Other Side of the Mountain (dir. Yumeng He)

This award is presented to a short film that highlights documentary as a formally inventive artistic medium. The prize recognizes significant innovation and excellence in areas including cinematography, sound design, style, structure, and other aesthetic dimensions.

FULL FRAME PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Presented by Duke University

The Full Frame President’s Award is presented to The Spectacle (dir. Yasmin van Dorp)

The President’s Award recognizes up-and-coming filmmakers; the prize is awarded to the best student film.

KATHLEEN BRYAN EDWARDS AWARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Presented by the Julian Price Family Foundation in memory of Melanie Taylor

The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights is presented to Speak. (dirs. Jennifer Tiexiera, Guy Mossman)

IRIS TILLMAN HILL AUDIENCE AWARD—SHORT
Presented by Peter Lange in honor of Iris Tillman Hill

The Iris Tillman Hill Audience Award—Short is presented to The Devil Is Busy (dirs. Christalyn Hampton, Geeta Gandbhir)

IRIS TILLMAN HILL AUDIENCE AWARD—FEATURE
Presented by Peter Lange in honor of Iris Tillman Hill

The Iris Tillman Hill Audience Award—Feature is presented to Come See Me in the Good Light (dir. Ryan White).