SIFFA 2025 List of winners and awardees 

SIFFA 2025 List of winners and awardees 

SIFFA is proud to announce the winners of this year’s prestigious awards. The competition sections celebrate the most exciting international films and cinematic storytelling that reveal to viewers the diverse and unknown cultures of the globe. These films are creative, captivating, and often provocative, showcasing the power of cinema to inspire and educate.

SHORT FILMS:

  • The Interval (Belarus)  – dir. Kirill Khaletsky

    Best Short Film

  • The Trap (Russia) – dir. Sergey Baryshev

    Best Ensemble Cast

    Best Social Impact

  • The Turtle (Russia) – dir. Moris Amiryan

    The Roots Award – for a profound reflection on family and belonging

  • Maru and My Friend’s Wedding (Republic of Korea)  – dir. Hyunbin Lee

    Best Emotional Impact

  • Only Daughters (Italy) – dir. Noemi Forti

    Best Child Newcomers – Nora Rosestolato & Eva Niccolai

DOCUMENTARIES:

  • Taymetov: The Forgotten Hero (Uzbekistan) – dir. Eldar Yuldashev

    Best Documentary

  • Lydia Grigorieva: I Choose to Live (UK) – dir. Maria Bregman

    Best Newcomer

FEATURE FILMS:

  • The Postman (Russia) – dir. Andrey Razenkov
    Best Feature Film – Andrey Razenkov

    Best Actor – Alexander Petrov

    Best Screenplay – Andrey Razenkov & Mikhail Petukhov 

  • Evacuation (Kazakhstan) – dir. Farkhat Sharipov

    Best Director – Farkhat Sharipov

    Best Actress – Natalia Witmer

FEATURE FILMS:

  • Qingtong and Kuihua (China) – dir. Chen Kunhou

    Best Cinematography – Chiang Shen Feng

    Best Child Actor – Xueya Feng

  • Legends of Eternal Snow (Russia) – dir. Alexei Romanov

    Best Film on Ethnocultural Heritage

    Best Production Design – Dmitriy Mestnikov

  • Besieged (Mexico) – dir. Lucero González Pasarán

    Mohy Kandour’s Award  for Вest youth-focused film 

  • New Year’s Miracle (Russia) – dir. Oksana Stashenko

    Vera Glagoleva Award (for woman–director)– Best International Feature 

  • The Elysian Field (India)  – dir. Pradip Kurbah

    Best Editing – Badeimon Khashiing

  • Escape (UK) – dir. Howard J. Ford

    Best Supporting Actress – Sophie Rankin

    Best Original Score – Iman Ahmad

  • Swallowtail and Dragonfly (USA) – dir. Julia Jay Pierrepont III

    Special Jury Prize

    Best Ensemble Cast

  • Palma 2 (Russia) – dir. Vladimir Kondaurov

    Best Family Feature

  • NeGogen (Russia) – dir. Polina Oldenburg

    Diplomacy & Humanity Award

SIFFA PRESIDENT’S AWARDS:

  • Martha Fiennes (Director of Onegin)

    Special SIFFA recognition award for outstanding contribution to world cinema (statuette IRIDA)

  • Aleksey Antropov

    Special SIFFA recognition award (statuette IRIDA) Honoured together with Antropov Foundation for the film Temptation by Civilization

  • Flying with Fins – dir. Maria Averina

    Special President Diploma – Recognition for Cultural Bridging (Bulgaria)

  • Messengers of Light (dir. – Lidia Grigorieva) 

    Special President Diploma – For Outstanding Music – Presented to composer Aleksander Aleksandrov

PRESS DIPLOMAS:

  • Snatcher – dir. Jasdip Sagar (UK)

  • Rhythms of Dreams (Russia) – dir. Irina Borovskaya 

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

  • The Shore of Promises – dir. Joy Shi (Norway, Sweden, UK)

  • Tidal Roots – dir. Edward Peter Weller (UK)

  • Fans Olny – dir. Joel Van Der Molen (UK)

DIRECTORATE DIPLOMAS:

  • Absent – dir. Tohid Barghi Valenjagh (France)

  • Machine of Quiet Killin – cinematographer Matt Bramham (UK)