Award Winners of Amsterdam Independent Film Festival 2025 Announced!
- Kris Meester
- Oct 19
- 2 min read
The closing night of the Amsterdam Independent Film Festival 2025, now in its 8th year, took place this past Saturday evening with a packed theatre. As is tradition, the festival took place at Amsterdam’s LAB111 — the cult cinema located in a former anatomical pathology hospital — where it screened an eclectic selection of independent films from local and international filmmakers.
Festival Director Kris De Meester looks back:
"The 8th edition of the Amsterdam Independent Film Festival was nothing short of magical. It’s rare to witness such a full spectrum of emotions within one edition — from the stunned silence following The Steak, to the warm laughter during the heartfelt We Who Remain, and the collective gasp for air as Violet unfolded. That shared emotional journey between audience and filmmaker is, to me, the essence of cinema."
The Amsterdam Independent Film Festival is excited to share with you today the 2025 award winners. The jury panel has chosen the following films as this year's finest:
Best Narrative Feature Film:
A Hunt For Hedgehogs (Hungary) by Mihály Schwechtje
Best Documentary Feature Film:
My Partners (Estonia) by Eva Kübar
Best Narrative Short Film:
Scenario (Japan) by Kazunori Miura
Best Documentary Short Film:
Unscarred (Belgium) by Théo Roland
Best Director:
The Cascade (Mexico) by Pablo Delgado
Best Acting:
Laura Bakker in Marleen (Netherlands) by Jop Leuven
Best Animated Film:
The Run Towards (Belarus) by Pavel Ausiyevich
Best Experimental Film:
Goodbye / Nevesoma (United States) by Anastasia Bezhan
Best Super Short Film
The Steak (Canada, Iran) by Kiarash Dadgar
Best Dutch Film:
In My Body (Netherlands) by Annelien Nijland
The Amsterdam Independent Film Festival would like to thank LAB111 and Velvet Room for their continued support, and all guests for coming out to enjoy another week full of independent cinema. See you all next year!
ABOUT AMSTERDAM INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
At the Amsterdam Independent Film Festival, we focus on film. The glitz and glamour of show business in the mainstream film festival can sometimes detract from the true purpose of the event — the celebration of creative film-making. The festival will bring independent artistic visions to an audience that demands a more fulfilling experience than the latest Hollywood fare.
Official Selection 2025 and winners of The Tarkovski Grant:
My Partners (Estonia) by Eva Kübar
A Hunt For Hedgehogs (Hungary) by Mihály Schwechtje
The Oldest (United States) by Cathlin McCullough
Unscarred (Belgium) by Théo Roland
A Mother Goes To The Beach (Portugal) by Pedro Hasrouny
Violet (Germany) by Laura Engelhardt
After Dark (Norway) by Iain Forbes
Scenario (Japan) by Kazunori Miura
In My Body (Netherlands) by Annelien Nijland
The Steak (Canada, Iran) by Kiarash Dadgar
We Who Remain (Norway) by Sindre Mangen Haram
Marleen (Netherlands) by Jop Leuven
The Cascade (Mexico) by Pablo Delgado
Zaad (Seed) (Belgium) by Dries Meddens
The Run Towards (Belarus) by Pavel Ausiyevich
Goodbye / Nevesoma (United States) by Anastasia Bezhan
Let it Dance (Australia) by Carolyn Corkindale
CU: Farewell (Ukraine) by Anar Azimov
Knife, Chocolate (Iran, Islamic Republic of) by Hooshmand Varaei
Dragonfly (China) by Siyang Liu
Higher Grounds (United States) by Joe Kramer
Kissing Ralph (United States) by Daniel Lewinstein
Sio Roho Yangu - Not My Soul (United States) by Joe LoBianco
Hairy Dreams (Canada) by Lina Cruz
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