10th Annual LAFA 2025 Nominations
Over the past decade, the Los Angeles Film Awards has established itself as a premier destination for cinematic excellence, acting as a vital bridge where high-caliber studio storytelling and elite independent vision meet. As we celebrate our milestone 10th anniversary, the official nominee class of 2025 represents the absolute vanguard of the craft. These are the films that captivated our jury with their exceptional technical execution, star-studded performances, and profound narrative depth.
Leading this year's prestigious field with 6 nominations is I feel fine., a deeply arresting feature drama written and directed by Hailey Spicer and Austin Spicer. Anchored by a devastatingly powerful performance from Elijah Passmore, the film offers an intimate, unforgettable look into the life of Ozzy Taylor, an energetic high school teenager grappling with a tragic, uncontrollable obsession.
Tracking closely with 5 nominations is The Acting Coach, a poignant short film written and directed by Ingvill Thorson Plesner. Inspired by aspects of the life of the late actor André Landzaat, who delivers a deeply moving final performance in the lead role, the project weaves a fictional narrative that speaks beautifully to the universal themes of reconciliation and our shared humanity.
Rounding out the top tier with 4 nominations each are two highly sophisticated, gripping features. First is Bull Run, a brilliant existential comedy written by Alfredo Barrios, Jr. and Bill Keenan, and directed by Barrios, Jr. Based on Keenan's acclaimed book and starring Tom Blyth, the film follows an ex-pro-hockey-player-turned-banker navigating the surreal, gilded cage of an exclusive investment bank following a sudden death.
Sharing the spotlight is The Serena Variations, written by Nathan DeZur and Sam Kahn, and directed by Warren Fischer. Starring Dylan Brown and Renata Friedman, this hypnotic feature follows a young violinist with undiagnosed autism as she embarks on a psychedelic, high-stakes journey of creative power and mental collapse while working with a domineering composer.
To all of our distinguished 2025 nominees: your work represents the absolute pinnacle of modern cinema. We are deeply honored to present the official selections for this landmark anniversary season.
Best of Fest
Bring Him To Me - Luke Ian Sparke, Tom Evans
I feel fine. - Hailey Spicer, Austin Spicer
Disconnected - Diego Rougier
#Lovemyselfie - Lika Berning, Helene Tuter
BULL RUN - Alfredo Barrios, Jr.
Common Ground - Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell
Best Narrative Feature
Bring Him To Me - Luke Ian Sparke, Tom Evans
Love in Focus - Joseph Vernon Reidhead, Brandon Wade Ho
La Belle Dame Sans Merci - Nikolay Bogomilov
Blood Star - Lawrence Jacomelli
BULL RUN - Alfredo Barrios, Jr.
I feel fine. - Hailey Spicer, Austin Spicer
Best Narrative Short
Nostalmagia - Simon Sciacovelli
The Demo - Craig J. Williams, Anna Florence
Complexity - Brandon Leake, Cleve Brown
The Acting Coach - Ingvill Thorson Plesner
Evanescence - Maaman Rezaee
The Serena Variations - Warren Andrew Fischer
Best Indie Feature
Latasha Harlins - Shannon Dion
The Actor - Richard Blake
Haunting Trophies - László Illés
Return To Planet Underground - Gideon Homes
Hanky Panky - Lindsey Haun, Nick Roth
Celal's Train - Gökalp Yamen
Best Indie Short
Welcome To The Neighborhood - Jason Lee Segal
Who the Hell is Michael? - Juan Jose Rodriguez Drescher
I Am No One - Sébastien Kong, Steve Tran
Buttress - Nancy Payne, Emily Barber
Intergalactic Cafe - Mike Mitchell, Margot Rubin
The Space Between - Rhianna Morris, Chris McQuire
Best Web/TV Pilot
Bad Atmosphere - Mason Sperling
SWIPE - Kaleigh Fitzgerald
Brian & Connie - Ryan Gimeson
Barden and Sarah Start a Pandemic - Tyler Peterson
This Is Paradise - Kareem J Mortimer, Henrietta Cartwright, Lavado Stubbs
Raymar - Adrien Boublil
Best Web/TV Series
VLA - Rita Pereyra
EAST - Dana Marisa Schoenfeld
Townsend - Michael Houston King
Bento Banana - Ari Grabb
Paramedics: Emergency Response, Season 7 - Antonio Hrynchuk
Cause Celebre - Patrick John Donnelly, David E Williams
Best Documentary Feature
Anna Searching - Craig j Williams
MEKO - Harrison Buck
Common Ground - Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell
Life To The Limit - Pavlo Peleshok
We Will Not Be Silenced - Luis Solarat, Brian Rose
More Than Our Skin - Tonia Magras
Best Documentary Short
5 Ways to live before you die - Yulma Garcia, Sandra Orellana, Julio Mendez
The 90 Year Old Cyclist - Florent Piovesan
Wrestler straight from hell - Marek Lyszczyna
Shepherd's Calling - Wubetu Shimelash
The Curse Effect - Gregg Jaden
Built Different - Constance Brenneman, Brad Hammer
Best Animation
The Egg - Zilan Lin
Contracting the Cooties - Skylar Levine, Maya Bayewitch
Speedman - Joe Bowers
PIGSY - Li Wei Chiu
FROSTBYTE - Hannah Papa, Victor Uzcategui
Mary - Abdulaziz Khashabi, Abdulla Al-Janahi
Best Music Video
LITTLE BIG - It Happens - Alina Pasok, Iliya Prusikin
Bold - Myrriah Xochitl
Cozey - Mitchell Abraham, Zachary Ostapchenko
Henry Hsu X Flesh Juicer - Someone Else - Tomas Lin
Push Our Luck - Darci Lynne, Reagan Elkins
King Of Talk - Kuo Jie Herbert Pua
Best Student Film
Incessant - Jianing Zhao
Casa Paraíso - Mateo Sicilia
Kaina - Aaryaveer Siingh
Just for a While - Hou Zongkun
Slough - Yuzhu Lan, Yutong Wang
You're Mine - Anthony D'Eredita
Best Director (Feature)
I feel fine. - Hailey Spicer, Austin Spicer
Queen of Knives - Jon Delgado
Disconnected - Diego Rougier
Blood Star - Lawrence Jacomelli
Bring Him To Me - Luke Ian Sparke
Love in Focus - Joseph Vernon Reidhead, Brandon Wade Ho
Best Director (Short)
One Note - Jamie Ting
Lost Innocence - Christian Elliott
Night Hawkes - Atlas Ferrera
The Origin of Wind - Yang Liu
The Lethe - Marshall Sutherin
The Serena Variations - Warren Andrew Fischer
Best First Time Director (Feature)
Switched at Death - David Merry
Monsters Within - Devin Montgomery
Boneless Lantern - Nadeshiko Koba
Wolfpack - Cédric Peyster - Le Roux
Gemini - Nicole Ice
Hanky Panky - Lindsey Haun, Nick Roth
Best First Time Director (Short)
The Possible Life - Burke Doeren
The Acting Coach - Ingvill Thorson Plesner
The Way of The Wind - Adelaide Rocherolle, Virginie Drouot
Grow in the Wild - Xi Wen
Behind the Mask - Liren Zhang
Frequency Over Time - Cari Sudmeier
Best Actor
I feel fine. - Elijah Passmore
The Sound of Violet - Cason Thomas
The Acting Coach - André Landzaat
Who the Hell is Michael? - Michael Boose
Bull Run - Tom Blyth
Love in Focus - Dan Fowlks
Best Actress
Casa Paraíso - María Mercedes Coroy
The Serena Variations - Dylan Brown
Latasha Harlins - Daijah Peters
Blood Star - Britni Camacho
Lost Innocence - Sokythyda Vannarin
EFC - Karlee Rose
Best Cinematography
I feel fine. - Hailey Spicer, Austin Spicer
Grace - Pascal Combes-Knoke
The Way of The Wind - Idan Menin
The Acting Coach - Talib Rasmussen
I Don't Bite - Mike Kniazev
Lost Innocence - Caleb Ware
Best Editing
Upstream - Yintao Gong
Queen of Knives - Maria Cataldo
Default Mode - Kenneth Cummings
Life To The Limit - Petro Tzymbalo
Flatulence: The Origin - Yintao Gong
I feel fine. - Julian Merrill
Best Score
Whippy - Jon Clarke
What You Sow - David Heymann
A Band to Honor - Holly Amber Church
Unripe - Mariano Saulino
The Serena Variations - Warren Andrew Fischer
Remnant Falls - Ronan
Best Original Story
The Acting Coach - Ingvill Thorson Plesner
Chainsaw Monkey - Zoe Bell, Roman Ariel Acosta
The Fortune Teller - William Andrew Wen
Buttress - Nancy Payne
Bull Run - Alfredo Barrios, Jr., Bill Keenan
DIXIELAND - J. Scott Worthington
Best Screenplay
After Ever - Sarah E Hohman
Chicana Spice - Dan Williams
The Way Through - Ian Stout, Cecily Crow
Running Through Revolution - Sarah K Rossmann
Novella Manhattan - Ethan Zane Stages
Momma's Advice - Kaitlyn Gatto
Best Television Script
Heir to the Beat - Gabriel Campisi
The Belfast Connection - John Donovan
Twenty Somethings - Bianca Roth
Uptown Santos - Jonathan Ramirez
The 100-Yard War - Cody Schlegel
The making of 'Uncle Payback' - Daniel Bodenmann
Jury Award for Outstanding Film
Bleeck - Julio Valenzuela
SWIM 62 - Mansoor Al Yabhouni Aldhaheri
Why I Had To Kill You While You Slept - Anthony Marinelli
The Companion - Kellie Madison
EFC - Jaze Bordeaux
#Lovemyselfie - Lika Berning, Helene Tuter
Jury Award for Outstanding Screenplay
HAHA - Sophia An Porter
The Marked - Reggie Austin
The Show Must Go On - Kevin Michael Morin
Phantom Frequency - Scott Gordon Richards
Eddie on the Scrap Heap - Marc Littman
It Takes a Village - Hayley Jean Reeves
A magnificent congratulations to the extraordinary nominees of our 10th annual edition. Your exceptional artistry and dedication to the moving image continue to elevate global cinema, and we are deeply honored to champion your success.
Submissions for our next season are officially open - submit your project: https://filmfreeway.com/lafa
