LAFA Winners - July 2025

Best Picture

Rising Beyond the Limits - Olena Tumanska

Best Narrative Feature

Arulvaan - Ganesh Vinayakan

Honorable Mention: Narrative Feature

The Queen's Jewels - Joshua Friedman

Best Narrative Short

Inside the Déjà Vu - João Pedro Oliveira

Honorable Mention: Narrative Short

Memorize - Tang Duwen, Leo Junyou Chen

Best Indie Feature

Heart Full of Hope - Dale Fabrigar, Tricia Aurand

Best Indie Short

Race Car - Johannes Klein, Isabela Pauwels

Honorable Mention: Indie Film

Sally White - Katrina Jaxson, Amanda Nevarez

Best Comedy

Sally White - Katrina Jaxson, Amanda Nevarez

Best Dark Comedy

MAX - Ace Shu

Best AI Film

Dreamer - Luna Atoms

Best Horror

At the Mercy of Faith - Samuel Taylor, Andrew Arguello

Best Adventure Film

The Queen's Jewels - Joshua Friedman

Best Experimental Film

Paradox - Wonki Choi

Best Inspirational Film

Angels Unaware - Nicolas Rossier

Best Action Film

Dual Agency - Frank Blake

Best Web/TV Pilot

Conscious Co-Working - Matt Crowe

Best Documentary Feature

Rising Beyond the Limits - Olena Tumanska

Honorable Mention: Documentary Feature

A city of one - Jing Zhang

Best Documentary Short

After 30 Years Back To Muli - Deng Xiangfeng

Honorable Mention: Documentary Short

Dark Forest - Maryam Abdulghaffar

Best Animation

Every Light in Between - Pol Solà, Guille Comin

Honorable Mention: Animation

Forbidden Prom Dance - Dennis B Allums

Best Music Video

I'm back - Ilya Noyabrev, Anna Khanina

Best Student Film

Soeur Celeste - IB Asanga, Michaela Bidon, Sofia Folgia, Nina Istrope

Honorable Mention: Student Film

The One in Red - Nicholas Muzzillo

Best Microfilm

Paradox - Wonki Choi

Best Director (Feature)

Evil Unearthed - Matt Benton

Best Director (Short)

Dual Agency - Frank Blake

Honorable Mention: Director

Tibetan Ballads - Jiawei Lin

Best First Time Director (Feature)

The Queen's Jewels - Joshua Friedman

Best First Time Director (Short)

The Scapegoat - Peng Zhang

Honorable Mention: First Time Director

Early Spring - Zeyu Jiang

Best Young Filmmaker

The Buttercup Mafia - Noam Rignault Clement

Best Actor

The Queen's Jewels - Carson Rowland

Best Actress

The Queen's Jewels - Katherine Macnamara

Best Actress in an Indie Film

Dual Agency - Jessie Bell

Best Supporting Actress

Soeur Celeste - Faith Harrison

Best Duo

Soeur Celeste - Gabrielle King & Faith Harrison

Best Ensemble

The Queen's Jewels - Carson Rowland, Katherine Macnamara, Michael E. Behling, Natalie Martinez, Mike Vogel, George Akram, Marlon Aquino, Tom Everett Scott

Best Cinematography

At the Mercy of Faith - Andrew Arguello

Best Editing

Azul - Lu Li

Best Score

A Fluorescent Sky - Michael Walters

Best Song

Soeur Celeste - Ayo Ayoola, Lauren Moss

Best Sound Design

Every Light in Between - Facundo Capece

Inspiring Woman in a Film

Soeur Celeste - Gabrielle King

Best Original Story

Inside the Déjà Vu - João Pedro Oliveira

Screenplay of the Month

Not So Alone - Emma Prescott

Best Feature Screenplay

OASIS - John E. Jacobsen

Honorable Mention: Feature Screenplay

In The Key of Freedom - Andrew Charles Southern

Best Drama Screenplay

QUEEN - Peter j gibbons, Gina Kaslovsky

Best Comedy Screenplay

Not So Alone - Emma Prescott

Best Horror Screenplay

The House Always Wins - Scott Gordon Richards

Best Thriller Screenplay

The Peacemaker - Andrew J. Crane

Best First Time Screenwriter (Feature)

Chained to your ghost - Amanda Lemberg

Honorable Mention: First Time Screenwriter (Feature)

The Bride of Christ - Vincent Sweeney

Best First Time Screenwriter (Short)

The Inheritance of Purpose - Alex Mehta

Honorable Mention: First Time Screenwriter (Short)

Breathless - Thomas Sargeant

Best Television Script

Sly - Jesse Dorian

Honorable Mention: Television Script

The Inheritance of Memory - Alex Mehta

Special Jury Award - Film

The Last Howl - Matthew Todd Paproski

Special Jury Award - Screenplay

Somebody’s Baby - Allie Markova

Rising Beyond the Limits - Trailer

* Winners may order an official LAFA statuette

* Winners may order a review - FilmFreeway Gold members get $50 off