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Festival Awards

The Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) Awards Program honors the best in independent filmmaking, celebrating outstanding storytelling and artistic excellence. On Sunday, March 23rd, the festival’s closing day, a special Awards Brunch will recognize the winners of both the Audience Awards and the Grand Jury Prize Awards.

The Audience Awards—determined by audience balloting throughout the festival—will be presented for Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Best Short Film, reflecting the films that resonated most with festivalgoers.

The Grand Jury Prize Awards, selected by a panel of industry professionals, will recognize excellence in multiple categories, including Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, and Best Documentary Short .

With its commitment to championing bold and original storytelling, SIFF’s Awards Program offers filmmakers a prestigious platform to gain recognition and elevate their work on the global stage.

2025 Career Achievement Award

Thank you to Joan Chen for an intimate evening at the Sebastiani Theatre as a recipient of SIFF’s Career Achievement Award and award artwork by Chihuly Studio from the artists “Venetians’ Series”.

2025 Audience Awards

The Stolman Audience Award for Best Feature

Meet The Barbarians

Directed by: Julie Delpy | France

Runner Ups

1st Runner-up: DJ Ahmet | Directed by: Georgi M. Unkovski | North Macedonia
2nd Runner-up: Mistura | Directed by: Ricardo de Montreuil | Peru
3rd Runner-up: Waves | Directed by: Jiří Mádl | Czech Republic
4th Runner-up: Bad Shabbos | Directed by: Daniel Robbins | USA

The A3 Audience Award for Best Documentary

The Last Journey

Directed by: Filip Hammar, Fredrik Wikingsson | Sweden

Runner Ups

1st Runner-up: Checkpoint Zoo | Directed by: Joshua Zeman | USA
2nd Runner-up: One to One: John & Yoko | Directed by: Kevin Macdonald | United Kingdom
3rd Runner-up: Apollo 1 | Directed by: Mark Craig | United Kingdom
4th Runner-up: Sweet Störy | Directed by: Sarah Justine Kerruish, Matt Maude | United Kingdom

The McNeely Award for Best Short Film

Jane Austen's Period Drama

Directed by: Julia Aks, Steve Pinder | USA

Runner Ups

1st Runner-up: Teen Mary | Directed by: Ali Rosenthal | USA
2nd Runner-up: Foxhole | Directed by: Nick Dugan | USA
3rd Runner-up: Wingspan | Directed by: Matthew Fabiano | USA
4th Runner-up: Our Neighbors, The Peacocks | Directed by: Callie Barlow | USA

2025 Grand Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature

DJ Ahmet

Directed by: Georgi M. Unkovski | North Macedonia

Jury Statement from the Narrative Feature Grand Jury: Angelo Acerbi (Fred Film Radio), Maggie Mackay (Vidiots) and Rajendra Roy (Chief Curator of Film, MoMA).

“We chose a film with sure-handed directing, brilliant casting - A classic love story reimagined - A film full of risks and rich rewards - we are honored to award Best Narrative Feature to DJ Ahmet”

Best Documentary Feature

Mistress Dispeller

Directed by: Elizabeth Lo | China/USA

Jury Statement from the Documentary Feature Grand Jury: Brian Brooks (Cinetic Media), Jaie Laplante (DOC NYC), and Rachel Rosen (New York Film Festival).

“For combining impeccable craft with a novelistic approach to nonfiction storytelling while always being empathetic to its subjects, this year’s Documentary Prize goes to Elizabeth Lo’s Mistress Dispeller.”

Special Mention: Suburban Fury

“For its bold ambition coupled with its probing research and daring approach, a Special Mention goes to director Robinson Devor’s Suburban Fury.”

Best Short Films

All 38 Official Selection short films competed for the 3 Grand Jury Short Awards. The Short Film Grand Jury included Gregory Ellwood (The Playlist), Daniela Michel (Morelia International Film Festival), and Mike Plante (Sundance Film Festival).

Live Action Short

Trokas Duras | Directo by: Jazmin Garcia | USA

“For shining a light on underheard voices in an era of contagious misunderstanding, we would like to give the Best Live Action Short Film to Trokas Duras.”

Documentary Short

Embracing Instability | Directed by: Nathan Willis | USA

“For its insightful spotlight on an artist persevering through overwhelming change, we would like to give the Best Documentary Short Film to Embracing Instability.”

Animated Short

Como si la Tierra se las Hubiera Tragado | Directed by: Natalia León | France

“For a stunning and emotionally resonant artistic achievement, we would like to give the Best Animation Short Film to Como Si La Tierra Se Las Hubiera Tragado.”

Special Jury Mention for Directing

Sweet Talkin' Guy | Directed by Spencer Wardwell & Dylan Wardwell | USA

¨For its brilliant and concise grasp of comedic filmmaking, Sweet Talkin' Guy, directed by Spencer and Dylan Wardwell. “

2024 Grand Jury Awards

At the 27th edition of the festival, held from March 20 - 24, 2024, the following awards were presented.

Best Narrative Feature

Goodbye Julia, directed by Mohamed Kordofani. This Sudanese drama tells the story of Mona, a northern Sudanese retired singer in a tense marriage, who is wracked by guilt after covering up a murder. The jury praised the film as "an outstanding first feature... anchored by two stellar performances from Eiman Yousif and Siran Riak."

Best Documentary Feature

Invisible Nation, directed by Vanessa Hope. This documentary offers a fascinating portrait of Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen. The jury described it as a "cogent, clear-eyed, entertaining film" that "reveals Taiwan as a dynamic nation standing at the forefront of the global fight for democracy."

Best Live Action Short Film

ILY, Bye, directed by Taylor James.

Best Documentary Short Film

A Part of You / Made Me Whole Again, directed by Destyn Fuller-Hope and Andrew Wonder.

Best Animated Short Film

Bug Diner, directed by Phoebe Jane Hart.

2024 Audience Awards

Stolman Audience Award, Best Feature

The Teacher Who Promised the Sea, directed by Patricia Font.

A3 Audience Award, Best Documentary

Call Me Dancer, directed by Leslie Shampaine and Pip Gilmour.

The McNeely Audience Award, Best Short Film

Save the Cat, a 24-minute documentary directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz. This film follows a Ukrainian family fleeing war and landing in Sonoma, focusing on their quest to reunite the daughter with her beloved feline.

In addition to the film awards, award-winning actor Beau Bridges was honored with the SIFF Lifetime Achievement Award. As part of the tribute to his illustrious 40-year film and television career, Bridges participated in an on-stage conversation with Los Angeles Times film critic Katie Walsh, followed by a 35th-anniversary screening of The Fabulous Baker Boys. The 27th SIFF also featured special guests such as actor/director John Cameron Mitchell, actor Scoot McNairy, chef Susan Feniger, and musician Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation, among others.