#FIRSTLOOK: CANADIAN FILM FEST 2025 AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Canadian Film Fest (CFF), the indie-spirited festival dedicated to celebrating Canadian filmmakers, revealed the 2025 award winners on Saturday, March 29 at the festival’s Closing Night. The awards follow a very successful festival, which had its biggest lineup in the history of the event driven by a record number of submissions from filmmakers.

On the heels of a 6 CSA nominations, Naomi Jaye’s sophomore feature DARKEST MIRIAM took home Best Feature;Sarah Galea-Davis was honoured with the Best Director award for her film THE PLAYERS, while Stefani Kimber won the feature film jury award for Best Acting for her performance in the film. S K E E T by writer-director Nik Sexton took home People’s Pick for Best Flick.

“This year more than ever, we are proud to bring incredible homegrown stories to the big screen for Canadian audiences,” said Ashleigh Rains, Festival Director, Canadian Film Fest. “This year’s festival is a reminder of how powerful our community of Canadian filmmakers and creatives are when we come together to support one another. Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners, and thanks for another spectacular festival!”

See below for the complete list of winners for CFF 2025. For more information, visit canfilmfest.ca.

The 2024 Canadian Film Fest Award Winners:

BEST FEATURE – DARKEST MIRIAM by Naomi Jaye, produced by Julie Baldassi, Brian Robertson

BEST DIRECTOR – Sarah Galea-Davis for THE PLAYERS

BEST SHORT FILM – SLEEP TALKING by Ethan Godel

BEST PRODUCER SHORT FILM – Amir Zargara and Iman Tahsin for A GOOD DAY WILL COME

PEOPLE’S PICK FOR BEST FLICK – S K E E T by Nik Sexton

Feature Film Jury Awards:

The feature film jury included Paul Gratton (Whistler Film Festival Programmer), Kim Albright (Writer/Director), Ian Harnarine (Writer/Director).

BEST ACTING – Stefani Kimber in THE PLAYERS

BEST DOCUMENTARY – GOLD BARS: WHO THE F*CK IS UNCLE LUDWIG? by Billie Mintz

SPECIAL MENTION FOR ORIGINALITY AND DIRECTION – WAITING FOR THE STORM directed by François Delisle

Short Film Jury Awards:

The short film jury consisted of Eva Thomas (Director), Kiarash Dadagar (Director), Alice Wang (Writer/Director, Programmer), Katie Uhlmann (Actor, Writer/Director and President of WebSeries Canada) and Vanessa Magic (Director).

BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM – BAIL BAIL by Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM – BEAUPRÉ THE GIANT by Alain Fournier

JURY HONOURABLE MENTION – SLEEP TALKING by Ethan Godel

BEST PERFORMANCE – Celia Green in GREENHORN

About the Canadian Film Fest
The Canadian Film Fest is a non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate the art of cinematic storytelling by exclusively showcasing Canadian films. The festival unites film-loving audiences with diverse selections of features and shorts from across the country. The CFF provides Canadian filmmakers with essential professional development and networking opportunities through its Industry Series and awards.