The 48th annual Denver Film Festival has announced this year’s award recipients by its selected jury and audience attendees.
Leading the audience-voted categories, the Narrative Feature Audience Award went to Strand Releasing’s “Calle Malaga,” directed by Maryam Touzani and representing Morocco for the international feature Oscar.
The Documentary Feature Audience Award was presented to “Comparsa,” co-directed by Vickie Curtis and Doug Anderson. A Guatemala–United States co-production, the film explores the country’s vibrant Carnival traditions while confronting the intersection of art, activism, and cultural survival.
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The Short Film Audience Award went to “The Singers,” directed by Sam Davis, a U.S. production that struck a powerful chord with festival audiences.
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Two major Oscar contenders emerged as top winners among the juried awards. Neon’s “Sirāt,” directed by Olivier Laxe, won the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film. The haunting, spiritually charged drama — which will represent Spain in the international feature Oscar race — captivated jurors with its striking cinematography and emotional ferocity.
Meanwhile, Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras and co-director Mark Obenhaus earned the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary for “Cover-Up,” an Netflix acquisition.
“This year’s Denver Film Festival celebrated an extraordinary lineup of films, visionary storytellers, and unforgettable experiences,” said Artistic Director Matthew Campbell. “The winners and honorees represent the very best of bold, authentic storytelling — works that move us, challenge us, and expand the way we see the world.”
The 48th edition ran from Oct. 31 to Nov. 9, continuing Denver Film’s legacy as the region’s premier showcase for independent and international cinema.
The full list of winners are below.
Narrative Feature: “Calle Malaga” (Strand Releasing), directed by Maryam Touzani, representing Morocco for the International feature Oscar.
Documentary Feature: “Comparsa,” directed by Vickie Curtis and Doug Anderson, a co-production between Guatemala and the United States.
Short Film: “The Singers,” directed by Sam Davis (United States)
Juried Award Winners
Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film: “Sirāt” (Neon), directed by Olivier Laxe (Spain).
Jury statement: “A movie you’ll never forget, Oliver Laxe’s ‘Sirāt’ immerses us in a terrifying and compassionate world we’ve never seen on screen before, with brilliant performances, sound design and cinematography. No one who sees it will be able to shake it off.”
Jurors: David Ansen (film critic and programmer), Clayton Davis (Chief Awards Editor, Variety), and Clara McGregor (actor/producer, “Bleeding Love”)
Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary: “Cover-Up” (Netflix), directed by Mark Obenhaus and Laura Poitras (United States)
Jury statement: “For its radically honest portrayal of one of America’s most renowned and complicated investigative journalists, who shows us both the importance and the personal cost of speaking truth to power. ‘Cover-Up’ is a damning indictment of state-sanctioned violence and a sharply observed portrait of courage and conviction.”
Special Mention: “Seeds,” directed by Brittany Shyne (United States), was commended for its “beautiful documentation of an intergenerational community taking care of its own.”
Jurors: Bing Liu (director, “Minding the Gap”), Chris Gardner (The Hollywood Reporter), and Lisa Lucas (arts administrator)
American Independent Award: “Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)” (Oscilloscope), directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas (United States)
Jury statement: “A simple, humble, and emotionally compelling fly-on-the-wall look at the Dominican-American experience in the Bronx. Writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas crafts an intimate story of struggle, hope, and the familial ties that bind.”
Jurors: Jonathan Abrams (screenwriter/producer), Matt Grobar (Deadline), and Megan Cruz (TikTok film influencer)
Short Film Awards
Grand Jury Award: “The Singers,” directed by Sam Davis (United States)
Jury Statement: “This film creeps up on you like the slow burn of a cigarette, where characters feel as authentic and textured as the cinematography.”
Best Student Live Action Short: “Nervous Energy,” directed by Eve Liu (United States)
Jury statement: “A current of frenetic energy anchored by confident direction — a breath of fresh air spotlighting a vital emerging voice.”
Special Mention: “We Beg to Differ,” directed by Ruairi Bradley (Ireland, United Kingdom)
Marilyn Marsh Saint-Veltri Award for Best Student Animation Short: “Detlev,” directed by Ferdinand Ehrhardt (Germany, United States)
Jury statement: “With every minute spent, humor finds itself on par with humanity — a story that could only be told through its medium.”
Special Mention: “Pear Garden,” directed by Shadab Shayegan (Germany, Iran)
Jurors: Lucie Boulet (Neon), and Coral Peña (actor, “For All Mankind”), Denzel Whitaker (actor, “The Great Debaters”)
In-Person Award Honorees
John Cassavetes Award: Lucy Liu, “Rosemead”
Next50 Career Achievement Award: Delroy Lindo, “Sinners”
Excellence in Directing Award: Gus Van Sant, “Dead Man’s Wire”
Excellence in Acting Award: Imogen Poots, “The Chronology of Water”
Outlaw Award (Inaugural Winner): Ben Foster, “Christy”
CinemaQ LaBahn Ikon Film Award: Niecy Nash-Betts
Breakthrough Director Award: Charlie Polinger, “The Plague”
Rising Star Award: Zoey Deutch, “Nouvelle Vague”
Stan Brakhage Vision Award: Peggy Ahwesh
Rare Pearl Award: “Hamnet” (United Kingdom), directed by Chloé Zhao
Music on Film – Film on Music Documentary Grant Awards (MOFFOM)
Now in its ninth year, the MOFFOM Grant offers up to $20,000 annually in finishing funds for documentary productions focused on music licensing, scoring and composition.
2025 Recipients:
“Bulletproof Stockings,” directed by Nicole Teeny — awarded $5,000
“An exceptionally unique and deeply moving story chronicling the world’s first all-female Hasidic rock band, as two talented women risk tradition and friendship to be heard.”
“The Road to Ruane,” directed by Mike Gill and completed posthumously by Scott Evans — awarded $15,000
“A feisty, big-hearted portrait of Boston music legend Billy Ruane, whose passion and generosity transformed the city’s indie scene.”
Jurors: Jonathan Palmer (artist advocate and music supervisor), Taylor McFadden (writer, director and producer), and Mark Crawford (Emmy-nominated film and television composer).
