LIFF 2025 Feature Film Award Winners
The winners of the LIFF 2025 feature film competitions have now been announced. We want to say a huge thank you to our Jurors of competition, find out more about them here.
Constellation competition champions the best new, trailblazing cinema from around the world and the Fanomenon competition showcases mind-expanding new genre cinema.
Constellation Feature Film Competition
WINNER: Perla, directed by Alexandra Makarová
Jury Statement: The jury was extremely impressed by the film’s immersion in period detail, noting the meticulous production design, cinematography, and sound. With remarkable performances from Rebeka Poláková and Carmen Diego, the film subtly and astutely connected its historical moment to contemporary political subjects, rendering it both a strong vision of the past and the present.
SPECIAL MENTION: We Believe You (On vous croit), directed by Arnaud Dufeys and Charlotte Devillers
Jury Statement: The jury were gripped by this tightly-made legal drama, featuring a biting and timely screenplay delivered with virtuosic skill by Myriem Akheddiou.
Fanomenon Feature Film Competition
WINNER: Roqia, directed by Yanis Koussim
Jury Statement: Roqia is a seering portrait of religious possession that places the horror in a spiritual world we're not used to seeing in the subgenre, but which dropped us expertly into the middle of a fully-formed universe where everything just is and dares us to keep up. We found Roqia deeply affecting - disturbing, even - and were still thinking about it long after the credits rolled. Deftly directed and beautifully performed, Roqia poses questions beyond the usual telling of these kinds of stories and feels like a breath of fresh air for possession horror, even in its darkest moments.
SPECIAL MENTION: The Black Hole, directed by Moonika Siimets
Jury Statement: The Black Hole is a rich sci-fi delight that balances its humour and whimsy with poigniance and warmth. The film looks great and has a brilliant script, and it contains probably the best single image of the competition (the legs!) plus gorgeous creature design that has stayed with us. More people should see The Black Hole!
SPECIAL MENTION: The Virgin of the Quarry Lake, directed by Laura Casabé
Jury Statement: We loved the furious witchy vibes of this unflinching coming-of-age film that's awash with curses, jealousy and hormones. The central performance is a tour de force but everyone's on blistering form. We can see why The Virgin of the Quarry Lake has already picked up significant praise and we predict it will become a horror gem for many.