VIFF 2025 AWARD NOMINEES

Below is the list of the 2025 Valkyrie Award Nominations. The awards will be presented at 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, June 1st at the Screening Room Cinema & Arts Cafe, 880 Alberta Drive in Amherst, New York. Additional Surprise Special Awards will be presented.

Best Documentary Feature

• Fight for Ukraine: For the Children directed by Karen Floyd

• Know Her Name directed by Zainab Muse 

• Miss Fury and the Lost Legacy of Tarpé Mills directed by Chelsea Stone 

Best Narrative Feature

• Slasher Days of Summer directed by Kristen Skeet 

• 5683 directed by directed by Brittany Benedict 

• My Little Renaissance Girl directed by by Amy Heller Zimmerman & Bethany Berg 

Best Animated Student Short

• The Tale of Mari directed by Anya Vaughn

• Passageways directed by Geneviève Tremblay & Milla Cummings

• Torn directed by Molly Lonigan

• Birds of a Feather directed by Katie Cobos

• Commuting Murder directed by Chelsea DeMott Wildey

Best Comedy Short

• Table Chatter: Pilot Episode directed by Kristen Korkowski

• Almost Boston directed by Dawn Sellers

• Just Right Justice directed by Julia Tutko-Balena

• Multi-Level Massacre directed by Ashes Homon-Rahall

• A Matter of Poultry directed by Nandini Bapat

Best Documentary Short

• My More Beautiful Ghost directed by Kristine Trever

• Shut Up directed by Clara López Cantos & Almudena Sánchez-Rey López

• More Than Half directed by Ashley Czerniewski

Best Dramatic Short

• Le Monstro directed by Gabrielle Rosson

• Year 10 directed by V. Leigh

• Crimson directed by Sarah Falkiner

• The Paradise Road directed by Lisa Marie Tedesco

• Teacup directed by Katie Killourhy

Best Experimental Short

• The Geologic Record of My Heart directed by Joanne Burke

• There Was directed by Amanda Besl

• Mourning Glory directed by Livi DarConte

Best Fantasy Short

• Teacup directed by Katie Killourhy

• Table Chatter: Pilot Episode directed by Kristen Korkowski

• Under the Water directed by Isabella Andronos

• Torn directed by Molly Lonigan

Best Horror Short

• Multi-Level Massacre directed by Ashes Homon-Rahall

• Still directed by Rakefet Abergel

• Midnight Snack directed by Sandra Foisy

• Halloween Party directed by Erica Stockwell-Alpert

• Underbelly directed by Taylor Martin

Best International Short

• The Peace of Cemeteries directed by Raquel Troyano

• Armata directed by Jasone Urgoitia Urrutia

• Gina directed by Antonella Lauria

• Claimant directed by Nadereh Sadat Serki

• Shut Up directed by Clara Lopez Cantos & Almudena Sanchez-Rey Lopez

Best Romantic Short

• The Paradise Road directed by Lisa Marie Tedesco

• Reverie directed by Gabrielle Nunzio

• Teacup directed by Katie Killourhy

• My Guy directed by Marissa Graves

Best Student Documentary Short

• Passageways directed by Geneviève Tremblay & Milla Cummings

• Pages of Protest directed by Devon Jezek, Leila Marcillo-Gomez & Lauren Piccone

• The Tale of Mari directed by Anya Vaughn

Best Student Short

• A Matter of Poultry directed by Nandini Bapat

• Colourblind directed by Kaitlin Manalili

• Women in Red directed by Yiran Wang

• Lux directed by Mira H Steuer

• Birds of a Feather directed by Katie Cobos

Best WNY Short

• Will Roger directed by Taylor Martin

• Reverie directed by Gabrielle Nunzio

• Jane & the Brain directed by Hope Muehlbauer

• Cupcake directed by Amanda Woomer

• There Was directed by Amanda Besl 

Best WNY Student Short

• The Cardinal directed by Kylie Kuty

• Birds of a Feather directed by Katie Cobos

• Torn directed by Molly Lonigan

• Commuting Murder directed by Chelsea DeMott Wildey

• Build me a Home in the Meadow directed by Rae Ann Owczarzak