Pulling Focus 2025 Festival 1st Place Winners
Best
Short Film
Fannie
Directed By
Christine Swanson
Best
Student Film
Spare Me
Directed By
Wilderley Mauricette
Best
First-time Filmmaker
Best
Open Competition Showcase
Baby Girl
Directed By
Jay Alan
The End was just The Beginning
Directed By
Antonio Aleixo
Best
In The Midwest
The Negro Artist
Directed By
Nikolas Heftman
​
Best
Inspirational Film
More Than Hair
Directed By
Fitch Jean
​
Best
Animated Film
The Reel Impact
Dear Child II
Directed By
Devin Peters
Pirinha
Directed By
Natasha Craveiro
2025 Runner-Up Winners
Best
In The Midwest
Runner-Up
Best
Inspirational Film
Runner-Up
Best
Short Film
Runner-Up
Best
First-time Filmmaker
Runner-Up
Rock Island Prison 1864
Directed by Joy Shannon
Power of the Pen
Directed by Shaun Sinclair
The Reel Impact
Runner-Up
Best
Student Film
Runner-Up
Grieving Brothers
Directed by Jere'Miah McGhee
Best
Animation Short
Runner-Up
TIMELESS
Directed by Shaina Thomas
Open Competetion
Showcase
Runner-Up
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Courage to Thrive
Directed by
Josh Sikkema &
Kamin Samuel
Choke
Directed by
Tidiane Diallo
Vita Nova
Directed by
Dmytro Zavora
Maitighar
Directed by
Marc Gurung
2025 Audience Choice
Sweet Boys
Block 1
Time Setters
Block 2
Ballerina Boy
Block 3
Racialism and The Media
Block 4
Directed by Natasha Rivera
Directed by Oliver Mack Calhoun
Directed by Marc Jure
Directed by S. Torriano Berry
54 & Counting
Block 5
Directed by Calvin Smith
Love Letters
Block 6
Directed by Niglmoro Okuk
Ohio Texas Remix
Block 7
Directed by Ya'Ke Smith
Natural Light
Block 8
Directed by Richard R. Murray
Freedom's Pathway Forward
Block 9
Directed by LaRita Shelby
In The Hood
Block 10
Directed by Anichka Banichka
MIKOKO
Block 10.5
Directed by Angela Aquereburu
Force Drift
Block 10.6
Directed by Graham H. Green
"Pulling Focus: Turning Visions into Cinematic Reality"
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