Movies September 29, 2025
The 41st Boston Film Festival Announces Award Winners
Jason Hoffman
The 41st Boston Film Festival unveiled the winners of its 2025 program, which spotlighted an extraordinary range of films and talent across genres and themes.
This year’s festival was presented by the ad-free streaming service Kanopy and featured a special red-carpet moment for filmmakers and talent as the platform joined the festival in inspiring students.
The festival offered premieres and screenings across Boston, including suspense, drama, historical, and environmental projects. Among the highlights were the international premiere of opening-night feature “The Fallow Few” and the world premiere of “Ambleside,” the closing-night selection.
Students at Emerson College were also treated to a special screening of the new Warner Bros. Television series “It: Welcome to Derry” with Academy Award-winning production designer Paul Austerberry and Academy Award-nominated costume designer Luis Sequeira on a panel that was moderated by “Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi.
As part of their ongoing collaboration with the Boston Film Festival, Warner Bros. Television voice actor Eric Bauza was also featured on the festival’s Animation Panel.
When it came to the awards, “Ambleside” dominated, winning six, including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Music, Best Actress, and Best Ensemble Cast.
Best Actor was awarded to Bradley James for his portrayal of Cpl. George Hansen in “The Fallow Few.” Best Actress was awarded to Ellie Bamber for her portrayal of Lucy Gladwell in “Ambleside.”
Best Documentary Film award was given to “Blue Zeus” from directors Rocky Romano and Miranda Winters. The documentary “The Snake and the Whale” from director John Carlos Frey was named EcoFilm, and taking the Mass Impact Award was “Hidden: The Kati Preston Story,” directed by Daniel Matmor.
Additional awards included: Best Short, “The Ride” (director, Slava Denisov); Best Foreign Documentary, “La Madone” (directors, Guillaume Pierrel and Laurent Jamet ); and Best Animated Short, “Snow Bear” (director, Aaron Blaise; writer, Nichols Burch).
Robin Dawson, the executive director of the Boston Film Festival, said, “Each year, the Boston Film Festival showcases stories that challenge, entertain, and inspire. We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s honorees reflecting both the diversity of filmmaking voices and the universal themes that resonate with audiences everywhere.”
