Documentary Film Festival Awards: Full Frame Honors the Best

A Black farmer holds a baby in Seeds, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner

Celebrate documentary filmmaking at its finest. The 2025 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival honors nine outstanding films.

BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON

DURHAM, N.C. – The 2025 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has concluded, recognizing nine outstanding films and distributing a total of $45,000 in cash prizes. As a cornerstone of the documentary filmmaking community, this premier documentary film festival holds significant prestige, notably qualifying films for nominations in both the Academy Award® Documentary Short Film category and the Producers Guild of America Awards.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the films recognized at this year’s festival,” remarked Sadie Tillery, Full Frame Festival Co-Director and Artistic Director. “Our sincere thanks go to the award presenters and jurors for their invaluable contributions to this year’s selections.”

Documentary Film Festival Award Highlights

The Full Frame Grand Jury Award was presented to Seeds, a powerful documentary film directed by Brittany Shyne. This intimate portrait examines the lives of Black farmers in the American South, utilizing poetic black-and-white visuals. It explores the decline of generational Black farming and the deep significance of land ownership. The jury, comprising Jessica Edwards, Leah Smith, and Brett Story, described Seeds as “a quietly affectionate window into the lives of multiple generations in the American South.” They further emphasized, “This beautifully shot film celebrates a community often overlooked in American history and culture.”

Next, the Full Frame Grand Jury Special Award recognized The Perfect Neighbor, directed by Geeta Gandbhir. This film stands out for its poignant exploration of societal divisions and the inherent complexities of human connections.

Recognitions Across Categories

The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short Film went to perfectly a strangeness, directed by Alison McAlpine. Drs. Barbra and Andrew Rothschild presented this award. The jury included Aylin Gökmen, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, and Lisa Mazzotta.

Audience preferences were clear with the 2025 Iris Tillman Hill Audience Award, which honored two distinct films. Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White, claimed the award in the Feature category. Meanwhile, The Devil Is Busy, directed by Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir, received the award in the Short category. Peter Lange presented these awards in memory of Iris Tillman Hill.

Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) presented its Filmmaker Award to Coexistence, My Ass!, directed by Amber Fares. A panel of CDS representatives, including Randolph Benson, Harlan Campbell, and Deborah Jakubs, juried this prestigious prize.

Celebrating New and Innovative Voices

The Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award specifically honors first-time documentary film feature directors. This year, it was presented to Marie-Magdalena Kochová for The Other One. The award jury featured Akosua Adoma Owusu, Diane Quon, and Emily Rothschild.

The John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Award was bestowed upon Mama Micra, directed by Rebecca Blöcher. This award highlights documentary films that employ innovative techniques to explore artistic expression. An honorable mention also went to perfectly a strangeness by Alison McAlpine and The Other Side of the Mountain by Yumeng He. Representatives from the Institute, including Eric Barstow, Margaret Lou Brown, and Joshua Gibson, served on the jury.

Furthermore, Yasmin van Dorp’s The Spectacle received the Full Frame President’s Award, which honors the best student film. Members of the President’s Office of Duke University juried this award.

Addressing Human Rights

The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights went to Speak., directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman. This significant award recognizes documentary films that address crucial human rights issues within the United States. The Julian Price Family Foundation presents this award in memory of Melanie Taylor. The jury included Anne Arwood, Laura Edwards, and Clay Farland.

These accolades collectively highlight the exceptional talent and the vital stories presented at the 2025 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, reinforcing its indispensable role as a leading event in the documentary filmmaking community.

What do you think about this year’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Awards winners? Share your thoughts. Leave a comment.

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