CORK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025 AWARDS
For 70 years, Cork International Film Festival has celebrated excellence in filmmaking, championing new, emerging and established filmmakers and voices, through its prestigious awards.
HONORARY AWARDS
This year, we are delighted to present two Honorary Awards. In honour of our patron the Oscar® winning producer and film education luminary, David Puttnam. The inaugural award will be presented at our Opening Gala by multi-award winning actor, Gabriel Byrne.
Our 2025 Honorary ‘Disruptor’ Award will be awarded to filmmaker John Boorman. Cherie Lunghi will present the award after a special screening of Boorman’s classic Zardoz on Tuesday 11 November, 20:00 at Triskel Art Centre, with video messages from major artists who worked with him.
Three of our Shorts awards – the Grand Prix Irish Short, the Grand Prix International Short and the Grand Prix Documentary Short – are Academy Award®-qualifying, ensuring that the winners in Cork will be automatically long-listed for the Oscars® .
Our awards are designed and created by our Trophy Partner
FEATURES AWARDS
EURIMAGES AUDENTIA AWARD 2025
Cork International Film Festival was selected as the host film festival in Europe to present the 2025 EURIMAGES Audentia Award, a €30K prize to be given to a female director, in the framework of the Eurimages Gender Equality strategy. The aim of this prestigious award is to give high-level visibility and profile to the work and achievements of female directors, encouraging more women in this field.
Jurors:
- Emma Scott, Head of Audiences, Fís Éireann/ Screen Ireland.
- Alex Pentek, Contemporary Artist and Sculptor.
- Jane Yao, Producer & Programmer.
BEST NEW IRISH FEATURE
The Best New Irish Feature Award, proudly supported by the Irish Examiner, went to Gealtra, directed by Brendan Canty.
Proudly supported by
Jurors:
- Édaín O’Donnell, Founding Director, West Cork Film Studios.
- Charlotte O’Sullivan, Journalist, The Guardian.
- Julia Weigl, Artistic Director, Munich Film Festival.
GRADAM SPIORAD NA FÉILE : BEST FILM (SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD)
The Spiorad Na Féile/Spirit of the Festival Award for Best Film went to We Believe You (On Vous Croit), directed by Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys.
Jurors:
- Clare Binns, Managing Director, Picturehouse.
- Dennis Harvey, Filmmaker.
- Chris Kumar, Programmer, Glasgow Film Festival.
GRADAM SPIORAD NA FÉILE : BEST SCREENPLAY (SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD)
The Spiorad Na Féile/Spirit of the Festival Award for Best Screenplay was announced as The Girl In The Snow (L’engloutie) directed by Louise Hémon (screenplay by Louise Hémon, Maxence Stamatiadis, Anaïs Tellenne).
Jurors (Above):
- Clare Binns, Managing Director, Picturehouse.
- Dennis Harvey, Filmmaker.
- Chris Kumar, Programmer, Glasgow Film Festival.
GRADAM NA FÉILE DO SCANNÁIN FAISNÉISE : AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Gradam Na Féile Do Scannáin Faisnéise/Award for Best Documentary goes to Flophouse America by Monica Strømdahl.
Jurors:
- Ross Killeen, Filmmaker & Founder/Director at Motherland.
- Proinsias Ní Ghráinne, Commissioning Editor, TG4.
- Janicke Askevold, Filmmaker & Director of Solomamma.
LOOKOUT AWARD
The Lookout Award, proudly supported by The Arc Cinema, went to We Believe You (On Vous Croit) by Charlotte Devillers and Arnaud Dufeys.
Proudly supported by
Chosen by our youth jury comprising students from UCC, MTU and St.Johns Central College.
AUDIENCE AWARD (FEATURES)
Chosen by you, the audience, by voting online. All Festival features that have their Irish premiere in cinema are eligible for the award. Winners announced on Monday 17 November.
SHORTS AWARDS
This year, all short film awards will be decided by the Short Film Jury :
- Sanne Jehoul, Talent Development Programme Manager at BFI Doc Society Fund & Commissioning Editor at Talking Shorts
- Kasia Karwan, Programmer, Cannes Film Festival Short Films.
- Dearbhla Regan , Head of Film and Talent Development, Wild Atlantic Pictures
Grand Prix Irish Short, Academy Award®-Qualifying Category.
Grand Prix International Short, Academy Award®-Qualifying Category.
Grand Prix Documentary Short, Academy Award®-Qualifying Category.
Redbreast Unhidden Short Award, A new award to championing emerging Irish and international filmmaking talent, in partnership with our Whiskey Partner, Redbreast Single Pot Irish Whiskey.
Best Director: Irish Short, Supported by Screen Directors Guild Ireland.
Best Cork Short Award, Cork International Film Festival is the official Irish representative for: Short Film Candidate for The European Film Awards 2026.
On Thursday 13th November, the Festival announced its 2025 Short Award winners. The awards for Grand Prix Irish Short, Grand Prix International Short and Grand Prix Documentary Short Award are Academy Award®-qualifying, ensuring that the winners in Cork automatically join the Oscars®’ long-list.
- Grand Prix Irish Short*: Mary is Missing directed by Aisling Byrne
- Grand Prix International Short*: Wonderwall directed by Róisín Burns. Special Mention: Little Rebels Cinema Club by Khozy Rizal
- Grand Prix Documentary Short*: Correct Me If I’m Wrong directed by Hao Zhou
- Redbreast UNHIDDEN Short Award: World at Stake directed by Susanna Flock, Adrian Jonas Halm, Jona Kleinlein. In partnership with Whiskey Partner, Redbreast Single Post Still Irish Whiskey.
- Best Director: Irish Short: No Mean City by Ross McClean. Supported by Screen Directors Guild of Ireland.
- Best Cork Short: Culchie directed by Richard Lennon. Special mention: Head First by Sean Breathnach, Matt Sullivan
- Short Film Candidate for The European Film Awards 2026: Their Eyes directed by Nicholas Gourault
Short Awards presentation on Thursday 13 November supported by Murphy’s
Audience Awards (Shorts), Chosen by you, the audience. Vote online for your favourite short. The winner will be announced on Monday 17 November.
Academy Award®-Qualifying Categories:
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