Proof Film Festival Crowns 2025 Winners, Expands Partnerships

The 2025 Proof Film Festival, held on November 9 in Los Angeles, has wrapped up with a new class of emerging filmmakers being honored for their innovative short films. The festival, which was co-presented by TheWrap, crowned "Thirstygirl" and "My Kind of People" as the top winners.

"Thirstygirl," directed by Alexandra Qin, received the prestigious Grand Jury Award, earning the filmmaker two 4-Day Plus badges to the American Film Market and a $2,500 grant from the Proof Development Fund. The Audience Award went to "My Kind of People" from Joe Picozzi, accompanied by a $1,000 grant.

In addition to the main awards, the festival also recognized other standout projects. "The Taking of Courtroom One Two Three" from writer-director Bomani J. Story earned the runner-up slot and a Jury Special Mention. The competitive shorts categories saw An Nguyen's "We Used to Take the Long Way Home" receive the Gold Award and a $1,000 grant, while "Inner Demons" from Jasmine J. Johnson won the Silver Award and $750.

This year's festival also marked a new partnership between Proof and Kodak, which presented its inaugural Kodak Excellence in Analog Film Award. The $5,000 prize in film stock and processing went to "Make Me a Pizza."

Proof also unveiled a groundbreaking collaboration with Souvenir Studios, which will give the company the opportunity to select one or more projects from the 2025 slate to develop and finance as feature films. "Our ethos has always been to support and elevate young creatives," said Souvenir CEO José Fernández-Velasco.

Festival founder and American Cinematheque programmer Imani Davis expressed pride in this year's honorees, stating that they "exemplify the daring, distinctive storytelling we're proud to champion."