2025 AWARD WINNERS, Honor Film Festival's Very Best

The 2025 HONOR FILM FESTIVAL Screening Event is now live. Go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJFcOqH6bNI&list=PLPITrI8qO2_fBoJyIxcmggPR3Asf7RJGm

Best Home Décor
TO MY FATHER… - İzem Ayşegül Topal
A story of a woman trying to forgive her father who turned into a chair years ago.


Best Screenplay or Manuscript
TAKAO - James Sutherland
A Tokyo detective banished to a rural precinct embeds herself in a case involving several gruesome murders to hide the fact she’s avenging the death of her daughter.


Best Horror
THE BOMB - Onur Doğan
Nominated for Best Violence Award. In the Balkan region, where lawlessness prevailed during the war, a man receives a threatening death letter from the gang he used to be a member of. Thereupon, he plans to escape to America with his pregnant wife. On the last night, after being threatened by the gang, the man leaves the house to persuade the gang members but does not come back. Instead, an hour later, gang members enter the house. The gang leader starts a game in which he tells the woman that if she fulfills his wishes, she can see her husband again as a reward.


Best Comedy
UNAUTHORIZED: THE AUTHORIZED STORY OF PASTICHÈ - Peter Lundholm
When I was 14, I bought an unauthorized Guns N’ Roses documentary at FYE. I didn’t realize “unauthorized” meant they couldn’t use any actual GNR music in the documentary. I just thought it meant the stories would be salacious and the history shocking. I was crestfallen when I realized this three-hour documentary about Appetite for Destruction wouldn’t actually contain any actual songs from the album! I became curious though; who makes the vaguely familiar sounding but license-free music in the background of these unauthorized music history films? Thanks to the resources I’ve acquired from QITK, I tracked down and interviewed the most prolific license free stock music makers in the history of unauthorized music docs, and made a doc about them.


Best Drama
THE RED BALLOON FOR MEMORIES – Kasidis Juntapome
The story of an insurance salesman who lives with a red balloon that is like his lover. And intends to go to the beach on the anniversary of their relationship. Until that balloon floated away and disappeared into the sea. Images of various memories between him and his lover came in. Causing him to swim without thinking for his life. But in the end, that balloon ran out of air in the middle of the sea. And that made it evident that the air in that balloon was actually the last breath that his lover had ever inflated.
This movie is inspired by the true story of a young man who lost his lover in an accident. And lived his life fixated on the last breath that his wife left for him in this world.


Best Action
DOJO - Armin Alic
Shane Lucas, an ex-Yakuza member and 4th degree black belt in Judo, is hunted down at his local dojo in Los Angeles, 1985, by his long-time rival. Elias Da Rosa and his crew members are from the same crime family. Elias threatens Shane to return to the Yakuza or suffer the consequence.


Best Animation
SOW DON'T SING – THIS OLD WINNER - Alysha Nunez
Two soldiers bond over their experience with domestic abuse and vow to die together. PVT Luca Russo and SSG Cohen Bentley discuss why the new recruit has been failing BCT and they develop a heartfelt father-son relationship -- as well as a double-suicide pact. 


Best Romance
UNSPOKEN - Plinio Scambora
Unspoken Words dives into a topic that's about as common as coffee in the morning – the lack of communication in relationships. Set against an erotic backdrop, Unspoken Words spins the tale of AMANDA and ANDRÉ, a couple going on nearly a decade together, who've slipped into the autopilot of marriage. As they navigate this rut, Amanda starts having erotic visions of everyday things, imagining herself interacting with others and living out her fantasies. Fear of losing André keeps Amanda silent.


Best Political or Satire
QUIET IN THE KITCHEN: MOCKUMENTARY SERIES: MUSIC GREATS: GREATS OF MUSIC: HISTORY OF GREAT MUSIC: EXPLORING CONTROVERSIAL..... - Peter Lundholm
A treatise on “The Band” and challenging historical works. Does “The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down” glorify slave owners? Today’s Quiet in the Kitchen episode thoroughly investigates The Band’s beautiful humanization of despicable historical figures and events. As it turns out, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” wasn’t the only time they explored this motif... Featuring commentary from record executive billionaire entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine and Rolling Stone Magazine Senior Editor David Fricke.