2025 MIFF award winners: quick links
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) has announced the winners of its 2025 MIFF Awards, presented by Penfolds, awarding more than $300,000 in prize money. The flagship $140,000 Bright Horizons Award, supported by VicScreen, went to A Poet, directed by Simón Mesa Soto.
Bright Horizons Award supported by VicScreen
A Poet directed by Simón Mesa Soto. On awarding this year’s top prize – the 2025 Bright Horizons Award – the Jury remarked in a joint statement:
‘A tragicomic satire and microcosm of melancholy and irreverence, A Poet depicts Óscar, a failed poet turned reluctant mentor drifting between aspiration and self-destruction.
‘The film is a biting fable of art as both an inescapable burden and a personal compass, breaking convention through its refreshingly brisk pace, unpretentious use of 16 mm cinematography, deadpan performances by a mostly first-timer cast, and pared-back jazzy score.
‘The film’s balancing act of unflinching character study and social satire marks Simón Mesa Soto as a vital voice in contemporary Latin American cinema.’
Watch the A Poet trailer.
Blackmagic Design Best Australian Director Award
James J. Robinson won for First Light, receiving a $50,000 cash prize and a fully kitted URSA Cine 12K camera valued at $27,500.
Uncle Jack Charles Award (with Kearney Group)
Awarded to Yarrenyty Arltere Artists for their art direction in the short film The Fix-It-Man and the Fix-It-Wooman. Prize included $20,000 and tailored financial services valued at $25,000.
Intrepid Audience Award
Winner: Careless, directed by Sue Thomson. Audience-voted award supported by Intrepid Travel.
MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award (presented by Collarts)
Winner: Greetings From Mars, directed by Sarah Winkenstette, receiving a $10,000 prize.
Additional Highlights
The 2025 MIFF Shorts Awards took place 15 August at ACMI, with a $50,000 prize pool. MIFF Online runs until 31 August on ACMI Cinema 3.
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