June 16, 2025 (Provincetown, Mass.) – The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) announced today the winners of this year’s PIFF Audience Awards, the John Schlesinger Awards and Short Film Jury Prizes.
PIFF Audience Awards
The Audience Awards are voted on by in-person festival attendees.
- PIFF Audience Award / Best Narrative Feature: PLAINCLOTHES directed by Carmen Emmi
- PIFF Audience Award / Best Documentary Feature: COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT directed by Ryan White
John Schlesinger Awards
These juried awards are presented to a first-time narrative and documentary feature filmmaker. The Narrative Award was juried by filmmaker Sophie Hyde (JIMPA). Filmmaker Heidi Ewing (FOLKTALES) selected the Documentary Award.
- John Schlesinger Narrative Award: Sarah Friedland (FAMILIAR TOUCH)
- John Schlesinger Documentary Award: Brittany Shyne (SEEDS)
Juried Short Awards
The 2025 shorts jury consisted of a skilled group of film and art professionals including journalist and film programmer Murtada Elfadl, Strand Releasing Co-President Marcus Hu and actress Gail Strickland.
The Provincetown International Film Festival is an Academy Award-qualifying festival. The short films that received Best Narrative Short, Best Queer Short and Best Documentary Short awards will now be automatically eligible to enter the Short Films competition for the concurrent season of the Oscars.
- Special Jury Mentions:
- YÚ CÌ (FISH BONES) directed by Kevin X. Yu
- TIGER directed by Loren Waters
- Best Animated Short: DRAGFOX directed by Lisa Ott
- Best New England Short: SIGNS FROM THE MAINLAND directed by Michael Cestaro
- Best Queer Short: GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES directed by Chheangkea
- Best Narrative Short: SUSANA directed by Gerardo Coello Escalante and Amandine Thomas
- Best Documentary Short: WE’LL CARRY ON ALRIGHT directed by Megan Rossman
As previously announced, Ari Aster was presented with the 2025 Filmmaker on the Edge Award in conversation with filmmaker John Waters; Murray Bartlett was presented with the Excellence in Acting Award by Christine Vachon; and Eva Victor and River Gallo both received the Next Wave Award. Additional guests include Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke, Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney, Linus O’Brien, Brandon Flynn, François Arnaud, Michael Koehler, Annapurna Sriram, Sadie Scott, Aud Mason-Hyde, Carmen Emmi, Ryan White, Michael Strassner, Yashaddai Owens, Alexi Wasser, Kahane Corn Cooperman, Zackary Drucker, Allison Argo, Elegance Bratton, Eugene Hernandez, John Cooper and more. The festival opened with Linus O’Brien’s STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR and closed with Michael Koehler’s SPIRITUS: NO BUSINESS LIKE DOUGH BUSINESS. PIFF 2025 ran June 11-15 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. PIFF will return for the 28th edition in June 2026.