The 2025 Prague Independent Film Festival came to a close over the weekend, with Yev K’banchik’s I Never Said Goodbye taking home the Best Feature Film prize.
Blending elements of magical realism with deeply personal storytelling, I Never Said Goodbye captivated audiences as it delved into the immigrant experience and the human condition. It impressed the jury with its sound design and experimental techniques. Inspired by K’banchik’s own experiences as a Ukrainian immigrant in the United States, the film resonated strongly with both critics and viewers. Artur Smolyaninov, well known for his role in Fyodor Bondarchuk’s The 9th Company, earned the Best Actor award for his compelling portrayal of a man grieving the loss of his mother while struggling with both his past and his immigrant identity.
Kristin Griffith, celebrated for her role in Woody Allen’s 1978 classic Interiors, won the Best Actress award for her performance in The Reckoning by director Alex Breux. Griffith delivered an exceptional portrayal of a disabled widow navigating the emotional and physical challenges following her husband’s death, balancing vulnerability with strength. Breux himself took home the Best Director award for his sensitive and assured work.
Night of Resolutions, directed by Dylan Gouze and written and produced by Raja Hanna, earned the Best Short Film award for its emotionally gripping depiction of a family caught in the grip of betrayal and loss. Set on New Year’s Eve, the film reveals how past tensions rise to the surface in the present.
Russell De Rozario was awarded Best Short Film Director for This Damnation, a period drama set in 1977 London and Belfast. Known primarily for his work as a production designer on major Hollywood productions, De Rozario brought a remarkable level of craftsmanship to this intimate historical narrative.
Kazbegi, a short documentary by Yakiv Antypenko, was honored as Best Documentary for its powerful portrayal of life in the Kazbegi region of Georgia.
The Best Unproduced Screenplay award went to Come Monday by Graham Streeter, a moving exploration of end-of-life decisions. The script follows a woman with terminal cancer and her loved ones as they grapple with her choice to end her life under California’s End of Life Option Act.
Sisters Lindsay and Lauren Kent earned the Best Cinematography award for The Split. After a psychedelic experience renders a woman “enlightened,” she is horrified to discover that her incessantly annoying ego has manifested as her doppelganger. The film cleverly visualizes the battle between self-acceptance and the voice inside one’s head.
Julia Pitch won the Best Art Direction award for The Mimefia, a surreal dystopian thriller in which a mafia of mimes enforces silence as law. One mime’s rebellion exposes the absurd cruelty of a society built on forced obedience, offering a chilling allegory of fascism and the cost of reclaiming one’s voice.
Joshua Benson’s Providence: Electric Gods II, a striking work featuring footage of transmission towers, was awarded Best Experimental Film.
Nora Rosenthal received the Best Music Video award for Baby, a visually arresting piece shot in one continuous take, featuring three generations of women dancing.
Julie Anne Burch’s Tiny Teaching Tales won Best Animated Film for its charming and educational storytelling.
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