Lila McLaughlin’s ‘Don’t Let Them Out’ Wins Best Film at 21st La Femme International Film Festival

La Femme International Film Festival honored the best and brightest work of female actors, writers, producers and directors at the Sunday night award show for its 21st edition, with the top prize of Best Feature Film going to Lila McLaughlin’s Don’t Let Them Out.

Don’t Let Them Out centers on a struggling woman who journeys to a property she has inherited in hopes of selling it to pay off her debts. But upon arriving to the property, the story takes a terrifying turn when the woman is lured into a desperate scavenger hunt down a perilous rabbit hole.

Other awards went to Zoe Quist for Best Director for Glitched; É Tempo de Amoras by Anahi Borges won Best Foreign Film; The Window on Death Row by Linda Catherine Freund won Best Documentary; The Ramba Effect by Claire Sandberg received Best Special Focus Documentary; and Mama’s Voice by Ganna Yarovenko walked away with an Honorable Mention Documentary.

Glitched, shot entirely in Ireland, stars Mischa Barton (The O.C.), Abigail O’Reagan (Spellbound), Jack McEvoy (Vikings), and Elijah Rowen (Vikings). Produced by Maria O’Neill p.g.a (The Black Guelph) and Susan Wright p.g.a., and Zoe Quist, written by Steve Grabowsky. The film follows twins Finley and Shannon as they navigate a glitched VR game and a supernatural portal to save their grandmother’s castle.

Veteran actress Donna Pescow was honored with the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her significant performances on Film and TV.

In addition to programming 110 films and 20 screenplays and pilot scripts, the weekend festival offered panels on Saturday and Sunday, World Premieres and Special Screenings as well as networking events overseen by Founder and Festival Director of LA Femme.org Leslie LaPage.

La Femme International Film Festival 2025 Winners List

Best Feature Film
Don’t Let Them Out
Lila McLaughlin

Best Director
Zoe Quist
Glitched

Best Foreign Film
É Tempo de Amoras
Anahi Borges

Best Documentary
The Window on Death Row
Linda Catherine Freund

Best Special Focus Documentary
The Ramba Effect
Claire Sandberg

Honorable Mention Documentary
Mama’s Voice
Ganna Yarovenko

Best Short Film
The HOLE Truth
Alison Whitney & Natasha Goss

Best Animated Short
Horse Girl
Amber Greenwood

Best Foreign Short
Nepo Baby
Khanh Nguyen

Best Music Video
Collecting Dust
Cat Davies

Best Webisode
The Crit(ique)
Zoey Hudson

Best Screenplay
Bathwater
Katie Ryan & Dana Fares

Best TV Pilot Script
Murder of the Wolf
Lauri Levenfeld