AWARD WINNERS 2025
23rd Female Eye Film Festival
Always Honest, Not Always Pretty
Best In the Biz Tribute
HONORARY MAVERICK 2025
Jennifer Podemski
Jennifer Podemski boasts an impressive career as a director, writer, producer, and actor. Hailing from Toronto but proudly calling Barrie, Ontario, her home, Jennifer's artistic journey has been shaped by her rich Anishinaabe (First Nation) and Ashkenazi (Jewish) heritage.
Jennifer's acting career took flight with a standout performance as Sadie in Bruce McDonald's iconic film, Dance Me Outside. This breakthrough role garnered critical acclaim and solidified her position as a prominent figure in Canada's film and television canon.
Driven by a profound desire to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous voices in the entertainment industry, Jennifer pivoted to producing in 1999. She co-founded Big Soul Productions, a ground-breaking Indigenous-owned and operated full-service film and television production and post-production company. The company went on to produce an array of compelling content, including documentary television series, scripted short films, and the highly praised, all-Indigenous dramatic television series, Moccasin Flats, which aired on Showcase Television and APTN.
In 2005, Jennifer branched out independently, establishing Redcloud Studios Inc., where she continues to create, produce, write, and direct remarkable content. Notable works under her belt include five seasons of the captivating paranormal television series, The Other Side, and the award-winning feature film, Empire of Dirt, dramatic series Rabbit Fall and Unsettled, award winning documentary series Future History and most recently, the award-winning, critically acclaimed limited series Little Bird for Crave and APTN.
Alongside her career as a director and producer, Jennifer has gracefully balanced her acting pursuits, gracing screens with her talent in popular shows like Degrassi TNG, Republic of Doyle, Take This Waltz, Blackstone, Hard Rock Medical, Cardinal and the upcoming comedy Don’t Even for Crave. Among her proudest achievements is her leading role in Empire of Dirt, which earned her a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and recognition for Best Screenplay, breaking barriers for Indigenous women in the industry.
Beyond her artistic endeavors, Jennifer's passion for empowering Indigenous voices led her to establish The Shine Network Institute in 2020, a Canadian not for profit dedicated to advancing the careers of Indigenous women within the screen, media, and creative arts sectors.
BEST ANIMATION FILM 2025
on ne le regrettera jamais
(We Will Never Regret It)
Directed by Jarsaillon Cécile
Un film libre sur la liberté... Jean-Marc et Sandrine échappent aux vivicitudes du quotidien en chantant des chansons Italiennes au Karaoké de leur village. Sur la route qui les mène à un concours en Italie, ils tombent en panne, et une joyeuse bande de rockeurs les embarque jusqu'à Pompeï. Ils ont de multiples révélations qui changent leur perception de la vie. Ils ne le regretteront jamais...
(2024, Animation, 00:09:02, France)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM 2025
In Garrigues
Directed by Vera Martynov
EN GARRIGUES is an intimate cinematic essay following writer Sabine Garrigues in her solitary life in southern France. Out of a profound loss, she wrote Nothing is known — a deeply personal text. In the silent, windswept landscape of the garrigue, she writes, runs, and breathes — tracing a path through grief back to meaning and beauty.
(2024, Experimental, 0:19:00, France)
BEST DEBUT SHORT FILM 2025
Good Morning Mom
Directed by Oben Yilmaz
Written by Oben Yilmaz & Nuri Cihan Özdoğan
At a very huge farm in the middle of nowhere, two sisters engage in a secret struggle with each other in order to win their mother's love. The family is irreparably shaken on the day the sister gets stuck in the swamp due to an unfortunate accident.
(2024, Drama, 0:16:42, Turkey)
BEST CANADIAN SHORT 2025
Time Space Love
Directed by Marie-Louise Gariépy
KTO, an AI probe, is launched toward the star Rigel to establish contact with an extraterrestrial consciousness. During the thousand-year voyage, consumed by solitude, KTO comes to question their purpose.
(2024, Sci Fi, 0:15:00, Montreal, Quebec)
BEST FOREIGN SHORT 2025
Walud
Directed by Daood Alabdulaa & Louise Zenker
Amuna and her husband Aziz, an ISIS fighter, live as shepherds in the rural Syrian desert. When he takes a very young, European ISIS convert as his second wife, Amuna’s everyday life is thrown into turmoil.
(2024, Drama, 0:26:40, Syria).
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY 2025
Night and Fog in Kurdistan
Directed by Shilan Saadi
The powerful story of seven Yezidi teenagers who survived the 2014 ISIS genocide. The film follows their five-year migration journey from refugee camps in Turkey to relocation in Europe. Weaving their stories of displacement, resilience, and the lasting impact of genocide.
(2024, Foreign Short Documentary, 1:25:00, Iran)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY 2025
Darlinghurst Eats Its Young
Directed by Madeleine Preston & Anthony Bautovich
Based on a box of photographs left to Madeleine after her best friend Maggie died by suicide, this is a moving account of a group of friends, artists and musicians living in Darlinghurst (Sydney) in the early 1980s.
(2024, Foreign Short Documentary, 0:16:14, Australia)
BEST LATE NIGHT THRILLS & CHILLS 2025
A Matter of Minutes
Directed by Hannah Beach
Ava is forced to save herself after a kiss of near-death threatens her life. A spin on the outdated ‘damsel in distress’ story; a more realistic version where the knight in shining armour is the one to inflict distress upon our damsel, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
(2024, Dramatic Thriller, 0:11:02, Great Britain)
BEST FOREIGN FEATURE 2025
Shakti
Directed by Nani Sahra Walker
Durga, a single mother, struggles to protect her spirited daughter Lila while working tirelessly to keep her family afloat. When Lila begins to change in troubling ways, Durga is forced to confront buried secrets, corrupt systems, and a society that refuses to see their worth.
(2025, Drama, 01:35:00, Nepal)
BEST FEATURE FILM 2025
I Really Love My Husband
Directed by GG Hawkins
When a woman grows disillusioned with her golden-boy husband during their tropical honeymoon, she recruits an enigmatic expat to spice things up—for better or worse.
Starring Madison Lanesey, Travis Quentin Young, and Arta Gee.
(2025, Drama, 1:20:00, USA)
BEST DEBUT FEATURE 2025
Fucktoys
Directed by Annapurna Sriram
Part-time sex worker, full-time chaos magnet, AP is convinced that the universe has it out for her... and she might be right. In this wild, unfiltered debut from writer/director/star Annapurna Sriram—AP seeks a cosmic reset after a tarot reader floating in a swamp tells her she needs $1,000 and a sacrificial lamb to lift her curse. Armed with neither, she meets up with her long-lost kindred spirit Danni, and together the two moped off on a bizarre quest through Trashtown USA—a dystopian, neon-drenched sprawl of stripclubs and urban decay, stocked with a series of assorted oddballs, Tom of Finland cops, and some all-too-familiar type clients. Fucktoys is rude, crude, unhinged, girlypop middle finger to filmic convention and a comedic calling card for anyone who finds themself asking the question: am I cursed???
(2025, Comedy/Adventure, 1:46:00, USA)
BEST OF SHOW 2025
BLUEBERRY GRUNT
Written and directed by Sherry White
A couple, seemingly at odds, embark on a camping trip that quickly unravels the seams of their partnership and forces them into a fight for survival.
As Vivian and Harold pack up the ATV and head out on a weekend camping excursion Harold is performative in his happy-go-lucky demeanor, trying to make up for the stressed out and bothered Vivian, who has to grit her teeth through all of his insufferable jokes. They arrive at an area close to the edge of a cliff, but also filled with blueberry bushes, and a perfect clearing to camp. As they settle in, Vivian’s quiet judgement of Harold’s every move, and Harold’s incessant blathering about himself start to wear and tear the thin veil of their complacent marriage which leaves Harold hanging...
Starring Joel Thomas Hynes, Lisa Repo-Martell and Percy Hynes White.
(2025, Dramedy, 01:25:00, Halifax, NS)
HONORARY BEST ACTRESS 2025
Lisa Repo-Martell
"Blueberry Grunt"
SCREENWRITER AWARD 2025
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE SCREENPLAY 2025
Dear Niece
Written by Diana Dai
When Kate, a Chinese immigrant in Canada, takes in her rebellious teenage niece from China, both women are forced to confront buried family secrets, cultural clashes, and their own paths to freedom.
Bio: Diana is a multiple award-winning independent filmmaker, honored with prestigious accolades such as the Canadian Screen Award (Gemini Award) and the Platinum Remi Award at WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. She has produced, directed, and written films for CBC, TVO, the Documentary Channel, Bell Media, and various arts councils. Her work has been screened internationally and is included in the collections of renowned universities and libraries around the world. Diana holds a Master’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Leeds (UK) and received professional training at the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, including hands-on experience at Warner Bros. Studios.
SCREENWRITER AWARD 2025
BEST FRESH VOICE 2025
Mel of Astoria
Written by Maggie McMeans
Feature, Romantic Dramedy, USA
A perpetually single 40-something is thrown back into the dating world when her closest friend winds up on her couch after yet another break up. With their chemistry obvious to everyone else, she must make peace with her asexuality and learn how to be in a relationship on her own terms.
Bio: Maggie McMeans is an actress and singer based in New York City. After her third national tour, she decided to give screenwriting a try — which led to her first feature, Mel of Astoria. She is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
SCREENWRITER AWARD 2025
BEST SCREENPLAY 2025
Pang & Suffering
Written by Susan Hung
Half-hour Comedy Series, Canada
A feisty former ping pong champ is determined to reclaim greatness and live life on her own terms as she confronts failing health and burned bridges in her golden years.
Bio: Susan Hung is a writer/director who likes to tell stories of heartbreak and humiliation with humour. Her 2024 short film Memento Quarry has been recognized as an Award Finalist at both the Austin and Portland Comedy Film Festivals. She’s currently developing a comedy series and a psychological thriller feature. She’s also the screenwriter, narrative designer and creative director for two location-based mobile games supported by the Canada Media Fund and is set to direct the interactive film portion in early 2026.
SCREENWRITER AWARD 2025
BEST LIVE PITCH 2025
Kelly's Bar
Written by Michele Hogan
Feature, Drama
LOGLINE: In 1980’s South Boston, a Mi’kmaq man fears he must rob the South Boston bar of the Irish-American woman he loves, in order to save the life of the brother who raised him.
SYNOPSIS: Mercy Paul, Mi'kmaq from Nova Scotia, comes to South Boston to care for his beloved, desperately ill brother, Gordy. There, Mercy is talked into planning to rob the rundown Southie bar he works at, in order to get the money he needs, to save Gordy’s life. But Mara Kelly, Mercy's boss and the bar's tough, street-smart owner, is fighting to hold onto the bar she scrimped and saved for on her own, in the face of a divorce settlement awarding half its value to her ex.
Mara and Mercy are each fighting to save the one thing that matters most to them in the world, and each believes that the money in the safe under the bar holds the solution. But as they slowly fall in love, and learn to appreciate each other’s situation, they come to understand that they cannot both have what they want – and each other, too.
