Fall 2025 WINNERS

Fastest way to find your award listing:

Using a computer: Press Ctrl + F
Type your name or film's name
***
Using cellphone:
Go to page, click the 3 dots (upper right)
Select "Find in page"
enter your name or film's name

***

An email was sent to ALL winners on November 30, 2025
If you didn't get it, please check your SPAM folder.
We are not responsible for winners missing oppotunities due
to failure to read emails.




Since we are an IMDb-qualifying festival, you must list your award HERE.
IMDb Listing: As part of our IMDb-qualifying festival, you must list your award HERE. IMDb built our awards page for winners to submit; we cannot do this for you, as per IMDb guidelines. You have all the information required. Please ensure you have an IMDb personal or project account, as this will be necessary for the submission. If you have issues, please reach out to IMDb for assistance. For simple instructions, go HERE.

To add your awards to our IMDb page,
click on the logo below

  In order to insure that each film is studied and rated on an individual basis, RFIFF has instituted
a system where entries do not compete against each other, but instead are recognized for their own individual merits.
For all intents and purposes, they compete against themselves:
each entry is judged on individual merits and scored on an inherent value system.

The judges focus is on your film when it is your turn to be evaluated, not on all the other films that
are in cue: this insures that they will not have comparisons going
on in their minds when they should be focusing entirely on YOU.

Judges score entries on a performance scale and winning entries are recognized and awarded not
only for Best Of Festival&  Best Of Show, but also for two Awards  of Excellence
levels,two Awards of Merit levels, a Kudos Endeavor Award, or no award.

Best Of Festival & Best of Show honors are granted to the top scoring entry/entries for each
season;  Awards of Excellence are granted to entries with truly exceptional artistic and technical
achievements; and Notable achievements are recognized at the  Merit and 'Kudos' award levels.


TO DOWNLOAD YOUR LAUREL, CLICK HERE
Use the password given to you.

AWARDS SCALE
In order of importance
BEST OF FESTIVAL
BEST OF SHOW
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
EXCELLENCE
EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
MERIT
KUDOS


Best of Festival and Best of Show films are selected
by category and region.
Not all categories had a Best of Festival or Best of Show winner
Sub-Category winners are listed at the end of this page.




BEST OF FESTIVAL WINNER ONLY: Request information on deliverable instructions to have your film screened at the Cinema Art Theater in June 2026. Email HERE.
We screen only Best of Festival winners.
Our screening event is to collect audience reactions to be used by our distributors. We don't conduct after-screening networking parties or seminars.
Video interviews of the viewing audience may be conducted and shown on WRPN.tv
Raising The Bar: The Alma Richards Story
Director T.C. Christensen
in Sports
United States, United States

  

In 1908, Eighth grader Alma Richards quits school.
 He doesn't see the point in going when he could be working as a ranch hand.
 A chance encounter with a Michigan State Professor sets Alma back on the road to education,
which in turn leads him to more than he's ever dreamed of including a trip to the Stockholm Olympics competing in High Jump for a Gold Medal.




The Sins of Our Fathers: Race, Religion and the Rise of Trump
Director Joey Papa
in Documentary
United States







Chasing the Light
in Documentary
Ireland		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Tûrkiye's Astonishing Antiquities
in Documentary, Voice-Over Talent (subcat)
Australia		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE.

Voice-Over Talent:
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Indulge Me
in Student
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Angels Unawares
in Documentary
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA: KATHARINE LEE BATES AND THE STORY OF AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
in Documentary
United States, United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Cross Examination
in Human Spirit
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Saffron Robe
in Documentary, Religious/Faith
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
My Country
in Music Video, Original Song (subcat)
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE

Original Song
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
At the Mercy of Faith - Short Film
in Religious/Faith
United States, United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Without A Doubt "God is Always There"
in Docu-drama Feature
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
The Big Green House
in Documentary
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Andrew Neighill's Death Wheel
in Horror
United States, United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Kūkai
in Biography, Religious/Faith
China		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Both Categories
Alaska Rescue Story
in Documentary
United States, United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Giving Wings to a Movement
in Religious/Faith
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
The Bridge Less Traveled
in Human Spirit, Social Issues, Tight Shorts, Actress: Lead (subcat), Cinematography (subcat), Content/Message Delivery (subcat), Original Score (subcat), Viewer Impact: Inspirational (subcat)
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
All three Main Categories

 Actress: Lead
OUTSTANDIN EXCELLENCE

 Cinematography
EXCELLENCE

 Content/Message Delivery
EXCELLENCE

Original Score
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE

 Viewer Impact: Inspirational
EXCELLENCE




This Is Why I Believe
in Documentary
United States, United States		 EXCELLENCE
Change
in Tight Shorts
United States		 EXCELLENCE
A Million Voices: Only One Matters
in Docu-drama Short, Religious/Faith, Voice-Over Talent (subcat)
United States		 EXCELLENCE
In two Main Categories

Voice-Over Talent
EXCELLENCE
Gimpel the Fool Returns to Poland
in Docu-drama Feature
Israel		 EXCELLENCE
Everything Comes to Harm
in Documentary
Italy		 EXCELLENCE
Holy Land 20:22
in Religious/Faith
Israel, Palestine, State of		 EXCELLENCE
Left on Read
in Comedy, Cinematography (subcat), Editing (subcat), Voice-Over Talent (subcat)
United States		 EXCELLENCE

Cinematography
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE

Editing
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE

Voice-Over Talent
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
Following in the footsteps of my ancestors An Ute Köhler Documentary
in Biography, Documentary
Germany		 EXCELLENCE
Full of Grace. A Madonna for a Day
in Documentary
Italy		 EXCELLENCE
Abraham's Bridge
in Documentary
United States, United States		 EXCELLENCE
THE COMMUNITY
in Documentary
Ukraine		 EXCELLENCE
Kicking Toward Tomorrow!
in Sports
South Korea		 EXCELLENCE
A Faith Under Siege
in Documentary
United States		 EXCELLENCE
Cast Aside the Clouds
in Drama, Religious/Faith
Canada		 EXCELLENCE
In both Main Categories
Just call me Sai, Master Sai
in Documentary
Germany		 EXCELLENCE
Light in the Sanità District – A journey through history, art, and regeneration
in Docu-drama Short
Italy		 EXCELLENCE
Kaleidoscope Child
in Documentary
United States		 EXCELLENCE
No Priests Left
in Tight Shorts
United States		 EXCELLENCE




The Deep Dive
in Docu-drama Short
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
THE MUSLIM
in Drama
Albania, Kosovo		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
American Orthodox
in Documentary
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Letter (Based on a True Story)
in Docu-drama Short
Germany		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Vices and Virtues. From Giotto to Pope Francis
in Documentary
Italy		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
She Prayed for Me
in Music Video
United States, United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Everyman
in Religious/Faith, Direction (subcat)
Romania		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT

Direction
EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Mephisto appears to Faust
in Human Spirit
Germany		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
A Theory of Colours (2017)
in Inspirational
Germany		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Missionary
in Documentary, Religious/Faith
United States, United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
In both Main Categories
The Ecstatic Tree Dwellers
in Art-house Film, Religious/Faith
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
In both Main Categories
Tree of Fire: A Story of Love and Resilience
in Religious/Faith
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Beyond Mountains of Bulang Children
in Student
China		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Carny Hallelujah!
in Drama
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Crucifixion
Submitter Jonathan Parisen
in Religious/Faith		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
My Father, Winston
in Documentary
Canada		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Three Greek Songs
in Music Video
United States, United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Contact: The Divine Realm
in Documentary
Australia		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
In the Company of Change
in Religious/Faith
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Help of the Invisibles - Himalayan Oracles
in Documentary
Czech Republic		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Mercy at the Gates [Feature Length]
in Human Spirit
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Legends Remembered: Yogi Berra: Faith, Family & Baseball
in Sports
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Family Rosary in 25 Days
in Webisode (Pilot)
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Triumph of Hope
in Human Spirit
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Permission: Fr. Bob Bedard's Vision for the Church
in Religious/Faith
Canada		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT




THE SOLUTION?
in Experimental
United States, United States




NONE


Because of Mika
Director Paul Santoli
in Actor: Lead (subcat)
United States
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE