THE ARTISTS FORUM FESTIVAL OF THE MOVING IMAGE: 2025 (#theartistsforumfilmfest) returns for its 10th year with new, innovative programming. This year’s festival will showcase 21 films highlighting our 2025 Competition Theme: ACCESS.
The 2025 Official Selections have been created by independent filmmakers originating from 10 countries: Australia, France, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States.
THIS YEAR’S THEME:
Filmmakers were challenged to interpret our theme: ACCESS
This theme explores the systems of power that shape inclusion and exclusion in society. By examining the barriers, opportunities, and struggles for equity, autonomy, and belonging, artists are encouraged to question who gains access, who is excluded, and what the consequences are.
Through this lens, the theme highlights how historical and systemic legacies of power continue to impact individuals and communities. We seek works that challenge inequities, envision pathways to inclusion, and reflect on the transformative possibilities of expanding access in a rapidly evolving world.
LIVE EVENTS & SCREENINGS:
This year’s live screenings were held October 17, 2025 at the Dolby Screening Room NYC — an exclusive state-of-the-art, ADA compliant screening facility at 1350 Avenue of the Americas at West 55th Street (Lobby Level) in Mid-town Manhattan.
FILMMAKERS RECEPTION: Oct. 16th: 7PM – 11PM
Venue: Private Address, Manhattan
Networking & Refreshments (RSVP Required for entry)
FESTIVAL SCREENINGS & AWARDS CEREMONY: Oct. 17th: 6PM – 10PM
Venue: Dolby Screening Room NYC (RSVP Required for entry)
Includes the following 14 films: Anomie, Sleeping With Gus, The Tensile Strength of Air, The Auditor and The Apocalypse, Dilemma, Finding Peace in My Body, Sensible, Atom & Void, Hasta en La Luz, Haunted, Last Hoorah at GBaby’s, Nadine, Pointee De Couture, The Stream XIV
See our 2025 Official Festial Program and/or the film synopses below.
FESTIVAL SOUVENIRS
T-shirts and souvenir button.
ONLINE PROGRAMS
Online Screenings for this years festival begin October 25 – November 22, 2025 and have been divided into 4 programs containing the same line-up as our live screenings. Stream for 7-days for only $4.99 per program or $15.99 for all 4 programs!
View our 2025 Festival Program Schedule
Get Your Tickets: https://filmfreeway.com/theartistsforumfilmfest/tickets
HOTELS
We are pleased to announce that The Artists Forum has partnered with Arlo Hotels – a collection of art & lifestyle focused hotels – who have provided discounts for our artists at all their locations. We suggest the Midtown location as it’s a bigger venue, however, any of the 4 NYC hotels would be great choices! Our Discount Code is THEARTISTSFORUM for up to 40% at any of their hotels during or after the festival. (Pricing fluctuates due to venue demand and is affected by the season, so please book early!)
We have also partnered with the famous YOTEL New York Times Square (570 10th Ave 42nd St) – a cool, high-tech, pod hotel nestled between Times Square and Hudson Yards. Our discount provides an exclusive offer and waives their daily destination fee for individual reservations. Simply log on to the Yotel website and enter our code THEARTISTSFORUM under “Promo Rate” for special rate.
MANY THANKS
Our 2025 Festival Ambassador is Arianna David
2025 Film Festival Jury: Mary Lou Belli, Henry Kanegsberg, Jonathan Taub, and Amos White V
2025 Festival Partners: Arlo Hotels, Yotel New York Times Square
THE ARTISTS FORUM, now in its 26th year, is a New York City based non-profit arts service organization specializing in events, juried competitions, and media for artists.
Its FESTIVAL OF THE MOVING IMAGE is the organization’s flagship program, and provides an unparalleled platform for emerging and mid-career filmmakers to share their stories with the world’s creative, media, and film communities.
Follow @theartistsforum:
Facebook, FilmFest Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Linkedin, Youtube, Vimeo, and Tiktok Hashtags: #theartistsforum #theartistsforumfilmfest #legaciesofpower #theme2025 #access
2025 FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM SCHEDULE
AWARDS LISTINGS
View our full List of Nominees & Award Winners
2025 WINNERS
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT: Last Hoorah at G-Baby’s (DeeDee Casimir, US)
BEST DARK THEMED SHORT: Haunted (Kamaria Williams, US)
BEST SCI-FI SHORT: Mercury: Atom & Void (Gonçalo Almeida, Portugal)
BEST COMEDY SHORT: The Auditor and The Apocalypse (Genna Reed, Cinder Chou, US)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT: Sensible (Axel Chemin, France)
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Stranded (John Moschopoulos, UK)
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT – STUDENT: Finding Peace in My Body (Todd Ford, US)
BEST ANIMATED SHORT: The Future is Virtual (Michael Mackenzie, Australia)
BEST ANIMATED SHORT – STUDENT: Pointé de Couture (Carol Higgins, US)
BEST LGBTQ+ SHORT: The Knowing (Robert Philipson, Jonathan Rowan, US)
BEST WEB SERIES: Nadine (Tash Ann, US)
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE: Performance No.19190301 (Mingu Kang, South Korea)
BEST SOUND DESIGN: Kevin Cagnolotti (The Tensile Strength of Air – Shayna Connelly, US)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (tie): Julien Artaud (Sensible – Axel Chemin, France)
and Jonah Rubash (The Tensile Strength of Air – Shayna Connelly, US)
BEST EDITING (tie): Iman Tahsin (A Good Day Will Come – Amir Zargara, Iran)
and Axel Chemin (Sensible – Axel Chemin, France)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Nataša Prosenc Stearns (Anomie – Nataša Prosenc Stearns, Slovenia)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (NEW CATEGORY): Lohan Jacquet (Sensible – Axel Chemin, France)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN (NEW CATEGORY): Maxine Etchison (Nadine – Tash Ann, US)
BEST MUSICAL SCORE: Milko Lazar (Anomie – Nataša Prosenc Stearns, Slovenia)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Amir Zargara (A Good Day Will Come – Amir Zargara, Iran)
BEST DIRECTOR: Amir Zargara (A Good Day Will Come – Amir Zargara, Iran)
BEST ACTOR: Sia Alipour (A Good Day Will Come – Amir Zargara, Iran)
BEST ACTRESS: Kamaria Williams (Haunted (Kamaria Williams, US)
2025 JURORS AWARD: Axel Chemin (Sensible – Axel Chemin, France)
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
View our 2025 Festival Program Schedule
View our full List of Nominees & Award Winners
PROGRAM I: IDENTITY ACCESS
PROGRAM I: 7 shorts (94 mins)
NADINE
11:58 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: Tash Ann (US)
NARRATIVE SHORT– In 1950’s Hollywood, an aging starlet’s final performance becomes an act of rebellion when she discovers the studio system is discarding her after years of control and abuse.
FINDING PEACE IN MY BODY
19 mins (2025)
Writer/Director: Todd Ford (US)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT – Finding Peace in My Body is a captivating story about Achim Howard becoming the positive male role model he is today. New York State Premiere
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
LAST HOORAH AT GBABY’S
14:55 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: DeeDee Casimir (US)
NARRATIVE SHORT – After blowing through her cash inheritance, an aimless and apathetic art school grad must come up with five months of back rent or she risks eviction from her rent-controlled apartment in a gentrifying Brooklyn.
SLEEPING WITH GUS
9:08 mins (2025)
Writer/Director: Antony Raymond (US)
NARRATIVE SHORT – In a sleek, surreal restaurant teeming with flamboyant patrons, Gustavo, a soft-spoken young man, unwittingly becomes the center of a seductive and mysterious web of intrigue.
STRANDED
14:54 mins (2023)
Director: John Moschopoulos (UK)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT – The bus was their lifeline. How far will they go to get it back? North American Premiere
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
THE AUDITOR AND THE APOCALYPSE
7:53 mins (2024)
Writer: Genna Reed (US)
Director: Cinder Chou (US)
COMEDY SHORT – An overworked accountant misses the apocalypse to meet deadlines.
THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF AIR
16:03 mins (2025)
Writer/Director: Shayna Connelly (US)
NARRATIVE SHORT – After witnessing a suicide in public, Lauren re-evaluates herself in relationship to friends, family and career. New York State Premiere
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
PROGRAM II: DARK ACCESS
PROGRAM II: 6 shorts (77 mins)
ATOM & VOID
8:46 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: Gonçalo Almeida (Portugal)
NARRATIVE SHORT – In Valya’s burrow, a repeated rumbling disrupts her life and pushes her into the unknown. New York State Premiere
DILEMMA
13:56 mins (2025)
Writer: Matthew Samuels (US)
Director: Trevan Jay Hiatt
NARRATIVE SHORT – When friends find themselves trapped in a situation they can’t escape, panic sets in, and their once-close bond begins to fray.
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
HAUNTED
5:09 mins (2025)
Writer: Kamaria Williams (US)
Directors: Kamaria Williams & Shemeka Wright (US)
NARRATIVE SHORT– A queer Black person must confront a ghostly presence that threatens to shatter their reality unless they face the trauma they’ve tried to forget. World Premiere
THE KNOWING
20:49 mins (2024)
Writer: Robert Philipson (US)
Director: Jonathan Rowan (US)
NARRATIVE SHORT – After learning that his ex-lover is dying of AIDS, Adam rushes to a DC hospital to be by his side. A shocking revelation is revealed. New York State Premiere
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
ANOMIE
12:38 mins (2025)
Writer/Director: Nataša Prosenc Stearns (Slovenia)
EXPERIMENTAL – Logline. North American Premiere
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
HASTA EN LA LUZ
15:34 mins (2025)
Writer/Director: Valeria A. Avina (Mexico)
NARRATIVE SHORT – Haunted by invisible terrors, a young Mexican child battles sleepwalking episodes and escalating trauma, forcing her fractured family to confront the darkness lurking inside their home—and themselves. East Coast Premiere
PROGRAM III: EXPERIENTIAL ACCESS
PROGRAM III: 4 shorts / 1 feature (91 mins)
THE STREAM XIV
8:17 mins (2025)
Director: Hiroya Sakurai (Japan)
EXPERIMENTAL – Landscapes transform as wind blows through fields. Using wind chimes, one perceives the invisible presence through sound. Ripples of wind arising in the fields capture its presence visually. New York State Premiere
PERFORMANCE No.19190301
40:09 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: Mingu Kang (South Korea)
NARRATIVE FEATURE- A teenage boy and his grandmother, embark on an aimless journey that takes an unexpected turn when their broken-down car’s TV transports them into Korea’s history through a mysterious show. North American Premiere
POINTÉ DE COUTURE
19 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: Carol Higgins (US)
ANIMATED SHORT – When a dressmaker’s labor is erased by the myth of a “Fairy Godmother,” she reclaims her voice in a non-linear deconstruction of Cinderella that reveals who gains access to power and recognition. North American Premiere
SENSIBLE
8:08 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: Axel Chemin (France)
EXPERIMENTAL SHORT – “In the heart of emptiness, as well as in the heart of man, there are fires that burn.” – SENSIBLE invites us to experience a sensory and hypnotic journey through dance and the works of Yves Klein. East Coast Premiere
THE FUTURE IS VIRTUAL
14:35 mins (2025)
Writer/Director: Michael Mackenzie (Australia)
ANIMATED SHORT – Luca despises the physical world and subscribes to a revolution that will disembody humanity into a pure virtual existence. But, when forced to see a government case-worker, a desire is revealed. North American Premiere
PROGRAM IV: IRANIAN ACCESS
PROGRAM IV: 3 shorts (65 mins)
A GOOD DAY WILL COME
25:42 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: Amir Zargara (Iran)
NARRATIVE – Arash is a pro wrestler with dreams of representing his nation and winning medals. His country is in turmoil and people are suffering. He must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny or put his head down and remain silent.
AMIDA
25:58 mins (2025)
Writer/Director: Majid Mirhashemi (Iran)
NARRATIVE – On the verge of gender transition, Qasem is invited by her brothers to a celebration where she is renamed Parvaneh. But the arrival of eldest brother Khandadash shatters the moment.
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
SPIDER-ZAN
12:46 mins (2024)
Writer/Director: Maryam Khodabakhsh (Iran)
NARRATIVE – Spider-Zan explores the transformative journey of Negar, a young woman in Iran, as she breaks free from traditional norms. New York City Premiere
JUDGES
Mary Lou Belli
Two-time Emmy award-winner Mary Lou Belli has directed television for 30+ years. Through teaching, she supports many diversity programs in her field. She’s co-authored four books on film and served two terms as co-chair of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee. Currently, she is a Governor at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Henry Kanegsberg
A graduate of Ithaca College, Henry received his MBA from NYU and is a former finance and administration executive in the broadcasting, music, and publishing industries. He held senior positions with NBC, RCA Records and Random House. Currently, Henry is the chair of community organizations for the Mount Sinai Hospital System.
Jonathan Taub
Jonathan is an Argentinean designer and filmmaker living in New York City. He is involved with many collaborative projects that playfully explore and expose the human condition. Jonathan directed his award-winning film Externo alongside his brother Leandro, winning Best Screenplay in #theartistsforumfilmfest 2021.
Amos White V
Amos is an inter-disciplinary multimedia artist, event producer, and exhibit designer. A graduate of the College of Human Ecology at the University of Maryland, College Park, Amos bridges his passion for the arts and human relations with the formation of THE ARTISTS FORUM.
