Morelia International Film Festival 2025 Winners List

In its 23rd edition and running from Oct. 10-19, the Morelia International Film Festival concluded with a ceremony at the Teatro Melchor Ocampo, having honored the best works from its Official Selection and Impulso Morelia, the 11th edition of its initiative geared toward films in post-production.

The jury, led by Ava DuVernay, selected the best works among the 103 Mexican and international features, which included screenings of Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling. Guests included Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value), Juliette Binoche (In-I: In Motion), Jodie Foster (Vie privée), Gael García Bernal (Amores Perros, 25th Anniversary) and many others.

Below is the full winners list:

Michoacán Short Script Competition: Herculano, Melisa Estefanía Sandoval Partida
Special Mention: Pastel y crisantemos, Karla Martínez

Ojo for the Michoacan Section: Aki, David Buitrón Fernández
Special Mention: Corolario, Luz Barragán

MEXICAN SHORT FILM SECTION
Special Jury Prize sponsored by Renta Imagen: Sigo Soñando (Oc nitemiki), Misael Alva
Special Mention: Al borde del volcán, Jorge Granados Ross

Ojo for Best Mexican Animated Short Film: Una parvada de estruendo, Mariana Mendivil
Ojo for Best Mexican Documentary Short Film: Las voces del despeñadero, Irving Serrano and Víctor Rejón
Ojo for Best Mexican Fiction Short Film: Casa Chica, Lau Charles

MEXICAN DOCUMENTARY FEATURE SECTION
Special Mention: Brigada 2045, Olivia Luengas Magaña
Audience Award for Mexican Documentary Feature Film: Mi Benjamín, Victoria Clay-Mendoza
Ojo for Best Mexican Documentary Feature Film: Llamarse Olimpia, Indira Cato

MEXICAN FICTION FEATURE SECTION
Special Mention: Basilio Moncada for his performance in El guardián
Audience Award for Mexican Fiction Feature Film: Vainilla, Mayra Hermosillo
Audience Award for International Feature Film: Nueva ola francesa (Nouvelle Vague), Richard Linklater
Ojito for Best Actor (Mexican Feature Film): Víctor Miguel Prieto and Osvaldo Sánchez for En elcamino
Ojito for Best Actress (Mexican Feature Film): Carolina Guzmán for La reserva
Best Screenplay for a Mexican Fiction Feature: Karen Plata for El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja)
Best Cinematography for a Mexican Feature: Ximena Amann for En el camino.
Casa Wabi-Escine Prize for a First-Time Director: Nuria Ibáñez Castañeda for El guardián
Ojo for Best Director (Mexican Fiction Feature): Pablo Pérez Lombardini for La reserva
Ojo for Best Mexican Feature: La reserva, Pablo Pérez Lombardini
 
IMPULSO MORELIA 11
Caffeine Postproduction Awards:
Workflow design and deliveries package: Mickey, Dano García
Visual Effects package: Chicas tristes, Fernanda Tovar
Graphic Design package: La gran familia, Matías Meyer
Splendor Omnia Studio Awards:
One week of 5.1 sound mixing: Mickey, Dano García
One week of color correction: Guerras invisibles, Marcela Arteaga
Estudios Churubusco Award:
$375,000 MXN to Sueños que migran, Juan Javier Pérez
$375,000 MXN to Mickey, Dano García
José María Riba Award: Chicas tristes, Fernanda Tovar

WOMEN IN FILM AND TELEVISION MEXICO AWARD
Honorable Mention: Llamarse Olimpia, Indira Cato
Best Documentary Feature Directed by a Woman: Vidas en la orilla, Lucía Gajá