September 2025 Award Winners
Independent Shorts Awards is proud to announce the award winners for September 2025. This month’s selections were chosen from a
Category: News
September 2025: The Nominees for Best Short of the Season (Special Jury Awards)
Learn more about the 8 nominees for Best Short of September 2025—contenders for the special jury awards of this season. Winners across all competition categories will be officially announced soon.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Film Producer Sonia Lowe on Why Short Films Matter
Sonia Lowe, founder of Solo Films, attended the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards to support fellow filmmakers and share why she believes short films are an essential format for creativity, visibility, and new voices in cinema.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Actress Kayden Tokarski, co-moderator of the Spotlight Q&A Panel
Sixteen-year-old actress and Independent Shorts Awards alumna Kayden Tokarski joined the 2025 Spotlight Q&A Panel as co-moderator, reflecting her rising career and ongoing presence in the festival community.
2025 Annual Awards Feature: Taichi Kunigami, the Japanese composer and director of “Map of Time”
Taichi Kunigami shared a moving reflection at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards, presenting his debut film “Map of Time” — a deeply personal project inspired by loss and previously honored in the festival’s monthly editions.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Film composers Anastasia Listopadova & Vikrant Muthusamy
USC Screen Scoring alumni Anastasia Listopadova and Vikrant Muthusamy attended the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards to stay inspired and connected through the stories shared by fellow filmmakers.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Kalyn Wood, writer and lead actress of “Screaming Silence”
Independent Shorts Awards alumna Kalyn Wood reflects on her journey from “Screaming Silence” to new projects, sharing her growth as an actress and writer while continuing to create across London, Los Angeles, and beyond.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Russian Director Ksenia Ishoot on the World Premiere of “Clinical Case”
Russian director Ksenia Ishoot shares insights on the World Premiere of “Clinical Case,” a psychological short exploring propaganda, instability, and the fractures of a poisoned society.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Naosheen Ahmed, writer and lead actress of “Pandaal”
Naosheen Ahmed shares her journey in bringing to life the story of Durga — a woman confronting abuse, trauma, and justice — with “Pandaal,” nominated for Best Women Short at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Pooja Batra, producer of Indian drama short “Echoes of Us”
Pooja Batra, actress, model, and Femina Miss India International 1993, shares insights on her producing debut “Echoes of Us” and her journey from acting to producing.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Ziyu Gao, writer and director of “Ways of Talking”
Ziyu Gao, a 19-year-old filmmaker originally from Singapore and now based in New York, shares insights on her short film “Ways of Talking” and her journey from acting to directing.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Veronica Tullo, writer and director of “Did My Heart Love Till Now”
Veronica Tullo shares the story behind her Senior Thesis film “Did My Heart Love Till Now,” a magical romance nominated for Best Romantic Short at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Julie Theis & Sydney Cope, lead actresses of “Dilemma”
Julie Theis and Sydney Cope discuss their roles in “Dilemma,” a psychological thriller that premiered in California at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards, where it competed for Best Thriller Short.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: British actors Ryan James Nunn & Rufus Shaljean of “Not Another Coming Out Story”
World Premiering at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards and winner of Best LGBTQ Short, “Not Another Coming Out Story” reimagines queer youth narratives with honesty and heart.