2025 Award Winners
We are honored to present the awards for the 16th annual San Francisco Dance Film Festival. The awards were chosen by a group of independent jury members. To view details on each award winner, click on the film thumbnail. Congratulations to the following winners:
A breathtaking fusion of dance and storytelling, this powerful film, Spoken Movement Family Honour, directed by Daniel Gurton, was a clear winner by the judges. Featuring the phenomenal acting and dancing talents of Kwame Asafo-Adjei and Catrina Nisbett, it’s a performance that speaks volumes—full of raw expression, layers of complexity, and unrelenting emotional intensity that leaves you breathless.
The cinematography for Aito Hine is nothing short of breathtaking. Brilliantly conceived to emphasize the dancers and their relationship with nature. The jury was swept away by the grand scope and powerful images of the young woman’s journey of discovery that lingered long after the film’s conclusion. Choreographer Tehani Robinson and director Krysten Resnick have created a gorgeous film that uplifts both women and indigenous voices.
In Aṁṁonia, production design is integral to the choreography, narrative, and emotional tone of the film. Rather than relying on natural landscapes, the film constructs an interior world that directly interacts with its performers, embodying a rare synthesis of movement and environment that could only exist through cinematic design. The jurors agreed that the film’s elements — from props to layered textures — reflected intentional, thoughtful artistic choices that go beyond aesthetic display to serve as a vehicle for exceptional storytelling.
Ode Maritima was an absolute pleasure to behold. Cinematically dynamic, and clearly intentioned with every seam line drawn by the guitar-like plucks and fades of the ropes as the performers emerge and disappear into the folds of the structure they hang from. The clever and ingenious combination of place, angle, and editing is undeniably essential to the film’s success, standing tall amongst this year’s exceptional lineup.
Waiting Places received the highest rating in the category of score for its excellent integration of classical and contemporary music. Striking dance, plus the use of natural sounds and silence, served as a unique narrative force throughout the film. Jurors were especially moved by the pianist’s onscreen presence, woven into the storyline, and praised the score’s evocative role in shaping the film’s dramatic and emotional arc, adding to its overall artistic excellence.
Chambers Street uses sound design not just to enhance ambience and realism, but to genuinely immerse the viewer alongside the performers, capturing the way it feels to wait for that train to whoosh past underground. The eerie, mournful qualities of the choreography were emboldened by this tool, which is often overshadowed in dance film.
The jury also emphasized that Chambers Street epitomizes the Screendance category. The film is designed to live only in film form with a high caliber of choreography, cinematography, and editing all working inseparably to tell its story. Overall, an exemplary work that “can only exist on screen”.
Narrative: Ballerina
Ballerina is a wonderful and affirming story of defiance against the artistic constraints for young women in Iran. The jury found Mana’s story of determination to perform for her father to be brave, audacious, uplifting, and universal. In this time of political and social upheaval, it provides a glimmer of hope from the smallest and most resolute of voices.
The Steppers Visit South Africa moves with profound emotional depth, uniting rhythms separated by centuries and oceans. In just eleven minutes, it tells an over 500-year story of return, where African roots and African American traditions meet again through sound, movement, and spirit. With its vivid attention to detail—the stomp of mud boots, the pulse of shared rhythm—the film powerfully captures the evolution of dance as both remembrance and reclamation.
Last Dance at Sundance Stompede is a moving celebration of community, resilience, and queer joy set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s iconic country-western dance gathering. With tenderness and authenticity, the film reveals a world many have never seen, capturing the heartbeat of a community that refuses to fade. As a love letter, it reminds us how dance can hold history, belonging, and hope all at once. The film captures the beauty of connection and the ache of loss with extraordinary tenderness.
The Dancer is an incredibly powerful story of not only survival but passionate creation and artistry under the most extreme circumstances. Ahmad Joudeh’s journey transcends both personal and international borders in a way that reaffirms the strength, determination, and beauty of the human spirit. The jury was unanimous in wanting to single it out for special mention as an outstanding accomplishment in both storytelling and dance.
Featured in the sold-out Art/Experimental program, Still Got It by the beloved Seaweed Sisters—Megan Lawson, Jillian Meyers, and Dana Wilson—charmed viewers with its whimsy, creativity, and unmistakable originality. With poetic timing and a playful, meditative tone, it celebrates friendship and the sweetness that can be found in stillness—reminding us that the spirit of dance never ages. The film also ignited a massive reaction online, where SFDFF’s clip soared past one million views and drew comments like “a living poem,” “pure genius,” and “these ladies understand the full spectrum of joy.” Together, the Seaweed Sisters have crafted a piece that resonates far beyond the screen.
A selection of these award-winning films are available to stream as part of our 2025 Online Festival (November 10-30).