The eleventh edition of the Manchester Film Festival took place 14-23 March at high profile cultural city centre venues, ending on Sunday 23 March with the annual awards ceremony that celebrated some of the finest emerging talent in the world of cinema.
AONTAS, directed by Damian McCann, won two major awards: the Golden Bee and Best Director. Similarly, RESTLESS, directed by Jed Hart, earned two top honours, taking home Best UK Feature and Best Actress for Mancunion Lyndsey Marshall. SILENT NOTES, directed by Toni Comas, won Best Actor for Daniel Durant. The Audience Award for Feature went to NEAR MISS, directed by Jamie Rafn. The full list of winners is below. Members of the jury included Tom Percival (Dexerto), Emily Murray (Total Film/ BBC Radio 5 Live), Cameron Frew (Dexerto), Matt Butler-Hart (Filmmaker and Festival Alumni) and Clarisse Loughton (Independent).
The BIFA and BAFTA qualifying festival was held at the Odeon Great Northern, HOME, and AVIVA Studios (Home of Factory International) and saw a record-breaking increase in audience attendance, drawing over 7,500 attendees – a 25% growth from the previous year’s 6,000.
This year’s edition featured 45 Feature Films, including 18 UK Premieres and 6 World Premieres.
The festival kicked off with a sensational Opening Night event at AVIVA Studios (Home of Factory International), where The Penguin Lessons, starring Steve Coogan and directed by Peter Cattaneo, captivated a packed crowd of 1,000 guests. The screening marked the start of a week filled with cinematic excellence, and the energy in the venue set the tone for a memorable festival.
A number of filmmakers, actors and special guests attended the festival, these included F1 World Champion Damon Hill (subject, HILL), Charlotte Ritchie (cast, HOSTAGES), Tom Michel (writer, THE PENGUIN LESSONS), Deba Hekmat (cast, THE LAST SWIM) and Sandhya Suri (director, SANTOSH).
Neil Jeram-Croft, Manchester Film Festival Director, said: “The 11th edition of the Manchester Film Festival has been a fantastic success, showcasing ground-breaking international film for a local audience. We were thrilled to be at two new venues this year – HOME, AVIVA Studios (Home of Factory International) and we can’t wait to continue to build these relationships and welcome back our wonderful filmmakers and audiences next year.”
In addition to the stellar films, the festival boasted a strong industry programme, with a series of inspiring talks and panel discussions from some of the film industry’s most influential voices. Highlights included BAFTA winner Franz Böhm (ROCK PAPER SCISSORS), Philip Hoile from Bulldog Films, Emmy-nominated director Tessa Hoffe (ZERO CHILL), LFF winner Alice Hughes (HOLLOWAY), and BAFTA-winning director Colin O’Toole (COWBOY DAVE). These sessions provided invaluable insights for aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals alike.
Full List of 2025 Winners:
Golden Bee – Feature – Aontas
Golden Bee – Short – Boys Like You
Special Jury Prize – Feature – Two Big Feet
Special Jury Prize – Short – Role Play
Best UK Feature – Restless
Best Documentary Feature – Pot of Gold
Best International Feature – Transplant
Best UK Short – Delivery
Best International Short – Dusty
Best North West Short – Hide
Best Student Film – Lux Carne
Best Documentary Short – Beer
Best Animation – Vibrantea
Best Experimental – The Weight
Best Music Video – Mini Me’s (KC Locke)
Best Director – Feature – Daniel McCann (Aontas)
Best Director – Short – Paul Holbrook (Boys Like You)
Best Actor – Feature – Daniel Durant (Silent Notes)
Best Actor – Short – Barry Ward (Housewarming)
Best Actress – Feature – Lyndsey Marshall (Restless)
Best Actress – Short – Mia Threppleton (Two Places at Once)
Best Cinematography – Feature – Foul Evil Deeds
Best Cinematography – Short – Kisses and Bullets
Audience Award – Feature – Near Miss
Audience Award – Short – Seeds
