September 10 - 17, 2025
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane | Halifax, Nova Scotia
2025 AIFF Atlantic Awards
The Gordon Parsons Award for Best Atlantic Feature
The winner of this award will receive a 20k credit from Equifilm.
Winner: Sk+te'kmujue'katik (At the Place of Ghosts)
Directed by bretten hannam
Produced by Marc Tetreault, Jason Levangie, bretten hannam, Martin Katz, Diana Elbaum
Best Atlantic Director
Winner: Sherry White, Blueberry Grunt
The Michael Weir Award for Best Atlantic Screenwriter
Winner: Andy Hines, Adam Baldwin, Little Lorraine
Joan Orenstein Award for Outstanding Performance in Acting
Presented by Sky Talent Group, the winner of this award will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Mary Walsh, Dancing on the Elephant
Best Atlantic Original Score or Song
Winner: Jeremy Dutcher, Sk+te'kmujue'katik (At the Place of Ghosts)
Best Atlantic Cinematographer
The winner of this award will receive a 10k credit from Equifilm.
Winner: Guy Godfree, Sk+te'kmujue'katik (At the Place of Ghosts)
Best Atlantic Editor
Presented by Canadian Cinema Editors, the winner of this award will receive a $500 cash prize and a one-year membership to Canadian Cinema Editors.
Winner: Angela Baker, Dancing on the Elephant
Best Atlantic Short Film
Presented by Sunbelt Rentals and Doug Woods. The winner of this award will receive $10,000 credit at Sunbelt Rentals, $1,500 of in-kind services from 902 Post.
Winner: FEED, directed by Nancy Urich
Honourable Mention: Mourning Rituals, directed by Annaka Gale
Best Atlantic Short Documentary
Presented by 902 Post and Doug Woods. The winner of this award will receive $1,500 in-kind support from 902 Post, and a $500 cash award plus membership to DOC.
Winner: The Muse, directed by Wanda Nolan
Honourable Mention: Imprint, directed by Duncan Major
2025 Atlantic Jury
Atlantic Features Jury
Ann Bernier | The president of Auguste Content Inc., a production company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is an accomplished independent, with extensive experience in film and television production. She is currently in post production on the feature film 111, written and directed by Mauro Mueller, in coproduction with Switzerland’s C-Films. She is an active member of professional organizations such as the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), Screen Nova Scotia and Women in Film & Television – Atlantic Chapter.
Steve Gravestock | As a Senior Programmer at TIFF, Steve oversaw the organization’s Canadian programming initiatives, including the Canada’s Top Ten film selection and the year-round See the North programme, a free showcase of homegrown classics. As a programmer for the Festival, he has selected Canadian feature films since 2004 and was responsible for selections from the Nordic Region. Gravestock has written extensively on cinema for many publications, including the Toronto Star, POV Magazine, NOW Magazine, and Cinema Scope, having interviewed over 100 directors ranging from Abel Ferrara to Krzysztof Kieślowski.
Siljá Somby | An indigenous Sámi writer/director who graduated from INN University in Norway. She has been directing short fiction as well as educational documentaries and documentaries for NRK. She is currently working on various projects, including a fiction film for children, along with other short film/feature film projects, as well as other XR projects.
Atlantic Shorts Jury
Inga Diev | The General Manager at Ouat Media, a Toronto-based short film distribution and sales company celebrating its 20th anniversary next year. Recognized internationally as one of the leading destinations for work by the industry’s rising stars, Ouat Media boasts an award-winning catalogue, including 12 Oscar nominees and three Oscar winners to date. In her role, Inga is responsible for the company’s business operations and oversees all film sales and acquisitions.
Lindsay Blair Goeldner | A Canadian producer based between Toronto and New York, specializing in bold, genre-driven storytelling with global resonance. Her work spans features, series, shorts, and commercials, with credits including I Like Movies (TIFF Top Ten, Netflix 2022), In Flames (Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2023), Streams Flow from a River (Canneseries, Prime Video 2023), as well as the shorts The Curfew (Venice Orizzonti 2025) and Scaring Women at Night (Iris Prize Winner 2023). Lindsay’s slate is fueled by the same passion that once drew her to the horror section of a local video store, combined with a drive to champion stories that blend distinctive voices with social relevance. Her projects have screened at major festivals worldwide and earned critical acclaim. She is an alum of the Canadian Film Centre’s Producers Lab, Berlinale Co-Production Market, and the Rotterdam Lab.
Martina Kelades | a professional storyteller and a multi-passionate artist – an actor, public speaker and podcast host dedicated to dismantling mental and emotional health stigma. Martina founded “Life Out Loud Mental Health Consulting & Creatives,” a mental health promotion company and a platform that shares unfiltered stories supporting those experiencing mental health challenges and those who dare to live a life on purpose.