Set in the middle of the spring in the wine countryEvery year the 28th Sonoma International Film Festival offers a festive fusion of food, film and community. The opening March 19, the festival posted things on March 23 after five days with special views and culinary entertainment with its grand jury and audience Awards (See below). This celebration of cinema showed 93 films from 21 countries, along with a number of film talents and culinary stars. The festival’s various range included 39 narrative features, 16 documentary features and 38 short films.
The festival opened with the world premiere of the documentary “Sweet Styry” (Utopia), directed by Sarah Justine Kerruish and Matt Maude, about saving a colorful cafe in a remote area in Sweden. The middle piece was “On fast horses” (Sony Pictures Classics), a period relationship drama with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter, and the festival closed with Andrew Ahns The “wedding banquet” (Bleecker), with Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone and Joan Chen, who accepted the figure Career Achievement Award on the closing night.
Among the festival premieres was the North American debut by Strand Releasing’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Dreams (Sex Love),” California’s premiere of “Apollo 1”, “The Surfer” and “The Ugly Stepsists” and the world premieres in “Ali Eats America”, “Café chairman” and “Fatal Watch.”
Food lovers were treated with the extravagant Marcella Hazan Tribute Dinner along with a special screening of “Marcella” and a master class in Japanese food by Michelin star chef Yoshinori Ishii. “This year’s festival was a party for the senses and mixed extraordinary films with engrossing food and wine experiences,” said SPEL artistic director Carl Spence.
2025 marked the debut of the peak pop-ins, a program that offers Festival Pass Holders Exclusive Culinary and Wine Experience at Top Local Venues. For three days, six places-incurring the bar at MacArthur Place, Wit & Wisdom, Capo Isetta Tasting Room, Enoteca della Santina, Williams Sonoma and Sonoma Cheese Factory-is packaged packed events with chef-cured pieces and wine pairs.
The figure also marked the 20th anniversary of Gregg Araki’s “Mysterious Skin” and presented a spotlight on Italian film and a Scandinavian film exhibition. Among the panels, this year’s “Film Veterans Tell all” an All-Star range: Sundance director Eugene Hernandez, who Moderate, released Chief Marcus Hu, Oscar-nominated producer Christine Vachon (“Past Lives”), Morelia Film Festival Michela Michela Michela Michela Michela Michela Michela Michela, Whion Vantle Medifly Want Will Brian Brian Brian Brian Barlebrosbole Barlebrian Barlebrian Barlebrian.
Vachon also participated in a live tape of “The Movie That Blew My Mind” podcast with ex-sund directors John Cooper and Tabitha Jackson.
Grand Jury Film Awards:
Grand Jury Award | Best narrative feature:
“DJ Ahmet” (Georgi M. Unkovski | North Macedonia)
Jury statement from the story Grand Jury: Angelo Acerbi (Fred Film Radio),
Maggie Mackay (Vidiots) and Rajendra Roy (Chief Curator of Film, Moma).
“We chose a movie with a secure director, brilliant casting-a classic love story transformed-a film full of risks and rich rewards-we are honored to assign DJ Ahmet’s best story.”
The Movie Beat Out The Other Narrative Competition Films: “Café Chairel” (Director: Fernando Guillermo Barreda Luna/Mexico), “Gloria” (Director: Margherita Vicario/Italy), “Long Good Thursday” (Director: Mika Kaurismäki/Finland/Finland/Finland. César Diaz/France), “My Favorite Cake” (Director: Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha/Iran), “The Party is over” (Director: Elena Manrique/Spain) and Oscar-card listed “Waves” (Director: Jiří Mádl/Czech).
Grand Jury Award | Best documentary function:
“Mistress Dispeller” (Elizabeth Lo | China/USA)
Jury statement from the documentary function Grand Jury: Brian Brooks (Cinetic Media), Jaie LaPlante (Doc NYC) and Rachel Rosen (New York Film Festival). “To combine impeccable craftsmanship with a novelistic attitude to stories of nonfiction while he is always empathetic against his subjects, this year’s documentary prize goes to Elizabeth Lo’s Mistress Dispeller.”
Special mention | “Suburban Fury”
“For his bold ambition combined with its research research and wavy strategy, a special mention goes to director Robinson Devor’s suburban fury.”
“Mistress Dispeller” Beat Out the Other Documentary Feature Competition Films: “Ali Eats America” (USA) Directed by: Rush Niaghi, Greg Morris, “Apollo 1” (United Kingdom) Directed by: Mark Craig, “Mark Benjam,” Fatal Watch “Direct Peltier “(USA) Directed by: Jesse Short Bull, David France,” Sweet Styry “(UK) directed by: Sarah Justine Kerruish, Matt Maude,” Tokito: 540-day trip for a culinary Maverick “(Japan) directed by: Aki Mizutani.
Grand jury award | Short films and jury statements
All 38 official choice of elections competed for three short jury card awards.
Short film Grand Jury included Gregory Ellwood (the playlist), Daniela Michel (Morelia International Film Festival) and Mike Plante (Sundance Film Festival).
Grand Jury Award: Live Action Short
“HARD TROKAS” (Jazmin Garcia Director | USA)
“In order to shine a light on disadvantaged voices in an era of infectious misunderstanding, we would like to give the best live -Action short film to Trokas Duras.”
Grand Jury Award: Documentary Short
“Embrace instability” (director Nathan Willis | USA)
“For his insightful limelight on an artist who stays through overwhelming change, we would like to give the best documentary’s short film to embrace instability.”
Grand Jury Award: Animated Card
“As if the earth had swallowed them” (director Natalia León | France)
“For an amazing and emotionally resonant artistic performance, we would like to give the best animation short film to Como Si La Tierra see Las Hubiera Tragado.”
Special jury mention for board
“Sweet Talkin ‘Guy” (directed by Spencer Wardwell & Dylan Wardwell | USA)
¨ For its brilliant and brief grip on comic filmmaking, Sweet Talkin ‘Guy, directed by Spencer and Dylan Wardwell. ”
Audience film awards:
Stolman Audience Award for best feature
“Meet the Barbars” (France) directed by: Julie Delpy
1st runner-up: “DJ Ahmet” (North Macedonia) directed by: Georgi M. Unkovski
2nd Runner-up: “Mix” (Peru) directed by: Ricardo de Montreuil
3rd runner: “Waves” (Czech Republic) directed by: Jiří Mádl
4th runner: “Bad Shabbos” (USA) directed by: Daniel Robbins
A3 Public Prize for Best Documentary
“The Last Journey” (Sweden) Directed by: Filip Hammar, Fredrik Wikingsson
1st runner-up: “Checkpoint Zoo” (USA) directed by: Joshua Zeman
2nd runner: “One to one: John & Yoko” (UK) directed by: Kevin MacDonald
3rd runner: “Apollo 1” (UK) directed by: Mark Craig
4th runner: “Sweet Styry” (UK) directed by: Sarah Justine Kerruish, Matt Maude
McNeely Award for best short film
“Jane Austen’s period drama” (USA) directed by: Julia Aks, Steve Pinder
1st runner-up: “Teen Mary” (USA) directed by: Ali Rosenthal
2nd Runner-up: “Foxhole” (USA) directed by: Nick Dugan
3rd runner: “Wingspan” (USA) directed by: Matthew Fabiano
4th runner: “Our neighbors, The Peacocks” (USA) directed by: Callie Barlow
