The 18th annual celebration of short film finished last night with the awards ceremony, following a packed five day programme of events across the city
Glasgow Film Festival 2025 finished its 18th edition in style last night, as it announced the winners of its two prestigious annual competitions plus the coveted Scottish and International Audience Awards, chosen by GSFF25 festival goers.
The Scottish Short Film Award honours inspiration and innovation in new Scottish cinema, and saw 17 new films compete. Named in honour of the legendary Scottish filmmaker, the Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film promotes cinematic storytelling that places sound and image centre stage. This year includes twenty eight documentary, animation, fiction and experimental shorts from Greece, Poland, Germany, Palestine, Singapore and across the world.
The GSFF25 Scottish Short Film Award was awarded by a jury consisting of Joey Simons, a writer and artist from Glasgow who is a founding member of the Glasgow Housing Struggle Archive and is undertaking the Foyle Visual Artist residency in Hospitalfield House in 2025; Film and TV producer Carolynne Sinclair Kidd, with 30+ years in the industry as both filmmaker and Executive Producer of at the BFI/Creative Scotland-funded Scottish Film Talent Network; and Giulio Vita, founder of La Guarimba Film Festival in Amantea, Southern Italy.
The Scottish Short Film Award was won by Lisa Clarkson for Paternal Advice. As winner, Lisa Clarkson receives a cash prize of £1,000.
The jury said: “In this outstanding short film, absurdist elements intrude on the edge of reality, language breaks down to its most elemental functions and the city’s ancient divisions take on a timeless, dream-like quality. Through the brilliant lead performance and striking sound design, the audience’s expectations are subtly undermined throughout. The final punchline is delivered with swagger, an old joke with a punchline we see coming but still can’t escape from. The filmmaker has delivered a perfect example of the short film form. The worthy winner of the Scottish competition jury award is Paternal Advice by Lisa Clarkson.”
The jury gave a special mention to Baby directed by Eubha Akilade.
The jury said: “The jury wishes to give a special mention to an emotionally gripping and masterfully executed short film. Shot in a single take, the film immerses the audience in real-time, forcing us to endure the raw confusion and heartbreak of miscarriage alongside the protagonist. As the insidious nature of her controlling partner creeps into view, the ultimate revelation of her unhealthy relationship lands with devastating impact. The final shot, holding firm and focussed on the complexity of the lead’s emotions, hints at a way out. A work of pitch-perfect storytelling, BABY cements Eubha Akilade as one of Scotland’s most outstanding new filmmaking talents.”
The GSFF25 Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film was decided by a jury including Oana Ghera, Artistic Director of the Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival (BIEFF); Last year’s Bill Douglas award winner, Iranian underground audiovisual artist Saleh Kashefi; and Fransiska Prihadi, Programme Director of Minikino, a non-profit short film organisation from Indonesia. It was won by Maryam Tafakory for Razeh-del. As winner, Maryam Tafakory receives a cash prize of £1,000.
The jury said: “A precious cinematic jewel which virtuosically narrates an important but forgotten memory of a nation told through an intimately personal but at the same time politically rebellious perspective which made an impossible film become possible. The artist has dedicated herself to a deeply personal and meticulous research, investigating the vast archives of the dead post-revolutionary Iranian cinema, emancipating and reviving the same films that have been murdered by the censorship authorities. This masterpiece is a testament to the power of personal filmmaking—one that defies not only the borders imposed by governments and the industry but, perhaps most profoundly, the invisible barriers artists place upon their own creativity.It is an absolute pleasure for the jury members to grant the Bill Douglas Award of 2025 to Maryam Tafakory’s Razeh-del.”
The jury gave a special mention to Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault.
The GSFF25 International Audience Award, chosen by festival goers, was won by Claire Barnett for Freak. Claire Barnett receives a cash prize of £500.
The GSFF25 Scottish Audience Award, chosen by festival goers, was won by Eilidh Loan for Soul. Eilidh Loan receives £500.
The Young Scottish Filmmaker Prize went to Heavy by Eve Grant and The Land Where Ghosts Could Speak by Tianhui Wu, with a special mention to Midnight at Mickey’s by Vinn Wolf. The Young Scottish Filmmaker Prize is delivered in partnership with Glasgow Film, Eden Court, supported by BFI Film Academy, National Lottery funding and designed in consultation with Short Circuit and GMAC Film.
GSFF24 ran from 19 – 23 March at GFT, Civic house and Grosvenor Picture Theatre with a packed programme including an opening night gala screening of The Disco: A Portrait of Simon Eilbeck, Alex Hetherington’s sound-and-image portrait of the d/Deaf DJ and founder of Scottish queer club night Hot Mess; a retrospective screening and live performance by Indonesian artist and filmmaker Riar Rizaldi, complemented by a programme of contemporary Indonesian films from Minikino Film Week; a screening of Frank Sweeney’s IFFR-Award Winning film Few Can See about broadcast censorship in the North of Ireland; and a guest programme by the Gaza Film Unit highlighting the Palestinian struggle.
Matt Lloyd, Festival Director, said: “This has been an incredible edition of the festival, with sell-out screenings, exciting collaborations and guests from every continent. There has been so much warmth and praise around the Scottish competition, which I think was particularly strong this year. The Scottish competition jury have chosen a winner and a special mention who both carry so much promise for cinematic narrative fiction filmmaking. Meanwhile the international jury has singled out two brilliant films who in different ways address concerns of power and freedom of expression at the individual and global level. Finally, as ever our audiences here in Glasgow and at HMP Polmont have demonstrated their exquisite taste in selecting two vastly entertaining works to take home the Scottish and International Audience Awards.”
Chair of Glasgow Life Bailie Annette Christie said: “Glasgow Short Film Festival continues to inspire and captivate audiences, showcasing the very best in short filmmaking from Scotland and beyond. Congratulations to all the talented winners and nominees whose creativity and vision have enriched this year’s festival. Their work highlights the power of cinema to challenge, engage, and connect us. Glasgow Life is proud to support this vibrant celebration of storytelling, and we look forward to seeing the festival continue to flourish in the years ahead.”
The 19th edition of the festival will run from 18-22 March 2026.
Glasgow Short Film Festival is delivered with support from Glasgow Life, British Council, Culture Ireland, CMC, and funded by the National Lottery, through Screen Scotland.
New partners this year included: Grosvenor Picture Theatre; Fyne Ales; The Social Hub; and SPT, who kindly subsidised travel between venues on the Glasgow Subway for international guests.
Richard Robinson, Director of Transport Operations at SPT, said:
‘We are delighted to be able to work with Glasgow Short Film Festival during their annual event. As two prominent Glasgow institutions, Subway is proud to be involved in a partnership that celebrates both innovation and the art of storytelling.”
Thank you to Fyne Ales for providing Closing Awards refreshments, and to all our partners for their essential support of the festival.