Cannes Docs has revealed the winners of its 2025 edition, spotlighting a range of powerful documentary projects that explore themes of identity, community, and resistance.
Top Honors for ‘Asphalt’ and ‘Kenmure Street’
The IEFTA Award went to Asphalt by Jordanian director Hamza Hamideh. The film, part of the Palestinian showcase, follows Debs, a young Palestinian refugee in Jordan, whose wedding plans are derailed by a family tragedy in Gaza. Jury members praised the film’s emotional depth and ability to capture everyday life with both humor and sorrow.
Felipe Bustos Sierra’s Everybody to Kenmure Street won the Al Jazeera Documentary Award. The film depicts a grassroots protest in Scotland against immigration enforcement, celebrating collective action and community solidarity.
Special Mentions and Additional Awards
The Chicken & Egg Vision Award went to Something Familiar by Rachel Close. A special mention was given to Sama by Rabab Khamis, about a 10-year-old girl in Gaza surviving under harsh conditions. Producer Rashid Masharawi emphasized the real-life stakes behind the film’s story.
Other winners include:
Post-Production Award: The Production of the World by Brett Story (Canada)
Rise And Shine Award: The Tiger of the East by Jorge Acevedo Carrasco (Chile)
Alphapanda Award: Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest by Viv Li
Think-Film Impact Award: My Rebel Heart by Ida Kat Balslev (Palestine)
Rulli Putortì & Partners Law Firm Award: I Heard the Calling by Myrza Muniz, Robson Dias, and Célia Tupinambá (Brazil)
DAE Award: The Flight of the Stork by Soumaya Hidalgo Djahdou and Berta Vicente Salas (Spain)
Celebrating Creative Voices
Cannes Docs head Pierre-Alexis Chevit highlighted the importance of supporting diverse and personal narratives, especially from Palestinian filmmakers. He called creative documentaries a “free form” of expression that reflects deeply personal visions.
“We are proud to offer space for these voices,” Chevit said. “This community is united by care—for stories, for people, and for the world.”
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