Winners of the 2025 Annual Stony Brook Film Festival
2025 FESTIVAL WINNERS
HEARTS OF STONE
2025 Opening Night Short
New York Premiere
Belgium, Croatia - 30 min
A film by Tom Van Avermaet.
A city street artist who entertains people as a living statue keeps a
watchful eye over Agatha, a real statue in the sculpture park she frequents.
THE TIES THAT BIND
2025 Opening Night Feature
East Coast Premiere
France - 106 min
Directed by Carine Tardieu. Written by Agnès Feuvre,
Raphaële Moussafir and Carine Tardieu.
With Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Pio Marmaï, Vimala Pons and
Raphaël Quenard (Hard Shell, Soft Shell).
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi delivers a brilliantly lived-in performance as Sandra, a 50-something,
independent woman who works in a feminist bookstore, has no children by choice, and
has carefully arranged her life to her liking. When Sandra first meets young Eliot,
Eliot’s father Alex—a neighbor she barely recognizes from the same apartment building—is
foisting him upon her urgently as he races off with his very pregnant wife to the
hospital. Little do any of them realize, this will be the beginning of a very unusual
relationship that brings the question of what defines family to the foreground. Defying
all the expected cliches, director Tardieu allows the story and the characters to
instead remain very much in the realm of reality. This intimate, poignant, and ultimately
joyous masterpiece should not be missed. A heart-warming and thought-provoking opening
to our 30th anniversary.
In French and Romanian, with subtitles.
Produced by Fabrice Goldstein and Antoine Rein. Edited by Christel Dewynter. Director
of Photography: Elin Kirschfink, Yann Maritaud.
A Karé Productions, France 2 Cinéma, and Umedia production, a Studio Canal+ picture
from Distrib Films US.
PLACE UNDER THE SUN
2025 Closing Night Short
U.S. Premiere
Moldova - 20 min
A film by Vlad Bolgarin.
A talented musician and his 8-year-old son struggle to find a place to sell vegetables
at the biggest market in Moldova.
In Romanian, with subtitles.
THE REMNANTS OF YOU
2025 Closing Night Feature
U.S. Premiere
Spain - 92 minutes
Written and directed by Gala Gracia.
With Laia Manzanares, Ángela Cervantes, Rui de Carvalho, Anna Tenta (Fanny’s Journey). After four years living in New York, Sara puts her budding career as a jazz pianist
on hold following the sudden death of her father.
Back in her childhood home—a sheep farm in the Pyrenees of Spain—Sara finds herself reunited with her older sister Elena, who now manages a livestock farm of her own. When the sisters inherit their father’s farm and flock, Elena is ready to sell, but Sara finds herself unable to move on. After visiting her grandfather, Sara postpones her upcoming concert and starts working on her father’s farm alone, as she desperately tries to hang onto his legacy. Actress Laia Manzanares gives an amazingly subtle yet powerful performance as Sara, and the evocative, melancholy solo piano score by Filipe Raposo beautifully ties together Sara’s jazz with the old farm home she finds herself back in. This masterful first film from writer and director Gala Gracia feels both deeply personal and strikingly universal at the same time.
In Spanish, with subtitles.
Produced by Carlo D'Ursi. Edited by Julia Juaniz and Irene Vecchio. Director of Photography:
Michele Paradisi. A Potenza Producciones production, from Beta Cinema.
A GUEST IN MY COUNTRY
2025 Audience Award for Best Short
United States - 15 min
A film by John Gray.
As an immigrant Uber driver takes an upscale couple across town, unexpected answers to seemingly innocuous questions reveal a rift.
NAWI
2025 Audience Award for Best Feature
Germany, Kenya - 103 min
Directed by Toby Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler, Apuu Mourine and Vallentine Chelluget.
Written by Milcah Cherotich, Kevin Schmutzler and Toby Schmutzler.
With Michelle Lemuya Ikeny, Joel Liwan, Ochungo Benson, Ben Tekee and Michelle Tiren.
Living in rural Kenya, Nawi‘s aspirations of attending high school are shattered when
she learns that her father has reluctantly agreed to marry her off for a substantial
herd of livestock. Instead of obeying tradition, Nawi chooses to fight her impending
marriage in any way she can think of. Though quite serious in theme, this film remains
surprisingly hopeful, due in no small part to the spectacular performance of Michelle
Lemuya Ikeny as Nawi.
In Swahili and English, with subtitles.
Produced by Lydia Wrensch, Caroline Heim, and Brizan Were.
Edited by Toby Schmutzler. Director of Photography: Klaus Kneist, Mwende Renata. A
FilmCrew Media, Learning Lions, and Baobab Pictures production from The Festival Agency.
WESTHAMPTON
United States - 94 min
Written and directed by Christian Nilsson.
With Finn Wittrock (The Big Short, American Horror Story), RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad), Jake Weary, Amy Forsyth, and Tovah Feldshuh.
Tom is a filmmaker perennially haunted by an accident he was involved in as a high
school student in Westhampton, Long Island. Though he has made a moderately successful
independent film about it, he believes both the film and himself to be a failure.
When circumstances conspire, Tom must go back to the hometown he left years ago, forcing
him to face old friends and a town he believes disdains him. But as present events
are intercut with the B&W film Tom made, questions begin to arise about what really
happened. Shot on location in Westhampton, filmmaker and Long
Island native Christian Nilsson brings us this masterfully told tale about regret,
forgiveness, and acceptance.
Produced by Dave Brick, Saraleah Cogan, Rob Hinderliter, Terence Krey, Christian Nilsson,
Alex Robbins, and Eric Tabach. Edited by Terence Krey. Director of Photography: Dave
Brick. A TXE production.
MAD BILLS TO PAY
2025 Spirit of Independent Filmmaking Award
New York Premiere
United States - 101 min
Written and directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas.
With Juan Collado, Destiny Checo, Yohanna Florentino and Nathaly Navarro.
Rico, 19, lives with his no-nonsense mother and sassy sister Sally in a modest Bronx apartment in the heart of the Dominican American community. Rico’s version of having a job is selling homemade cocktails out of a cooler on Orchard Beach while trying to evade local authorities. He squabbles with Sally, gets reprimanded by his mom, parties with his clients, and flirts with the local girls. But his endless summer life comes crashing down when his newly pregnant 16-year-old girlfriend Destiny, moves in after being kicked out by her parents. Vargas creates a work of art, telling a compelling story while eliciting amazing performances from his cast.
In English and Spanish, with subtitles. Produced by Paolo Maria Pedullà. Edited by Irfan van Tuijl. Director of Photography: Rufai Ajala. A Killer Films, Perpetuum Films, Spark Features, and Watermark Media production, from Salaud Morisset.
MY NAME IS DANIA
2025 Jury Award for Best Short
Israel - 22 min
A film by Lev Brodinsky.
Dania good-naturedly strives to connect with his father, who lives in public housing for immigrants and suffers from Alzheimer's.
In Hebrew and Russian, with subtitles.
MISTURA
2025 Jury Award for Best Feature
United States and Peru - 96 min
Written and directed by Ricardo de Montreuil.
With Bárbara Mori, Pudy Ballumbrosio, Christian Meier,
Stefano Meier, Juan Pablo Olyslager and Hermelinda Luján.
1960s Peru: Norma, a privileged French-Peruvian woman, watches her life quickly unravel
after her husband's betrayal ostracizes her from elite society. Unsatisfied with the
options she is given, she instead embarks on a daring culinary venture as she finds
herself drawn to the people and communities she had been raised to disregard. Bárbara
Mori brings amazing authenticity to the role of Norma, and Peruvian percussionist
Pudy Ballumbrosio shines in his first feature role as Norma’s butler, Oscar.
In Spanish, with subtitles.
Produced by Ivan Orlic. Edited by Luis Colina and Ricardo de
Montreuil. Director of Photography: Nicolás Wong. A De Montreuil
Entertainment, Oliverdog Entertainment and Seine Pictures
production.
For 2025 Stony Brook Film Festival News & Press click here.