Winners

California Women’s Film Festival

Audience Award Winners

(Audience Winners will be posted by July 8th)

1st Place

Hair Dream Dir. Romel Nusdorfer

2nd Place

Crossing Tahoe Dir. Lis Bartlett

3rd Place

Better Fate Than Never

Dir. Isabella Blake -Thomas

Jury Category Winners

(Category Winners will be presented at the end of the film’s screening block)

Best Feature Film

Sugar Beach Dir. Noely Mendoza

(Presented at the end of Block 5 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Short Film

Ownership Dir. Yvonne Huff Lee

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Feature Documentary

Hair Dream Dir. Romel Nusdorfer

(Presented at the end of Block 2 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Short Documentary

#whitehairdontcare: A New Era in Beauty

Dir. Aishah Iqbal

(Presented at the end of Block 2 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Student Film

Tits Up Dir. Selene Huang

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Foreign Film

Don’t Be Late, Myra Dir. Afia Serena Nathaniel

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Sunday 7/6/2025)

Best Animation

Alyssum Dir. Alex King

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Music Video

Birds Of A Feather Dir. Cat Rendic

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Experimental Film

With Love Dir. Kellie Christensen

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Feature Script

Concrete Village by Rosita A. Ruvalcava

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

Best Short Script

Inner Childcare by Mallory Vallier

(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 7/5/2025)

___________________________

Feature Script Finalist

All Up in Your Bizness: Managing Your Business Crap

by Julianna M Newland

Ameneh by Roqiye Tavakoli, Yasamin Rizan

BENEATH THE UNDERCURRENT by Helen Alexis Yonov

Mother. by Brandi Haugen

Stache by Erin Keefer

Wild Woman Of The Woods by Tobi Iverson

Short Script Finalist

Centennial Talk with Eliza Jane Poitevent

by Merrill Anway Jones

Oliviana by Hank Isaac

Therapy by Melissa Birks

This Wasn’t Political by Mao Tokionese & Mao Udagawa

Call For Entries Now Open

Jury Creative Winners

Best Director

Noely Mendoza - Sugar Beach

Best Actress

Yvonne Huff Lee - Ownership

Best Supporting Actress

Maggie Knoedelseder - If You Need Me

Best Actor

Jason Fay - Tits UP

Best Original Screenplay

Sarah Rebottaro - If You Need Me

12th Annual California Women’s Festival trophies provided by

Jury Creative Nominees

(Creative Winners will be announced and presented during the Filmmaker Mixer on Saturday, July 5th. The mixer starts at 9pm and the Award Presentation starts at 9:40pm)

Best Director

Afia Serena Nathaniel - Don't be late, Myra

Yvonne Huff Lee - Ownership

Noely Mendoza - Sugar Beach

Selene Huang - Tits Up

Jeff Deverett - God Is Good

Best Actress

Abi Coomes - Tits Up

Jennylyn Caterina - With Love

Marina Savoy - God Is Good

Yvonne Huff Lee - Ownership

Kiri Hartig - If You Need Me

Best Supporting Actress

Jayne Taini - Ownership

Eloise Lola Gordon - Talk to Me Like the Rain

Maggie Knoedelseder - If You Need Me

Sara Farzadfard - Sorry, She Can't Help Herself

Ivonnah Erskine - Love Is Blind

Best Actor

Will Madden - Silhouette

Brandon Fobbs - Love Is Blind

Jason Fay - Tits UP

Ryley Schroeder - Sugar Beach

Nathan Wilson - God Is Good

Best Original Screenplay

Peppur Chambers - Ownership

Sarah Rebottaro - If You Need Me

Zoe Manzotti - Sugar Beach

Josh Nadler - God Is Good

Allie Perison - She Devil

Saturday Night Filmmaker Mixer

9pm-10:50pm $30

Wine, refreshments, music, networking and the presentation of the Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay awards.

All ticket sales are final. Tickets will be held at box office and can be picked up on the day of the event.

CWFF - January 9th -11th 2026