CUFF (Calgary Underground Film Festival) 2025 Award Winners

CUFF 2025 concluded on April 27, 2025, at the Globe Cinema in Calgary. The festival’s 2025 edition featured an adventurous lineup of 41 feature films, 45 short films, and eight special events — from live script readings and retro cartoon parties to found-footage presentations and a 007 GoldenEye tournament. Across genres that ranged from horror and documentary to surreal comedy and intimate drama, CUFF continued to celebrate bold, unconventional filmmaking.

Top Festival Highlights

Audience Awards

• Audience Award — Best Narrative Feature: THIS TOO SHALL PASS, Director Rob Grant
• Audience Award — Best Documentary Feature: NO ONE DIED: THE WING BOWL STORY, Director Pat Taggart
• Audience Award — Best Canadian Short: GENDER REVEAL, Director Mo Matton
• Audience Award — Best International Short: THE SACRIFICE, Director Christopher Werner

Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature

• Winner: THE BLACK HOLE, Director Moonika Siimets
• Honourable Mention: TINSMAN ROAD, Director Robbie Banfitch

The jurors praised CUFF’s diverse slate, which ranged from intimate suburban dramas to surreal desert art-comedies. They awarded THE BLACK HOLE for its inventive blend of realism and the fantastical, as well as for striking a balance between culturally specific detail and universal themes. The panel also recognized TINSMAN ROAD as an honourable mention for taking a genre often overlooked in artistic circles and using it to tell a moving story about grief and family that both scares and emotionally resonates.

Best Documentary Feature

• Winner: NO ONE DIED: THE WING BOWL STORY, Director Pat Taggart
• Honourable Mention: ENDLESS COOKIE, Directors Seth Scriver & Peter Scriver

The documentary jury selected NO ONE DIED: THE WING BOWL STORY for its lively, unexpected portrait of an outsize cultural event. Judges highlighted the film’s mix of humor, chaos, and personal testimony — a blend that made the subject feel both absurd and deeply human. ENDLESS COOKIE earned an honourable mention for its original fusion of animation and live storytelling, noted for emotional honesty, creative execution, and distinctive voice.

Best Canadian Short

• Winner: GENDER REVEAL, Director Mo Matton
• Honourable Mention: BIDET, Director James Brylowski
• Special Jury Prize: TAKING THE PISS, Directors Christina Dovolis & Tavis Putnam

Judges commended GENDER REVEAL as a fully realized and sharply written short, lifted by strong performances, precise art direction, and tight editing. BIDET received an honourable mention for its savvy blend of comedy and horror, while TAKING THE PISS earned a special jury prize for its skilful combination of humor with experimental filmmaking techniques.

About CUFF 2025

CUFF has long been a platform for risk-taking cinema and voices outside the mainstream. The 2025 program continued that tradition, offering films that were provocative, playful, and emotionally resonant. From local filmmakers to international auteurs, the festival’s selections highlighted originality in storytelling and form. In addition to screenings, CUFF’s special events — including panels, live performances, and themed screenings — created lively spaces for audiences to discover new work and engage with creators.

Calgary Underground Film Festival Award Winners

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