2025 Award Winners

Education

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2025 EFC Grand Prize Winner & Director Grand Prize

Starting From Scratch
Levi Walker Marsh
High Tech High School

Shine Global Resilience Award for Young Filmmakers
& Drama Special Jury Prize

In Case You Forgot
Henry Slater, Jackson Provan
James Caldwell High School

Comedy

Grand Prize
Learning Curve
Vasilios Perides
Northern Valley Regional High School

Horror

Grand Prize
The Wiccan
Jayden De Jesus
East Brunswick Magnet School

Special Jury Prize
Icarus Academy
Aurora Latona, Jasmine Viera, Mauricio Gomez
Kearny High School

Animation

Grand Prize
Elder’s Crossing
Ethan Castro, Michael Puma
Middletown HS South

Special Jury Prize
The Ferry
Veronica Saburova
New Providence High School

Documentary

Grand Prize
Passaic
Nick Madden Hooper, Pierce Alan Switzer, Emilio Aronoff
Montclair High School

Sci-Fi

Grand Prize
Static
Reese Wolfinger
Columbia High School

Psychological Thriller

Grand Prize
LUX
Logan Corea Hinojosa
Bloomfield High School

Action

Grand Prize
Project Weekday
Oliver Vitale Penalber, Reese Wolfinger
Columbia High School

Young Visionaries

Grand Prize
Larry Loser: Help Wanted
Eddie Johnston
Buzz Aldrin Middle School

Social Impact

Grand Prize
Plan B(anned) (tie)
Stephanie Liao
Princeton High School

Grand Prize
An Antiwar Film (tie)
Willow Dunn Killebrew, Viren Abroal, May Bahoora, Sadie Barrack, Reese Wolfinger
Montclair Kimberley Academy, South Brunswick High School, Millburn High School & Columbia High School

Special Jury Prize
Open Wounds
Brianna Ashley Barnett
Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology

Drama Grand Prize

Grand Prize
K-12
Ethan Szymanski
West Orange High School

Special Jury Prize
Circulo
Marlee Marte
East Brunswick Magnet School