Check out the Top 20 films and filmmakers for Louisiana Film Prize 2025

Independent filmmakers from across the country were anxiously awaiting Thursday evenings announcement at The Noble Savage in downtown Shreveport.

On Aug. 7, the Louisiana Film Prize announced the top 20 finalist for the Louisiana Film Prize 2025. “This has been the strongest crop of films we’ve ever seen competing for the 20 slots at Film Prize,” said Gregory Kallenberg, founder of the Louisiana Film Prize and Executive Director ofthe Prize Foundation.

These finalist will be competing for up to $50,000 — the world’s largest cash prize for a narrative short film during Prize Fest this October in downtown Shreveport.

Check out the 20 films and filmmakers:

• Abuelo

  • Directed by Trevor Chapman

• Girl Dad

  • Directed by Rachael Hudson

• High Cotton

  • Directed by Melissa Goslin

• Hivemind

  • Directed by Chris Alan Evans

• Last Minute

  • Directed by Michael Cusumano

• The Loneliness of an American Woman

  • Directed by Brad Negrotto

• Mentality

  • Directed by Mackenzie Bell

• M.R.I. or Michael Remains Indefinitely

  • Directed by John F. Beach

• The Old Man at the Bar

  • Directed by Alexander Jeffery

• Perfect Night

  • Directed by David Michael Long

• Rug Pull

  • Directed by Carlos Jiminez

• Strand

  • Directed by Austin Gorski

• The Vivid Imagination of David Thursby

• Vultures Prey at the Starlight Motel

  • Directed by Ben Maner and Ben Mathen

To learn more about each film visit airtable.com.

To qualify, these filmmakers were required to shoot a five to 15-minute narrative short in the state of Louisiana. The $25,000 grand prize is doubled to $50,000 if the winning film was shot in Caddo Parish.

These films will play center stage during the week long Prize Fest starting Oct. 16 and continuing through Oct. 19.

The grand prize winner will be selected through a unique combination of audience voting and evaluations from a panel of film industry veterans, tastemakers and celebrities.

Not only will the winning filmmaker recieve a cash prize but will also receive a red carpet premiere and a full one-week theatrical run of their short film at a Fort Worth cinema. This premiere package is part of a partnership with Louisiana Film Prize and the Fort Worth Film Commission.

According to the film prize, this premiere package will officially qualify the film for Academy Award consideration and is a prestigious gateway for independent filmmakers to step onto the national stage and into Oscar contention.

“We are incredibly excited for another year of shining a bright light on indie film,” said Kallenberg. “The coolest part is that our audience will be helping one of these filmmakers become Oscar qualified. It is a huge responsibility, and my hope is that everyone will do their part to choose the right film to compete for an Academy Award.”

More: These are the Top 20 films for Louisiana Film Prize 2024

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Check out the Top 20 films and filmmakers for Louisiana Film Prize 2025