Cutting Through Rocks continues to cut through film festival documentary awards en route to the Oscars. Following its January premiere at the Sundance Film Festival — where it took home the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for a non-fiction feature — the film recently screened at the 2025 Woodstock Film Festival and scored the festival’s top documentary prize as part of its Maverick Awards.
Directed by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, Cutting Through Rocks has already been tipped as a contender for the Best Documentary shortlist at this year’s Academy Awards. The film was made over the course of eight years and follows Iranian activist and politician Sara Shahverdi, the first elected councilwoman from her village. In addition to its Sundance and Woodstock wins, Cutting Through Rocks has also been honored at festivals in New Zealand, Switzerland, and South Korea. It will next screen at the prestigious Doc NYC festival as part of the Short List: Features category — an early indicator of which documentaries will be in the Oscar mix.
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Woodstock’s winner for Best Narrative Feature is The Plague from director Charles Polinger. A world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the movie features Joel Edgerton as a water polo coach at a camp where two boys spend a memorable summer. Additionally, first-time filmmakers Delilah Napier and Lucy Powers won Woodstock’s Ultra Indie Award for Floating Carousel, a contemporary version of a New York City rom-com starring Elsie Hewitt — currently in the headlines for her relationship with Pete Davidson — as well as Dylan T Jackson, Jessica Hecht, Dylan Baker, and Michael Cyril Creighton.
“Maybe the film will inspire discourse about what people really want out of their relationships and life,” the directors told Gold Derby headed into their Woodstock premiere. “Sometimes in order to do that, we have to take a break and step off the carousel. It will always be there when you want to get back on. And in the meantime, you can remember moments and save them for a great story later.”
Two veteran filmmakers also received special honors at Woodstock. Ira Sachs was presented with the Fiercely Independent Award for his body of work, including his most recent film, Peter Hujar’s Day starring Ben Whishaw. And prolific documentarian Laura Poitras with the Freedom of Expression Awards for such searing non-fiction films as Citizenfour and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Her latest film, Cover-Up, played at Woodstock and the New York Film Festival.
Here’s the full list of 2025 Woodstock Film Festival award winners:
Gigantic Pictures Award for Best Feature Narrative: The Plague, Charlie Polinger
Honorable mention: Magic Hour, Katie Aselton
The Leon Gast Award for Best Feature Documentary: Cutting Through Rocks, Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni
Honorable mentions: Come See Me in the Good Light, Ryan White; Coexistence, My Ass, Amber Fares
Laurent Rejto Made in the Hudson Valley Award: A Break in the Rain, Don Scardino
Gray Schwartz Ultra Indie Award: Floating Carousel, Delilah Napier & Lucy Powers
Honorable mention for Impact in Fiction Filmmaking: Mildlife
Honorable mention for Unique and Creative Filmmaking: The Lure of Ponies
Honorable mention for Acting: Kerry Bishé, Sylvania
Best Short Documentary: Last Days on Lake Trinity, Charlotte Cooley
Honorable mention: Her Fight, His Name: The Story of Gwen Carr and Eric Garner, Brad Bailey
Best Short Narrative: How to Shoot a Ghost, Charlie Kaufman
Honorable mention: Zari, Shruti Parekh
Best Animation: Two Black Boys in Paradise, Baz Sells
Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography: Seeds, Brittany Shyne
World of Ha Changemaker Award: Free Leonard Peltier, Jesse Short Bull and David France
NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Directing a Narrative Film: The Floaters, Rachel Israel
NYWIFT Awards for Excellence in Directing a Documentary Film: Cutting Through Rocks, Sarah Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni
Best Editing, Narrative Award: The Plague, edited by Henry Heyes and Simon Njoo
Best Editing, Documentary Award: Coexistence, My Ass, edited by Rabab Haj-Yahya
Honorable mention: Seeds, Malika Souhali-Worrall
Best Student Short: Dawn’s World, Natalie Horberg
Special Mention: St. Joe’s Hoes, Khushali Haji, Hazare Renn-Glover
Honorable Mention: How I Learned to Die, Manya Glassman
Fiercely Independent Award: Ira Sachs, presented by filmmaker Larry Fessenden
Art of Activism Award: Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, presented by filmmakers Pamela Yates and Paco de Onis
Freedom of Expression Award: Laura Poitras, presented by Jehane Noujaim
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