International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival Announces 2025 Award Winners
TL;DR
The IPRHFF 2025 winners gain prestigious recognition that elevates their careers and provides competitive advantage in the global film industry.
The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival selected winners from 104 submitted films across 15 categories during its November 12-16, 2025 event.
The festival amplifies diverse Puerto Rican and Latinx stories, fostering cultural understanding and empowering underrepresented voices in global cinema.
Winners included films about legendary golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez and a thriller called Deformed among the 15th anniversary celebration selections.
Found this article helpful?
Share it with your network and spread the knowledge!
The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival (IPRHFF) has announced the winners of its 2025 edition, marking a significant milestone during its 15th anniversary celebration. The festival, held from November 12-16, showcased 104 submitted films across multiple categories including shorts, feature films, documentaries, and music videos from Puerto Rico and international creators. This year's selections emphasized both emerging and established filmmakers whose work continues to elevate and expand narratives of the Puerto Rican and Latinx diaspora.
Veronica Caicedo, Founder and CEO of IPRHFF, expressed pride in recognizing powerful and inspiring films that reflect the festival's mission of celebrating heritage, empowering storytellers, and amplifying diverse community experiences. The 2025 award winners represent a broad spectrum of cinematic excellence, with @love receiving Best Narrative Feature and Remembering Big Juan: "Chi Chi" Rodriguez Story earning Best Documentary Film honors.
Screenwriting achievements were recognized with Bruja winning Best Screenplay and La Doña taking Best Short Script. In the short film categories, Mulata received Best Live Action Short while Betty Bird Goes to War earned an Honorable Mention. The documentary short category was won by Playing Through, showcasing the festival's commitment to diverse storytelling formats.
Individual artistic achievements were celebrated with the Estrella Boriquena Award going to A West Side Story Story and Best Music Video honors awarded to A Media Luna. Directorial excellence was recognized with The Ladder winning Best Director, while acting performances were highlighted through Vanyarianna Ortiz Marquez as Best Actress for her role as "Adina" in Mulata and Washington M. Perez as Best Actor for his portrayal of "Cesar" in Blink.
The festival also recognized genre-specific excellence with Deformed / Deforme winning Best Thriller and audience engagement through the Audience Choice Award going to Last Words. These awards demonstrate the festival's comprehensive approach to celebrating cinematic achievement across multiple dimensions of filmmaking.
The IPRHFF's mission focuses on creating platforms that allow diverse filmmakers to reach broader audiences, developing programs that connect local and international filmmakers with audiences throughout New York City and beyond. This approach fosters a collaborative environment for artists to explore issues inherent to Puerto Rican heritage and diaspora while addressing stories relevant to the larger Latino community. The festival's continued growth and recognition of diverse voices contributes significantly to the cultural landscape, providing important representation and expanding the narrative possibilities for Puerto Rican and Latinx stories in global cinema.
Curated from Noticias Newswire
