‘Hamnet’ Wins Audience Award at 48th Mill Valley Film Festival
Today, the 48th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF48) announced the winners of its Audience Awards after officially wrapping on Sunday, October 12. Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, which opened the festival on October 2, was the Overall Audience Favorite. This follows the TIFF People’s Choice win at the Toronto International Film Festival and its double wins at Telluride from both press & industry and general audiences.
The festival opened with five at-capacity screenings of Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley, who was recognized during a Spotlight—and a sixth sold-out screening of Hamnet—with the MVFF Award being presented to Buckley not only for her exceptional performance in Hamnet but her contributions to contemporary cinema at large. Buckley and Zhao participated in two post-film Q&As during the festival (you can watch them here and here). The festival wrapped up with HIKARI’s delightful new comedy-drama Rental Family, starring Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser (The Whale, MVFF45).
Oscar-winning director Spike Lee, who received the MVFF Award for Lifetime Achievement, was met with a massive, enthusiastic crowd of fans and film enthusiasts both outside and inside the Smith Rafael Film Center before his tribute. The event was presented by longtime friend and collaborator Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods, MVFF43). Watch the onstage conversation here.
Other festival highlights included at-capacity Spotlight programs for Zoey Deutch, Joel Edgerton, and Tonatiuh, all of whom received MVFF Awards prior to screenings of their latest films—Nouvelle Vague, Train Dreams, and Kiss of the Spider Woman, respectively. The latter film, which spotlighted Tonatiuh, also included a live discussion with director Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, MVFF21).
This year, Rose Byrne, who gives a career-best performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, and Eva Victor, who made their directorial debut with Sorry, Baby, received the festival’s Mind the Gap Awards, while first- time director Tatti Ribeiro received the coveted Mind the Gap Creation Prize for her remarkable hybrid film, Valentina. Acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi experienced visa delays and was not able to attend the screening of his new film, It Was Just An Accident, in person, but producer Phillipe Martin was present for a timely Q&A, with the film ultimately winning an MVFF Audience Award.
“The 48th Mill Valley Film Festival was a resounding success by every measure,” said Mark Fishkin, Founder and Director of the Mill Valley Film Festival. “Attendance reached its highest levels since 2019, and audiences responded with immense enthusiasm to the caliber and diversity of this year’s films. From the emotional impact of Chloé Zhao’s awards contender Hamnet to the joyful humanity of HIKARI’s Rental Family—featuring Brendan Fraser in a luminous turn that captivated more than a thousand filmgoers—the festival reminded us why cinema matters.
First-time feature filmmakers were especially inspiring, proving that the next generation of storytellers is crafting work that resonates across cultures and generations. Taiwan’s Oscar submission, Left-Handed Girl and Lucky Lu, shot in New York by a Korean-Canadian director, both struck a chord with audiences and demonstrated the global vitality of independent film.
The State of the Industry panel, featuring veteran producer Ron Yerxa (Little Miss Sunshine), echoed this spirit of renewal—underscoring the resilience of theatrical exhibition and the opportunities ahead. Overall, the festival radiated joy and optimism—a powerful reminder of film’s enduring ability to connect and inspire our community.”
Zoë Elton, MVFF Director of Programming, added, “This year is an affirmation of the power of cinema, with films from so many cultures and perspectives connecting us to this moment in time. It’s amazing how stories open hearts and minds and remind us of who we are. That spirit was alive throughout the Festival—from Yanuni, part of our Active Cinema initiative with guest Indigenous chief and climate justice leader Juma Xipaia, to ¡Viva el cine!’s opening film, the Brazilian drama Secret Agent, a story that resonates across time and place.
Our equity initiative, Mind the Gap, reached a milestone, celebrating its 10th anniversary with honorees Eva Victor and Rose Byrne—two artists whose work challenges and inspires us to think and feel differently. The Mind the Gap Summit, with Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman delivering a powerful keynote among the Mill Valley redwoods, truly captured the heart of what this Festival is about.
And to honor masters like Jafar Panahi and Spike Lee this year was extraordinary. Both continue to push the boundaries of cinema and deepen its impact in ways that stay with us.”
The Jon M. Chu Masterclass, moderated by Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL·E), offered an inspiring look into Chu’s dynamic career—from Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights to Wicked and the highly anticipated Wicked: For Good—as they explored the artistry behind his visually stunning work, his collaborative process, and his commitment to authentic representation on screen.
This year’s festival drew over 42,000 attendees from across the Bay Area, presenting them with stories from 40 countries. MVFF48 screened 139 films, including 68 premieres, 77 features, and 62 shorts, with 52% of the lineup directed by women and nonbinary filmmakers. MVFF Education reached over 6,000 students nationwide through virtual programs, in-person screenings, and school visits across Marin County, San Francisco, and the East Bay.
Here is the complete list of winners.
MVFF Overall Audience Favorite – HAMNET (Chloé Zhao)
Audience Favorite | Independent Cinema – IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Jafar Panahi)
Audience Favorite | World Cinema – CALLE MÁLAGA (Maryam Touzani)
Audience Favorite | US Cinema – HONEYJOON (Lilian T. Mehrel)
Audience Favorite | Documentary – ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT (Tony Benna)
Audience Favorite | Family – AKIKO, THE FLYING MONKEY (Viet Helmer)
Audience Favorite | Active Cinema – FOREVER YOUNG (David Donnelly)
Audience Favorite | Mind the Gap – HAPPY BIRTHDAY (narrative) (Sarah Goher) and STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! (documentary) (Carl Deal, Tia Lessin)
Audience Favorite | ¡Viva el cine! – VALENTINA (Tatti Ribiero)
Other awards given during MVFF this year include:
2025 MVFF Awards
MVFF Award, Acting | Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
MVFF Award, Acting | Tonatiuh, Kiss of the Spider Woman
MVFF Award, Acting | Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
MVFF Award, Acting | Zoey Deutch, Nouvelle Vague
MVFF Award, Filmmaking | Jafar Panahi, It was Just an Accident
MVFF Award for Lifetime Achievement | Spike Lee
2025 Mind the Gap Awards & Prizes
Mind the Gap Award for Filmmaking | Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
Mind the Gap Award Acting | Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Mind the Gap Creation Prize | Tatti Ribeiro, Valentina
Mind the Gap Creation Prize Honorable Mentions | Elaine Epstein, Lilian T. Mehrel
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- ‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards - December 4, 2025
- Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award - December 3, 2025
- National Board of Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops in Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor; Netflix Lands Four in Top 10 - December 3, 2025
‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards 
Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award 
National Board of Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops in Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor; Netflix Lands Four in Top 10 
41st Spirit Awards Nominations: ‘Peter Hujar’s Day,’ ‘Lurker,’ ‘Train Dreams’ Lead