‘Hamnet,’ ‘Rental Family’ Tie for Middleburg Film Festival Narrative Feature Audience Award
The Cycle of Love and The Voice of Hind Rajab are top documentary and international winners, respectively
The Middleburg Film Festival announced its 2025 Audience Award winners, recognizing the films that resonated most with filmgoers following the conclusion of the 13th annual, four-day festival on Sunday, October 19. MFF’s Saturday Centerpiece film Hamnet and the Closing Film Rental Family have tied for the Audience Award for Narrative Feature.
“We’re thrilled to see how our slate of films connected so profoundly with our audiences,” said MFF Executive Director Susan Koch. “The humanity and emotional depth of these four films clearly struck a chord, reflecting the kind of bold, globally minded storytelling our festival strives to champion.”
This is the second tie in a row for the festival’s narrative award, which saw Conclave and September 5 share the honor last year.
Hamnet, directed by Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, The Rider) who attended the Festival to accept the Visionary Director Award following a post-screening Q&A on Saturday night, tells a powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet. Adapted from the widely acclaimed novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, the film stars Academy Award nominees Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as well as Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe and Noah Jupe.
Rental Family screened at the festival with director HIKARI attending and participating in a post screening Q&A on Sunday. Set in modern-day Tokyo, the film follows an American actor played by Brendan Fraser who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers.
The Cycle of Love, from Academy Award winning director Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets, Virunga) won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature. The inspiring film, which screened twice as the Festival’s Documentary Spotlight Film, chronicles the story of PK Mahanandia, a 23-year old Delhi street artist who in 1977 set off on a 6000-mile cross-continent bicycle ride to find Lotta, the woman who had captured his heart on a visit to India. Following screenings of the film, PK, Lotta and their adult children, Emelie and Karl, surprised audiences by joining producer Harri Grace for the post screening conversations.
The Voice of Hind Rajab from two-time Academy Award nominated director Kaouther Ben Hania (Four Daughters, The Man Who Sold His Skin) won the Audience Award for International Feature. Actor Saja Kilani attended the festival and participated in two post screening Q&As on Friday and Saturday. The drama reconstructs the events surrounding the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in January 2024. Rajab came under fire as she and six members of her family tried to flee Gaza City. Ben Hania’s film is based on the real voice recordings between Hind and the Red Crescent volunteers who tried to save her. The filmis Tunisia’s official selection for the Best International Feature Oscar.
MFF audiences were given the opportunity to cast ballots for their favorite festival films following each screening. This year’s festival featured a record 48 films (up from last year’s 43) including awards contenders, thought-provoking documentaries and critically acclaimed international features as well as a variety of special guests and conversations.
“This year’s festival has been one of our most inspiring yet,” added MFF Founder and Board Chair Sheila Johnson. “We’re deeply appreciative of the filmmakers and studios who shared their extraordinary work with us, and to our audiences, sponsors, and volunteers whose enthusiasm and support continue to make Middleburg such a special community for cinema.”
The Coca-Cola Company is the Festival’s Presenting Sponsor and The Washington Post is the Founding Media Sponsor.
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.
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