The 2025 Athena Film Festival has unveiled its distinguished award recipients and the highly anticipated Athena List, a compilation of unproduced screenplays centered on women in leadership roles. This year's festival continues to champion the voices of emerging female filmmakers and writers, offering substantial support through grants and fellowships.
Among the notable awards, the Breakthrough Award, in collaboration with Netflix, was bestowed upon Anu Valia for her directorial work on "We Strangers." This prestigious $25,000 prize recognizes first or second-time filmmakers who have yet to secure U.S. theatrical distribution. Additionally, Vasundhara Koshy received the Chinonye Chukwu Emerging Writer Award for her screenplay "The Laburnum House," which comes with a $10,000 grant aimed at developing her script further. The award is named after the acclaimed writer-director of "Clemency," whose work also appeared on the Athena List.
Jalena Keane-Lee was honored with the Jaya Award for her documentary "Standing Above the Clouds," which highlights the movement to protect Mauna Kea through the stories of three Native Hawaiian families. The $10,000 grant, supported by the Ilumine Service Foundation, goes to a North American filmmaker whose work centers on compelling female narratives. Meanwhile, Charlotte Scott-Wilson and Roelof Jan Minneboo’s "Motherland" and Zara Symes’ "A to Z" biography of Phyllis Pearsall were among the winners of the 2025 Athena List. Melody Cooper’s thriller "Cygnus" also received recognition, along with a $10,000 development grant.
Gina Hackett, who wrote last year’s Athena List selection "A Bridge Between Us," will receive the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Athena List Development Grant, a $20,000 prize for her STEM-themed project about Emily Warren Roebling, the first female engineer. Past projects featured on the Athena List include "On the Basis of Sex," the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, and "Lilly," starring Patricia Clarkson, which will screen at this year’s festival. The festival also marks its 10th anniversary of the Athena List, celebrating the achievements of past winners.
In addition to these accolades, the festival has partnered with AMC Networks for the Future of Film: Athena Rising Stars, a curated collection of short films promoting women’s leadership and inclusivity, streaming on AMC+ starting March 14. Kaci Hamilton was named the recipient of the AMC Networks Athena Emerging Writers Fellowship, receiving a week-long writer’s room experience and $10,000 to advance her career.
The Athena Film Festival’s artistic director, Melissa Silverstein, emphasized the importance of providing financial support to creators and storytellers. Director Umbreen Bhatti of the Athena Center for Leadership highlighted the festival’s role in driving narrative change and reimagining women’s potential. The 15th annual festival, held at Barnard College, continues to be a pivotal platform for showcasing diverse and powerful stories of female leadership.