Actors Awards 2025 - Jury Reviews

The winners of the 9th Annual Actors Awards 2025 have officially been announced, celebrating exceptional talent and truly outstanding performances from this year’s selections.

Here is what our jury had to say about the remarkable work that stood out and left a lasting impression.

Best Performance of the Year

Cruz St. James in Gloss

It is very rare to see such tender truth on screen. And Gloss seems the perfect vehicle for powerful and magnetic young actor Cruz St. James. St. James draws you in with his innocent, almost ethereal presence. He seems to float across the screen with a beautifully haunting and singularly anguished performance.

Like a precious flower or gentle rain that disappears too fast, there is some sort of natural beauty happening here that floods our awareness, yet we cannot grasp it, or make it stay. That is one of the true gifts of life, and it is delicately depicted here in St. James' performance.

What makes this work even more remarkable is the emotional depth and courage behind the character. Portraying a young man who expresses himself through a feminine identity, embracing his appearance and sensitivity, St. James brings a quiet celebration of individuality to the screen. There is a softness, a vulnerability, and a sense of freedom in the way he moves and exists within the frame, which makes the emotional impact even stronger.

As the story unfolds and we begin to understand the trauma he carries, the performance takes on an even more profound weight. Without ever forcing emotion, St. James allows us into his inner world, sharing pain, confusion, and fragility with honesty and restraint. His ability to communicate so much through stillness, through presence, and through the smallest emotional shifts, is what elevates this performance to something truly unforgettable.

— Casey Ruggieri and the Actors Awards team

Best Actor of the Year / Breakthrough Duo of the Year

Sebastian Cybulski in Intersection

Sebastian Cybulski & Agnieszka Kawiorska in Intersection

Sebastian Cybuliski is a leading man. And he excels in the dystopic sci-fi Intersection. There is a compelling urgency to his performance and we cannot help but be swept up in the unrelenting, yet unspoken, drive beneath that pushes the whole film forward. A mountain of charged emotion, angst, and turmoil builds under a gritty, guarded performance, leaving the viewer riveted for what comes next.

Sebastian Cybuliski and Agnieszka Kawiorska create a quietly powerful connection in Intersection, built on trust, compassion, and emotional understanding. As Amadeus navigates an unbearable reality, Ewa becomes his anchor, standing beside him with empathy and quiet strength.

Kawiorska brings a grounded, human presence that balances Cybuliski’s intensity, and together they form a bond that feels genuine and deeply needed. There is a tenderness in their dynamic that grows naturally, turning their relationship into the emotional heart of the film.

— Casey Ruggieri

Best Actress of the Year

Fernanda Vilela in Amentalio

Fernanda delivers an extraordinary performance, portraying a woman experiencing a miscarriage with remarkable sensitivity and depth. Her natural, expressive use of her eyes invites the audience into her inner world, allowing us to truly feel her journey.

Her ability to build emotion with precision - through timing, vocal shifts, and subtle changes in tone - makes every moment feel authentic and deeply affecting. She demonstrates a strong command of her physical presence, but it is her nuanced emotional expression, especially through her eyes, that elevates the performance and keeps it from ever feeling forced or overstated.

This is a powerful, honest portrayal that resonates on a profound level.

— Benjamin Schnau

Best Duo of the Year

David Kelsey & Emily Hall in Wrong Numbers

Emily Hall and David Kelsey deliver a captivating duo performance in Wrong Numbers, driven by sharp dialogue, natural chemistry, and a beautifully balanced contrast between two very different characters.

From the very beginning, their interaction feels like an engaging back-and-forth, a playful “ping-pong” of dialogue that immediately draws us in. There’s something compelling in how opposite they are, yet how naturally they connect. This contrast becomes the heart of the film.

Emily Hall brings a vibrant, unpredictable energy to Emma, a young woman searching for love and connection. Her lightness, humor, and emotional openness give the character a magnetic presence, often driving the rhythm of the scenes with confidence and charisma. There’s a spontaneity in her performance that feels alive and unfiltered, making it impossible not to follow her.

David Kelsey, as Jack, provides the perfect counterbalance. Calm, thoughtful, and measured, he represents the voice of reason within the dynamic. His reactions, often subtle and quietly humorous, ground the scenes and create a layered, believable interaction. Kelsey’s restraint allows the emotional shifts to land with precision, especially as his character begins to open up.

Both the director and the actors take on the challenge of extended dialogue-driven scenes, a structure that can easily lose momentum. Yet, thanks to the strength of their performances and their effortless chemistry, the scenes remain engaging throughout. The audience becomes immersed in the conversation, forgetting the passage of time and simply enjoying the connection unfolding on screen.

As the story progresses, the emotional depth grows. What begins as a seemingly random encounter evolves into something more intimate and meaningful. Lines like “You can be lonely in a room full of people” resonate strongly, reflecting the inner worlds of both characters. When Jack tells Emma, “You are the most exquisite person I’ve ever met,” the moment feels fully earned. His admiration is not just believable, it’s deeply felt, and it becomes clear why he falls for her, and why the audience does too.

Together, Hall and Kelsey create something genuinely touching, two lonely individuals who, for a brief moment, truly see each other.

A warm, engaging, and emotionally honest duo performance, carried by chemistry you can’t fake.

— Jean Vincentelli & Actors Awards Team

Best Ensemble of the Year / Special Jury Award

The Ninth Order

A wonderful example for an ensemble that works like a well-oiled machine. The excellent on-screen dynamic between the actors was a key factor in creating the cinematic world of this charming film.

Great performances across the board, and kudos to young actress Helena Zadro-Jones ('Jada'), the centerpiece of this troupe, for a beautiful showcase of raw talent.

— Mor Cohen

Festival Director's Award for Outstanding Performance

Isabela Pauwels in Race Car

Isabela Pauwels delivers a deeply moving and intimate performance in Race Car, portraying a young woman navigating the overwhelming reality of living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. From the very first moments, there is something about her presence that immediately draws you in, creating an emotional connection that feels both natural and sincere.

Her performance is grounded in simplicity and vulnerability, allowing the inner chaos of Nala’s mind to come through with striking clarity. You can truly feel the weight of her struggle - the loops, the fear, the constant tension - as well as the quiet hope that pushes her forward. What stands out most is her ability to communicate so much in silence, using subtle expressions and emotional restraint to bring depth and authenticity to every moment.

There’s something about Isabela that just stays with you. The kind of presence you don’t see often. Honest, fragile, real. And you can feel there’s so much more to come from her.

— Roy Zafrani

Breakthrough Actor of the Year / Festival Director's Award for Exceptional Duo Performance

Casper Van Dien in Stripped

Casper Van Dien & Brooke Lewis Bellas in Stripped

Casper Van Dien delivers a bold and entertaining performance in Stripped, embracing the fall from grace of Chris Cameron with both humor and vulnerability. There’s something genuinely compelling about the way he leans into the character’s desperation, allowing himself to be ridiculous, exposed, and surprisingly endearing all at once. Watching a former “golden boy” navigate such humbling situations creates a constant balance between comedy and discomfort, and Van Dien handles it with confidence and charm.

Brooke Lewis Bellas is a standout as Jules, the unconventional publicist who pushes Chris into increasingly outrageous territory. She brings sharp energy and a sense of control to the chaos, driving many of the film’s most memorable and hilariously awkward moments. Their dynamic works beautifully, with Jules acting as both instigator and guide, forcing Chris to confront just how far he’s fallen, while also, in her own way, keeping him moving forward.

Stripped thrives on that mix of absurdity and heart, giving us a character who may lose everything, but somehow remains impossible not to root for.

— Roy Zafrani

Breakthrough Actress of the Year

Carlie Mantilla-Jordan in Mid-lennial Life Crisis

Carlie Mantilla-Jordan delivers an impressive multi-hyphenate achievement with Mid-lennial Life Crisis, taking on the roles of actor, writer, director, and producer with confidence and clarity of vision.

Her performance is both naturally funny and emotionally grounded, allowing the humor to land while still revealing a deeper, more personal motivation behind the story. This balance gives the film a refreshing sincerity, offering a perspective that feels both authentic and engaging. Through her lens as a Mexican-American navigating success in the film industry, Mantilla-Jordan draws the audience in immediately and sustains that connection throughout.

The strength of the writing, combined with her compelling performance, creates a narrative that keeps you invested in how the story unfolds. It’s a unique and thoughtful approach to comedy, one that truly stands out and marks her as a talent to watch.

— Benjamin Schnau