North Bay Film Festival 2025 | November 14-16
Celebrating the Winners of the 2025 North Bay Film Festival
We are excited to share the award winners from the 10th annual North Bay Film Festival! This year’s program brought an incredible range of voices to the screen, and the films that rose to the top truly stood out for their craft and impact.
Blood Lines, directed by Gail Maurice, received the Audience Choice Award. This warm and moving story follows Beatrice, a quiet storyteller in a close knit Metis community, who forms an unexpected connection with Chani during a search for family. The film celebrates culture, language, and the healing power of love across generations. This is also the second time Gail Maurice has received the Audience Choice Award at our festival, with her debut feature Rosie earning the honour in 2022.
Little Orange Bandages, directed by Kile M. George, earned the Student Short Showcase Award for its striking spoken word performance exploring the complexities of reconciliation through the eyes of a young Indigenous artist.
The Canadian Shorts Award was awarded to Leili’s Photo (عکس لیلی), directed by Maral Mostafavi, a heartfelt and intimate story about an 8-year-old’s attempt to capture a simple family photo.
Finally, the 2025 48-Hour Film Competition crowned Fowl Play, directed by Stefan Phillips, as this year’s first-place winner. Shot and edited in just 48 hours, this imaginative detective story pairs a no-nonsense investigator with a musical Canada goose to solve a string of bizarre murders. The result is a clever and memorable short that showcases the quick-thinking talent of our local filmmakers.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who voted for this year’s Audience Choice Award, as well as the 2025 jury for their insight, time, and thoughtful consideration throughout the selection process. This year’s jury reviewed all submitted Canadian Shorts, Student Showcase films, and the entries for the 48 Hour Film Competition, helping to shape a strong and engaging program for our tenth anniversary edition.
2025 Jury Members:
• Austin Lindsay
• Evelyn Pakinewatik
• Sara Jade Alfaro
Blood Lines
Audience Choice Award Winner
Blood Lines follows Beatrice, a thoughtful storyteller in a close-knit Metis community, as she forms an unexpected connection with Chani during a search for family. Filled with heart, humour, and cultural pride, the film celebrates the Metis language and the beauty of rebuilding family ties.
89 mins | Canada | 2025
Dir: Gail Maurice
Language: English, Michif
Leili’s Photo (عکس لیلی)
Canadian Short Showcase Winner
Leili’s Photo follows eight–year–old Leili as she tries to take a pinhole photograph of her family for a school assignment, only to find that no one in the household is willing to cooperate. The film offers a warm, honest look at a young girl trying to hold things together in a moment that matters to her, capturing the small tensions and tender dynamics that shape everyday family life.
7 mins 22 secs | Canada | 2025
Dir. Maral Mostafavi
Language: English, Persian
Little Orange Bandages
Student Short Showcase Winner
Little Orange Bandages presents a spoken word performance by a young Indigenous person reflecting on the realities of reconciliation. Through a direct and expressive delivery, the film highlights personal frustration, lived experience, and the emotional weight behind calls for meaningful change.
4 mins 13 secs | Canada | 2024
Dir. Kile M. George
Language: English
Fowl Play
48-Hour Film Competition Winner
Fowl Play follows a hardnosed detective working alongside an unlikely partner, a singing Canada goose, as they investigate a series of grisly murders. Created entirely within the 48-hour filmmaking challenge, the film stood out for its creativity, humour, and confident execution under tight constraints.
5 mins 22 secs | Canada | 2025
Dir. Stefan Phillips
Team Captain: Stefan Phillips
Team Members: Stefan Phillips, Courtney Phillips, Joshua Lambert, Lindsay Walker
Explore the magic of quick-turn filmmaking and witness their creativity on our website here