The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival (IPRHFF) has announced the winners of its 2025 edition, marking a significant milestone during its 15th anniversary celebration. The festival, held from November 12-16, showcased 104 submitted films in a dynamic three-day program featuring shorts, feature films, documentaries, and music videos from Puerto Rico and international creators. This year's selections emphasized both emerging and established filmmakers whose work elevates and expands narratives of the Puerto Rican and Latinx diaspora.
Veronica Caicedo, Founder and CEO of IPRHFF, expressed pride in recognizing powerful and inspiring films that reflect the festival's mission of celebrating heritage, empowering storytellers, and amplifying diverse community experiences. The festival's programming highlighted the creative excellence within Puerto Rican and Latinx cinematic traditions while providing platforms for diverse filmmakers to reach broader audiences. The festival's mission focuses on creating platforms that allow diverse influencers in filmmaking to reach broader audiences while developing programs that connect local and international filmmakers with New York City and global viewers.
The 2025 award winners spanned multiple categories, demonstrating the breadth of talent within the community. @love received the Best Narrative Feature award, while Remembering Big Juan: "Chi Chi" Rodriguez Story earned Best Documentary Film honors. Bruja was recognized for Best Screenplay, and La Doña won Best Short Script. The festival's commitment to short-form storytelling was evident with Mulata winning Best Live Action Short and Betty Bird Goes to War receiving Honorable Mention.
Documentary excellence continued with Playing Through winning Best Documentary Short, while A West Side Story Story received the Estrella Boriquena Award. Music video artistry was celebrated with A Media Luna taking Best Music Video, and directorial achievement was recognized with The Ladder winning Best Director. Acting honors went to Vanyarianna Ortiz Marquez for Best Actress for her role as "Adina" in Mulata and Washington M. Perez for Best Actor for his portrayal of "Cesar" in Blink.
Genre-specific recognition included Deformed / Deforme winning Best Thriller, and audience engagement was highlighted through the Audience Choice Award going to Last Words. This collaborative environment enables artists from all countries to explore issues inherent to Puerto Rican heritage and diaspora while examining stories relevant to the larger Latino community. The festival's impact extends beyond awards, serving as a vital cultural bridge that preserves and promotes Puerto Rican narratives through cinematic expression.
