Montclair Film has announced the Montclair Film Festival’s 2025 Honors, the festival’s annual awards, to be presented at the 14th Annual Montclair Film Festival, taking place October 17-26, 2025 in Montclair, NJ.
Montclair Film is honored to welcome New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy as the Honorary Chairs for the 2025 Montclair Film Festival. On Friday, October 17, at 7 PM at The Wellmont Theater, the festival will welcome the Governor and First Lady to officially open the festival. For their contributions to the legacy of filmmaking in New Jersey, and their enduring support for filmmakers, artists, and producers seeking a home for their creative work, Montclair Film is proud to welcome Governor Philip Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy as the Honorary Chairs of the 2025 Montclair Film Festival.
Also on Friday, October 17, at 7 PM at The Wellmont Theater, the festival will honor Nicolas Britell with the 2025 Composer Award. Mr. Britell will participate in a post-screening Q&A, discussing his score for the festival’s 2025 Opening Night film JAY KELLY. For his beautiful, sensitive compositions, and his outstanding contributions to the art of the film score, The Montclair Film Festival is honored to present Nicholas Britell with our 2025 Composer Award.
On Saturday, October 18, at 3:30 PM at The Wellmont Theater, the festival will honor filmmaker Spike Lee with the 2025 Filmmaker Tribute. Mr. Lee will be honored after an in-depth conversation moderated by Stephen Colbert, discussing his legendary career as one of our leading cinematic artists, with a special focus on Mr. Lee’s latest work HIGHEST 2 LOWEST. For his transcendent, urgent, and transformational contributions to the art of cinema, The Montclair Film Festival is honored to present Spike Lee with our 2025 Filmmaker Tribute.
On Saturday, October 18, at 6 PM at MKA Upper School, the festival will honor Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group Co-Chair and CEO Pamela Abdy with the 2025 Visionary Award. Ms. Abdy will be honored after an in-depth conversation, moderated by Montclair Film Artistic Director Tom Hall, with a focus on her outstanding career as a creative executive, with a special focus on her company’s 2025 slate of #1 Box Office hits, which include A MINECRAFT MOVIE, SINNERS, Apple’s F1, FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, WEAPONS, THE CONJURING: LAST RITES, as well as the upcoming ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. For her career as a bold, risk-taking, creative executive whose support of artists has shaped the lives and experiences of film lovers everywhere, The Montclair Film Festival is proud to honor Pamela Abdy with the festival’s inaugural Visionary Award.
On Saturday, October 18, at 7 PM at The Wellmont Theater, the festival will honor screenwriter Will Tracy with the 2025 Screenwriter Award following a screening of Yorgos Lanthimos’ BUGONIA, based on a screenplay by Mr. Tracy. For his brilliant, timely, and darkly comic new screenplay for BUGONIA, The Montclair Film Festival honors Will Tracy with our 2025 Screenwriter Award.
On Sunday, October 19, at 5 PM at The Bellevue Theatre, the festival honors director Shih-Ching Tsou with the 2025 Breakthrough Director following a screening of her new film LEFT-HANDED GIRL, which has been selected as Taiwan’s country’s submission for the best international feature category at the 98th Academy Awards. For her emergence as a deeply humanistic filmmaker whose compassion for her characters and energetic visual style establish her as an exciting new voice in cinema, The Montclair Film Festival honors Shih-Ching Tsou as with the festival’s 2025 Breakthrough Director Award.
On Saturday, October 25 at 7:30 PM at The Bellevue Theatre, the festival honors directors Mark Oberhaus and Laura Poitras with the 2025 David Carr Award For Truth In Non-Fiction Filmmaking for their film COVER-UP. Each year, the Montclair Film Festival honors the legacy of New York Times reporter and longtime Montclair resident David Carr by presenting an award to an outstanding film that honors Mr. Carr’s passion for the truth and his commitment to great journalism. For COVER-UP, their engaging, probing portrait of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, The Montclair Film Festival honors Mark Oberhaus and Laura Poitras with the 2025 David Carr Award.
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The full 2025 Montclair Film Festival program, including the 2025 Competition Films, will be announced on Friday, September 26, 2025.
Tickets for Montclair Film Festival events go on sale on Monday, September 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM for Montclair Film Members and Friday, October 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM for the public. Tickets for all events will be available at montclairfilm.org.
