The 65th Zlín Film Festival Announces Winning Films – Top Prizes Go to Films from Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, and the Netherlands
04. June 2025
The landmark 65th Zlín Film Festival has successfully concluded. This year, nearly 300 films from 50 countries were screened across competition and non-competition sections. The international juries recognized both powerful stories aimed at children and youth as well as artistically compelling and innovative works. At the closing gala on Wednesday, June 4, in the Zlín Congress Centre, the Golden Slipper main prize was awarded to Honey, Spilt Milk, Kevlar Soul, and Down in the Dumps. Czech actress Simona Stašová was honored with a Golden Slipper for her outstanding contribution to cinema for children and youth.
The Zlín Film Festival – the world’s oldest and largest festival of its kind – is now officially in the books for 2025. From May 29 to June 4, the festival welcomed more than 24,000 cinema attendees, 90-100,000 visitors to supporting events, more than 3,000 film professionals, and other accredited guests. Around 70 delegations of filmmakers traveled to Zlín to personally introduce their films.
The international juries reviewed all competition entries and selected the award winners. The Golden Slipper went to the Danish film Honey (Best Feature Film for Children), the Irish film Spilt Milk (Best Feature Film for Teenagers), the Swedish film Kevlar Soul (Best Feature Film for Youth), and the Dutch animated film Down in the Dumps (Best Short Animated Film for Children).
This year’s winning films demonstrated that filmmaking for children and youth can be powerful, relevant, and artistically significant. The juries recognized not only original storytelling and striking visual style, but also the courage to explore themes that resonate with young viewers across cultures and continents,
said the festival’s Artistic Director Markéta Pášmová.
The closing ceremony was broadcast live on Czech Television’s ČT art channel. Some winners in select categories were announced in advance of the gala. The Children’s Jury awarded the Austrian-German-Luxembourgish co-production The Secret Floor as Best Feature for Children. The European Youth Jury chose the German-Kenyan film Nawi as Best Feature for Teens and Young Adults.
The International Jury for Student Films at Zlín Dog selected the Austrian film Caught in 4K as the top student work, which comes with a €1,000 prize.
The audience favorite was the film I Accidentally Wrote a Book, which won the Golden Apple – the City of Zlín’s prize for the most popular feature film. The Czech animated film The Tiny Shoe received the ČT :D Audience Award for Best Short Animated Film for Children.
The Technology Agency of the Czech Republic also presented its special film award for “Popularizing Science Among Youth.” The honor went to Kryštof Stříbrný from Modřice Elementary School for his original animation School of the Future 2054, which impressed the jury with its creativity and take on the intersection of technology and education.
We’ve just wrapped up an exceptionally strong edition of the festival, which delivered not only a high-quality film program but also a host of new inspirations and connections. We’re delighted by the growing interest from audiences, as well as the positive feedback from international guests. The festival remains a space where professionalism meets the joy of childhood – and that’s our greatest reward,
said Čestmír Vančura, President of the Zlín Film Festival.
WINNERS LIST OF 65TH ZLÍN FILM FESTIVAL 2025
