After a month of incredible creativity and more than 750 submissions, the wait is over. We’re proud to announce this year’s Filmsupply Editfest winners.
From standout storytelling to masterful technique, let’s celebrate the Best Advertisement, Best Trailer, Best Title Sequence, and People’s Choice and congratulate the filmmakers taking home their share of $75K+ in cash and prizes.
FILMSUPPLY EDITFEST 2025 WINNERS
BEST ADVERTISEMENT: “RED BEETLE”
CREDITS
Editor: Zrinka Ivanko
JUDGES’ FEEDBACK
From Senior Editor and Creative at TrueCar Tucker Bass | USAA, Sam’s Club, Nintendo, Hulu
I really enjoyed this one! The shots you chose and the emotional hook at the beginning are really compelling. I thought the VO was cleverly written. You’ve got a compelling spec spot for a travel company, but I think this approach could also really work well for a car brand.
When we get to the shot of the Range Rover at :43, I thought that’s where you were headed. I thought the slideshow/memory montage in the middle was a nice touch.
From Senior Producer at Dentsu Creative Xiaomi Qu | Audible, General Mills, Crayola, Marriott
Picked some really nice moments to weave together
From Managing Director at pixies.studio Annabelle Handke | Nivea, Visa, Mercedes-Benz, BMW
I really like the idea of the “product” being advertised — the reveal is surprising but works perfectly. The continuity is seamless, which keeps the flow intact. That said, skipping a few cliché shots, like the rearview mirror scene, could have made the film even snappier. Still, it was a joy to watch. Good Job!
From Executive Producer at Saints Editorial Emily McKay | McDonald’s, Chevrolet, Lay’s, Air Canada
This was great. I wouldn’t say it was an emotional rollercoaster, but I went from sad to happy, and I wanted to know more. There was a moment or two where you cut to the beat, which sometimes re-engages you in the spot. It’s really fun stuff. The footage was great, and it all felt cohesive.
ADVERTISEMENT FINALISTS
BEST TRAILER: “FINS”
CREDITS
Editor: J.M. Torres
Production House: Dopamine Productions
JUDGES’ FEEDBACK
From Head of Post Production at ICF Next Nic Larrabure | Skittles, AT&T, Uber, Dove
Damn. I love everything about this. When I started watching, I had a feeling this was going to be a very style-over-substance sort of piece, but how wrong I was. Yes, stylistically, it is incredible. The look, the feel, the sound and music selection. I love the choices in aspect ratio, picture-in-picture edits, the shot-on-film feel. It is just the raw type of independent cinema I would seek out on style alone. But this one crept up on me emotionally.
There is a weight in the subtlety and nuance in the metaphoric parallels between the fish and these women. Is this a story of friendship, love, loss? All of it, none of it? I love that the trailer doesn’t spoon-feed me these answers; it doesn’t have to. I have the whole story here and yet none of it at all, in the most perfect way. I can feel the editor’s empathy and understanding of the human condition in this work. It hit me like a sledgehammer. I’m absolutely blown away. When can I see the film?
From Found of There We Go Films, Rob Meyer | Wells Fargo, Ford, Verizon, Samsung
Really cool execution and style. Loved the formatting, treatment, and edits. I personally found that the joke-y wink-at-the-camera quotes took me out of the piece and made it hard to connect to emotionally.
The turn to thriller/horror didn’t quite work either (the scream fell flat for me), I would have preferred keeping it more contained with hints and things going wrong and building tension… But overall, great work!
From Freelance Producer Sam Epstein | Netflix, HBO, MGM+, Amazon Prime
I really enjoyed this. It takes a simple concept and elevates it. While the story seems like a basic romance/road trip movie, the imagery and goldfish metaphors make this film look like it is some deep, introspective, indie film.
The effects, like the camera shutters and old film look, add to its timeless feel. The pacing builds nicely towards the end, although the texting effect and the baby scream seemed a bit out of place during its crescendo. The text kind of removes you from the timeless feel.
The most effective element is the trailer’s emotionality. The two characters’ friendship and romance build naturally in just one minute. The final shot of the one character feeding the fish ties the whole thing together. This trailer reminds me of great indie road films like Old Joy and Y tu mamá también.
From Post Production Supervisor at Cadence Post Kimaree Long | Nissan, Universal Films, Welch’s, HBO
This film looks like it would be a beautiful love story between two young women, and the trailer is compelling enough to make me want to watch the whole movie.
I found some of the visual FX to be a little distracting, and the sound mix could have been a bit more even, as I struggled to hear some of the elements break through.
TRAILER FINALISTS
BEST TITLE SEQUENCE: “I SEE MONSTERS”
CREDITS
Editor: Ben Kadie
JUDGES’ FEEDBACK
From Post-Production Producer at Cut + Run Ellie Ware | Nike, Apartments.com, TXU Energy
Great work. I came out of watching this title sequence with an understanding of what kind of show this is. The track used lent an air of the supernatural, which complemented the visual imagery used.
The use of the animation style to depict the monsters was unique because it added a touch of the juvenile, which further enhanced the feeling of unease in the shots mentioning missing children.
From Head of Video at CLEAR Kevin D’Angelo | Vimeo, GE, Jaguar, Land Rover, Intel
Hi Ben, Great work on “I See Monsters.” Really effective use of the beginning and ending sequence to frame up the rest of the shots in the middle. This created a clear and compelling through-line for the sequence, which is quite an accomplishment when threading together a bunch of different unrelated sources. Well done there! Cool choice on music, added an element of mystery which elevated and drove home the concept.
Assuming you added in the animations, which really helped visualize the concept and shows technical skill. Really cool stuff! Can’t wait to see more of your work.
From Executive Producer at Cutters Studios Heather Richardson | Jeep, T-Mobile, Allstate, Nintendo
I felt I had seen some similar work in the past, which is why the concept was scored higher, but I felt this excelled in all other categories. Very cool. Smart technique that helped to tell the story.
From Associate Art Producer at Omnicom Production Cleo Montagnana | AT&T, FedEx, Heineken
Creative storytelling is very well laid out. We understand from the first frame the theme of the story ahead: A young woman who must be closely related to a missing child goes on a mission to save them. Her particular eye or view of the world will help her get answers in this city full of shadowy figures. I like that illustration was used to convey a feeling of uneasiness, shaping into different spectres and interrogations.
The music chosen and the shot-on-film effect bring us back in time and uncover ghosts of the past. My favorite sequence is the church one :26 – 32. This turquoise hue and moving shadows, ghost appearing to pray, reminds me of True Blood or True Detective title sequences.
TITLE SEQUENCE FINALISTS
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: “RUN”
CREDITS
Editor: Melissa Pastrana
