Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Filmmakers and Winners (Photo: Randall Michelson) The American Pavilion on the Cannes Film Festival has introduced the winners of this yr’s Emerging Filmmaker Showcase sponsored by Gold House.
Gold House awarded the inaugural Cultural Impact award to Andy “Celeste” Diep for Happy New Year, Ms. Luna. This award was conceived to acknowledge a filmmaker throughout the showcase’s classes whose work exemplifies excellence in multicultural narratives or underrepresented views. “Happy New Year, Ms. Luna” additionally gained the Emerging Filmmaker LGBTQ+ Award. The movie’s director, Andy “Celeste” Diep is a AmPav Student Program Alumni from 2015.
“It’s been wonderful to have almost all the 25 filmmakers with their teams attending the showcases and watching them network with The American Pavilion members these past days,” says Monika Skerbelis, Director of the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase.
“It’s more important than ever to champion bold, diverse storytellers. We’re proud to have returned to Cannes to celebrate the incredible talent shaping the future of film,”says Christine Yi, General Manager of Gold House Futures and General Partner of Gold House’s Creative Equity Fund.
The full record of winners is as follows:
Student Short Film Award: Before the Winter by Juan Zuloaga Eslait
Student Documentary Award (Tie): Handwoven by Dasha Levin, Mason Cazalet, Mihika Das, Matthew Wisdom
Student Documentary Award (Tie): Dancing in Tomorrowland by Jakob Roston
Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Short Film Award: Get Away by Michael Gabriele
Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Documentary Award: She is Us: The Story of Judge Songhai Armstead by Samara Hutman, C. Lily Ericsson
Emerging Filmmaker LGBTQ+ Award: Happy New Year, Ms. Luna by Andy “Celeste” Diep
Cultural Impact Award: Happy New Year, Ms. Luna by Andy “Celeste” Diep
The 2025 showcase featured 25 official choice movies in three showcases – Student Short Films & Documentaries, Emerging Filmmaker Short Films & Documentaries, and the Emerging Filmmaker LGBTQ+ showcase movies. Films had been screened at The American Pavilion on Tuesday, May 20 (LGBTQ+ Showcase) and Wednesday, May 21 (Student and Emerging Showcase). Emerging showcase class winners had been chosen by a jury that features brokers, managers, producers, {industry} members, and a workforce from Gold House.
The Showcase options 16 feminine administrators. More than half of the movies are both directed or co-directed by girls. This yr’s themes embrace quick movies and documentaries coping with incapacity, deafness, dementia, immigration, media and identification, transitions, societal roles, and self-discovery. Celebrated artists related to movies this yr embrace Rainn Wilson and Jason Reitman as producers and actors Flora Jiwu Hwang (Beef), Lisa Emery (Ozark, The Walking Dead), Susan Louise O’Conor (Orange is the New Black; Euphoria), Ian Oh (Beef), Clark Carmichael (House of Cards, The Irishman), Sydney Flanigan (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) and Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time).
The 9 Student Showcase Films come from AFI Conservatory, Chapman University, Florida State University, Oaks Christian School, Savannah College of Art & Design, Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Southern California.
Three movies this yr are directed by alumni college students who participated in The American Pavilion Cannes Student Program previously: Ada and the Doc directed by Matison LeBlanc (2024 & 2025), Miriam directed by Josie Andrews (2017), Happy New Year, Ms. Luna, directed by Andy “Celeste” Diep (2015).
Prize packages are sponsored by: Gold House, Write Brothers Movie Magic Screenwriter, International Documentary Association, Screening Services Group, Simple DCP, Michael Wiese Productions Books, Cinelytic, and ESE Film Workshops Online.
ABOUT GOLD HOUSE
Gold House is the main cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific creators and corporations to energy tomorrow for all. Under a nonprofit umbrella, our progressive household of corporations, applications, and platforms embrace membership programs and occasions to fortify relationships among the many Asian Pacific neighborhood and with different marginalized communities (#StopAsianHate); first-of-its-kind funding autos and accelerators to propel the following technology of prime Asian Pacific founders, creatives, and leaders (Gold House Ventures, Creative Equity Fund); and industry-leading analysis, consulting, and advertising and marketing to advertise genuine and affirming portrayals (Gold Story Consultation, Gold Open, Gold List, A100 List). To be taught extra, go to www.goldhouse.org or observe @GoldHouseCo on Instagram,Facebook, X/Twitter, Threads, and LinkedIn.
ABOUT THE EMERGING FILMMAKER SHOWCASE
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