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Spotlight Documentary Awards
Because the truth deserves the spotlight.
Spotlight Documentary Awards
The Spotlight Documentary Awards celebrate powerful nonfiction storytelling and the filmmakers who bring real stories to life. Each year, top award-winning documentaries are recognized live at the Atlanta Spotlight Film Festival awards ceremony on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Winners
Winning filmmakers receive a custom crystal trophy, official laurels, and a digital certificate of recognition. All winners are featured on the Spotlight website and social channels, with select films invited to stream on FestFlix, our curated platform for independent film.
Awards Ceremony
This year's awards will be presented on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Limelight Theater in Atlanta, a one night celebration of the top filmmakers of the year.
The 2025 winners represent some of the most compelling and original documentary storytelling of the year.
2025 Nominees
Past Award Winners
Award Categories
Best Documentary Feature
67 Bombs to Enid
Ty McMahan, Kevin Ford
Cabali And The Tiki Mug Obsession
Josh Dragotta
The Man Who Saves The World?
Gabe Polsky
The RoseMan of Omaha
David M Weiss
Best Documentary Short
Call of the Crow
Sarah King
Darlinghurst Eats Its Young
Madeleine Preston
Tides of Change
Robert Kroger, Andrew Francis Seals
Best Biographical Documentary
My Gray World
Petro Aleksowski
NEWT: A Short Documentary
Win Scott
Who in the Hell is Regina Jones?
Soraya Selene, Billy Miossi
Best Social Impact Documentary
Dr. Hanna Wants To Try
Field to Healed Foundation, Stoke Creative Agency
It Is Up To Us
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Stephen W Rosenthal
Justin’s Addiction Story: No Family is Immune
Jacob Surette
Best Personal Story
Balance
Michael Boehm
I’ll Tell You When You’re Older
Christian Ocana
The Wind Once Whispered
Johan Swinnen
Emerging Filmmaker Award
A Fighting Legacy
Adam Wagner
Big Rock Burning
David Goldblum
The Last Ferryman
Oscar Pichel, Paul Frey, Aisling Murphy
Words to Live By
Richard E. Haywood
Jury Award
A Kingdom of Tea & Strangers
Houston Coley, Debora Grace Coley
Empower Ink Documentary
Valheria Luccia Sanchez
The Women in Security Documentary
Yvette Freeman
Best Director
Cast Off
Julian Wittmann
Living UNDONE
Amanda Kasmira Cryer
Video Dreams: A VHS Massacre Story
Thomas Seymour
Award Categories
Past Award Winners
Award Categories
Best Feature Documentary
For exceptional feature-length nonfiction storytelling.
Best Short Documentary
For short-form documentaries that make a strong impact.
Best Director
For creative direction and vision in documentary filmmaking.
Best Biographical Documentary
For films that capture the life, legacy, or personal journey of an individual in a compelling way.
Best Social Impact
For documentaries that raise awareness or drive meaningful conversation about real-world issues.
Best Personal Story
For deeply human, first-person storytelling that connects on an emotional level.
Emerging Filmmaker Award
For a rising filmmaker whose work shows exceptional promise.
Jury Award
Selected by the judging panel for overall excellence.
Past Award Winners
Past Award Winners
Past Award Winners
Spotlight Docs is built for filmmakers who create with purpose. This is a platform where your work is recognized for its impact, not its runtime or premiere status. Every selected film is honored for what it says and how it says it. We focus on storytelling, vision, and truth.
Meet the Filmmakers Behind the Spotlight
Award Winning Filmmakers
Get to know the documentary storytellers who are shaping the future of nonfiction film.
FESTFLIX.tv
See Where Spotlight Films Go Next
Top-scoring documentaries from the Spotlight Documentary Awards are invited to join FestFlix.tv, a curated streaming platform for outstanding independent films.
Discover the powerful stories already featured.
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