Camerimage wrapped its 2025 edition in Toruń on Saturday night with a Closing Gala that saw veteran and emerging cinematographers share the spotlight.
The top honor, the Golden Frog for the main competition, went to Judith Kaufmann for her work on Late Shift, the latest collaboration between Kaufmann and director Petra Biondina Volpe.
An intimate portrait of a nurse navigating an overstretched surgical ward, the film follows Flora (Leonie Benesch) over the course of a single shift, as routine pressures intensify into a tense, emotionally charged race against time, spotlighting the pressures put on ordinary careworkers.
The Silver Frog was awarded to Fabian Gamper for Sound of Falling, directed by Mascha Schilinski, while the Bronze Frog went to Michał Sobociński for Chopin, A Sonata in Paris from director Michał Kwieciński.
In the Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition, the Golden Frog went to Adam Suzin for Father, directed by Tereza Nvotova. The Directors’ Debuts Golden Frog was awarded to Qi Shu for Girl.
The festival’s non-fiction juries singled out two projects for top honors. The Grand Prix in the Documentary Features Competition — the Golden Frog — went to cinematographer Benjamin Bryan for Iron Winter, directed by Kasimir Burgess. In the Documentary Shorts Competition, the Golden Frog went to Ronnie McQuillan for No Mean City, directed by Ross McClean.
Music videos also had their moment on the Toruń stage, with the Golden Frog going to cinematographer Jake Gabbay and director Gabriel Moses for Chains & Whips.
In the TV Series Competition, the Grand Prix Golden Frog was awarded to cinematographers Corrin Hodgson and Ben Richardson for 1923: A Dream and a Memory, directed by Richardson.
Poland’s national race saw Piotr Sobociński Jr. take the Grand Prix of the Polish Films Competition — the Golden Frog — for his work on The Altar Boys, directed by Piotr Domalewski.
Student filmmakers from across Europe rounded out the awards. The Laszlo Kovacs Student Award — the Golden Tadpole — went to Nico Schrenk for Skin on Skin, directed by Simon Schneckenburger from Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. The Silver Tadpole was awarded to Henri Nunn for Walud, directed by Daood Alabdulaa and Louise Zenker from the University of Television and Film Munich. The Bronze Tadpole went to Francesca Avanzini for Marina, directed by Paoli De Luca.
The Audience Award went to Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, shot by Kasper Tuxen.