The results are in! The prestigious Best of Earth Awards revealed its 2025 winners at a spectacular ceremony held on March 25th, 2025, at CULTVR in Cardiff, Wales. The event showcased an extraordinary collection of immersive films and experiences that push the boundaries of storytelling, science, and artistic expression.
For those who missed the live announcement, you can watch the complete awards ceremony on YouTube. From the magical forests that birthed Stradivarius violins to the mysterious depths of space and the hidden biosphere beneath our feet, this year's selections transport audiences to realms both fantastical and profound.
Best Feature Film: "Secrets from a Forest"
This year's top honor goes to "Secrets from a Forest," directed by Neil Lucas and produced by Bell Museum and Ravenwood Studios. The film takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey through Italy's Paneveggio Forest—home of the legendary "singing spruce" used to craft Stradivarius violins. With intimate detail, the documentary follows the transformation of these special trees into some of the world's most coveted musical instruments, beautifully illustrating the delicate relationship between human artistry and the natural world.
Best Short Film: "EROS"
Director Daniel Tumbley and NSC Creative captured hearts with "EROS," a poignant exploration of friendship and loss. The film follows a helmet-clad deep space miner on a dangerous pilgrimage to honor a fallen comrade, reminding us that even as eons pass, true friendship remains eternal. The jury praised its emotional depth and visual storytelling.
Best Emerging Artists' Film: "Bad Trip"
Newcomers Emese Pálovics and Bianca Faddi made a stunning debut with "Bad Trip," a psychological journey through memory and consciousness. The film follows a lonely young man exploring his childhood home, guided by strange creatures that lead him toward confronting deeper truths. This award highlights the fresh perspective these emerging artists bring to immersive storytelling.
Innovation Award: "Dancing With Dead Animals"
Perhaps the most uniquely conceived project this year, Maarten Isaak De Heer's "Dancing With Dead Animals" earned the Innovation Award for its boundary-pushing concept. Over six months, De Heer collected animals that died in his environment, 3D scanned their remains, and created a digital "paradise" where they live again. The jury described it as "a celebration of life that walks the line between tableaux vivant and danse macabre."
Best Sonic Experience Film: "Recombination: The Fulldome Journey"
Julius Horsthuis captivated audiences with "Recombination: The Fulldome Journey," an immersive exploration of digital realms and fractal landscapes. This mesmerizing journey through space, time, music, and mathematics delivers a sensory experience that fully leverages the dome format's unique capabilities for sound design and acoustic immersion.
Best Art & Experiment Film: "Local Dystopias in the Global Utopia"
Sergey Prokofyev's "Local Dystopias in the Global Utopia" takes viewers through three distinct architectural dystopias using multiple dome screens. From the "High Rise Cult" with its balloon-buoyed wooden skyscrapers to the mysterious "Doomed City" inspired by Nicholas Roerich's paintings, and finally the "Phygital Limbo"—a digital environment driven by synthetic engines based on human emotions—this film challenges perceptions and blurs the boundaries between architectural imagination and reality.
Best Science and Education Film: "Dark Biosphere"
Javier Bollain and Render Area illuminated the unseen with "Dark Biosphere," a fascinating journey deep beneath Earth's crust. The film reveals the surprising biodiversity of microorganisms thriving in extreme conditions—with no light, air, and minimal water. By challenging our understanding of life's origins and evolution, "Dark Biosphere" opens our minds to the possibilities of life throughout the universe.
Special Jury Selection Film: "The Great Solar System Adventure"
Director Max Crow and NSC Creative earned special recognition for "The Great Solar System Adventure," featuring the flamboyant showman "The Great Schiaparelli." This death-defying space-time adventure takes audiences from Mercury's scorched surface to Pluto's icy expanses within a wondrous Observatorium. The jury praised its ability to balance education and entertainment while highlighting Earth's precious uniqueness.
Best Children's Film: "Total Eclipse: Chasers of the Lost Sleep"
Directors François Guinaudeau and Sébastien Samyn charmed younger audiences with "Total Eclipse: Chasers of the Lost Sleep." This whimsical tale follows Kentucky—an insomniac hen and social media star who lives on the Moon—and her android sidekick JOS as they search Earth for the perfect solar eclipse to help Kentucky finally get some sleep. The film combines education about astronomical phenomena with humor and heart.
Best Live Performance Experience: "Arka Kinari: Artivism at Sea"
Rounding out this year's winners is "Arka Kinari: Artivism at Sea," directed by Janire Najera and Matt Wright and produced by 4Pi Productions. This immersive documentary follows musicians Filastine & Nova aboard the 70-ton sailing ship Arka Kinari, transformed into a floating cultural platform advocating for climate action. The film showcases their global journey connecting distant shores through music and art to raise awareness about climate resilience.
The Best of Earth Awards 2025 exemplifies cinema's power to transport, educate, and inspire. These groundbreaking works remind us that immersive storytelling continues to evolve in exciting new directions, blending art, science, technology, and human emotion in ways that expand our understanding of both our planet and ourselves.
For screening information and future events, stay tuned to our website and social media channels.
For those interested in the complete awards ceremony, including acceptance speeches and film clips, the full event from CULTVR in Cardiff is available to watch on YouTube.