SOHO International Film Festival Drops Full 2025 Program, with High Profile Jury at the Helm

Record-breaking premiere slate from 23 countries draws industry's top talent scouts, award winners, and financiers to Oct. 7-13 NYC festival.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The SOHO International Film Festival (SIFFNYC) today announced an industry powerhouse judging panel to date alongside the official program for its 16th edition, running Oct. 7-13, 2025, at Regal Union Square. This year's record-breaking lineup features 125+ premieres, that include 35 World Premieres.

Powerhouse Judging Panel

The 2025 festival attracts serious industry credibility, with judges including Marci Phillips, New York VP of Talent & Casting for Disney Entertainment Television, who has discovered and mentored talents such as Lupita Nyong'o, Chadwick Boseman, Pedro Pascal, and Gina Rodriguez over her 25-plus-year career casting for ABC Studios and Networks.

Joining Phillips is Cynthia López, the award-winning media strategist and former Commissioner of New York City's Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, whose accolades include 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, and two duPont-Columbia Awards.

The panel also features Dallas Roberts, currently starring in Paramount+'s "Tulsa King" and Netflix's "Monster(s)" opposite Javier Bardem, with credits that span "The Walking Dead," "American Crime," and Rian Johnson's "Knives Out 2."

Adding major industry financing expertise is Max Geschwind from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), bringing high-level dealmaking and project development insight to the judging panel.

Additional judges bring international scope and production expertise: James Tumminia (Emmy-nominated producer of "Love, Gilda", actor, and director), Cas Sigers Beedles (professional writer, director and producer, writer/director of BET's “Scheme Queens”), Will Fredo (producer of Cannes Camera d'Or winner "Plan 75"), Linda Evans (Founder of Lunch Hour Productions and Kittenplan Entertainment), Ernabel Demillo (host and reporter for CUNY-TV’s 7-time Emmy-nominated program “Asian American Life”), Brian Nemes (lead for the film and television strategy at Gold House), Soratchabhumi Hnunbhakdi (actor, film producer and cultural entrepreneur), Susannah D’Arcy (Chairman of Live Events for the Producers Guild of America), and Daryn Simons (Producer, Talent Manager, Digital Strategist, Entrepreneur and past President of the Talent Managers Association).

Celebrity-Driven Premieres & Standout Programming

This year's sweeping slate brings together breakthrough indie voices and notable screen talent across features, shorts, documentaries, and series pilots from 23 countries.

Spotlight premieres include: "After All" (World Premiere) — Director Kerstin Karlhuber's 104-minute U.S. family drama starring Erika Christensen, Penelope Ann Miller, Kiara Muhammad, Zach Gilford, Mike O'Malley, and David James Elliott. A moving story about confronting buried trauma, anchored by Miller's commanding performance.

"A Farewell to Youth" (World Premiere) — Director Adam Jack's 120-minute Canadian feature starring Jack, Matty Cardarople, Erica Sherwood, and Larry Thomas. A bittersweet story following a washed-up screenwriter whose estranged daughter forces him to reckon with second chances.

"Brooklyn, Minnesota" (New York City Premiere) — Directors Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen's 96-minute U.S. drama starring Amy Madigan, Sadie Jensen-Blank, and Erik Jensen, marked by Madigan's anchoring performance.

"Books" (World Premiere Series Pilot) — Director Micah Khan's 21-minute U.S. pilot starring Spencer Grammer, Ajay Naidu, and Deepti Menon. A sharp story about a cancelled author navigating reinvention.

"A Good Death" (East Coast Premiere) — Director Kaz PS's 11-minute U.S. short starring Tracie Thoms, Stefanie Estes, and Jenny O'Hara. An emotionally charged piece about a death doula showcasing powerhouse performances.

This year, SIFFNYC also brings back its Spotlight Screenings with its collaboration with the New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), which honors women in front of and behind the camera, and The Juilliard School, with films produced as part of its new initiative to provide students with practical experience working on camera.

Visit the link for a full list of the films selected for this year's slate at https://www.sohofilmfest.com/film-guide.html

Global Reach, Industry Recognition

The 2025 program represents an international scope with films from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, India, Brazil, Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, Finland, Ukraine, Israel, Ireland, Slovenia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Ethiopia.

"This is truly our most ambitious lineup to date," said Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago, Executive Director & Head of Programming. "With industry legends judging over a hundred premieres alongside established talent and rising auteurs, we're giving these films the spotlight and credibility they deserve."

About SOHO International Film Festival

Founded in 2009 by Jorge Ballos, SIFFNYC champions boundary-pushing independent cinema and brings fresh voices to New York's fall festival calendar. The festival's growing industry recognition is evidenced by its ability to attract top-tier judges and premiere programming from emerging auteurs to established talent.

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Sibyl Santiago
SOHO International Film Festival
sibyl@sohofilmfest.com
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