On Friday, November 28, the winners of the 12th edition of Umeå Film Festival were crowned. The 2025 winners were A Small En liten film om underhållets diskreta konst (Storspoven) and Epadunk (Skolbiopublikens Val) and Epadunk (School Cinema Audience Choice). This year’s jury — consisting of the Swedish-Icelandic producer Anna G. Magnúsdóttir, Mika Anttolainen (director of the Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival), and Katrin Mörk (producer at Tempo Documentary Festival) selected A Small Film About the Discreet Art of Maintenance as the winner.
The film, directed by Per Lindberg, follows a woman who relentlessly performs various household chores while constantly keeping an eye on the clock. When she finally sits down at a beautifully set table, one question remains: Who, or what, is she waiting for? The award consists of a statuette depicting a Eurasian curlew crafted by artist Arvid Snidare and a 25,000 SEK grant. The jury’s motivation read:
“A short film with a long title. Elegant, subtle, with a twist. Conveying a strong story without a single word spoken.”
The evening’s second winner was Jakob Arevärn for the film Epadunk, which won the School Cinema Audience Choice Award. The jury for this prize consisted of students from Midgårdsskolan’s media program, years 1, 2, and 3. The award consists of great honor and a grant of 5,000 SEK. Epadunk follows Josefine, who is fixing up her EPA tractor before her date with Billy that evening. Young love smolders in the night, but not everyone is impressed by the loud music coming from the vehicle. Soon, the date turns into a struggle of life and death.
A “special mention” was awarded to the film In My Hand by Marja Helander and Liselotte Wajstedt, with the following motivation:
“A beautiful and poetic journey through the painful, ongoing fight for Sami rights.”
