Would love to say that any delay in posting these results was merely a tactic to increase anticipation… but that would be a fib. Thanks so much to everyone who voted and congratulations to the winners of this year’s vote

1. Best orchestral silent film screening of 2025

Your winner:  Our Hospitality (Buster Keaton and John G. Blystone, 1923), with a score composed and conducted by Andrej Goričar, performed by the Orchestra of the Imaginary, Lubiana, at Pordenone Silent Film Festival.

2. Best silent film screening with a solo musician or small ensemble of 2025

Your winner: With Reindeer and Sled in Inka Länta’s Winterland (Erik Bergström, 1926, accompanied by Hildá Länsman, Tuomas Norvio, Lávre Johan Eira and Svante Henryson, at Hippfest.

3. Best online silent film screening of 2025

Your winner: The White Heather (Maurice Tourneur, 1919), accompanied by Stephen Horne, at Pordenone Silent Film Festival.

4. Best in-person silent film festival of 2025

Your winner: Pordenone Silent Film Festival

Honourable mention: Hippfest.

5. Best online silent film festival of 2025

Your winner: Bonn Stummfilmtage.

6. Best online silent film platform of 2025

Your winner: Stumfilm.dk

Honourable mention: Eye Film Player.

7. Best silent film Blu-ray/DVD of 2025

Joint honours: The Hitchcock Nine (Imprint) and Hitchcock: The Beginning (Studiocanal)

8. Best silent film book of 2025

Your winner: The Silent Film Universe by Ben Model

9. Silent film hero of 2025

Your winner: Alison Strauss, Hippfest director.

More of your nominations:

“Christopher Bird – his knowledge and enthusiasm and generosity with screening prints from his collection.”

“John Sweeney. Every time I see him sitting at the piano, I know the film is going to be served, the music complex and considered, the sense of event created. The incredible diversity of his work in just one day at the Kennington Bio weekends is astounding.”

“John Sweeney!! He is tireless, inventive and laughs at my jokes!”

“Frank Bockius for being everyone’s favourite musical wingman (Wiki definition of ‘wingman’ = ‘amplifying situational awareness, increasing firepower, and allowing more dynamic tactics’.”

“The bartenders and waiters at Bar Posta in Pordenone”

“This year I’m going to give a shout out to the passionate silent film bloggers, particularly Paul Cuff, Paul Joyce and Pamela Hutchinson.”

10. Silent film discovery of 2025

Your winner: The Japanese Paper Films Project, presented with live music from Yoko Reikano Kimura (koto) and Hikaru Tamaki (cello) at Pordenone Silent Film Festival by

More of your nominations:

“The Cruelty of the World / The Gardener, Pordenone” – a popular choice.

“Feature film White Heather (1919) for a look at young John Gilbert and short film In the River (1920) the rediscovered Edgar Jones & Evelyn Brent film”

“New Women (1935). I’d seen Lingyu Ruan films on You Tube but wasn’t quite prepared for how breathtaking a star she was – and so firmly feminist in a way that others (Anna May, Marlene, Louise) around the same time were not allowed to be, so explicitly. Great intro at the BFI screening by Cynthia Gu – one of the best of many intros I’ve seen on the Southbank, which is high praise.”

“Two strip technicolour (a discovery to me! courtesy of DCA’s presentation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at HippFest Taste of Silents)”

“William Powell in Forgotten Faces: his charisma leapt off the screen”

11. Best silent film restoration of 2025

Your winner: The Garden of Eden (Lewis Milestone, 1928), restored by San Francisco Film Preserve

12. Best modern silent of 2025

Your winner:  Palestine – A Revised Narrative, edited and accompanied by Cynthia Zaven, with sound design by Rana Eid, presented at Pordenone Silent Film Festival.

13. Best intertitle of 2025

Great choices, everyone!

“‘Zur Strafe gehen wir jetzt ins Kino’ (‘As punishment, we’re going to the movies now.’) in KARL VALENTIN, DER SONDERLING (1929)”

“‘sie untalentierte gans!’ (She was an untalented goose!), my nee favourite insult from Die Dame Mit Der Maske, Pordenone”

“Hiding behind its gray walls strange secrets — ruled from feudal days by a violent dynasty — the present ruler, a mad Queen –”

“‘Stand back boys, I want to lick this guy myself!’ (Rowdy Ann)”

“‘Violating realism is a victimless crime’ – from Karen Pearlman’s feminist archival gem BREAKING PLATES (2025)”

“’Captain Angus “Black Yankee” Swope … cursed from Liverpool to Singapore as the cruellest master that sailed the Seven Seas…’”

From the Hobart Bosworth comedy, The Blood Ship (1927)

“from SHIPWRECKED (1926): ‘A great seaport … fog drifting landward … night slime on the ebbing tide … ghastly glow of lights through the dripping murk.’”

What a year! Thanks to everyone who voted, and congratulations to all the tremendous winners!

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