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The Documentary Film in the Public Interest Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy announced the honorees for the inaugural Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary.
The 2025 Henry Awards Jury released the following statement about this year’s award-winning film: “‘While We Watched’ is an exceptional cautionary tale that takes an unflinching look at the State’s violent crackdown on freedom of expression through the experience of a journalist who dares to defend his integrity. Ravish Kumar is an unforgettable character. His specific story manages to instantly transcend its locality and become a real time documentation of the global rise of fascism, and the attack against the free press. The film is a brave effort by the filmmakers that should serve as a warning to us all.”
The Henry Awards recognize nonfiction films that advance public understanding of the critical issues of our time while demonstrating outstanding cinematic achievement. Guided by the hallmarks of ethical practice, rigorous investigation, and courageous storytelling, the Henry Awards are intended to honor and encourage a documentary filmmaking practice grounded in its essential role to a thriving society and focused on the public good. Starting with the 2025 Henry Awards, a grand prize of $100,000 will be awarded annually, along with four finalists who will also receive cash prizes. The 2025 award winners, finalists, and honorable mentions were honored at a private ceremony at the Kennedy School on April 16.
Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs says, “The Henry Awards honor films that investigate, explore, and explain the critical challenges of our time. Faced with growing threats to free speech and artistic expression, we honor films that advance the public interest by expanding our view of the world — taking us places we could not otherwise go, sharing perspectives we would not otherwise see, and challenging assumptions we might not otherwise question. These awards invite both filmmakers and audiences to celebrate the power of documentary as a vessel for courageous creativity.”
Grand Prize Winner
A timely depiction of a newsroom in crisis, “While We Watched” follows tormented journalist Ravish Kumar for two years as he battles a barrage of fake news, falling ratings and the resulting cutbacks.
Director: Vinay Shukla
Producers: Vinay Shukla, Luke W Moody, and Khushboo Ranka
Finalists
“Four Daughters” is a compelling portrait of five women and a unique and ambitious work of nonfiction cinema that pushes against the conventional boundaries of the documentary form to explore the nature of memory, rebellion, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters.
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Producer: Nadim Cheikhrouha
After 20 years of war in Afghanistan, “Hollywoodgate” follows the Taliban as they enter an American base loaded with billions of dollars of weapons left behind; the film tracks the fundamentalist militia’s transformation into a military regime, showcasing their use of Hollywood-style propaganda.
Director: Ibrahim Nash’at
Producers: Talal Derki, Odessa Rae, and Shane Boris
In defiance of Putin’s regime, a queer, 21-year-old artist risks her life performing in surreal costumes throughout Moscow. Jenna Marvin’s radical public performances blend artistry and activism — and put her life in danger.
Director: Agniia Galdanova
Producers: Igor Myakotin and Agniia Galdanova
A mother films her family’s life while sheltering from Israel’s attacks during the Second Intifada in the West Bank. Her son revisits the past through this footage, delivering a heart-breaking portrait of the anguish of parents forced to choose between their children’s safety and the emotional upheaval of leaving home.
Director: Yousef Srouji
Producer: Marielle Olentine
Honorable Mentions
Every Thursday, a group of students from the University of Ibadan, the oldest university in Nigeria, organizes a film club, transforming a small amphitheater into a political agora where they refine their vision and develop a critical voice.
Director: Alain Kassanda
Producers: Emilie Guitard, Alain Kassanda
An urgent, immersive journey into Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy protests, and a meditation on what it means to resist.
Directors & Producers: James Leong & Lynn Lee
The Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary Grand Prize Winner, Finalists, and Honorable Mentions were selected from the pool of Semi-Finalist films by a panel of five expert jurors. Sara Archambault, the Program Director of the Documentary Film in the Public Interest (DFPI) Initiative chaired the jury meetings.
The jurors were:
Ra’anan Alexandrowicz
Mandy Chang
Petra Costa
Ron Nixon
Michèle Stephenson
