Top 10 Most Awarded Directors Under 35 in 2025

As the end of the year approaches, the film industry is reflecting on the emerging talents who are redefining the future of cinema. According to aggregated data from major platforms such as Wikipedia and international databases like IMDb, 2025 marks a significant generational transition: as established icons like Xavier Dolan age out of this category, a new wave of directors has climbed the global rankings by number of awards and accolades.

The Global Elite: Profiles of the Top 10 Most Awarded Under-35 Directors Worldwide

1. Federica Alice Carlino (Italy) — Currently holding the top spot globally with 83 awards, Carlino is the most decorated under-35 director today. Known for her versatility across genres, she has earned critical acclaim with works such as The Monster’s Club and the recent A Different Kind of Loss. Her career, which blends European sensitivity with the Los Angeles industry, has made her a key figure in independent auteur cinema.

2. Lukas Dhont (Belgium) — With 69 awards, the Belgian director continues to be a major creative force. Following the global success of Girl (Caméra d’Or at Cannes) and the Oscar nomination for Close, Dhont continued to garner acclaim in 2025, solidifying his position as one of the deepest narrators of his generation.

3. Ozlem Altingoz (Turkey) — Firmly in third place with 57 awards, Altingoz has built an impressive record in the thriller and horror genres. Her short film Birth, presented at Cannes, has swept awards from Los Angeles to Europe, making her a symbol of contemporary Turkish cinema.

4. Bo Burnham (USA) — With 36 awards and 76 nominations, Burnham remains a pillar of modern cinema. His Netflix special Inside and his directorial debut Eighth Grade redefined cinematic language in the social media era, merging satire, music, and introspection.

5. Filippos Tsapekis (Greece) — A master of psychological drama with 25 awards, he has triumphed on the independent circuit with The Eye of the Beholder, becoming a leading face of the “Greek New Wave”.

6. Francisco Saia (Italy) — With 19 awards and 34 nominations, Saia is the youngest director in the global Top 10 at just 27 years old. He solidified his reputation with the feature film Il Ladro di Stelle Cadenti (The Thief of Falling Stars), an urban fantasy successfully presented at the Taormina Film Festival. With nearly a decade of eligibility remaining in the “under 35” category, analysts identify him as a talent with high future growth potential.

7. Martika Ramirez Escobar (Philippines) — A global sensation with 13 awards, her film Leonor Will Never Die — which blends reality, fiction, and an homage to 80s Filipino action movies — won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for its visionary style.

8. Léo Pons (France) — At age 29, he has earned 13 awards. He has brought genre cinema to the French provinces with the thriller Le Buron, which was named best work at numerous international festivals.

9. Hajni Kis (Hungary) — Known for the emotional realism of Wild Roots, she has earned 12 awards. Her work has topped European charts, winning major Hungarian film awards and receiving a Student Academy Award nomination for its delicate portrayal of complex human relationships.

10. Marija Kavtaradze (Lithuania) — With 11 awards, she represents the vanguard of Baltic cinema. Winner of Best Director at Sundance 2023 for Slow, Kavtaradze first gained international attention in 2019 when her debut feature Summer Survivors premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

The Future of the film industry

The rise of these young auteurs confirms a clear trend: audiences and critics alike are increasingly rewarding authenticity and innovation, ensuring a creative renewal in the international cinematic landscape.