The results of the 2025 Analog Sparks International Film Photography Awards are a powerful testament to the enduring allure and unique magic of analog processes. Celebrating the best in film photography from around the globe, the competition unveiled stunning winning images that span diverse categories and styles.
This year’s selected photographers, working exclusively with film—from classic black-and-white to instant prints and alternative techniques—proved that the constraints of analog media often lead to profound creativity. The winners showcase a remarkable range, from Peter Varsics’ "Ghosts of Pannenhuis" winning Architecture Photographer of the Year, to Toby Binder’s poignant "Youth of Belfast" claiming the Human category. Other highlights include Hengki Koentjoro’s masterful Nature entries and Matteo Gallucci’s captivating street photography in the Lifestyle section.
These images collectively champion the deliberative, tactile art of film photography. They remind viewers of the incomparable texture, tonal depth, and serendipitous imperfections that only a chemical process can provide. With exhibitions scheduled across Europe, the Analog Sparks Awards not only celebrate these winning artists but also affirm the vibrant, global resurgence of film photography in the digital age.
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#1. Discovery of the Year: "Everyone Is Icarus" by Rachel Jump, United States
"This body of work focuses on the aftermath of my father’s genetic test results, which unveiled a hereditary disorder that heightens his, his children’s, susceptibility to cancer. This revelation offered a possible glimpse into our future— a rare, yet ambivalent gift. This project is an exploration of my family and our efforts to provide comfort and resilience for one another during times of hardship. Through this collaboration, we guide each other through the weight of newfound clarity, supporting one another as we confront how our lineage and shared experiences shape our sense of identity."
#2. Photographer of Year: "Ghosts of Pannenhuis" by Peter Varsics, Hungary
"Ghosts of Pannenhuis is a photography series capturing fleeting human presence in the retro-futuristic Pannenhuis metro station in Brussels. Beneath its alienesque, cold concrete geometry, the station becomes a liminal space where everyday commuters appear ghostlike—momentary figures haunting a stark architectural dream. The project explores the eerie beauty of transit and the tension between permanence and passage. All shot on Cinestill 800T."
#3. 2nd Place in Architecture: "Cacophony" by Yvonne Hanson, Canada
"This series features bustling metropolitan areas around the world, captured at night. The photos are taken on 35mm film and are made up of 3-10 exposures each. The layered exposures create an impression of nightlife as it is experienced in memory: a jumble of sights and experiences, neon signs and shop windows. The entire experience of walking through a global city at night, captured in one complete photograph.’
#4. Gold Winner in Architecture: "Babel" by Rose Shoshana , Mexico
#5. Fine Art Photographer of the Year: "Waratah" by Kyle Hoffmann, Australia
"This image of a Waratah is part of a larger series I have been working on called Fossil, A series of images that explores the human mind’s struggle to grasp the vastness of time and our fragility within it. The collection features prehistoric plants that evolved before the existence of bees, serving as tangible reminders of our temporal limitations. They highlight the dual nature of life – its persistent drive to survive alongside its inherent fragility. Waratah are fascinating in their shape and form and part of a family that is over 300 million years old."
#6. 2nd Place in Fine Art: "Icebergs" by Nuno Serrão, Portugal
"Icebergs are large freshwater bodies that have broken off a glacier and have gone floating in the open sea. Some people are like Icebergs. This is an ongoing photographic series that looks into a parallel world, one that contrasts with the our dopamine-driven society we encounter every day. One that resists the value of novelty, excitement and interaction. One that is not overwhelmed with stimuli, information, and expectations, urging us to engage, speak up, and network. Its inhabitants want to belong without joining in, and explore the world, by travelling inward."
#7. Silver Winner in Fine Art: "Mexicana" by Rose Shoshana , Mexico
"Fashion story with Mariana, a young upcoming Mexican model with trading Mexican brands. We wanted to shoot on the local streets for a more edgy analog vibe."
#8. Bronze Winner in Fine Art: "Portion of Life" by Renan Nascimento, Brazil
"The reflection and silent, magical movement of the water, where small forms, like newborn fish, move between light and shadow. The spiraling flow seems to carry the secret of life, birth, and transience. With each subtle sway, the image reminds us that, just like the water, life follows its own course, mysterious and fluid, where everything blends and transforms, in a cycle that never stops existing."
#9. Human Photographer of the Year: "Youth of Belfast" by Toby Binder, Germany
"There is hardly any other country in Europe where a past conflict is still as present in daily life as Northern Ireland, especially affecting young people. Not only by physical barriers as walls and fences but also through a ideologically divided society. »If I had been born at the top of my street, behind the corrugated-iron border, I would have been British. Incredible to think. My whole idea of myself, the attachments made to a culture, heritage, religion, nationalism and politics are all an accident of birth. I was one street away from being born my ‘enemy’«. Paul McVeigh"
#10. 2nd Place in Human: "Them" by Jose Girl, United States
"Portrait shot in medium format analog camera."
#11. Bronze Winner in Human: "Guadalupe V" by Eduardo Solís, Mexico
"Because fire chose me, necessity drove me, and hunger compelled me." About two decades ago, I saw Guadalupe for the first time. I found him to be an interesting character from the neighborhood, distinctively beautiful, with features similar to those of our ancestors and founders of Mexico City-Tenochtitlán. He was preparing a torch loaded with fuel; the spark from a lighter lit it, and it was extinguished upon contact with his mouth. I always wondered what it would be like to photograph him. Here are the portraits he allowed me to take of him after several encounters and conversations.
#12. Life Style Photographer of the Year: "If These Streets Could Have Talk" by Matteo Gallucci, Italy
"I’ve been walking these streets of Rome and New York for 3 years with my Rolleiflex around my neck. While I was shooting I was barley know what I was doing, after a year I’ve discovered that I was taking notice of film passing through my lens. My eyes have stumbled upon the homeless, the poor the rich, the crazy. All with sharing and caring for their feeling and emotions."
#13. 2nd Place in Life Style: "Better Days" by Seunggu Kim, Korea, Republic of
Korea has developed rapidly over 40 years, which caused a lot of social consequences. One of which is long working hours with a very short period of break. During holidays, Koreans try their best to enjoy it, but due to lack of time to travel, they spend time mostly around the city. I take a step back and observe various leisure spaces and people, slowly frame them, and wait for complex situations to balance. Koreans “fast pace lifestyle", and "community-based trust", revealed in this work show Koreans adapting to any situation, enjoying themselves together, and striving for “coexistence”.
#14. Silver Winner in Life Style: "Indian River" by Simone Morelli, Italy
"The Ganges River is not just a body of water, but a sacred and vital symbol for millions of people. Worshipped as a deity, it lies at the heart of Hindu spirituality: bathing in its waters is believed to cleanse one of sins. Its banks, in holy cities like Varanasi and Haridwar, are daily sites of prayer, rituals, and meditation. Beyond its religious significance, the Ganges is essential for daily life—providing water for drinking, farming, and household needs. Despite pollution, it remains a powerful spiritual, cultural, and practical reference point for the population."
#15. Bronze Winner in Life Style: "White Hot" by Enrique Mattiacci, United States
"Ordinance and natural curiousness. the white hot."
#16. Nature Photographer of the Year: "Gibbon Falls" by Hengki Koentjoro, Indonesia
"This is my early works using large format camera of 4×5 inches. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. Sinar 4×5 large format camera + Fujinon 210mm f/5.6 lens. T-Max 400 film f/64 at 15 seconds."
#17. 2nd Place in Nature: "Lyrics" by Oran Greier, Germany
"Using macro photography, my work in the past years has been focused on lyrical abstractions of living and dead plants. The plants are beautiful as they are, and through deliberate choices of lighting and composition they also become poetic expressions, like little sculptures, of nuances of nature otherwise gone unnoticed. They are visual intonations, subtle, speaking and singing of beauty and of vitality in its many forms."
#18. Gold Winner in Nature: "Gaskin Bay" by Clyde Butcher, United States
"When I first moved to Florida from California, I was surprised trees could grow in saltwater. From that time on, I have loved the sculptural quality of mangroves, especially red mangroves, surrounded by water. As I traveled through the Everglades’ Ten Thousand Islands by boat, I passed these mangroves often. On this day, everything came together—the light, the clouds, and the stillness of the water. Today these mangroves have all but disappeared due to several hurricanes."
#19. Gold Winner in Nature: "Vortex" by Peter Juhasz, Hungary
"Joshua Tree, Ca – 2025 Mamiya 645 Af Portra 400"
#20. Gold Winner in Nature: "Song of The Sea" by Tom Beldam, United Kingdom
"The Northwest Passage welcomes all manner of migratory visitors. Something broke the surface in the distance, obscured in the mist. The ripples cut through the glassy surface from the horizon, the only indication of its presence."
#21. Silver Winner in Nature: "Tales We Don’T Tell" by Gigi Guldas, United States
"The hidden stories and unspoken emotions that shape us—this series explores what exists beneath the surface of everyday moments. Each image offers a glimpse into the quiet, the mysterious, and the often overlooked spaces where meaning lingers. Whether it’s the pull of the ocean, a fleeting glance, or a blurred fragment of time, these moments reflect the emotional undercurrents we carry. They speak to the tales we don’t always tell, but that live on—quietly shaping our inner worlds."
#22. Bronze Winner in Nature: "My Life As A Dream" by Dave Hebb, United States
"By stripping away color and using the graininess of expired filmstock, I emphasize light, shadow and texture which allows me to see beyond the factual world. I seek out enigmatic scenes in the Surrealist tradition that tap into to a subconscious dream-like state of mind. This focus heightens my sensitivity to metaphors and symbols without any predetermined theme. The scenes that catch my attention often relate to my relationship with nature through the passing of time, nostalgic memories, and ultimately reconciling with the inevitability of nature’s triumph in the end."
#23. Technique Photographer of the Year: "Rocky Mountains On Wetplate Collodion" by Bill Hao, Canada
"Bill Hao made an Extra Large Format Camera(32X48inch) and using Wetplate Collodion Process to captures the breathtaking landscapes. He converted a 50 seats tour bus into an off grid mobile darkroom because this process requires immediate development after exposure. These beautiful natural landscapes are disappearing, The Canadian Rocky Mountains are devastated by wildfires every year, In July 2024, the largest wildfire in a century destroyed half of the town of Jasper and 32,000 hectares of forest, there were 57 wildfires burning in National Parks so far in 2025."
#24. 2nd Place in Technique: "Echoes of Eternity" by Joss Sánchez, Mexico
"This image reveals the majesty of a system of petrified waterfalls, formed thousands of years ago by the patient dance of water rich in minerals. In the foreground, the silhouette of a withered tree rises mysteriously, a bridge between the earth and the unknown, while the mountains and clouds in the background frame a timeless landscape. A red filter bathes the scene, transforming it into a dreamlike, almost surreal vision, as if time and nature were speaking through an atmosphere charged with intense emotions. The warmth of the red reimagines the petrified as something alive, an ancient memor."
#25. Gold Winner in Technique: "Vanity" by Yasuhiro Shimoka, Japan
"That all things and phenomena are not entities, but empty nothingness. Immutability does not exist there and continues to fluctuate and wander. Still, there seems to be a cause and effect that holds us together. I wanted to see the invisible and feel its world. To the state of liberated absolute freedom."
#26. Gold Winner in Technique: "House of Memories" by Lukasz Spychala, Poland
"An apartment decorated in the style of the Polish People’s Republic is a kind of time capsule in which the past intertwines with the present. In these rooms, some will find traces of their own childhood, others will see images of their grandparents’ home, which has survived in their memory like a faded photograph. The double exposure technique enlivens this space, evoking ephemeral silhouettes – the ghosts of former residents. Their presence is subtle, almost transparent, yet palpable. They give these places a pulse, reminding us that the walls remember more than we might think."
#27. Silver Winner in Technique: "Commuting" by Lilyan Aloma, United States
"As my mother descended into dementia, I found myself traveling regularly on the Long Island Railroad,fulfilling my mission as caregiver. Just like a passenger on a commuter train my route had become fixed. In this solitary commute I turned to my toy friends, Holga and Diana, whose power lies in their reliance on serendipity, and the relinquishing of the controls that photographers are so fond of. I spontaneously photographed the moving scenery, exposing each frame multiple times. My mindset remained open to the mystery of not knowing the result; the commute becoming a metaphor for my life."