SXSW 2025 Grand Jury Prize Winner 'One Day This Kid' Captures Hearts

'One Day This Kid,' directed by Alexander Farah and produced by Joaquin Cardoner, has won the Academy Award-qualifying Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short Film, solidifying its place as one of the most powerful short films on this year’s festival circuit. A deeply personal and visually poetic film, it explores the journey of Hamed, a young Afghan Canadian, as he navigates identity, family expectations, and emerging queerness.

The jury, comprised of Amy Beecroft (Verve Ventures), Jaycie Luo (MRC), and Sara Rastogi (EVP, Development, HOORAE) described the film as "an intimate portrait that illustrates the desires and burdens we carry, offering an evocative glimpse into the life of an Afghan Canadian. It is both exquisite and soulful, effortlessly weaving in the cultural imprint of Islamic immigrant upbringing into the fabric of everyday queer experiences. The director is a timeless visionary who is reshaping the journey of what it means to claim and accept one’s own identity.”

Having premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and earning a place in TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten list, One Day This Kid continues to make waves internationally. What began as an adaptation of David Wojnarowicz’s 1990 artwork Untitled (One Day This Kid...) evolved into a raw and personal reflection on the complexities of growing up queer. “This film is really about that fragile space between childhood and adulthood, and the ways queerness can shape and complicate that experience,” says Alexander. “I wanted to explore how identity and queerness intersect, especially in the context of being an immigrant, navigating cultural expectations while figuring out who you are.”

The casting process was as unconventional as the film itself. Rather than holding traditional auditions, the team took a grassroots approach, distributing flyers across Vancouver at community hubs and summer events. Ultimately, Alexander found a young star – Elyas Rahimi, who plays Hamed, alongside his real-life sister Tahera and their mother Roohafza. “I remembered an Afghan girl from my third-grade class. We reconnected after twenty years, and she mentioned her six-year-old nephew might be a good fit,” Farah recalls.

Produced as a co-production between Vancouver-based Wallop Film and BOLDLY, the film’s success highlights the power of collaboration in amplifying unique voices in Canadian cinema. Shelby Manton, executive producer at BOLDLY, reflects, “From the beginning, we knew this was a story that needed to be told with care and authenticity. Seeing it resonate so deeply with audiences has been incredibly rewarding.”

Martin Glegg, executive producer at Wallop Film, emphasises the film’s significance in expanding representation in Canadian cinema. “We have world-class filmmaking talent here in BC and this win proves that there is a lot more to come”

With its bold storytelling and deeply human perspective, 'One Day This Kid' is not just a festival success, it’s a testament to the power of personal filmmaking. The SXSW Jury Prize further cements its place as one of the year’s most essential short films, continuing to leave a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.