Éamon Little’s Born That Way, a fascinating tour through the inspiring life of Patrick Lydon, took best Irish documentary. Lydon, an Irish-American, made his way to the old country in the 1970s and ultimately established the Camphill Community in Ballytobin, Co Kilkenny, a generous space for children with diverse needs and abilities.

“We do genuinely believe there is a message in here about how we treat ‘others’ in our society that the world really needs to hear right now,” Adrian McCarthy, producer of the film, told The Irish Times.

Dublin International Film Festival 2025: Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best filmOn Falling, directed by Laura Carreira
• Best directorMaura Delpero, for Vermiglio
• Best editingRamon Zürcher, for The Sparrow in the Chimney
• Best actressShahana Goswami, for Santosh
• Best actorAlbrecht Schuch, for Peacock
• Best ensembleBackstage, directed by Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane
• Best documentaryRiefenstahl, directed by Andres Veiel
• Best cinematographySverre Sørdal, for Sister Midnight
• Best debutGood One, directed by India Donaldson
• Best screenplayTracie Laymon, for Bob Trevino Likes It
• Michael Dwyer discoveryRuby Conway Dunne, Molly Byrne and Alicia Weafer, for Ready or Not
• George Byrne maverickCarrie Crowley
• Best Irish filmBeat the Lotto, directed by Ross Whittaker
• Best Irish documentaryBorn That Way, directed by Éamon Little
• Special jury prizeLatina Latina, directed by Adrian Duncan

Christopher Lydon, Éamon Little (director), Gladys Lydon, Adrian McCarthy (producer). At the Born That Way  screening at the Dublin International Film Festival.