2025 Short Film Competition - Audience Award Winners
The Audience Award is voted by the audience at each Tibet Film Festival location. A huge congratulations to the winning filmmakers and a heartfelt thank you to all the filmmakers who contributed to the competition.
Dharamsala audience award
In Dharamshala, where the TFF Short Film Competition preselection was shown as part of the Tibetan Youth Festival on 11 September, the audience’s top choice was “The Curse” by Tenzin Gurmey (Belgium). His film received 63 out of 197 votes, with “Butter Tea” by Tenzin Wangchuk Tasur (USA) as the runner-up with 42 votes.
The Curse
Tenzin Gurmey (Belgium)
7min 33sec
Three Tibetan friends on their first hike in a European forest discover a strange doll that seems to follow them, their fun trip turns into a scary night as they get lost, and the forest seems to come alive.
Tenzin Gurmey
Tenzin Gurmey is a Brussels-based film director and director of photography (DP), known for his distinctive visual storytelling. Born in Dharamshala, he was immersed in the arts from a young age, inspired by his father, a thangka artist. His creative path led him to Belgium in 2013, where he honed his skills in photography and later earned a Professional Bachelor in Film/TV/Video from Narafi, graduating in 2024 with the Best Film of the Year award.
As a freelancer, Gurmey directs and shoots commercials, short films, and music videos that have garnered millions of views. He also contributes to the Belgian film industry as a camera assistant, gaining valuable on-set experience. Driven by a passion for his cultural heritage, Gurmey aims to one day direct a feature-length Tibetan film with an all-Tibetan crew, bringing authentic Tibetan stories to a global audience.
Zurich Audience Award
At the Tibet Film Festival in Zurich the audience cast a total of 112 votes, with “Butter Tea” by Tenzin Wangchuk Tasur receiving the winning number with 45 votes, and “Lobsang on Camera” by Migmar Jannot (France) as runner-up with 25 votes.
The final Audience Award will be given at the Tibet Film Festival London, at which the Jury Award will also be announced!
Butter Tea
Tenzin Wangchuk Tasur (USA)
10min 42 sec
Set in the heart of Queens, New York, Butter Tea tells the story of Tenzin, a young Tibetan-American barista who begins his first day at a newly opened Tibetan cafe. Among the cafe's regular customers is an elder Tibetan named Dorjee who always orders the traditional Tibetan drink of butter tea.
Their daily interactions spark an unexpected bond as the two connect across generations, and Tenzin is gradually pulled into a deeper understanding of his cultural identity, guided by Dorjee's quiet wisdom and stories. Rooted in the Tibetan diaspora experience, Butter Tea explores the power of oral tradition and mentorship in preserving heritage. The film invites viewers to see how something as simple as making tea can become an act of remembrance and belonging.
Tenzin Wangchuk Tasur
Tenzin Wangchuk Tasur is a Tibetan filmmaker and visual artist with over 15 years of experience in photography, videography, and design.
His work spans portraits, and music videos, including “Tsampa” with Tibetan artist Shapaley which is featured in the Horniman Museum in London and Tibet Museum in Dharamsala, India. "Butter Tea" is his narrative directorial debut, a deeply personal film rooted in the Tibetan diaspora experience.