Hello all!
BRAWL 2025 has come and gone, and while we wait for the results to be announced, I thought I'd give a rundown of my personal favorite entries! Here they are, in no particular order...

"colon forward slash" - Damper Dipper
This film has a really unique energy. From the first frame there is a sense of momentum that carries you through the whole thing. This is accomplished through slick editing, energetic animation, and some really creative shots (such as the main character walking in front of the alarm clock). I also enjoyed the use of on screen text. Overall, fun stuff!

"Darkstyle" - JYB animations
This is easily some of the most fun I had with an entry this year! Snappy animation and dialogue contribute to a film that is a blast to watch. The sets are really impressive, especially the one for the opening on the roof. The characters are immediately distinct, and the twists and turns the jokes take are a joy to ride along with.

"Martin and Cigarette" - Sullivan Manning
It's simply unfair for something this eerie and cool to be uneligible, but alas it is. This film's atmosphere is impeccable; the spinning shots especially are a little unsettling, despite the somewhat comical nature. Don't be fooled by the short runtime, there's a lot going on here.

"Core Memory" - Imaginator Productions
Here is another film with a really great sense of atmosphere. There's something a little on-edge about it from the start, and by the time it ends you know why. There's some nice parallels between the desert and the stark room the main character ends up in. This film puts some familiar tropes to good use, with some really impressive visuals to help convey what's going on.

"Who is Tying People to Train Tracks?" - Nurtnaut
Now here is a cohesive short film! The mood and atmosphere are setup perfectly from the very first shot, and continue throughout, striking a really solid balance between genuine stakes and the light humor LEGO is so perfectly suited for. The sets are incredibly impressive, even without considering they were done in a week! If you want to watch a solid story with a clever twist on a philosophical dilemma check it out!

"Initiative Assistance" - sillypenta
Penta is back with another humorous and well animated film! This film puts a fun twist on the theme, and even a fun twist on the initial interpretation. The humor is generally more lowkey in this one, but it all works very well. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished version!

"Heavyweight" - Stuffie
This film has a unique setting to convey the theme, the life of a boxer. There's a good sense of weight and momentum to both the character animation, and camera work that helps carry you through the whole film. The opening few shots are especially impressive, as the main character practices his technique. Go check it out!

"Empathy" - Growth Productions
Empathy is yet another film with a nice sense of atmosphere. The exterior establishing shots not only help set the mood, but they're much appreciated and help the film stand out among its peers. There's also some solid lighting and light character work that help tell the story, and sell the ending of the film.

"Run Tony, Runaway" - PR film studios
I can't really explain what it is about this film, but it has a certain manic energy to it that makes it a fun watch. This is accomplished through the fun voice work, and solid visuals. Tony seems like he's a bit of a menace, but you should check it out if you're looking for a good time!

"First Day on the Job" - Bricks N Blocks
Have you ever wondered what it would be like for it to be your first day on the job, but the job is piloting an alien spacecraft? Well, this film explores that topic, and finds it to be ripe for gags. There's a lot of creative use of scale here, from miniatures to bigfigs, and everything in between. The character designs are awesome, and the story is straightforward, but very enjoyable.

"Iraeld's Infomercial Ire" - Reed's Lightbulb Reels
If you dislike "whisper screaming" than this is the film for you! The voice acting has a ton of energy, and the humor is on point throughout. I love the character designs of Iraeld's crew, and the character animation is very nice. Reed has created a fun world to set his films in, and he's been improving a ton!

"Johnny Thunder and the Heart of the Jungle" - Star Brick Studios
Star Brick does it again, delivering another solid and impressively long film! Johnny Thunder and the regular crew are joined by Antonio as they search for the Heart of the Jungle. The character animation is expressive and energetic as usual, and Star Brick uses the setting of the jungle to put the characters into a lot of creative scenarios. Check it out, the runtime flies by!

"The First LIFTOFF!" - Echo's Brickshop
Few people can ask for a first brickfilm this solid! This is a fun little film that tells a sweet father and son story. Creative use of different elements and faces helps this film standout from the crowd, and I'm hoping to see more from Echo in the future!

"2 Instruments" - MALHUSE
Here's another one with a sweet story! A beautiful song and a classic tale of young friendship and romance are the elements that make this film such an enjoyable watch. I also really appreciated the use of actual dust near the end!

"A Day Most Fowl" - Flannel Shirt Guy
Wowza! This film manages to not only warrant it's longer runtime, but it comes together to form a story that feels truly complete, something that is often hard during a timed contest like this. Running gags and one off jokes all land in this, and the motivations of all the characters can be easily understood. It's a rollicking good time!

"The Doomed Squad" - Luke Pictures
This film has the aura! Not only is this well animated, it has a great sense of pacing, and some really nice cinematography. The lighting especially stood out to me, drenching the sets in an appropriate blanket of shadows. I also loved all of the exterior shots that creatively use miniatures.

"Cobalt" - Adventures Ensue
As usual with AE, this film looks beautiful and has a unique vibe and setting that helps it standout from the crowd. Elements that really stuck out to me were the aliens design and the sound work in this, the latter of which really does a lot of the storytelling in this, in a good way!

"Prisoner Brawl" - GreyBricks
This is another film where I'm not really sure what about it works so well for me, but it does. The story is crazy and kind of random, but in a good way! No one is gonna take control of this guys life!

"The Quadriplegic Kaleidoscope" - Buggo Bricks
Buggo Bricks' unique style once again helps elevate his already creative story, and world he's created for this is the perfect setting for that story. The humor in this is on point throughout, and once again we have someone here pulling off a 5+ minute film in under a week! The sun is my favorite character.

"EPIC TOILET SUCCESS" - LOTW Studios
Despite being made in a very short amount of time, this film manages to hold its own. There's some nice set design and animation in this, plus a certain character that makes me a bit uncomfortable, but in a humorous way thankfully. It's worth every second you spend watching it!

"The Star Collector" - Stanley Q-Brick
Okay, what is there not to say! The word for this year's BRAWL seems to be "atmosphere" and this film is filled to the brim with it! Starting with the beautiful trumpet lines, this film draws you into a beautiful and ethereal world this is beautiful designed, shot, and animated. Stanley somehow continues to improve more and more!

"QUIET EXTINCTION" - World of Shrimpy
This film is quite the feat, managing to tell a complete, nearly 10 minute story in a week, without any parts really feeling rushed, placing it among a small pantheon of BRAWL entries. The amount of sets and locations throughout this is truly impressive, and each of them is beautifully built! The story is compelling, and the cinematography is beautiful throughout, from astounding exterior wides to intimate close-ups of DNA, there are endless details to appreciate in this great film.

"Aloofness" - Box Studios
And here we are. My favorite entry from BRAWL 2025! There were a lot of truly great films this year, but I don't hesitate to say this is the best one. If the word for this year is "atmosphere" this film the ultimate form of that. This film has a genuinely unnerving atmosphere to it that is unlike anything else done this year, and almost unmatched among brickfilms in general. Much of that is conveyed via the incredibly unique cinematography. There are so many creepy and strange shots in this that all add up to convey a real sense of dread throughout the films runtime. There are also some really creative uses of IRL elements to create shots that I've honestly never seen before in a brickfilm. I beg everyone to go check this out!

And with that I conclude my list! You can check out all of the entries I mentioned here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZuv … 4g6WiAcAVH
I'd also like to ask y'all to check out my own finished entry https://youtu.be/E8dUYxosNpQ?si=MJSMWNa98VgpKgcZ, because it's not on the BRAWL playlist so a lot of people missed it. Thanks so much!

Hope everyone has a great day, and good luck!