The Los Angeles Press Club is excited to announce the winner of its 11th annual Veritas Award for Best Film Based on or Inspired by Real Events and People. This award is judged by the 1,000-member-strong LAPC — based equally upon fidelity of subject matter and artistic excellence.
The 2025 clear winner is “Hamnet,” distributed by Focus Features. The historically inspired drama is directed by Chloé Zhao, who also wrote the script with Maggie O’Farrell (the author of the book with the same name).
“Hamnet” stars Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Zac Wishart, James Lintern, Joe Alwyn, Justine Mitchell, Eva Wishart, Effie Linnen and Emily Watson. The movie is produced by Nicolas Gonda, Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg.
The movie is nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
“Hamnet” portrays William Shakespeare’s and Agnes Hathaway’s love story and the tragic loss of their son Hamnet. Although the film and the source novel are both works of fiction, the film is largely faithful to known events in Shakespeare’s life. In 1582, 18-year-old Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne (or Agnes) Hathaway. The couple’s first child was born six months later; Hamnet was born in 1585 and died in 1596. The original Globe Theatre opened in 1599, and the play “Hamlet” was written at some point between 1599 and 1601.
“The impact of ‘Hamnet’ does not come from its historical accuracy; instead, it comes from the imagined emotional energy that inspired one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. ‘Hamlet’s lofty language is interpreted through the anguish of a beating heart,” said Los Angeles Press Club President Danny Bakewell Jr. “It is a prime example of what we honor with the Veritas Award.”
Past winners include “Spotlight,” “Hidden Figures,” “The Post,” “Green Book,” “Bombshell,” “Trial of the Chicago 7,” “King Richard,” “She Said,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “September 5.”
“Nuremberg” and “The Lost Bus” were this year’s runner-ups.
We are working on hosting an awards presentation at the LA Press Club’s headquarters in Historic Filipinotown on Thursday, March 12. Stay tuned for more information!
The Los Angeles Press Club stands as an organization devoted to improving the spirit of journalism and journalists, raising the industry’s standards, strengthening its integrity and improving its reputation, all for the benefit of the community at large. Serving the Southland since 1913, it speaks for all journalists working for daily and weekly newspapers, radio & TV, magazines, documentary films and online publications.
