2026 Annual Award Winners

Best Indie Short: Rise · Jessica J. Rowlands · Zimbabwe

Best Drama Short: Malka · Stacey Maltin · USA

Best Student Short: Mother · Sebastian Kwidziński · Poland

Best Documentary Short: Night Shift · Megumi Lim · Ukraine

Best Romantic Short: Don’t Call Me Anymore · Denis Chereukho · Russia

Best Comedy Short: The Assassination of Michael D. Higgins · Dave Minogue · Ireland

Best Dark Comedy Short: Have a Great Apocalypse · Francois Theurel · Australia

Best Action Short: Disconnected · Vít Hradil · Czechia

Best Crime Short: An Iris Wild · Benjamin Hess · USA

Best Thriller Short: Mr. Fleischmann · Frank Crim · USA

Best Sci-Fi Short: Moloch · Felix Geiger · Germany

Best Fantasy Short: Lovebug · Jalaludin Trautmann and David Mahmoudieh · Germany/USA

Best Western Short: The Geisha and The Gunfighter · Clint Lilley · USA

Best Experimental Short: Untethered Souls · Reinis Kaspars · Latvia

Best Animation Short: The Apricot · Alex Z. Avila · Mexico/USA

Best Children Short: Hopscotch · Alicia Betty Fall · France

Best Women Short: You Don’t Say · Juliet Colyer · USA

Best LGBTQ Short: Notice Me · Amy Leonard · UK

Best Microfilm: Egoli – Place of Gold · Martin Miron · Germany

Best Screendance Short: Rooms · Levi Elizaga · USA

Best Music Video: Wide Awake · Roman Daniel Rütten · USA

Best Female Director: Stacey Maltin · Malka · USA

Best Male Director: Dale Fabrigar · Boatlift 9/11 · USA

Best Student Female Director: Katrin York · Breaking the Tide · USA

Best Student Male Director: Lilian Baculard · Twist · France

Best First Time Female Director: Jessica J. Rowlands · Rise · Zimbabwe

Best First Time Male Director: Vít Hradil · Disconnected · Czechia

Best Actress: Niamh Blackshaw · Hide · UK

Best Actor: Walter Koenig · Mr. Fleischmann · USA

Best Supporting Actress: Preslea Elliott · Boatlift 9/11 · USA

Best Supporting Actor: Tongayi Chirisa · Rise · Zimbabwe

Best Young Actress: Scarlett Roselynn · Serenity’s Song · USA

Best Young Actor: Sikhanyiso Ngwenya · Rise · Zimbabwe

Best Acting Duo: Franc Bruneau and Mickaël Etrillard · Spare! · France

Best Ensemble Cast: OvaJean Seimens, Elizabeth Ann Townsend, Dodie Brown, Juliet Colyer, and Leesa Neidel · You Don’t Say · USA

Best Cinematography: Jacques Naudé · Rise · Zimbabwe

Best Editing: Radu Ion · Boatlift 9/11 · USA

Best Original Score: Seth Bisen-Hersh · Malka · USA

Best Original Story: Francois Theurel · Have a Great Apocalypse · Australia