Independent Shorts Awards International Film Festival is proud to present the nominees for the 2026 Annual Awards.
From 3,409 submissions representing 73 countries, 120 films were named Annual Finalists. Following the final round of judging, 71 films from 25 countries have now received nominations across this year’s award categories.
The nominees celebrate the outstanding achievements of the films, filmmakers, cast, and creative professionals whose work stood out among this year’s finalists. These nominations recognize excellence in storytelling, artistic vision, technical craft, and performance across the categories presented by the festival.
The winners will be revealed at the 8th Annual Independent Shorts Awards, taking place on September 19, 2026, at Regal LA LIVE in Los Angeles, as part of the festival’s Live Showcase, featuring screenings, industry activities, and awards presentations.
Browse the nominations by category below, or view the complete alphabetical list:
Best Indie Short
Churrería Maravillas by Ana García and Guillermo Rodriguez (Spain)
Dokhtar’am – My Daughter by Pedram Sadough (Germany)
One of One by Daniel Kyle Mccartney (USA)
Rise by Jessica J. Rowlands (Zimbabwe)
The Listeners by Joslyn Rose (USA)
Best Drama Short
Boatlift 9/11 by Dale Fabrigar (USA)
Do You Know Who I Am? by Andreea Păduraru Hristescu (Romania)
Hide by Ian Curtis (UK)
Malka by Stacey Maltin (USA)
Mr. Benjamin’s Birthday by Crystle Viviana Dorsey (USA)
Best Student Short
Breaking the Tide by Katrin York (USA)
Cherry by Eftychia Manola (Greece)
Dog’s Life by Xueyan Wang (China)
Mother by Sebastian Kwidziński (Poland)
Needless to Say by Hanzhi Jiang (China)
Best Documentary Short
Decarb by Roel Swierenga (Netherlands)
Night Shift by Megumi Lim (Ukraine)
Where the Light Enters You by Matt Alesevich and Hemal Trivedi (USA)
Best Romantic Short
Don’t Call Me Anymore by Denis Chereukho (Russia)
Max Distance by Marissa Goldman (USA)
Twist by Lilian Baculard (France)
Best Comedy Short
Daddy Daze by Phil Ossai (UK)
See You Next Tuesday by Whitney Moore and Marques Mallare (USA)
The Assassination of Michael D. Higgins by Dave Minogue (Ireland)
Best Dark Comedy Short
Grampa by Justice Smith (USA)
Have a Great Apocalypse by Francois Theurel (Australia)
Hellevator by Reed Kaplan (USA)
Best Action Short
Disconnected by Vít Hradil (Czechia)
The Asset by Christopher T. Folkens (USA)
The Experiment by Hugo Will (USA)
Best Crime Short
All the Colours by Leo De Haan (UK)
An Iris Wild by Benjamin Hess (USA)
Spare! by Jules Cales and Balthazar Ullmann (France)
Best Thriller Short
Dating a Suspicious Man by Anna Zaitseva (USA)
Mr. Fleischmann by Frank Crim (USA)
Pick Up by Idil Hermansen (Australia)
Best Sci-Fi Short
Desert Inn by Yuanhao Zhang (USA)
Edgar: Enhanced Data Gathering Analysis Robot by Virginia de Witt (USA)
Moloch by Felix Geiger (Germany)
Best Fantasy Short
Efflorescence by Sofia Garza-Barba (USA)
Lovebug by Jalaludin Trautmann and David Mahmoudieh (Germany/USA)
Satomi by Rayner Wang (Hong Kong/Japan/USA)
Best Western Short
Stolen Reins by Nolan Tondreau (USA)
The Geisha and The Gunfighter by Clint Lilley (USA)
When the Moon Goes Down by Trever Riney (USA)
Best Experimental Short
12th House by Ilona Laboy and Israel Laboy (USA)
Big Jerry by Elle Reck (USA)
Untethered Souls by Reinis Kaspars (Latvia)
Best Animation Short
Reflection by Daniel Robichaud (USA)
The Apricot by Alex Z. Avila (Mexico/USA)
The High King’s Daughter by Joël Gibbs (Ireland)
Best Children Short
Hopscotch by Alicia Betty Fall (France)
Our Monsters by Mia Petrovic (Canada)
The Last Supper of Girl by Jring Van (China)
Best Women Short
Second Shift by Jackie Moore (USA)
Tarde Noche by M. Fernanda Ramos-Francia Y. (USA)
You Don’t Say by Juliet Colyer (USA)
Best LGBTQ Short
Notice Me by Amy Leonard (UK)
Table Read by Norris Wong and Hoi Wong (Taiwan)
XY by Stephan Fleet (USA)
Best Microfilm
Birth by Jumana Radi (United Arab Emirates)
Egoli – Place of Gold by Martin Miron (Germany)
Umit Kozi by Aisultan Seit (Kazakhstan)
Best Screendance Short
A Complete Mess by Ying Hu (China)
Rooms by Levi Elizaga (USA)
Where Rooms Go by Qianxun Ren and Yupei Tang (China)
Best Music Video
Strolling Down Brighton Pier by Kenny McCracken (UK)
Take It Back by Lee Daehan (South Korea)
Wide Awake by Roman Daniel Rütten (USA)
Best Female Director
Amy Leonard for Notice Me (UK)
Joslyn Rose for The Listeners (USA)
Stacey Maltin for Malka (USA)
Best Male Director
Dale Fabrigar for Boatlift 9/11 (USA)
Ian Curtis for Hide (UK)
Jules Cales and Balthazar Ullmann for Spare! (France)
Best Student Female Director
Eftychia Manola for Cherry (Greece)
Katrin York for Breaking the Tide (USA)
Xueyan Wang for Dog’s Life (China)
Best Student Male Director
Hanzhi Jiang for Needless to Say (China)
Lilian Baculard for Twist (France)
Sebastian Kwidziński for Mother (Poland)
Best First Time Female Director
Elle Reck for Big Jerry (USA)
Jessica J. Rowlands for Rise (Zimbabwe)
Juliet Colyer for You Don’t Say (USA)
Best First Time Male Director
Daniel Kyle Mccartney for One of One (USA)
Reed Kaplan for Hellevator (USA)
Vít Hradil for Disconnected (Czechia)
Best Actress
Aleksandra Kiseleva for Don’t Call Me Anymore (Russia)
Niamh Blackshaw for Hide (UK)
Tovah Feldshuh for Malka (USA)
Best Actor
Dominic Burgess for XY (USA)
John Doran for The Assassination of Michael D. Higgins (Ireland)
Walter Koenig for Mr. Fleischmann (USA)
Best Supporting Actress
Lisa Davina Phillip for Hide (UK)
Maria Pakulnis for Mother (Poland)
Presley Elliott for Boatlift 9/11 (USA)
Best Supporting Actor
Femi Ogunjobi for Daddy Daze (UK)
Piotr Witkowski for Mother (Poland)
Tongayi Chirisa for Rise (Zimbabwe)
Best Young Actress
Scarlett Abinante for Another Saturday (USA)
Scarlett Roselynn for Serenity’s Song (USA)
Siléa Aelis Dedaj Fall for Hopscotch (France)
Best Young Actor
Aleksander Szachniewicz for Mother (Poland)
Klarens Dedaj Fall for Hopscotch (France)
Sikhanyiso Ngwenya for Rise (Zimbabwe)
Best Acting Duo
Alycia Debnam-Carey and Austin Amelio for Lovebug (Germany/USA)
Ana Ciontea and Nelu Serghei for Do You Know Who I Am? (Romania)
Franc Bruneau and Mickaël Etrillard for Spare! (France)
Best Ensemble Cast
Blair Underwood, Bechir Sylvian, Simone Leanora, and Cindy Herron for The Listeners (USA)
Omar J. Dorsey, Barry Shabaka Henley, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Dorian Missick, and Kelly Jenrette for Mr. Benjamin’s Birthday (USA)
OvaJean Seimens, Elizabeth Ann Townsend, Dodie Brown, Juliet Colyer, and Leesa Neidel for You Don’t Say (USA)
Best Cinematography
Eyal Bau Cohen for Malka (USA)
Jacques Naude for Rise (Zimbabwe)
Jalaludin Trautmann for Lovebug (Germany/USA)
Best Editing
Clovis Lvh for Spare! (France)
Radu Ion for Boatlift 9/11 (USA)
Vít Hradil and Daniel Bodlák for Disconnected (Czechia)
Best Original Score
Daniel McIntyre for You Don’t Say (USA)
Oliver Goodwill for Boatlift 9/11 (USA)
Seth Bisen-Hersh for Malka (USA)
Best Original Story
Francois Theurel for Have a Great Apocalypse (Australia)
John Doran and Dave Minogue for The Assassination of Michael D. Higgins (Ireland)
Matei Arnăutu for Do You Know Who I Am? (Romania)
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