Award Winners
Their work captured exactly what our festival exists to celebrate: bold vision, originality, and outstanding craft. The Spring 2026 Award Winners stand as a powerful reflection of the very best in independent cinema, and their achievements point to an exciting future for film.
Lemon
Best Short Film
Beth Curry
United States
Heroes Among Us: Kid Electric
Best Indie Short Film
Anthony Jones
United States
White Wash at Ninety
Best Feature Film
Marko Nabersnik
Slovenia
Being Hipp – First Lady of European Jazz
Best Documentary Feature
Anna Schmidt
Germany
The Game of Tao
Best Documentary Short
Esther Pardijs
Netherlands
The animal that therefore I am
Best Experimental Film
Bea de Visser
Netherlands
The Black Spider
Best Historical / Period Film
Markus Fischer
Switzerland
Bat Diary
Best Fantasy Film
Silvano Plank
Italy
Embrace of the Carp
Best Drama Screenplay
Linda Jane Walton
United Kingdom
a cambodian winter
Best Drama Film
Forest Wise
United States
Nadia
Debut Director – Short
Kinan Kotrash
United States
I come from the fog（I am from the mist）
Debut Director – Feature
Zhan Xiao
China
The Revenge Club
Best Comedy Screenplay
Marla Naomi Eaton
Canada
WingMan
Best Comedy Film
Harland Williams
Canada
Gudrid the Fair
Best Web Series / Episodic
Luca Centoni
United States
The Last Drop!
Best Actress
Isha Sharma (directed by Rajeev Thakur)
India
Common Law
Best Actor
Berlin Lu (directed by Kagan Goh)
Canada
Remember me, remember love
Best Cinematography
Fung Ho
Hong Kong
Pioneer of Love
Best Student Film
Amber Yanguo Hou
United States
Atlas Of Uncertainty
Best Sound Design
Massimo Vito Avantaggiato
Italy
Just Another Day
Best Short Screenplay (11-30 pages)
Therese Jacinto Jamora-Garceau
Philippines
Cora (Bleistiftstriche)
Best LGBTQIA+ Film
Alice Prosser
Austria
Spy VS. Spy
Best Student Screenplay
Mohammad Safwan Fayez Moubaydeen
The Joy of Curiosity
Best Original Song
Kum-Kum Bhavnani
United States
Psalms
Best Original Score / Soundtrack
Benjamin Till
United Kingdom
Pisces Knockout
Best Music Video
Misha Ghose
India
La Transformation
Best Micro Short (under 5 minutes)
Jonathan Mourava
France
The Color of the Evening Sky
Best Medium-length Script (31-60 pages)
Linda Kampley
United States
Plainspoken
Best Male Director
Andrew Greer
United States
Sugarbabes
Best Female Director
Camilla Anna Fink
Sweden
Land of the Mustaches
Best Indie Feature Film (Low-budget)
Leon Joosen
United States
Rez
BEST Thriller Screenplay
Listening Raven
United States
The Secret Notes
Best Feature Screenplay
Joni Ravenna, Joshua Townshend-Zellner, Kabin Thomas
United States
Phoenix Incident – Festival Cut
Best Thriller Film
Keith Arem
United States
The YouTuber
Best Mobile/Vertical Film (Shot on Phone)
Joshua Meszaros
Ireland
War Bear
Best Animated Film
David Meigh, Jose Almeida
Brazil, United Kingdom
Havenfall
BEST Horror Film
Andy Dodd, Andrew Bell, Julian Gamm
United Kingdom
Ground Swell: The Other Side of Fear
Best Editing
Paul Taublieb
United States
The Silence of the World
Best Ensemble Cast
Angelo Vapellari, Nicolas Pastergue
France
Akashic Spheres
Best Sci-Fi Film
James Scott
United States
Gaddni
Best Director – Music Video
Dr. Paras Prakash
India
Right in the Sight of God
Best USA Film
Terrence Ward
United States
Interference
Best Australia & New Zealand Film
Ian John Dixon
Australia
Mysterious Pond
Best Asian Film
Gudni Halldor Gudnason
Japan
Spot. Less. Love.
Best European Film
Christoph Scheermann
Germany
Noise & Neighbours
Best African Film
Liza Ludick
South Africa
The Diener
Best UK Film
Jason Eaton
United Kingdom
Windy
Best TV Pilot (Script)
Adam Edward Sherman
United States
Sludge (The Water Barons’ Show) – Synth Farmers
Best AI-Crafted Film
Grant Hunter
United Kingdom
Man
Best Action / Crime Film
Salvador Garza
Mexico
Mysterious Pond
Best Production Design
Gudni Halldor Gudnason
Japan