Month: September 2026

A Coffee with WILD FILMMAKER is the Press Release celebrating an extraordinary 2026 for WILD FILMMAKER, a year that exceeded all our expectations and confirmed the growth of an international movement built around independent cinema, artistic freedom, and freedom of expression.

Throughout 2026, we became the first platform to organize four events during the Cannes Film Festival, reaffirmed our presence in Venice, and have now arrived in Toronto, creating opportunities for international visibility and meaningful connections among artists from all over the world. But our most important achievement is our community: in 2026 alone, more than 30,000 new artists joined WILD FILMMAKER. Leading international magazines have also begun to recognize the strength of an independent film movement that is forging a path fundamentally different from that of the major studios.

The film industry must constantly seek a difficult balance between economic and artistic interests. The history of cinema has taught us that bringing the two together is possible, but never easy. Independent cinema, on the other hand, can put a story and an innovative aesthetic vision first. This is why we must continue to promote every form of art that deserves to be shared on a global scale. Not simply because winning awards matters, or because celebrating the results of hard work is important, but because expressing oneself through art is also a political act: it means defending the right of every citizen, everywhere in the world, to express their ideas freely and without censorship.

WILD FILMMAKER wants to be the megaphone of this freedom. And it is precisely from Toronto that we are announcing another major event: the return of the Frida Film Festival 2026, with a special event to be held in Paris.

For us, Frida Kahlo has always represented freedom of expression, independence, and the power to transform personal experience into art. Ten years ago, we created the first *Frida Film Festival*, and today we are thrilled to celebrate that spirit once again with a major international event in Paris. The success of 2026 gives us an even greater responsibility.

WILD FILMMAKER will continue to create events, connections, and international opportunities for those who want to express themselves freely through cinema. For us, cinema is art, but it is also an act of peace among peoples and an encounter between cultures. Among the artists who achieved some of the greatest successes of 2026, we would like to recognize the following protagonists, selected from those who received major awards and chose to participate in our international events. Through their work, they represent not only the achievements of WILD FILMMAKER, but also the strength of the global independent film movement.

Algis Kemezys

AnayaMusic Kunst

Andrea Natale

Angelena Bonet

Ariel Orama López (AG Orloz)

Aurélie Latona

Brooke Wolff

C. Arnold Curry

Camy De Mario

Carla Di Bonito

Carol Dorn

Casey Williams

Chris Ross Leong

Christopher Pennington

Colleen Fuglaar

Cornelia Calaidjoglu

Cosmo Swevens

Damiano Rossi

Daniel Arreola

Daniel Smith

Darrelle Radcliff

Davi Kinski

David Williamson

Dawn Menge

Derek Martin

Dianne Lang

Earnest Diaz

Eddie Baca

Ela Ilhame von Schöning

Elpida Amitsi

Eric Ayala

Fabia Maria Cerra

Fabrizio Fuochi

Faye Fayerman

Florence Cazebon-Taveau

Gabriel Womack

Henk Pringels

Hugo Teugels

Harold Brown

Ian S. Williams

Inigo Laugermann

Jacek Krawczyk

Jacob Comforty

James Storm

Jennifer Glee

Jordan Destin

Justin Charles Gizzi

Kai Fischer

Karen Matthews

Ken Kimmelman

Kevin B Ploth

L. Scooter Morris

Laura Calderini

Lena Mattsson

Leonardo Valenti

Lesley Ann Albiston

Lois M. Banks

Lynn Elliott

May Liu

Maria Piscione

Markus McLaughlin

Matthew Roch

Meitar Paz

Michelle Lynn

Michelle R. Arthur

Monica Bartolucci

Mysti Cozart Smith

Pamela PerryGoulardt

Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

Patricia Fox

Patricia Planck

Patricia Poulos

Paul Carr

R. Scott MacLeay

Reyson Grumelli

Ricardo Fleshman

Robert Armove

Roger Paradiso

Russell Emanuel

Samantha Casella

Sean Gregory Tansey

Sofia Mavrou

Sol Solaris

Suzanne Lutas

Sylvie Kay

Terri Battee

Timothy A McGhee

Tommy Anderson Sherry Severs

Uwe Schwarzwalder

Valerie Knill

Vicentini Gomez

Vincenzo Amoruso

Vivian Tsang

Walid Salhab

The James Crow Hotel

By Terri Battee

BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME, BEST WORLDWIDE SCREENWRITER (Category: Global Crime), BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST ARTHOUSE WRITING STYLE

It’s The Gravy

By Cherie Kerr

BEST INTERNATIONAL COMEDY 2026, BEST FILMMAKER & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Indie Comedy)

Hope is Not a Black and White Rainbow

By Harold Brown

BEST GLOBAL SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER 2026 (Category: International Feature Script)

The Serpent’s Caress

By Samantha Casella

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY, BEST CAST & BEST EUROPEAN FILM 2026

I Waited for You

By Jennifer Glee

BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATIC VISION, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST STORYTELLER (Category: International Indie Experimental Film)

Time Out

By Everett Ray Aponte

Meitar Paz – BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS 2026

The Singer

By Ela Ilhame von Schöning

BEST EUROPEAN FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER

Drawn Home

By Camy De Mario

BEST WORLDWIDE ANIMATED SHORT FILM 2026, BEST FILMMAKER, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT (Category: Animation)

Secrets of the Forbidden City

By Pamela PerryGoulardt

BEST WORLDWIDE SHORT SCRIPT 2026 & BEST VISIONARY SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR (Category: International Arthouse Short Script)

Caccia Grossa

By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

BEST WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST EUROPEAN INDIE FILMMAKER & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

America Boxed In

By Ian S. Williams & Casey Williams

BEST FILMMAKERS (Category: International Indie Documentary Feature), BEST ORIGINAL EDITING, BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCTION COMPANY & STORYTELLERS (Category: International Documentary Feature)

American Money

By Timothy A McGhee

BEST ARTHOUSE WORLDWIDE SCREENWRITER 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING STYLE (Category: Feature Script)

And the Devil called!

By Patricia Poulos

BEST INTERNATIONAL HORROR OF THE YEAR, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENWRITER & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: International Indie Horror)

The Soft Core

By Justin Charles Gizzi

BEST UNIVERSAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

Tomorrow’s Dream

By Justin Charles Gizzi

BEST WORLDWIDE SCREENWRITER (Category: Feature Script) & BEST INTERNATIONAL VISIONARY SCREENPLAY 2026

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

By Ken Kimmelman

BEST WORLDWIDE VIDEO POETRY OF THE YEAR & BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR (Category: Global Video Poetry)

Unpromised Land

By Damiano Rossi

BEST EUROPEAN ARHOUSE MOVIEMAKER 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL CINEMATIC VISION

Pretty Little Lucy

By David Williamson

BEST WORLDWIDE THRILLER SCRIPT 2026, BEST SUSPENSE & BEST GLOBAL INDIE SCREENWRITER

Cock Robin

By Frances Barth

BEST INDIE COMEDY 2026 & BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY (Category: International Comedy)

My Hollywood Circus

By Roger Paradiso

BEST ARTHOUSE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE YEAR & BEST WRITING STYLE (Category: International Book)

Noise

By R. Scott MacLeay

BEST ARTHOUSE EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKER 2026, BEST EXPERIMENTAL EDITING, BEST SOUND DESIGNER & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHER

The Beauty in a Restless Mind

By Lena Mattsson

BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATOGRAPHER, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR & BEST EDITOR (Category: Experimental Film)

Bad Influence/ Mauvaise Influence

By Aurélie Latona

BEST ARTHOUSE SUPER SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR & BEST EDTING (Category: Super Short Film)

Stalker Hair Twirl

By Faye Fayerman

BEST WORLDWIDE EXPERIMENTAL EDITING 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLER (Category: Inspirational Short Film)

Staycation

By Russell Emanuel

BEST INTERBNATIONAL MOVIE 2026, BEST ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR, (Category: International Narrative Feature), BEST EDITING, BEST CAST, BEST SOUNDTRACK & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: Narrative Feature)

Kev Franzi – Works 80 Years in the Film Industry HD

By Dianne Lang

BEST UNIVERSAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING & BEST STORYTELLER (Category: International Documentary Short)

Freedoms Under Assault

By Jacob Comforty & Robert Arnove 

BEST WORLDWIDE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE OF THE YEAR, BEST STORYTELLER 2026, BEST EDITING & BEST GLOBAL DIRECTOR (Category: International Indie Documentary Feature)

Precious the baby dragon

By Dawn Menge

BEST UNIVERSAL FANTASY BOOK, BEST WRITER (Category: Arthouse Book) & BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE

The Dead Ringer

By Suzanne Lutas

BEST WORLDWIDE WRITER 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL STORY

The Duchess

By C. Arnold Curry

BEST GLOBAL DRAMA 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLER (Category: Drama) & BEST ORIGINAL ACTING (Category: Arthouse Drama)

The New Immigrants- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

BEST WORLDWIDE FIRST TIME DIRECTOR 2026, BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE DOCUMENTARY

The Novice

By Vincenzo Amoruso

BEST GLOBAL ACTOR, BEST EUROPEAN EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM, BEST VIDEO POETRY OF THE YEAR & BEST SOUND DESIGNER

Man in a Can

By Henk Pringels

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR (Category: Animated Short Film)

Brothers of Babylon

By Gabriel Womack

BEST WORLDWIDE INTERNATIONAL INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Global Screenplay) & BEST AMERICAN SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

Pirandello’s Wife

By Lynn Elliott

BEST UNIVERSAL BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT 2026 & BEST WRITER (Category: Drama Script)

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL STORYTELLING

“Only You Can Save Her,” pilot teleplay of series THE BOY WHO EARNED HIS MAGIC

By Lynn Elliott

BEST INTERNATIONAL FANTASY SCRIPT 2026, BEST ARTHOUSE TELEVISION SCRIPT & BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENNWRITER 2026

The Stones of Rome

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST GLOBAL ARTHOUSE ACTOR 2026 & BEST INSPIRATIONAL ACTING

The Pathos of Hamlet

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST CINEMATIC VISION, BEST POETRY SHORT FILM, BEST WRITING SYLE & BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKER

Nossos Caminhos (Our Paths)

By Carla Di Bonito

BEST ORIGINAL DRAMA SCRIPT & BEST WORLDWIDE INDIE SCREENWRITER (Category: Global Drama Script)  

Change The World

By Angelena Bonet

BEST INDIE HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY 2026

Cherished Viciousness

By Daniel Arreola

BEST INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR & BEST ARTHOUSE WRITING STYLE

Stalker Hair Twirl

By Faye Fayerman

BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING, BEST STORYTELLER & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER (Category: Experimental Film)

10th Anniversary Edition — A Gift of Love: Lessons Learned Through a Lifetime of Friendship

by Tony Cointreau

BEST INDIE BOOK 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL WRITER (Category: Book/Manuscript)

A Pilgrimage Into Tibet

By Mark Gould

BEST SOCIAL FILMMAKER, BEST ORGINAL EDITING, BEST HUMAN RIGHTS SHORT DOCUMENTARY 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLER

Unpromised Land

By Damiano Rossi

BEST VISIONARY SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST EXPERIMENTAL MOVIEMAKER, BEST SOUND & BEST CINEMATIC VISION 2026 (Category: Experimental)

Precious the baby dragon

By Dawn Menge

BEST FANTASY BOOK 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL VISIONARY WRITER

Heaven

By AnayaMusic Kunst

BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO, BEST SONG 2026 & BEST GLOBAL SINGER

Plandemic: Tribunal

By Chris Ross Leong

BEST ORIGINAL IDEA, BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE THRILLER SCRIPT & BEST STORYTELLER 2026

The Beauty in a Restless Mind

By Lena Mattsson

BEST VIDEO POETRY 2026, BEST ARTHOUSE EXPERIMENTAL STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR & BEST EUROPEAN MOVIEMAKER

Pretty Little Lucy

By David Williamson

BEST ARTHOUSE THRILLER SCRIPT OF THE YEAR, BEST GLOBAL SCREENWRITER & BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026

Staycation

By Russell Emanuel

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature), BEST CAST, BEST SOUNDTACK, BEST EDITOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST PRODUCTION COMPANY

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

By Ken Kimmelman

BEST INDIE DIRECTOR 2026, BEST EDITING (Category: EXPERIMENTAL FILM), BEST STORYTELLING & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Virulence

By Christopher Pennington

BEST UNIVERSAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL WRITER (Category: Screenplay)

Novice

By Vincenzo Amoruso

BEST VISIONARY ACTING, BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR 2026 & BEST ARTHOUSE ORGINAL IDEA

 The New Immigrant- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

BEST INTERNATIONAL VISIONARY DIRECTOR 2026, BEST ORIGINAL STORY, BEST ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY & BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHER

Pirandello’s Wife

By Lynn Elliott

BEST INTERNATIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT 2026 & BEST INDIE WRITER (Category: Drama Script)

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT, BEST HISTORICAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Indie Feature Script)

“Only You Can Save Her,” pilot teleplay of series THE BOY WHO EARNED HIS MAGIC

By Lynn Elliott

BEST ORIGINAL PILOT TV OF THE YEAR & BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS (Category: Television Script)

The Script, A Celtic Horror Tale

By Lynn Elliott

BEST INTERNATIONAL HORROR SCRIPT 2026

American Money

By Timothy A McGhee

BEST ORIGINAL INDIE SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST SCREENWRITER & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Feature Script)

Bad Influence/ Mauvaise Influence

By Aurélie Latona

BEST EUROPEAN MOVIEMAKER, BEST ARTHOUSE SUPER SHORT FILM 2026, BEST EDITING & BEST STORYTELLING (Category: International Super Short Film)

I Waited for You

By Jennifer Glee

BEST EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR, BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER (Category: Indie Experimental Film)

The Duchess

By C. Arnold Curry

BEST GLOBAL DRAMA 2026, BEST ORIGINAL WRITER, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: International Drama)