WINNERS – New Leaders in Independent Film

2026 March 8

WINNERS – New Leaders in Independent Film

The Harmony Saga & Movement I – Disciple: Episode I of The Harmony Saga

By Timothy Brad Reinhold

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCRIPT

I Can’t Save You

By Stephen Kelly

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SHORT FILM 2026, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT, BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER & BEST CAST (Category: Narrative Short Film)

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

By Ken Kimmelman

BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR 2026, BEST INSPIRATIONAL EDITING & BEST INDIE CINEMATIC VISION (Category: VIDEO POETRY)

Tipping Point

By L. Scooter Morris

BEST ART FILM 2026, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST EDITING (Category: Arthouse Super Short Film), BEST SUPER SHORT FILM 2026 & BEST SOUND

When Cassandra Venice speaks

By Hugo Teugels

BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR 2026, BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION & BEST EUROPEAN PRODUCER

Heaven

By AnayaMusic

BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SINGER OF THE YEAR & BEST EDITING (Category: Music Video)

Staycation

By Russell Emanuel

BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE 2025, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST EDITING, BEST ORIGINAL CAST, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature) & BEST SOUNDTRACK

American Money

By Timothy A McGhee

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER (Category: Arthouse Feature Script) & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

The Dead Ringer

By Suzanne Lutas

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER 2026 & BEST WRITING STYLE (Category: ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT)

Doctor Hyphoteses

By Vicentini Gomez

BEST VISIONARY FILMMAKER 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL ACTING

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER & BEST HISTORICAL SCRIPT

Pirandello’s Wife

By Lynn Elliott

BEST INTERNATIONAL DRAMA SCRIPT 2026

Zone

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST ORIGINAL STORYTELLING, BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE MOVIEMAKER 2026 & BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR

The Wedding Bouquet

By Michelle Lynn

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT & BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE

An Ever After Drama

By Michelle Lynn

BEST ORIGINAL NARRATIVE SHORT OF THE YEAR, BEST SOUNDTRACK, BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: Narrative Short)

Behind The Algorithm

By Michelle Lynn

BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY 2026

Secrets of Montmartre

By Michelle Lynn

BEST ORIGINAL SONG OF THE YEAR & BEST ARTHOUSE SONG WRITER

Out of Control

By Bellopropello

BEST EXPERIMENTAL INDIE DIRECTOR 2026, BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHER, BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM & BEST SOUND (Category: Animated Short Film)

The Duchess

By C. Arnold Curry

BEST INDIE MOVIEMAKER, BEST INTERNATIONAL DRAMA 2026, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA, BEST ACTOR, BEST ACTRESS (Category: International Drama)

The New Immigrant- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

BEST INTERNATIONAL FIRST TIME DIRECTOR 2026, BEST SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY 2026 & BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Aesthetics of Failure

By Lena Mattsson

BEST POETRY FILM 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR

The Rorschach Test

By Lena Mattsson

BEST INSPIRATIONAL SHORT FILM & BEST EUROPEAN ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER

Not Without Gloves

By Lena Mattsson

BEST EXPERIMENTAL INDIE FILM 2026 & BEST EDITING

Colombano e la 21esima Fetta

By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

BEST EUROPEAN ARTHOUSE FILM 2026, BEST ORIGINAL INDIE DIRECTOR & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: International Narrative Feature)

Cataclysm Down Under – Hero

By Akal Demir

BEST INDIE EDITOR & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE FILMMAKER

The Stones of Rome

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE ACTOR 2026 & BEST EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR

The Pathos of Hamlet

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION (Category: International Indie Short) & BEST VOICE 2026