WINNERS – Filmmaker Of The Year Awards 2026

2026 March 18

WINNERS – Filmmaker Of The Year Awards 2026

The Greenstone Narrated by Orson Welles

By Kevin Irvine

BEST ORIGINAL SHORT FILM & BEST EXPERIMENTAL IDEA 2026

Something ain’t right

By Susan Downs

BEST INDIE DOCUMENTARY 2026, BEST SOUND DESIGNER & BEST ORIGINAL EDITING

Eyesolation

By Damiano Rossi

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER 2026 & BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATIC VISION

French Broad

By Reid Barwick

BEST INTERNATIONAL PILOT TV & BEST SCREENWRITER 2026 (Category: TELEVISION SCRIPT)

Sequoia Spirits

By Cherie Carson

BEST DANCE MOVIE, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA, DIRECTOR & BEST PRODUCER (Category: Dance MOVIE)

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

By Ken Kimmelman

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM DIRECTOR 2026, BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKER & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER

Pretty Little Lucy

By David Williamson

BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER & BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING SYLE (Category: Feature Script)

Precious the baby dragon

By Dr Dawn Menge

BEST INTERNATIONAL BOOK & BEST ARTHOUSE WRITER 2026

Wacko

By Matthew Roch

BEST INTERNATIONAL THRILLER 2026, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR, BEST HORROR & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

Potato Family

By Lori Hamilton

BEST FILMMAKER 2026 (Category: Animated Short Film) & BEST ANIMATION

Brothers of Babylon

By Gabriel Womack

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST AMERICAN WRITER 2026

Ice Hockey Orphans

By James McElligott

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE FILMMAKER (Category: Documentary Short), BEST INDIE PRODUCER & BEST CAMERA OPERATOR

Alzati dal buio

By Don Pasquale Ferone

BEST EUROPEAN SONG OF THE YEAR, BEST INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS SONG, BEST SONG WRITER 2026 & BEST GUITARIST 2026

A nest in My Heart

By Mira Kim

BEST ORIGINAL INDIE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR, BEST SOUND & BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATIC VISION

Soularis

By Janja Rakuš

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER, BEST EUROPEAN INDIE FILMMAKER & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Indie Experimental Film)

Tic Tac

By Emilio Mercanti

BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR 2026 (Category: Narrative Short), BEST ARTHOUSE ACTRESS OF THE YEAR & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT

Noise

By R. Scott MacLeay

BEST INDIE FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR, BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM 2026, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST ARTHOUSE EDITING

Fractures In Time

By Lesley Ann Albiston

BEST FEATURE SCRIPT, BEST ORIGINAL WRITER 2026, BEST ORIGINAL STORY & BEST WRITING STYLE

I Waited for You

By Jennifer Glee

BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATIC VISION, BEST INDIE DIRECTOR 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE ART FILM 2026

In Search of A P-I-G

By Keith Szarabajka

BEST ORIGINAL WEB/TV SERIES 2026, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER (Category: Web/TV Series)

Agnus Dei

By Agim Sopi

BEST INDIE PICTURE OF THE YEAR & BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR 2026 (Category: Arthouse Film)

Doctor Hyphoteses

By Vicentini Gomez

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER 2026, BEST ORIGINAL ACTOR & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE PRODUCER

Shadow Docket

By Kevin B Ploth

BEST INTERNATIONAL SUPER SHORT FILM & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

Why We Create. The Art of Being Human.

By Inigo Laugermann

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SHORT FILM, BEST INDIE DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENWRITER & BEST INDIE PRODUCER (Category: Narrative Short Film)

Stalker Hair Twirl

By Faye Fayerman

BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL EDITING & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA (Category: Experimental Indie Film)

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

By Timothy Brad Reinhold

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCRIPT & BEST ORIGINAL ANIMATION

The Ghost and the Gold Louis

By Jamie Sutliff

BEST INTERNATIONAL TV SERIES OF THE YEAR

Water

By Gary Beeber

BEST ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY 2026 & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Indie Documentary)

Freedoms Under Assault

By Jacob Comforty & Robert Arnove 

BEST INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY 2026, BEST STORYTELLING & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Indie Doc)

Monument to Love

By Jacob Comforty

BEST CAMERA OPERATOR & BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER (Category: Indie Doc)

Cherished Viciousness

By Daniel Arreola

BEST ORIGINAL FILMMAKER, BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR & BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER 2026

Ashes of Freedom

By Daniel Arreola

BEST INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FEATURE SCRIPT 2026

The Candle Man

By Zoe Anth

BEST INDIE DIRECTOR 2026

Eye of the Storm

By Brooke Wolff

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY 2026, BEST AMERICAN DIRECTOR & BEST ORIGINAL EDITING

The Label Maker

By Charlotte Webb

BEST ANIMATED INDIE SHORT FILM 2026 & BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER (Category: Animation)

Sheldon Mashugana gets Stooged

By Dean Morgan

BEST COMEDY OF THE YEAR, BEST ACTOR, BEST FILMMAKER & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: International Comedy)

Lambada The Dance Of Fate

By Kai Fischer

BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITER 2026 & BEST BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT 2026

Michelangelo and Me + Da Vinci and Me

By Colleen Fuglaar

BEST ORIGINAL PILOT TV 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL FANTASY OF THE YEAR

Amen-Amen-Amen: A Story of Our Times

By Tom Gallagher

BEST ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 2026 & BEST INDIE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR (Category: Documentary)

The Jaguar and the Dragonfly

By Pamela PerryGoulardt

BEST ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

Heaven

By AnayaMusic

BEST GLOBAL MUSIC VIDEO, BEST ORIGINAL INDIE SINGER 2026 & BEST SOUND (Category: International Music Video)

Living Myths

By Fabio Flecha

BEST ORIGINAL MOVIEMAKER OF THE YEAR

Pounding Pavements

By Jeremy and Christine Stork

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SONG WRITER 2026, BEST SOUND DESIGNER, BEST INDIE SINGER & BEST ARTHOUSE MUSIC VIDEO

The Prism of Youth: Blame it on the Ghost

By Hoa Vo Thanh

BEST INDIE PICTURE, BEST ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE FEATURE OF THE YEAR, BEST INDIE MOVIEMAKER & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Heat and Love

By Michał Kucharski

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST EDITOR & BEST CAMERA OPERATOR (Category: International Experimental Film)

Run, Chad Run

By Nadia Guo

BEST ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR 2026

Ballad of the Millennial Dream

By Yuliya Levashova

BEST INDIE SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE MOVIEMAKER, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST MAKE-UP

When Cassandra Venice speaks

By Hugo Teugels

BEST ORIGINAL FANTASY OF THE YEAR & BEST EUROPEAN INDIE MOVIEMAKER

The Dead Ringer

By Suzanne Lutas

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE WRITER 2026 & BEST INDIE SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR

I Swear

By Richard VanOverbroeck

BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO 2026, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING (Category: International Music Video) & BEST SOUND DESIGNER

Writing To Gillian

By Markus McLaughlin

BEST CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Feature Script)

Thankful

By Earnest Diaz

BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITER 2026 & BEST FEATURE SCRIPT 2026

AMERICA BOXED IN

By Ian S. Williams & Casey Williams

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE OF THE YEAR, BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHER, BEST EDITING & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Documentary)

Tightly Bound

By David Morwick

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE ACTOR 2026

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

By Monte Albers de Leon

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

A Tragedy of Riches

By Tony Cointreau

BEST ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE BOOK 2026

The Pathos of Hamlet

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST VIDEO POETRY 2026 & INTERNATIONAL ACTING

The Stones of Rome

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST EXPERIMENTAL ACTOR 2026 & BEST HISTORICAL SHORT FILM 2026

The Pratt the Hat

By Susan Hillary

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT OF THE YEAR

The New Immigrant- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

BEST INTERNATIONAL FIRST TIME DIRECTOR 2026, BEST YOUNG PRODUCER, BEST ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE DOCUMENTARY

My Father Moves Mountains

By Andria Litto

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER (Category: Indie Documentary) & BEST INDIE DOCUMENTARY

My Hollywood Circus

By Roger Paradiso

BEST AMERICAN WRITER (Category: Book) & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Duchess

By C. Arnold Curry

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DRAMA 2026, BEST INDIE FILMMAKER, BEST ACTOR, BEST ACTRESS & BEST STORYTELLING (Category: International Drama)

Action 8

By Maximillian Decker

BEST INDIE FILM, BEST ARTHOUSE MOVIEMAKER, BEST CAST & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Indie Narrative Feature)

Colombano e la 21esima Fetta

By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

BEST ORIGINAL HISTORICAL FILM 2026 & BEST INDIE SCREENPLAY

Dancing with Spies @Goddess – NOVEL

By Francis Billingsley

BEST INTERNATIONAL MANUSCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE WRITER

The Arcangel Of Death

By Vincenzo Amoruso

BEST ORIGINAL ACTOR 2026 & BEST INDIE ACTING

Whispers of Love

By Michelle Lynn

BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

An Ever After Drama

By Michelle Lynn

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM 2026, BEST DIRECTOR 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Behind The Algorithm

By Michelle Lynn

BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY 2026 & BEST INDIE STORY

Lucky in Long Island

By Michelle Lynn

BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG WRITER 2026 & BEST SOUND DESIGNER

Virulence

By Christopher Pennington

BEST FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE

Out of Control

By Bellopropello

BEST ANIMATION, BEST ORIGINAL FILMMAKER, BEST STORY & BEST ARTHOUSE EDITING (Category: Animated Short Film)

The Little Match-Seller

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILM 2026, BEST SOUND & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE MOVIEMAKER

Zone

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR & BEST EXPERIMENTAL EDITING

Borderline Justice

By Lynn Elliott

BEST ORIGINAL WRITER 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING STYLE (Category: Feature Script)

Pirandello’s Wife

By Lynn Elliott

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

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

Not Without Gloves

By Lena Mattsson

BEST EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR & INTERNATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: EXPERIMENTAL)

The Aesthetics of Failure

By Lena Mattsson

BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC IDEA, BEST POETRY SHORT FILM & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Inspirational Film)

The Rorschach Test

By Lena Mattsson

BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCER 2026 & BEST ART FILM

Staycation

By Russell Emanuel

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature), BEST CAST, BEST SOUNDTACK, BEST EDITING, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST INDIE PRODUCTION COMPANY

Connor and Sonia

By Carla Di Bonito

BEST INDIE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION (Category: International Drama)

Hope is Not a Black and White Rainbow

By Harold Brown

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENWRITER (Category: Indie Feature Script)

Cycle of Life

By Miguel Raymond

BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO POETRY 2026 & BEST FILMMAKER (Category: Inspirational Short Film)

Fire Flies

By Larry Gene Fortin

BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY 2026

The Taste of Rain

By Larry Gene Fortin

BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE (Category: American Feature Script) & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Snowy Christmas Holiday with You

By Darla Zuhdi

BEST AMERICAN SONG OF THE YEAR & BEST INTERNATIONAL SINGER 2026