The Self-Made Filmmaker Catalog, Venice 2026 was created with the aim of highlighting how the independent creativity of filmmakers from around the world deserves the highest level of media attention.
Through the events and initiatives developed over the past few years, WILD FILMMAKER, as an independent platform, has achieved significant international visibility: in the United States, also thanks to its established presence in The Hollywood Reporter, and in Europe, with a recent article published by Cinecittà News, a leading reference point for both the film industry and independent cinema.
Following the great success our platform has achieved in recent days, we are also pleased to announce that inclusion in the Self-Made Filmmaker Catalog will offer selected artists the opportunity to participate in the 2026 AMDb Arthouse Movie Database Critics’ Choice Awards.
We are proud to highlight that, over seven years of activity, we have received more than 100,000 submissions from over 80 countries.
These figures have made us realize even more clearly that what we have built represents a true international cultural heritage: one shaped by filmmakers, works, stories, visions, and creative freedom, a heritage that we intend to continue supporting, promoting, and sharing.
Below, we present the artists featured in the Self-Made Filmmaker Catalog , Venice 2026, a project we are currently promoting in Venice to give voice and visibility to an ever-growing independent filmmaking community.
Here are the selected artists.
The Bride From The Depths
By Cornelia Calaidjoglu
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE DRAMA 2026 & BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER (Category: Drama)
A recognition that highlights the strength of independent dramatic writing and an arthouse sensibility capable of shaping a distinctive narrative identity with international appeal.
The James Crow Hotel
By Terri Battee
BEST VISIONARY SCREENWRITER 2026 & BEST GLOBAL THRILLER SCRIPT OF THE YEAR
A screenplay recognized for its visionary approach and its ability to explore the thriller genre through a compelling narrative framework with global potential.
Malibu and Roxie – A Story of Second Chances
By Camy De Mario
BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILM 2026, BEST ORIGINAL FILMMAKER & BEST VISIONARY SCREENPLAY SHORT (Category: Animation)
Animation, filmmaking and screenwriting come together in a project celebrated for originality and vision, placing the idea of second chances at the heart of a universally accessible cinematic language.
Precious the baby dragon
By Dawn Menge
BEST FAIRY TALE OF THE YEAR & BEST ORIGINAL WRITER (Category: International Book)
A celebration of fantasy and literary imagination, where the timeless tradition of the fairy tale meets an original authorial voice created for an international readership.
Rings of the Unpromised
By Michelle R. Arthur
BEST ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE FEATURE, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY & BEST INDIE DIRECTOR (Category: Indie Film)
Three awards recognize a complete cinematic vision, from original screenwriting and independent direction to the creation of a narrative feature with a strong arthouse identity.
Path
By Firouz Farman-Farmaian
BEST ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 2026
A documentary recognized for its authorial approach and cinematic exploration, bringing the language of reality into a distinctive arthouse perspective.
Noise
By R. Scott MacLeay
BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST PRODUCER (Category: Indie Experimental Film)
Direction, cinematography and production converge in an experimental project that embraces independent cinema as a territory for visual and creative exploration.
Silent Room
By Kevin B Ploth
BEST INDIE DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING, BEST PRODUCER & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: Arthouse Super Short Film)
Four artistic and technical recognitions celebrate a work in which direction, editing, production and cinematography combine to create a distinctive cinematic identity.
From Shattered to Strong: A Long Way Forward
By Darrelle Radcliff
BEST VISIONARY FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS
A screenplay distinguished by its attention to the psychological dimension of its characters and by a narrative vision capable of sustaining the scope of a feature-length story.
La Hacienda
By Patricia Fox
BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING STYLE (Category: Horror) & BEST ORIGINAL HORROR SCRIPT OF THE YEAR
Horror becomes a territory for stylistic exploration in a screenplay recognized both for its originality and for a distinctive writing style that brings a personal voice to the genre.
Back To Carbery
By Sarah Ortolan
BEST EUROPEAN BOOK OF THE YEAR
A major European recognition celebrating the literary value of the work and its ability to stand out within the international landscape of contemporary writing.
Storia di una Mistress
By Ciro Tomaiuoli – Produced by Monica Bartolucci
BEST EUROPEAN ARTHOUSE FILM, BEST CAST & BEST INDIE PRODUCTION COMPANY
An achievement that celebrates the project as a whole, from its European arthouse identity and ensemble cast to the independent production behind its realization.
Lolly Dagger Eats Sponge Cake
By Aaron Brown
BEST INTERNATIONAL COMEDY 2026
Comedy finds an international voice in a work recognized for the strength and distinctive personality of its comic language.
In 2 minds
By Fabia Cerra
BEST UNIVERSAL WRITER, BEST VISIONARY BOOK & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE MANUSCRIPT 2026
Three writing awards highlight the originality of a literary project celebrated for its vision, universal reach and distinctive arthouse sensibility.
Disclosure from a Cloakroom
By Carol Dorn
BEST GLOBAL ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER & BEST WRITING STYLE
A screenplay combining independent sensibility with international ambition, distinguished by the personality of its writing style and its strong authorial construction.
Brothers of Babylon
By Gabriel Womack
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENPLAY 2026 & BEST CINEMATIC VISION (Category: International Feature Script)
The strength of independent screenwriting meets a distinctly cinematic vision in a project recognized for its ability to transform words on the page into an evocative vision for the screen.
Mercy
By Laura Calderini
BEST EUROPEAN WRITER & BEST UNIVERSAL SHORT SCRIPT 2026
A double recognition celebrating a European writing voice and a short-form screenplay capable of communicating through a universal narrative language.
Whispers of Montana
By Michelle Lynn
BEST VISIONARY FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS
A screenplay recognized for its overall vision and attention to the psychological construction of its characters, a defining element of its narrative identity.
Behind The Algorithm
By Michelle Lynn
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 2026 & BEST WRITING STYLE
Originality and style emerge as the defining qualities of a screenplay that reinforces the importance of a distinctive authorial voice in contemporary screenwriting.
An Ever After Drama
By Michelle Lynn
BESTINTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM 2026, BEST GLOBAL DIRECTOR 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS, BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY SHORT, BEST SONDTRACK, BEST COSTUME DESIGNER, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER (Category: Arthouse Short Film)
An outstanding achievement across multiple disciplines, with awards spanning direction, acting, screenwriting, music, costume design and cinematography, recognizing the short film as a complete artistic production.
The Novice
By Vincenzo Amoruso
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR OF THE YEAR & BEST UNIVERSAL ACTING
Performance takes center stage with two international recognitions celebrating acting, screen presence and expressive power.
Roses are Blind
By Wendy White
BEST ARHOUSE THRILLER & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY 2026
The thriller genre meets arthouse storytelling in a project recognized for its ability to combine narrative tension with a distinctive authorial approach.
Freedoms Under Assault
By Jacob Comforty & Robert Arnove
BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 2026, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR, BEST STORYTELLING, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Indie Documentary)
Five awards celebrate an independent documentary in which concept, storytelling, direction and camerawork combine to create a powerful cinematic experience.
My Hollywood Circus
By Roger Paradiso
BEST AMERICAN ARTHOUSE BOOK 2026 & BEST GLOBAL WRITER 2026
A literary work recognized for its American arthouse dimension and for writing that has earned its author a distinction of global scope.
The Dead Ringer
By Suzanne Lutas
BEST UNIVERSAL INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT, & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE WRITER 2026
Independent screenwriting is celebrated through two awards recognizing the writer’s originality and the project’s ability to communicate through a broadly accessible cinematic language.
Non dimenticare il poeta
By Fabrizio Fuochi
BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG 2026, BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Music Video) & BEST SONG WRITER
Music, songwriting and images merge in an internationally recognized project, celebrating both the musical composition and its translation into the visual language of the music video.
Stalker Hair Twirl
By Faye Fayerman
BEST ARTHOUSE EXPERIMENTAL MOVIEMAKER 2026 & BEST VISIONARY CINEMATOGRAPHY
An experimental visual exploration that celebrates the freedom of arthouse filmmaking and a visionary approach to cinematography as a central element of cinematic expression.
Christmas On Earth
By Janja Rakuš
BEST ARTHOUSE EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM 2026, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST PRODUCER & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Experimental)
An experimental short recognized for the coherence between production, direction and cinematic vision, affirming the vitality of personal and uncompromising arthouse filmmaking.
Master Heist – A True Christmas Fiction
By Kai Fischer
BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE, INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT
Three distinctions celebrate writing with a strong personality, recognizing the author’s original style and the international dimension of the feature screenplay.
Bad Influence/ Mauvaise Influence
By Aurélie Latona
BEST EUROPEAN SUPER SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: Super Short Film)
A European super short in which direction and cinematography play defining roles, recognized alongside the film itself for originality and cinematic strength.
Pretty Little Lucy
By David Williamson
BEST VISIONARY THRILLER SCRIPT 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR & BEST INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026
Three screenwriting awards celebrate a thriller project that combines vision, authorial originality and the independent spirit of feature filmmaking.
The Cassandra Venice Project
By Hugo Teugels
BEST INTERNATIONAL ORIGINAL FILMMAKER, BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST INDIE PRODUCER
A project centered on the filmmaker’s individual creative identity, with recognition extending to original cinematography and independent production.
Split Focus
By Cherie Carson
BEST VISIONARY DANCE MOVIE 2026, BEST FILMMAKER, BEST EDITING & BEST SOUND (Category: Dance Movie)
Dance and cinema enter into dialogue through movement, editing and sound, creating a work recognized for transforming rhythm and physical expression into cinematic language.
American Money
By Timothy A McGhee
BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER, BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL STORY
An original story and an independent screenwriting voice of international scope bring the project three distinctions dedicated to the power of cinematic storytelling.
Staycation
By Russell Emanuel
BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (Category: NARRATIVE FEATURE), BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING, BEST CAST (Category: Film) & BEST PRODUCTION COMPANY
One of the most extensive achievements of the 2026 selection, with recognition spanning screenplay, direction, editing, cast and production, celebrating the feature as a complete cinematic accomplishment.
Tipping Point
By L. Scooter Morris
BEST ARTHOUSE SUPER SHORT FILM 2026, BEST INDIE DIRECTOR, BEST ORIGINAL ART FILM, BEST VISIONARY SHORT FILM & BEST EXPERIMENTAL EDITING
Five awards recognize a work in which art cinema, experimentation and editing become the instruments of a highly individual and independent creative vision.
The New Immigrant- Hong Kongers
By Vivian Tsang
BEST ARTHOUSE YOUNG DIRECTOR 2026, BEST HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY, BEST ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY & BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHER
A documentary bringing arthouse filmmaking into the field of human rights, recognizing a young directorial voice alongside documentary originality and visual research.
The Pathos of Hamlet
By Sean Gregory Tansey
BEST EXPERIMENTAL ACTOR 2026 & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER
Performance and cinematography become the two creative poles of an experimental project exploring the relationship between acting and the construction of the cinematic image.
The Stones of Rome
By Sean Gregory Tansey
BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Experimental Short Film), BEST INDIE FILMMAKER, BEST ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST VIDEO POETRY 2026
Experimental cinema and visual poetry meet in a work recognized for its vision, filmmaking and editing, transforming moving images into a form of poetic expression.
The Beauty in a Restless Mind
By Lena Mattsson
BEST ORIGINAL EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM 2026, BEST ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING & BEST SOUND
An experimental project in which direction, editing and sound shape a coherent artistic universe, recognized for both originality and arthouse sensibility.
Not Without Gloves
By Lena Mattsson
BEST VISIONARY CINEMATOGRAPHY 2026 & BEST MOVIEMAKER
The power of the image and cinematic vision define a work that places the filmmaker at the center of the creative construction of the visual experience.
The Aesthetics of Failure
By Lena Mattsson
BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCER 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER (Category: European Artistic Film)
Production and filmmaking are celebrated within a work of European artistic cinema distinguished by its arthouse identity and international perspective.
The Rorschach Test
By Lena Mattsson
BEST ORIGINAL IDEA 20026 & BEST INSPIRATIONAL STORYTELLER
A recognition centered on the strength of the original idea and its storytelling, highlighting inspiration as a fundamental element of cinematic creation.
The Duchess
By C. Arnold Curry
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DRAMA 2026, BEST ORIGINAL WRITER, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: International Drama)
An international drama receiving three distinctions for writing, screenplay and arthouse identity, celebrating the originality of its narrative conception.
Pirandello’s Wife
By Lynn Elliott
BEST INTERNATIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT 2026 & BEST WRITER (Category: Drama Script)
Biographical writing meets drama in a screenplay recognized for its authorial quality and its approach to constructing a story for an international cinematic audience.
“Only You Can Save Her,” pilot teleplay of series THE BOY WHO EARNED HIS MAGIC
By Lynn Elliott
BEST INTERNATIONAL FANTASY SCRIPT 2026, BEST TELEVISION SCRIPT & BEST GLOBAL SCREENNWRITER 2026
Fantasy and television writing converge in a project earning three international distinctions, highlighting the strength of its serial concept and the screenwriter’s creative voice.
Alta California
By Lynn Elliott
BEST HISTORICAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL STORYTELLING
History becomes cinematic material through a screenplay recognized for its ability to transform the past into original and engaging storytelling.
Once There Were Stories
By Lynn Elliott
BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST INDIE WRITER
A double recognition celebrating American independent screenwriting and an authorial voice capable of sustaining the narrative scope of a feature-length project.
Caccia Grossa
By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti
BEST EUROPEAN DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
European direction and original writing come together in a project that recognizes the creator’s dual artistic identity, both behind the camera and in the construction of the story.
Colombano & La 21esima Fetta
By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILM, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST SCREENPLAY
A work celebrated for its international arthouse dimension, driven by an original concept and a screenplay recognized as a central element of the project.
OSKÄR
By Ariel Orama López (AG Orloz)
BEST GLOBAL ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA
A double recognition celebrating an authorial vision capable of reaching the global arthouse landscape, honoring both the filmmaker’s distinctive identity and the originality of the idea behind the work.
