WINNERS Top Independent Directors and Screenwriters Awards 2026

2026 August 13

WINNERS Top Independent Directors and Screenwriters Awards 2026

TWO FATES – A True-Story

By Lori Lee Peters

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENWRITER (Category: Biographical Script) 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE

Brothers of Babylon

By Gabriel Womack

BEST SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR (Category: Global Feature Script), BEST SCREENPLAY 2026 & BEST VISIONARY STORYTELLER

Bad Influence/ Mauvaise Influence

By Aurélie Latona

BEST ARTHOUSE INDIE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR, BEST VISIONARY SUPER SHORT FILM 2026, BEST EDITING & BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST GLOBAL SUPER SHORT FILM 2026

Malibu and Roxie – A Story of Second Chances

By Camy De Mario

BEST GLOBAL ANIMATED SHORT FILM, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST ARTHOUSE MOVIEMAKER (Category: Animation)

Precious the baby dragon

By Dr Dawn Menge

BEST ORIGINAL BOOK 2026 & BEST ARTHOUSE WRITER 2026

The James Crow Hotel

By Terri Battee

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCRIPT (Category: Crime Fiction) & BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER (Category: Thriller)

Michelangelo and Me + Da Vinci and Me opener

By Colleen Shannon

BEST ORIGINAL PILOT TV & BEST SCREENWRITER 2026 (Category: Indie Television Script)

Colombano e la 21esima Fetta

By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILM 2026, BEST EUROPEAN SCREENPLAY & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE DIRECTOR

Tipping Point

By L. Scooter Morris

BEST INTERNATIONAL SUPER SHORT FILM 2026, BEST ORIGINAL ART FILM, BEST HUMAN RIGHTS SHORT FILM & BEST EXPERIMENTAL EDITING 

In 2 Minds

By Fabia Cerra

BEST VISIORNARY WRITER (Category: Original Book) & BEST STORYTELLER

Disclosure from a Cloakroom

By Carol Dorn

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER & BEST STORYTELLING

Out of control

By Bellopropello

BEST INDIE FILMMAKER 2026, BEST ANIMATED SHORT 2026 & BEST INDIE STORYTELLER

Bellatrix

By Jacek Krawczyk

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT 2026, BEST DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR, BEST SOUNDTRACK, BEST CAST, BEST ACTING, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & Screenplay (Category: Narrative Short)

Plandemic: Tribunal

By Chris Ross Leong

BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST VISIONARY SCREENWRITER 2026

Final Orders

By Nathan Benham

BEST INDIE SHORT FILM 2026, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST EDITING (Category: Arthouse Narrative Short Film)

Primordial

By Nana Papadaki

BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL FILM 2026, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR, BEST SOUND & BEST INDIE CINEMATOGRAPHER (Category: Arthouse Experimental Film)

Seasoning of The Soul

By Charli Brown

BEST ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE CINEMATOGRAPHER 2026

Amen-Amen-Amen: A Story of Our Times

By Tom Gallagher

BEST INDIE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR & BEST STORYTELLING (Category: Arthouse Documentary Feature)

The Armchair Travellers

By Patricia Planck

BEST INTERNATIONAL VISIONARY INDIE WRITER 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL FANTASY SCRIPT

The Giant

By Kevin B Ploth

BEST GLOBAL TELEVISION SCRIPT 2026, BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER & BEST ORIGINAL THRILLER/CRIME SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

Scachs d’Amor

By Daniel Arreola

BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER 2026 (Category: Short Script 2026) & BEST ROMANCE SCRIPT

Ashes of Freedom

By Daniel Arreola

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCRIPT, BEST INDIE WRITER, BEST HUMAN RIGHTS SHORT SCRIPT & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA 2026

Belles paroles

By Mohamed Ouaddah

BEST SOCIAL PROJECT 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENWRITER

The Dead Ringer

By Suzanne Lutas

BEST SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL VISIONARY SCREENWRITER & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT

Doctor Hyphoteses

By Vicentini Gomez

BEST ARTHOUSE INDIE SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENWRITER & BEST ORIGINAL ACTING OF THE YEAR

Kev Franzi – Works 80 Years in the Film Industry HD

By Dianne Lang

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT 2026, BEST ARTHOUSE EDITING & BEST FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR (Category: International Documentary Short)

Novice

By Vincenzo Amoruso

BEST ARTHOUSE ACTOR 2026 & BEST VISIONARY ACTING

Your Father, who sees in secret

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKER, BEST EUROPEAN SHORT FILM & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Hito

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST ORIGINAL SHORT FILM 2026, BEST INDIE PRODUCER & BEST EUROPEAN DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Fractures In Time

By Lesley Ann Albiston

BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS, BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR & BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER 2026

The Stones of Rome

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST VIDEO POETRY & BEST HISTORICAL SHORT FILM

The Pathos of Hamlet

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST INDIE ACTOR, BEST EXPERIMENTAL INDIE SHORT & BEST INSPIRATIONAL FILMMAKER

The New Immigrant- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

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

Pints With Kelly

By Stephen Kelly

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 2026, BEST ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST INDIE FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR

Mikey Blue Eyes

By Stephen Kelly

BEST ORIGINAL SHORT SCRIPT & BEST GLOBAL SCREENWRITER (Category: Short Script)

Eyesolation

By Damiano Rossi

BEST ARTHOUSE EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST EUROPEAN ART FILM 2026

Cock Robin

By Frances Barth

BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE, BEST INTERNATIONAL COMEDY 2026 & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Indie Comedy)

AMERICA BOXED IN

By Ian S. Williams & Casey Williams

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

A Rescues Song

By Tommy Anderson & Sherry Severs

BEST ARTHOUSE ANIMATED SHORT FILM 2026 & BEST INDIE NARRATIVE SHORT FILM

Looking for inspiration / Poszukiwanie inspiracji

By Michał Kucharski

BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILM 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA 

An Ever After Drama

By Michelle Lynn

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

Whispers of Love

By Michelle Lynn

BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

Behind The Algorithm

By Michelle Lynn

BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY 2026 & BEST INDIE STORY

Lucky in Long Island

By Michelle Lynn

BEST ORIGINAL SONG WRITER 2026 & BEST SOUND DESIGNER

Cassandra Venice

By Hugo Teugels

BEST ORIGINAL INDIE MOVIEMAKER, BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHER, BEST COSTUME DESIGNER & BEST EUROPEAN INDIE PRODUCER 2026

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

By Ken Kimmelman

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM DIRECTOR 2026, BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM, BEST AMERICAN PRODUCER & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER

The Great Animal Escape

Theme Song Based on the book by Linda Harkey Music & Lyrics by Zachary Simpson

Performed by Erin Rementer | Studio Story Monsters®

BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR & BEST SOUND DESIGNER

Staycation

By Russell Emanuel

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

American Money

By Timothy A McGhee

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER, BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE (Category: Feature Script)

Precious the baby dragon

By Dawn Menge

BEST INTERNATIONAL BOOK OF THE YEAR & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE WRITER 2026

Stalker Hair Twirl

By Faye Fayerman

BEST ARTHOUSE EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING, BEST ART SHORT FILM & BEST SOUND

Pretty Little Lucy

By David Williamson

BEST GLOBAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER & BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING SYLE (Category: 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)

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)

The Aesthetics of Failure

By Lena Mattsson

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR & BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER (Category: European Art Film)

The Beauty in a Restless Mind

By Lena Mattsson

BEST GLOBAL SPIRITUAL SHORT FILM 2026

Not Without Gloves

By Lena Mattsson

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST INSPIRATIONAL PROJECT

The Rorschach Test

By Lena Mattsson

BEST BLACK & WHITE CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST ARTHOUSE MOVIEMAKER

Tramóia

By Gleison Castro

BEST GLOBAL SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST OROGINAL IDEA (Category: Short Script)

Nossos Caminhos (Our Paths)

By Carla Di Bonito

BEST DRAMA SCRIPT 2026, BEST SOCIAL SCRIPT & BEST INERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENWRITER

The Duchess

By C. Arnold Curry

BEST DRAMA OF THE YEAR, BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER & BEST CAST 2026

The Singing Detective

By Gary St Martin

BEST INDIE TV PILOT