See also AWARD WINNERS OF JUNE–JULY 2026: TECHNICAL CATEGORIES
Best Short of the Season (Special Jury Award)
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Very Prosperous Men by Josiah Walker (USA)
Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)
Lovebug by Jalaludin Trautmann and David Mahmoudieh (Germany/USA)
Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)
Nūr by Ryan Youngblood (Congo)
Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)
Something Pointless by Asa Bailey (UK)
Best Short of the Season – Runner-up (Special Jury Mentions)
A Promiscuous Ring by Jake Billy Johnson (USA)
A View Over the Inlet by Vasco Durão (Portugal)
Dziadzia by Thomas Kuc (USA)
Mr. Fleischmann by Frank Crim (USA)
Muted by Siqi Zhang (China)
You and Me Makes Three by Emmalie El Fadli (UK)
Best Indie Short: A Promiscuous Ring by Jake Billy Johnson (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Indie Short): A View Over the Inlet by Vasco Durão (Portugal)
Honorable Mention (Indie Short): Wallace Rd by Rob Yanike (USA)
Best Drama Short: Nūr by Ryan Youngblood (Congo)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Drama Short): Something Pointless by Asa Bailey (UK)
Honorable Mention (Drama Short): Mr. Fleischmann by Frank Crim (USA)
Best Student Short: Dziadzia by Thomas Kuc (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Student Short): Down The Line by Eva Solis Lindholm (USA)
Best Documentary Short: The Colors of Humanity by Guillaume Charbonneau (Canada)
Honorable Mention (Documentary Short: Ukraine – Summer 2025 by Joel Espi (Switzerland)
Best Comedy Short: Topless by Eric Bravo (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Comedy Short): Dr. Bernanski by Mark Berbano (USA)
Honorable Mention (Comedy Short): Babesmilk by Elisha Mlotek (USA)
Best Dark Comedy Short: Parental Guidance: Psychic, Ghost by Chung Ho Put (Hong Kong)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Dark Comedy Short): This Place Is a Sh*thole by Will Wightman (UK)
Honorable Mention ((Dark Comedy Short): Journeez by Rowan Wheeler (USA)
Best Action Short: Bangkok Dragons by Barret Walter Coates (Canada)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Action Short): Shadow of the Fighter by Yaroslav Savchak (USA)
Honorable Mention (Action Short): Five Stars by Demetrius Joyette (USA)
Honorable Mention (Crime Short): Snowball by Darren James King (UK)
Best Mystery Short: Lovebug by Jalaludin Trautmann and David Mahmoudieh (Germany/USA)
Honorable Mention (Mystery Short): Animosity by Jeremy Perry (USA)
Best Horror Short: A Burden to Bare by Jorge Orellana (Canada)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Horror Short): Lights Camera Carnage by Logan Weisberg (USA)
Honorable Mention (Horror Short): The Hat Man by Haranggad Singh (India)
Best Sci-Fi Short: There Were Trees by Travis Stewart (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Sci-Fi Short): The Dust Winds by Caiden Pantanini (USA)
Honorable Mention (Sci-Fi Short): Osiris 8 by Ethan Emmanuel Lopez (USA)
Best Fantasy Short: Muted by Siqi Zhang (China)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Fantasy Short): Gardeners by Merry May Ma (USA)
Honorable Mention (Fantasy Short): Rot by Jared Kash (USA)
Best Western Short: Very Prosperous Men by Josiah Walker (USA)
Honorable Mention (Western Short): Last Man’s Land by Chris Cameron (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Animation Short): Foujan: The Sound of Silence by Eliott Mogenet (France)
Honorable Mention (Animation Short): Escape from the Vault by Laura Mickel and Meghan Bossert (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Children Short): Rest in peace by AnLan Feng (China)
Honorable Mention (Children Short): Vanishing Act by Ali Roberts (Australia)
Best Women Short: Leyla by Murat Engiz (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Women Short): Calamity Care by Zoe Xandra (USA)
Honorable Mention (Women Short): Rebel Flowers by Roberta Pia De Angelis (Italy)
Best LGBTQ Short: You and Me Makes Three by Emmalie El Fadli (UK)
Outstanding Achievement Award (LGBTQ Short): Number One Girl by Kar Wuen Wan (Hong Kong)
Best Microfilm: Perfect Decay by Brendan James Sweeney (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Microfilm): Match by Jason Nguyen (USA)
Best Experimental Short: Little Problems by Chris de Krijger (Netherlands)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Experimental Short): Ortega by Álvaro Pita (Spain)
Honorable Mention (Experimental Short): Almost as If It Were Fiction by Annie Scherer (USA)
Best Music Video: Take It Back by Lee Daehan (South Korea)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Music Video): Forward by Chad A. Rivera (USA)
Honorable Mention (Music Video): Moon Child by Jaiden Hubbard (USA)
Best Screendance Short: A Complete Mess by Ying Hu (China)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Web Series/TV Pilot): Committee Animal by Robert Redfield (USA)
Honorable Mention (Web Series/TV Pilot): Cancel Me by Avery Koenig (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Mobile Short): 02:03 by Robby Sean Sexton (USA)
Honorable Mention (Mobile Short): Osiris by Krystal Joy Brown (USA)
Best Trailer/Teaser: Ex Nemo: The Chase For A National Championship by Maurice Victor (USA)
Honorable Mention (Trailer/Teaser): All for Tomorrow by Russ Emanuel (USA)
Best Short Script: Nebulous by Carlie Raymond (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Short Script): Murder on Mute by Quinn Katherman and Pete Johnson (USA)
Honorable Mention (Short Script): Butterfly by Ali Hajighasem (UK/Iran)
See also AWARD WINNERS OF JUNE-JULY 2026: TECHNICAL CATEGORIES
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