AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Summer 2026 Edition

Main Categories

Best feature film all genre
  • Veins of the Salty Sea
  • John Battista Mangiapane, Jr.
Best Drama Short
  • CASUS
  • William Eguienta
Best Music Video
  • TUNAPAA (WE RISE)
  • Jeremiah "Director Kenah" Mzungu, Joseph Ileni
BEST SCREENPAY FEATURE – DRAMA
  • OPEN MIND
  • Aram Vidal
BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT DRAMA
  • Losing Maverick
  • Jonah Wooley

Additional Categories

BEST FIRST TIME FILMMAKER
  • FREQUENCY
  • Nicolas A. Miranda
BEST ACTION THRILLER SHORT
  • SHADOW OF THE FIGHTER
  • Yaroslav Savchak
BEST DOCUMENTARY – SHORT
  • DREAMS BEYOND TOMORROW
  • Erin Pedersen
BEST DIRECTOR. STUDENT SHORT
  • SOUND CHECK
  • Gabriella Fabrizio

BEST FOREIGN SHORT

  • AS IF SHE NEVER LEFT
  • LUJUN JI

BEST HORROR SHORT

  • DUREALITY
  • Adonis Armstrong

BEST STUDENT SHORT DRAMA

  • LEFT OF THE STATION
  • Jose Fernando Flores-Jimenez

BEST LGBTQ FEATURE

  • LOVE LOADED
  • Jan Miller Corran

BEST SCI FI SHORT

  • OLDER SELF
  • Tom Michaels

BEST DIRECTOR DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  • INVASIVE
  • Andrew J Lane

BEST DIRECTOR SHORT

  • OLDER SELF
  • Tom Michaels

BEST ACTRESS

  • ACT THREE
  • AMY COPSEY

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

  • FREQUENCY
  • CHRISTINA RANFELD

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC

  • HOME ENTERTAINMENT
  • Ariela Schneiderman

BEST SOUND DESIGN

  • NIKOLA (& THE MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL)
  • GABE REYNOLDS

BEST STUDENT SHORT COMEDY/DRAMEDY

  • HOME ENTERTAINMENT
  • Ariela Schneiderman

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE ENVIRONMENTAL/NATURE

  • UNHOOKED
  • CARMEN TRAUB

BEST SCREENPLAY - SHORT COMEDY

  • TWO LESBIANS AND THEIR DOG
  • Alyssa Hawkinson, David R. Schleicher

BEST COMEDY/DRAMEDY SHORT

  • THE SUNSHINE TIMES
  • Charles Kudla

BEST OF SAN DIEGO SHORT

  • THE SUNSHINE TIMES
  • Charles Kudla

BEST FEATURE ACTION

  • MAN
  • Salvador Garza

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • ALASKA RESCUE STORY
  • Mark D Rose

BEST ACTOR

  • OLDER SELF
  • TOM MICHAELS

BEST TRAILER/PROMOTIONAL

  • DREAMS OF ATLANTIS
  • Daniella Byrne

BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY SHORT

  • IN SEARCH OF LOST PAIN
  • Yixuan Han, Yichen Wang

BEST WOMAN FILMMAKER FEATURE

  • LOVE LOADED
  • JAN MILLER CORRAN

BEST DOCUMENTARY - PERSONAL PROFILE

  • A NEW WAVE
  • Travis Robert Hawkes

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

  • GUARDIAN’S LAMENT
  • PHOEBE CHOU

SUBMIT YOUR FILM NOW

Facebook Twitter Instagram