INDIEWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
2026 AWARDS
SPECIAL FESTIVAL RECOGNITION AWARD - PHILLIP E. WALKER
BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILM - GRIZZLY JIM
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE - ADVENTURES OF MISS HAPPY
BEST DRAMA SHORT - EFFORTLESS PERFECTION
BEST DRAMA FEATURE FILM - THE SWAN WAY
BEST MOCUMENTARY SHORT - MENTAL
SPECIAL MICRO SHORT DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Nathan D. Snyder/THE DECIMATION OF ALTADENA, THE DEVASTATION OF PACIFIC PALISADES, & THE DESOLATION OF MALIBU
BEST MICRO NARRATIVE SHORT - WE CAN DO BETTER AMERICA
BEST VERTICAL - Wake Up, Brother: You're One of Us
BEST STUDENT SHORT - FIRST LADIES
BEST FAMILY SHORT - BINKY’S REVENGE
BEST BIOGRAPHY DOCUMENTARY
Clark Gable King of Hollywood Man who defied Studio Rule.
BEST HORROR SHORT - OF CREATURE AND MAN
BEST COMEDY/HORROR SHORT - OPEN HOUSE
BEST HORROR FEATURE FILM - THE DEMON DETECTIVE
BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO - RUNNING
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST - SHORT FILM - PARK BENCH
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST FEATURE FILM - THE LAST BROWN BERET
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR SHORT FILM - Nicolas Turturro III/VAMPIRE FOR HIRE
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR FEATURE FILM - Cuete Yeska/THE TRADE
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS SHORT FILM - Caroline Westheimer/FOREIGN RELATIONS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FEATURE FILM - Rocío de la Grana, Rocío/GLOBOS NEGROS 2
BEST ACTRESS - SHORT FILM/TV SERIES - Dilara Foscht/COMEDIA DEL ADRI
BEST ACTRESS - FEATURE FILM - Alina Phelan/CONTACT TRACING
BEST ACTOR - SHORT FILM -Timmy Hanlon/A LETTER OF LAST RESORT
BEST ACTOR - FEATURE FILM - EMILE HIRSCH/WOOZY
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM - AF ONE EYE
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE FILM - DREAMZZZ
BEST THRILLER FEATURE FILM - CONTRADICTION
BEST ROM-COM SHORT -A BLOOMING OF IVY
BEST ACTION SHORT - CYBER FIGHTER
BEST DANCE SHORT - THE GREAT DIVIDE
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT NARRATIVE FILM - K.O.
BEST FANTASY FEATURE FILM - NEON DREAM
BEST SHORT WESTERN - THE TURN
BEST WESTERN COMEDY FEATURE FILM - CALL ME JOE
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT FILM - Tony DiMurro/I OFTEN DREAM OF TRAINS
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY TV PILOT OR EPISODE - N. Aech Hanratty/WHAT REMAINS
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY FEATURE - Alvaro Orlando/PICK UP ARTIST
BEST MYSTERY SHORT - PLAYBOY
BEST COMEDY SHORT - SAVING CEDAR
BEST COMEDY FEATURE - The Kiwi: The Making of a Disc Golf Legend
BEST ACTION FEATURE - CASH 3
BEST SOUND MUSIC VIDEO - LA MIGRA – THE IMMIGRATION MUSIC VIDEO
BEST SOUND SHORT ANIMATION FILM - FOLD
BEST SOUND SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM - FEI FEI GAO IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET PT 2
BEST SOUND SHORT FILM - JELLY PRESERVES
BEST SOUND DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM - Royal: A Journey of Faith, Music, and Purpose
BEST SOUND FEATURE FILM - PRIVATE EYES
BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY - MR.YELLOW HIPHOP
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN MUSIC VIDEO - WATERLOO TAKE3
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN SHORT FILM - SUNNY’S CLOSET
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN FEATURE FILM - BEYOND THE PRECINCT
BEST EDITING MUSIC VIDEO - SPOKEN FOR THE MOVIE
BEST EDITING SHORT ANIMATION - THE MOON STOLE MY STRIPES
BEST EDITING SHORT DOCUMENTARY - 13 SECONDS
BEST EDITING SHORT NARRATIVE - SERENITY'S SONG
BEST EDITING - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM - Being Adolph Gasser
BEST EDITING - FEATURE FILM - AIN'T THIS a B
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM - PRETTY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY -MUSIC VIDEO - DELUSION
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - SHORT NARRATIVE FILM
The Attitude of Being Subjectively Normative
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM - THE HIDDEN GULF
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM - MAQUINA
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FEATURE FILM - THE DARKNESS RETURNS
BEST DIRECTOR - MUSIC VIDEO - David J Bartlett/A STORM IN HOLLYWOOD & SKY
BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT ANIMATION - LING HAN/CHAIN
BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Vitorya Pez/Los Angeles is not Rio: Cinema between Two Worlds
BEST DIRECTOR TV PILOT/WEBISODE - Russell Emanuel/ROUND THE CORNER
BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT FILM - JASON STEWART/REDLINING
BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - iLan Azoulai/HOLY GHETTO
BEST DIRECTOR - FEATURE FILM - Garrett Patten/THE IRON DOOR
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST MUSIC VIDEO - ALL EYES ON ME
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT ANIMATION - SNOW DOG
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY- THE QUIET INGREDIENT
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT NARRATIVE - THE MIXER
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST WEBISODE/WEB SERIES - I COULD EAT EPISODE 3
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST TV PILOT OR EPISODE - COULD BE WORSE
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY
PEOPLE OF THE WEST - EPISODE 2
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY - CRUELTY FOR CLICKS
AUDIENCE AWARD BEST FEATURE - IMPURE
GRAND PRIZE MUSIC VIDEO - DROWNING IN THOUGHTS
GRAND PRIZE BEST ANIMATED SHORT - SAFE ZONE
GRAND PRIZE - BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - FROM CULT TO QUEER
GRAND PRIZE - BEST TV PILOT OR EPISODE - OUR FAMILY PRIDE
GRAND PRIZE - BEST BEST WEBISODE/WEB SERIES
Cagney and Hooch 2: Stakeout, Fakeout
GRAND PRIZE BEST NARRATIVE SHORT - AT THE MERCY OF FAITH
GRAND PRIZE BEST DOCUMENTARY - TELEVISION - BIG MOUNTAIN SOUL: SKI AFRICA
GRAND PRIZE BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - ON FATAL GROUND: TRIUMPH OF EVIL
GRAND PRIZE - BEST FEATURE - SENIORS
SCREENPLAY AWARDS
2026
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - ROMANCE/DRAMA - FLASHES OF YOU BY Lamar D. Vine
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY FAMILY- THE GIFT OF ANABELLE BY EDDIE VINCENT
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - BLACK COMEDY - STUDENT HOURS BY Steven M. Hirohama
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY DARK COMEDY
WTF (WHAT THE FAMILY) BY Eden Allegra Young
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - THRILLER - WELCOME TO HOLLYWOOD BY Jack Truman
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT SCREENPLAY - TOMORROW BY Pierre Lalancette
BEST TELEVISION SCREENPLAY - LGBTQ - IN THE SHADOWS BY Michael Hayes
BEST TELEVISION SCREENPLAY - HORROR - FOREVER MEGAN BY Paul Alan Gober
BEST TELEVISION SCREENPLAY - DRAMA - IN THE SHADOWS BY MICHAEL HAYES
BEST TELEVISION PILOT - THRILLER- JANE PHILLIPS BY Melanie Villines
BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION SCREENPLAY
THE “JUST US” LEAGUE BY Don Tray Smith
BEST COMEDY/SATIRE FEATURE SCREENPLAY - BAWDY COUNT BY John Kestner
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCREENPLAY - CUPID’S LAST KILL BY Aurelie Bertout
BEST PERIOD/ROYALTY FEATURE SCREENPLAY
TO KILL A KING BY Kaenan Oliver, Jay Flynn, Dominic Oliver
BEST ROMANCE FEATURE SCREENPLAY
LOVE, SHARKS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN BY Luís Sousa
BEST WESTERN FEATURE SCREENPLAY - ASHES IN TALL GRASSES BY Derrick Huff
BEST MYSTERY FEATURE SCREENPLAY - VOICE APP BY Tom Anastasi
BEST PERIOD CRIME DRAMA SCREENPLAY
THE CURSE OF JOHNNY BISHOP BY ROBERT AMICO
BEST SCI-FI/THRILLER FEATURE SCREENPLAY - MOONSCOPE BY David Hunter Fein
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY CRIME DRAMA - THE WEDNESDAY KILLER BY Janet Walker
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY DRAMA - MAKING LIGHT BY Melissa L. White
GRAND PRIZE BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - INADEQUATE BY HYUN JO
GRAND PRIZE BEST TV SCRIPT - HEX & CO. BY CHRIS LAM
GRAND PRIZE TV PILOT - PRAISE BY Robby Roberts
GRAND PRIZE - BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY - CHRYSALIS BY Daniel Corey