2026 IIFC Winners

BEST ANIMATION

Vanguard -  The High King’s Daughter

Winner - The Shouting Fox

MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

Most Original Music Video -  Burn Real Slow

Best Song Music Video -  Burn Real Slow

Best Director Music Video -  Strolling Down Brighton Pier

Best Music Video - Strolling Down Brighton Pier

COSTUME DESIGN

Short Film

Vanguard - The Oldest & My So-Called Iraqi Wedding

 Winner - Headbang

Featurette

Vanguard - The Death of the Hired Man

Winner - Died Twice 

Feature Film

Feature Film Vanguard - The Devil Returns to Monolith

Feature Film Winner - My Movie Starring Paul Dano

BEST EDITING

Short Film

Vanguard - I Love You More Than Dinosaurs

Winner - The Oldest

Featurette

Vanguard - That Girl

Winner - Timewriter

Winner - WELL(NESS)

Feature Film

 Vanguard - Gym Rat

Winner - Quiet After Supper

Documentary

Vanguard - Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story

Winner - Driven by Angels

SOUND DESIGN

Short Film
Vanguard - A Man Apart

Winner - In Absentia

Featurette

Vanguard - Grind

Winner - The Art of Inflation

Feature Film
Vanguard - Quiet After Supper

Winner - My Movie Starring Paul Dano

Documentary
Short or Featurette Vanguard - Jonny McCoy - A Badge of Disrespect
Short or Featurette Winner - Remnants

Feature Vanguard - Ramona and the Ballad of Juan Diego
Feature Winner - Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Short Film

Vanguard - Mr. Harris - Pat Shafer

Winner - I Love You More Than Dinosaurs - Antonio Medellin Fajardo

Featurette

Vanguard - Roughing It - Michael D. Cohen

Winner - The Interview - Joshua Eustis

Feature Film

 Vanguard - Pieces of Lilo - Kace Reese

Winner - Gym Rat - Justin R. Durban

Documentary

Vanguard - Group Home Gradz

Winner - Ramona and the Ballad of Juan Diego

JUAN RUIZ ANCHIA AWARD - BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Short Film

Vanguard - Ryan Purcell - Souvenirs & Struan Wallace - In Absentia
Winner - Ilya Bobrovskiy - Dinner With Quinn

Featurette

Vanguard - Miranda Dalton Colley - Private i
Winner - John Paul Summers - The Art of Inflation

Feature Film
Vanguard - Drew Gayner - Pieces of Lilo
Winner - Sean Conte & John Honore - Gym Rat

Documentary

Vanguard - Driven by Angels - Seth Beckton & Brett Buescher

Winner - Chris Amodio - Remnants

DOUG AUSTIN HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Documentary - Crossing Tahoe

Narrative - That Girl

JOHN MILLIUS AWARD - BEST SCREENPLAY

Short Film

Vanguard - Cathlin McCullough - The Oldest

Winner - Anna Khaja - Headbang

Featurette

Vanguard - James Boss - Guns in Paradise

Winner - Jett Jansen Fernandez - Blue Evening

Feature Film
Vanguard - Joe Bartone - My Movie Starring Paul Dano

 Winner - Nathaniel Mathis - Pieces of Lilo

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

Short Film
Vanguard -  SilverSizzle

Winner -  The Embrace of a Bird
Featurette
Vanguard -  Sienna and the Sit

Winners -  Mother Knows Best & The Interview

Feature Film

Vanguard -  The Devil Returns to Monolith

Feature Film Winner -  Pieces of Lilo

BEST CHILD ACTOR

Vanguard
Gracie Jones - I Love You More Than Dinosaurs

Penn Black Howard - I Love You More Than Dinosaurs
WINNER 

Meara Wallace - The Oldest

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Vanguard

Lou Ferrigno - Gym Rat

Winner

Tom Costello - Pieces of Lilo

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Vanguard

Emma Reinagel - Quiet After Supper 

Annette Zumba - The Devil Returns to Monolith 

Winner

Maureen Kedes - Pieces of Lilo 

BEST ACTOR

Short Film

Vanguard - In Absentia - David Streames

Winner -  A Man Apart - Will Forte

Featurette

Vanguard - Grind - Giovanni Cristoff

Winner - Blue Evening - Gustavo Ramirez

Feature Film 

Vanguard - Gym Rat - Josh Murray

The Devil Returns to Monolith - Joe Zumba

Winner -  Pieces of Lilo - Adam Huss

BEST ACTRESS

Short Film

Vanguard - Glory Simon - Given

Winner - Zoe Yoeman - I Should Tell You

Featurette

Vanguard - WELL(NESS) - Kerri Van Auken

Winner - Mother Knows Best - Eve Austin 

Feature Film

Vanguard - Laura Cantwell - Quiet After Supper

Winner - Pieces of Lilo - Melany Smith 

BEST DIRECTOR 

Documentary Featurette or Short 

Vanguard - Monster Slayer

Winner - Remnants

Documentary Feature

Vanguard - Driven by Angels 

Winner - The Alvarado

Short Film

Vanguard - Good Boy & The Oldest

Winner - Dinner With Quinn - Dawn Fields

Featurette

Vanguard - Timewriter

Winner -  The Interview

Feature Film

Vanguard - Pieces of Lilo - Nathaniel Edward

Winner - My Movie Starring Paul Dano - Joe Bartone

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Short Film

Vasomotor Rhinitis

Featurette

Vanguard - Madre & The Death of a Hired Man
Winner - The Interview

Feature Film

Winner - Two is Too Many

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Short or Featurette

Vanguard - Monster Slayer
Winner - Remnants
Feature

Vanguard

Ramona and the Ballad of Juan Diego

Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story
Winner

The Alvarado

BEST SHORT FILM

Vanguard - Nic of Time & The Oldest

Winner - I Love You More Than Dinosaurs

BEST FEATURETTE

Vanguard - Guns in Paradise & Grind

Winner - Blue Evening

BEST FEATURE FILM

Vanguard

Eugene O’Neill’s - The First Man

My Movie Starring Paul Dano

Winner

Quiet After Supper

The Rustic Theatre Owners Choice Award

The Devil Returns to Monolith 

Festival Ambassadors' Choice Award

Driven By Angels

Festival Producers Choice Award

WELL(NESS)

Festival Directors Choice Award

That Girl

Audience Choice Award

Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story
Driven by Angels

Grand Jury Award

Pieces of Lilo

The Archer Award Best of Festival

Blue Evening 

INDIE SPIRIT AWARDS

Aliadas

Amadeus

Anxiety Club

Bellow

Betty & Mary: The Actors Prepare

Blue

Blue Moon Romance

Crossroads: Journey of the Heart

Desperate Measures

Flame Out

Fountain of Youth

Going Pro

I’m Running For My Life

Intervention

Kick The Can

Life Support

Love and Taxe$

Macabre

Malignant Practice

MascLooking

Mother Knows Best

My Little Hobby

Namas Dei: The Tucker J. James Story

No Slasher Here

Novel Idea

Now Smile

Object of Affection

Open House

Pizza Time Pizza

Remember This

Remnants

Quiet After Supper

Round The Corner

Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up

Spilt Guts

Swipe

The Art of Inflation

The Bank Yank

The Devil Returns to Monolith

The Haze

The Interview

The Long Way Back

The Nutcrackers at Wethersfield

The Other Side

The Sandwich Line

The Silver Lady

The Unburdened

The Wind

Travel Plans

Two is Too Many

Waiting for Aphrodite

WELL(NESS)

Work Sucks Presents: Kev Calls in Sick - The Animated Web Series