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

Short Film Winner - Headbang

Featurette Vanguard - The Death of the Hired Man

Featurette Winner - Died Twice 

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

Short Film Winner - The Oldest

Featurette Vanguard - That Girl

Featurette Winner - Timewriter

Featurette Winner - WELL(NESS)

Feature Film Vanguard - Gym Rat

Feature Film Winner - Quiet After Supper

Documentary Vanguard - Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story

Documentary Winner - Driven By Angels

SOUND DESIGN
Short Film Vanguard - A Man Apart

Short Film Winner - In Absentia

Featurette Vanguard - Grind

Featurette Winner - The Art of Inflation
Feature Film Vanguard - Quiet After Supper

Feature Film Winner - My Movie Starring Paul Dano
Documentary Short or Featurette Vanguard - Jonny McCoy - A Badge of Disrespect
Documentary Short or Featurette Winner - Remnants

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

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Short Film Vanguard - Mr. Harris - Pat Shafer

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

Featurette Vanguard - Roughing It - Niki Hexum and Zack Hexum

Featurette Winner - The Interview - Joshua Eustis

Feature Film Vanguard - Pieces of Lilo - Kase Reese

Feature Film Winner - Gym Rat - Justin R. Durban

Documentary Vanguard - Group Home Gradz

Documentary Winner - Ramona and the Ballad of Juan Diego

JUAN RUIZ ANCHIA AWARD - BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

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

Featurette Vanguard - Miranda Dalton Colley - Private i
Featurette Winner - John Paul Summers - The Art of Inflation
Feature Film Vanguard - Drew Gayner - Pieces of Lilo
Feature Film Winner - Sean Conte & John Honore - Gym Rat

Documentary Vanguard - Driven By Angels - Seth Beckton & Brett Buescher

Documentary 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

Short Film Winner - Anna Khaja - Headbang

Featurette Vanguard - James Boss - Guns in Paradise

Featurette Winner - Jett Jansen Fernandez - Blue Evening
Feature Film Vanguard - Joe Bartone - My Movie Starring Paul Dano

Feature Film 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 & Rheagan Wallace

Featurette Winner - Mother Knows Best - Eve Austin 

Feature Film Vanguard -  Laura Cantwell - Quiet After Supper

Feature Film 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

Best International Short Film

Vasomotor Rhinitis

Best International Featurette

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

Best International Feature Film

Winner - Two is Too Many

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Best Documentary Short or Featurette - 

Vanguard - Monster Slayer
Winner - Remnants

Best Documentary 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