2026 winners
To qualify for an award, entries had to receive a score of 90 or above in judging
Screenplay awards
BEST SCREENPLAY (FEATURE)
Distant Lightning
Written by David Mills
BEST SCREENPLAY (SHORT- Horror Comedy)
A Huge F*cking Spider!
Written by Shane Thompson
BEST TV PILOT SCRIPT
The Deadlands
Written by Alex Edward McComas and Morgan Cyrus
BEST ACTION SCREENPLAY (FEATURE)
N-W-G (New World Gangsters)
Written by John Snell
BEST ACTION SCREENPLAY (SHORT)
Fingering Bigfoot
Written by James Ferda & Erik William
BEST DRAMA SCREENPLAY (FEATURE)
The Amazing Garrett Morgan
Written by David Siracusa
BEST DRAMA SCREENPLAY (SHORT)
Operation: ASHFALL
Written by D.J. Floyd
BEST HORROR SCREENPLAY (FEATURE)
Subsidence
Written by Lisa Nagy Isaacson
BEST HORROR SCREENPLAY (SHORT)
Shadowplay
Written by Derek Stewart and Kira L. Wilson
BEST SCI FI SCREENPLAY (FEATURE)
Goodbye, Sugar Planet
Written by Will Roane
BEST SCI FI SCREENPLAY (TV Pilot)
Vintrospection
Written by Lisa Nagy Isaacson
BEST SCI FI COMEDY SCREENPLAY (FEATURE)
The Snatchers
Written by Ernest Steven Koehler
BEST COMEDY SCREENPLAY (SHORT)
I THINK MY GUMMY JUST KICKED IN
Written by Amy Leigh McCorkle and Melissa Goodman
BEST HORROR COMEDY SCREENPLAY (FEATURE)
Death Can Be a Funny Business
Written by Joe Fishel
BEST DARK COMEDY SCREENPLAY (SHORT)
Flex
Written by Lea Devon Sorrentino
Film awards
Best Animated Short
Best Student Animated Short
Best Animated Feature
Best Action Feature
Best Action Short
Best Sci Fi short
Best Trailer
Best Microfilm
Best Student Microfilm
Best Music Video
Best Student Music Video
Best Drama Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Romantic Comedy Short
Best Comedy Short
Best Documentary Feature
Best Thriller Feature
Best Thriller Short
Best Experimental Short
Best Experimental Feature
Best Comedy Feature
Best Drama Feature
Best Dramedy Feature
Best TV Pilot
Best Webisode
Best Foreign Film
Best Director
Best of Festival 2025