
2026 Marina del Rey Film Festival
Award Winners
Award Recipients Receive Certificate of Distinction in Independent Film Production
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE - BIG CITY PIZZA
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BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILM - SPIN
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BEST FAMILY FEATURE FILM - CHRISTMAS MIRACLE CHRONICLES
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BEST DRAMA SHORT - THE THINGS WE DO
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BEST DRAMA FEATURE FILM - SAE
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BEST MICRO SHORT - INTO THE ABYSS
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BEST HORROR SHORT - PERFECT TEN
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BEST COMEDY/HORROR SHORT - GRILLED CHEESE
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BEST ENSEMBLE CAST - SHORT FILM - BAD ALICE
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BEST ENSEMBLE CAST FEATURE FILM - THE HEIRESS
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BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO - AMEN I’M BLESSED
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BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT NARRATIVE FILM - FOREST 779
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR SHORT FILM - JAY PAULSON/THE PERFECT PALM
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR FEATURE FILM - Eric Roberts/THE DEAD SPEAK
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS SHORT FILM - Me'Tra Dee Carter/PLEASE STOP!
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FEATURE FILM - Anna Mae Gordon/WE BLEED PURPLE
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BEST ACTRESS - SHORT FILM
Christina Childress/WHILE YOU WERE FREEING THE WORLD
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BEST ACTRESS - FEATURE FILM - Alexis Knapp/PICK UP ARTIST
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BEST ACTOR - SHORT FILM -David Gianopoulos/I OFTEN DREAM OF TRAINS
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BEST ACTOR - FEATURE FILM - Mike Farrell/THE STRAWBERRY
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BEST INTERNATIONAL WEB SERIES - NOMEN NESCIO EPISODE 1
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BEST EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC VIDEO - ANOCHE
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BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM - THE MIRACLE OF YOU
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BEST EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE FILM - BEGET
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BEST SHORT FILM DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
"Day 474, and the Lingerings Thereafter"
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BEST DANCE SHORT - AIRE LIBRE
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BEST THRILLER FEATURE FILM - CONTRADICTION
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BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT DOCUMENTARY - CONSTANT BATTLES
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BEST VISUAL EFFECTS SHORT FILM - OUTWIT THE DEVIL
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT FILM
Debra Granieri/Barry & Bernice: L.A. Dating Chronicles
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY TV PILOT OR EPISODE - GROWING UP MOVIES
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY FEATURE - Mary Patel Gallagher/MOUSER
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BEST COMEDY SHORT - THE WRONG BOZOS
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BEST COMEDY FEATURE - MISS MATCHED
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BEST SOUND MUSIC VIDEO - GUARDIAN ANGEL
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BEST SOUND SHORT ANIMATION FILM - BOOMSHAKAMAGA
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BEST SOUND SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM - SAPPHIRE & SONG
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BEST SOUND SHORT FILM - IN PLAIN SIGHT
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BEST SOUND DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM - Francisco Letelier: "I Write Your Name"
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BEST SOUND FEATURE FILM - NOT TONIGHT
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BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY
Finding the Line - An Exploration of Structural Integration
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BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM - WELCOME TO VEGAS
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BEST SCI-FI THRILLER FEATURE FILM - SHORT FUSE
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN MUSIC VIDEO - DELUSION
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN SHORT FILM - ROCKETSHIP
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN FEATURE FILM - HEAVY LEATHER HITTERS
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BEST EDITING MUSIC VIDEO - Glory O - The Bold Fenian Men
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BEST EDITING SHORT ANIMATION - BRIDE
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BEST EDITING SHORT DOCUMENTARY - A DISASTER DIARY: LEARN. PRAY. PREPARE!
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BEST EDITING SHORT NARRATIVE - IT'S WEIRD NEXT DOOR
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BEST EDITING - FEATURE FILM
MORGAN WOOD "EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAPPENS SO MUCH"
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BEST EDITING - FEATURE FILM - A PROMISE
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY -MUSIC VIDEO - IT'S NOT GOODBYE - DECEMBER FADES
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - SHORT NARRATIVE FILM - LIKE A WILLOW TREE
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM - OF WATER AND WILL
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM - MY ASIAN CAM GIRL
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FEATURE FILM - QLC
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BEST DIRECTOR - MUSIC VIDEO
Nick Andrea/WISKEY WISPERERS (LAW & CHAOS) & MISSUS 2ND PLACE (LAW & ORDER)
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BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT ANIMATION - Nolan Wang/THE SHOUTING FOX
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BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Nick Andrus/THREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAI
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BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT FILM - JOEY MEDINA/ROXY & THE MAN
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BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - Chico Bryant/UNPUNISHED
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BEST DIRECTOR - FEATURE FILM - Jack Littman/JINX
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BEST STUDENT FILM - THE WAKE WE LIVE
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST MUSIC VIDEO - Soda Gardocki - Waltzes, Trains, Wires & Wood
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT ANIMATION - NONE OF THE ABOVE
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY- BEARS IN HOT TUBS
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT NARRATIVE - MEXICAN HAT
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST WEBISODE/WEB SERIES - ROUND THE CORNER
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST TV PILOT OR EPISODE -12 SIDED DIE, SEASON 2
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY - BY GEORGE
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY - WE ARE ANIMALS
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AUDIENCE AWARD BEST FEATURE - AMERICAN SPARK
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GRAND PRIZE MUSIC VIDEO - TRAIN AT SUNSET
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GRAND PRIZE BEST ANIMATED SHORT - DOUBLE BILL
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - ECHOES OF THE PALISADES
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST TV PILOT OR EPISODE - OUR FAMILY PRIDE
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST BEST WEBISODE/WEB SERIES - THE GOODYEARS
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GRAND PRIZE BEST NARRATIVE SHORT - RADICAL
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GRAND PRIZE BEST DOCUMENTARY - TELEVISION - BEFORE THE FOREST FALLS
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GRAND PRIZE BEST TELEVISION FILM - Students Are Heroes: A Sickle Cell Warriors Story
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GRAND PRIZE BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - NOTHING TO SEE HERE: WATTS
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST FEATURE - THE VANISHING TOUR
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MARINA DEL REY FILM FESTIVAL 2026 SCREENPLAY AWARDS
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BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
DRAMA/COMING OF AGE - STILLWATER BY Katie Ann O'Keefe
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BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY ANIMATION - POPS BY Jack Truman
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BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
COMEDY/FISH OUT OF WATER - ORANGUTAN SUMMER BY Steven M. Hirohama
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BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY THRILLER
The BEDLAM BALLAD OF LADY JESUS BY J. Quinzelle
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BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT SCREENPLAY - THE RURALS BY Judson Vaughan
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BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION SCREENPLAY - GENERIC JENNY BY Andrea Holz
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BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION PILOT
FOR MY BROTHER BY Lotty Jemima McNeil Greig
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BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCREENPLAY - The Talisman BY Kurt Anbarci
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BEST TELEVISION SCREENPLAY - DRAMEDY - CENTRAL FILL BY MG Hardie
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BEST TELEVISION DRAMA - ANN ARBOR BY Richard Redlo
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BEST TELEVISION SCREENPLAY
MURDER/MYSTERY - THE SINGING DETECTIVE “WHO KILLED LEX” BY Gary St. Martin
BEST TELEVISION PILOT - ACTION/MYSTERY- RANGER BY COLIN COSTELLO
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BEST SCI-FI FEATURE SCREENPLAY - MINT BY Jon Carlson
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BEST HORROR FEATURE SCREENPLAY - TOKYO GHOST BY Rachel Walsh-Williams
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BEST ROMANCE FEATURE SCREENPLAY
DATING INCORPORATED BY Donna Keegan, Marian Sing
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BEST COMEDY FEATURE SCREENPLAY - STREAMER OF THE YEAR BY William McNeill
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BEST SUPERNATURAL THRILLER FEATURE SCREENPLAY
ETERNAL BLESSINGS BY Michael Hilow
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BEST ENSEMBLE DRAMA SCREENPLAY - COME MONDAY BY Graham Streeter
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BEST SUPERNATURAL FEATURE SCREENPLAY - DAEMON BY Spencer Roberson
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BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY ADAPTED FROM ANOTHER MEDIUM
ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY BY James M Corkill
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BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY BASED ON A TRUE STORY
CALIFORNIA LISTEN BY Darshana V Nadkarni
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GRAND PRIZE BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - PEAK WATER BY John Boal
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GRAND PRIZE BEST TV SCRIPT - DEAD EAST “NIPPON FLIGHT 319” BY Paul Alan Gober
GRAND PRIZE TV PILOT - GROWN-ASS THEATER KIDS BY Benjamin Adams
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY - WAKE UP CALL BY Melanie Villines
& CARRY ME HOME BY ROBERT AMICO