Festival Awards

2026 Awards

On Sunday, March 29th, the festival’s closing day, a special Awards Brunch recognized the winners of both the Audience Awards and the Grand Jury Prize Awards.

The Audience Awards—determined by audience balloting throughout the festival—were presented for Best Film, Best Documentary, and Best Short Film, reflecting the films that resonated most with festivalgoers.

The Grand Jury Prize Awards, selected by a panel of industry professionals, recognize excellence in multiple categories, including Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, and Best Documentary Short.

With its commitment to championing bold and original storytelling, SIFF’s Awards Program offers filmmakers a prestigious platform to gain recognition and elevate their work on the global stage.

2026 Audience Awards

The Stolman Audience Award for Best Film

The Christophers (United Kingdom)  Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

• 1st Runner-up: You Found Me (France)  Directed by: Alice Vial
• 2nd Runner-up: Primavera (Italy)  Directed by: Damiano Michieletto
• 3rd Runner-up: Colors Of Time (France)  Directed by: Cedric Klapisch
• 4th Runner-up: I Swear (United Kingdom)  Directed by: Kirk Jones

The A3 Audience Award for Best Documentary

Jane Elliott Against the World (USA)  Directed by: Judd Ehrlich

• 1st Runner-up: The Six Billion Dollar Man (USA)  Directed by: Eugene Jarecki
• 2nd Runner-up: The Art of Adventure (Canada)  Directed by: Alison Reid
• 3rd Runner-up: The Balloonists (USA)  Directed by: John Dower
• 4th Runner-up: Raoul's, A New York Story (USA)  Directed by: Greg Olliver, Karim Raoul

The McNeely Award for Best Short Film

Abalone Stories: Loss, Connection, Renewal (USA)  Directed by: Cynthia Abbott

• 1st Runner-up: Sense of Emergency (USA)  Directed by: Madeline Down
• 2nd Runner-up: Sauna Sickness (Sweden)  Directed by: Malin Barr
• 3rd Runner-up: Check Please (USA)  Directed by: Shane Chung
• 4th Runner-up: Last Days on Lake Trinity (USA)  Directed by: Charlotte Cooley

2026 Grand Jury Awards

Grand Jury Award - Narrative Feature

Maspolomas 

Jury Statement from the Narrative Feature Grand Jury: Gregory Ellwood (Playlist), Kirsten Schaffer (Women in Film), and Max Geschwind (CAA).

"For an authentic and rare depiction of an elder man confronting personal and physical crisis at the onset of the covid pandemic, we award the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature to Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga for the nuanced and moving queer drama MASPALOMAS."

Special Jury Prize for Directing 

Marie-Elsa Sgualdo

Silent Rebellion

"For its unflinching portrayal of a virtuous teen in WWII era Europe we are awarding a Special Jury Prize for Directing to Marie-Elsa Sgualdo for her excellence in crafting intimate storytelling and grounded performances in SILENT REBELLION."

Grand Jury Award - Documentary Feature

"This year the jury wants to recognize a film that represents what authentic truth looks like among the squalor of our politics. The award-winning film is a nuanced portrait of leadership and responsibility that also provides a clear and honest account of the challenges and apparent harms that come from seeking to change the world. The language of change is complex, and sometimes it’s as simple as using the right name. The jury is honored to platform a story that showcases the wholeness of a person in an industry and society so quick to tokenize. The Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Sonoma International  Film Festival this year goes to Chase Joynt for State of Firsts."

Special Mention for Cultural, Environmental and Community Impact: Abalone Stories: Loss, Connection, Renewal (USA, Dir. Cynthia Abbott)

Grand Jury Award - Best Short Documentary

Dir. Irving Serrano and Victor Rejon

Jury Statement from the Short Film Grand Jury: Kerry Barden (Casting Director), Erik Anderson (AwardsWatch), and Schuyler Fisk (Artist). 

"Through stunning editing and black-and-white cinematography, the dangerous lives of cliff divers old and young, and what keeps them coming back, opened our eyes to a world we’d never seen and wanted to explore more of."

Grand Jury Award - Best Animated Short

Dir. Baz Sells

"For its depiction of the evolution of humanity and innocence corrupted by society, the film shows the life of boys becoming men in the face of the darkest levels of adversity with poetic beauty."

Special Mention for Directing: Domingo Familiar (Mexico, Dir. Gerardo del Razo)

Grand Jury Award - Best Live Action Short 

"As funny as it is heartwarming and creative, this meta father/son comedy is a wonderful representation of familial support while navigating personal and career uncertainty."