2026 Award Winners
Announced at the closing Awards Ceremony
What a festival! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Footcandle Film Festival. At our closing Awards Ceremony we honored this year's standout films and filmmakers — congratulations to all of our winners.
Scriptwriting
The Light Keepers
by Duncan B. Putney
Best Audience Award
River Warrior
Directed by Haley Mellon
United States
Audience Favorite Children's Short Film
Line 12
Directed by Sarah Schulz, Christopher Schmier
Germany
Best Documentary Short
A Man Who Takes Pictures of Flowers
United States
Audience Favorite Documentary Short
A Short Documentary About A Giant Pencil
Directed by Daniel Straub
United States
Best Narrative Short
Somewhere To Be
Directed by Christy Chan
United States
Audience Favorite Narrative Short
The Piano
United States
FilmLAB
Amper&Sand
Directed by The Coworkers
Best International Film
Kikuyu Land
Directed by Andrew H. Brown, Bea Wangondu
Kenya
Best Narrative Feature
Project Herbert
Netherlands
Audience Favorite Narrative Feature
Project Herbert
Netherlands
Best Documentary Feature
Kikuyu Land
Directed by Andrew H. Brown, Bea Wangondu
Kenya
Audience Favorite Documentary Feature
Crime & Parody
United States
Congratulations to every filmmaker who shared their work with us this year, and thank you to our members, sponsors, and volunteers for making it all possible. We'll see you next year! Questions? Email us at info@footcandle.org.