Berlin Indie Film FestivalSeptember 2026
Award Recipients
Best Feature Film
Blindly VICTORIOUS
Giacomo J Moncada
Best Feature Film, German Production
Dirty Talks
Markus Scherm
Best Documentary
Chasing Glory
Xuban Intxausti
Best Short Film
Michèle
Laura Legge
Best Short Film, German Production
ICARO
Massimiliano Ferlat
Best Actress - Short Film
Guila Clara Kessous
Woman on rope
Best Actor - Short Film
Emanuele Giorgi
KAIRE! ( Rejoice )
Best Director - Feature Film
Domagoj Mazuran, Zoran Lisinac
STORM RIDER : Legend of Hammerhead
Best Director - Short Film
Joshua Burandt
The Scent of Rain
Best Director - Documentary
Paul Mellor, Luke Jarmey
Lazarus Lake, The Hillbilly Scientist
Best Actress - Feature Film
Erin Smelcer
One With Nature
Best Actor - Feature Film
Alfonso DiLuca
Dangerous Illusion
Best Music Video
Why Did You Come
Hua Zeng
Best Student Film
Insufficient balance
Meng Ti Lin
Best Experimental Film
Dark Skies, Hot Planet, Cool Gaze
Barry Vacker
Best Animation
Eastern White
Andreea Căprariu
Best Comedy Short Film
Eye Contact
Zack Slouka
Best Dance Film
THE COOLPOCKETS STORY
Paul Guzman-Sanchez
Best Green & Environment Film
ECONOCLAST: HERMAN DALY AND THE GOSPEL OF GROWTH
John Edmund de Graaf
Best Thriller
on the Queensboro bridge
Minae Elena Kim
Best Editing
Lazarus Lake, The Hillbilly Scientist
Sam Holding
Best Cinematography
THE UNBEARABLE GRAVITY OF BEING
NACHO ECHEBERRÍA
Best First Time Director, Feature
Renzo Puch
AV.LIMA
Best First Time Director, Short Film
John P. Arnold
Blue
Best First Time Director, Documentary
Henrik Völkl
One more time
Best AI-generated Film
NOBODY WENT TO THE MOON
Wanja Olten
Best First Time Director - Short Documentary
Zesong Chen
Where Incense Never Fades
Award
—
Best Feature Film
Blindly VICTORIOUS
Giacomo J Moncada
Best Feature Film, German Production
Dirty Talks
Markus Scherm
Best Documentary
Chasing Glory
Xuban Intxausti
Best Short Film
Michèle
Laura Legge
Best Short Film, German Production
ICARO
Massimiliano Ferlat
Best Actress - Short Film
Guila Clara Kessous
Woman on rope
Best Actor - Short Film
Emanuele Giorgi
KAIRE! ( Rejoice )
Best Director - Feature Film
Domagoj Mazuran, Zoran Lisinac
STORM RIDER : Legend of Hammerhead
Best Director - Short Film
Joshua Burandt
Der Geruch von Regen
Best Director - Documentary
Paul Mellor, Luke Jarmey
Lazarus Lake, The Hillbilly Scientist
Best Actress - Feature Film
Erin Smelcer
One With Nature
Best Actor - Feature Film
Alfonso DiLuca
Dangerous Illusion
Best Music Video
Why Did You Come
Hua Zeng
Best Student Film
Insufficient balance
Meng Ti Lin
Best Experimental Film
Dark Skies, Hot Planet, Cool Gaze
Barry Vacker
Best Animation
Eastern White
Andreea Căprariu
Best Comedy Short Film
Eye Contact
Zack Slouka
Best Dance Film
THE COOLPOCKETS STORY
Paul Guzman-Sanchez
Best Green & Environment Film
ECONOCLAST: HERMAN DALY AND THE GOSPEL OF GROWTH
John Edmund de Graaf
Best Thriller
on the Queensboro bridge
Minae Elena Kim
Best Editing
Lazarus Lake, The Hillbilly Scientist
Sam Holding
Best Cinematography
THE UNBEARABLE GRAVITY OF BEING
NACHO ECHEBERRÍA
Best First Time Director, Feature
Renzo Puch
AV.LIMA
Best First Time Director, Short Film
John P. Arnold
Blue
Best First Time Director, Documentary
Henrik Völkl
One more time
Best AI-generated Film
NOBODY WENT TO THE MOON
Wanja Olten
Best First Time Director - Short Documentary
Zesong Chen
Where Incense Never Fades