Aspen’s 2026 Shortsfest announces winners

The 35th Aspen Shortsfest has announced its winning films. 

The festival, held April 7-11, was touted as one of the few Academy Award-qualifying events. This year’s edition featured 61 short films from more than 25 countries, including eight world premieres, according to organizers.

“It was incredible to see the quality of storytelling that happened in 20 minutes and how hard it is to do that,” Aspen Film Executive Director Kitty Boone said. “It’s quite amazing what comes out of their passion for film and a good story. To me, that was really powerful.”

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Aspen Film’s Shortsfest competition jury awarded films in six categories. The categories were Drama, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Short Short (films 10 minutes in length or under) and Student Short. The winning films qualify for the 2027 Academy Awards (with the exception of the Student Short category). There were more than 3,000 submissions, according to a press release.

The 2026 Shortsfest Jurors included Writer/Director Alex Heller, Producer Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo (New York Times Op Docs) and Film Critic, Entertainment Journalist and Festival Curator Claudia Puig.

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The Youth Jury of middle and high school students from across the Roaring Fork Valley awarded a prize to the film that they felt best reflects their peers. The 2026 student jurors included Jimmy Chuluun, Elliot Galbraith, Timothy Lindenfelser, Penelope Mathis and Caden Smith. 

“The Youth Jury worked so hard. They watched 35 of the 61 films. They debated every film. They really put the time and the hours in at night. They were just marvelous kids,” Boone said.

Additional awards presented during the April 11 ceremony included an Audience Award and an annual Ellen Jury — named in honor of Aspen Film’s Founder and longtime Executive Director Ellen Kohner Hunt, who died in 2021. 

The Ellen Jury Award is presented for artistic merit and originality. The 2026 Ellen Jurors included Jury Foreperson Gabrielle Rafelson, Chase Carter, Gregory Pickrell and Lewis Teague. 

Shortsfest award winners receive cash prizes of $1,250 or $2,500.

Winners list and jury statements:

Best Documentary and Audience Award Winner

“One Last Order,” directed by Sam Soko and Lauren DeFilippo (U.S.), won the documentary category as well as the Audience Award category.

“It was an incredibly marvelous documentary. It won the hearts of everybody,” Boone said. “It was really, really well-received and it was uplifting.”

The story followed the last day of a drive-thru employee after 37 years of work in Gainesville. She also came to Aspen and attended the festival with her family.

The jury statement shared, “While we are living in particularly tumultuous times, when the news can feel like an endless cycle of darkness, it feels especially important to shed light on the joyful moments of humanity. The jury was taken for an exciting and moving ride by this film’s celebration of a resilient, hardworking subject who united a community with her generous spirit.”

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Best Animation Winner

“Sulaimani,” directed by Vinnie Ann Bose (France), won the animation category. 

“With warmth and tenderness, this film masterfully mixes disparate animation styles to explore the meaning of home and the nature of identity. The director’s choice to move between 2-D and stop-motion crafts a world in which memory isn’t fixed but fluid and everlasting,” according to the jury statement.

Best Drama Winner

“Pale Sun” or (“Soleil Pâle”) directed by Adrian Moyse Dullin and Jawahine Zentar (France) won the drama category.

“This film impressed the jury with its visceral depiction of shame, love and loyalty, as well as the nuanced performances between father and son and a stunningly complicated family dynamic. It took us on an emotional ride that evoked tragedy without exploiting it, leaving us hopeful and moved. It’s a lesson about publicly claiming someone as your own, without preaching,” according to the jury statement. 

The film also received a special mention from the Youth Jury.

Best Comedy Winner

“Callback,” directed by Matthew Puccini (U.S.), won for Best Comedy 

“The jury was struck by its wryly funny script, romantic tension and the engaging, convincing performances by Justin H. Min and Michael Hsu Rosen — as well as the complex look the film takes at unresolved hierarchies within relationships,” according to the jury statement.

Best Short Short Winner

“Still Standing” won best Short Short, directed by Victor Tadashi Suarez and Livia Albeck-Ripka (U.S.).

“In the aftermath of the devastating Eaton Fire, this probing documentary focused on the thousands whose houses didn’t burn, but who are now living in an environment contaminated with dangerous toxins,” according to the jury statement. “The film offers a compelling, unsettling and eye-opening look at the aftermath of one of California’s worst disasters.”

Ellen Jury Award Winner

“We Were Here,” directed by Pranav Bhasin (India), won the Ellen Jury.

“This year, we selected a poignant, unconventional and beautifully crafted film. A topically relevant piece that uses clever humor to illustrate the cost that pervasive technology can have on the human spirit,” according to the jury statement. “This hilarious short shows us how effective it can be when people band together to make a change.”

Best Student Short Winner

“Irtizaz,” directed by  Sara Balghonaim (Saudi Arabia, U.S.), won the student short category.

“This film navigates complex societal and familial expectations with a sense of humor, horror and imagination. The jury was struck by how the director portrayed these tensions with playfulness and honesty,” according to the jury statement.

A special mention went  to “Talk Me,” directed by Joecar Hanna (Spain, U.S.).

Youth Jury Award Winner

The Youth Jury  chose “The Meloneers,” directed by Brendan Young (U.S.) as the winner. 

The runner-up for the Audience Award went to “The Baddest Speechwriter of All,” directed by Ben Proudfoot and Stephen Curry (U.S.). 

For more information on the awards, visit aspenfilm.org.