See also Winter 2025-2026 Award Winners – Technical Competitions
Best Narrative Short (Grand Jury Prize)
How to Rebury Your Friend by Pengfei Fan (China)


Outstanding Achievement Award (Grand Jury Prize) for Narrative Short
Anyways by Danni Wang (China)



Honorable Mention (Grand Jury Prize) for Narrative Short
The Secret Night by Yitong Liu (China)


Best Foreign Short (Grand Jury Prize)
Mom Is Here by Zhigang Zhao (China)


Outstanding Achievement Award (Grand Jury Prize) for Foreign Short
The Gift of Talisman by Weixing Chen (China)


Honorable Mention (Grand Jury Prize) for Foreign Short
Ball by Fubao Fan (China)


Best Documentary Short: Iran In The Hermitage by Behrouz Sebt Rasoul (Iran)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Documentary Short): The 3100 by Mark Fisher (USA)
Honorable Mention (Documentary Short): The Road to Til by Rajan Kathet (Nepal)
Best Comedy Short: Jingle Jangle by Sionne Elise (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Comedy Short): Veronica by Brett Dos Santos (USA)
Honorable Mention (Thriller Short): Evening Class by Michael Clark Haney (USA)
Honorable Mention (Sci-Fi Short): Wake Up, Dolores! by Dan James Rathke (USA)
Best Fantasy Short: The Forgotten Door by Anzor Mulkoev (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Fantasy Short): The Dandelion Girl by Rogan Lovse (Canada)
Best Animation Short: Smudge: An Inkomplete Tale by Brenda Weede (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Animation Short): Rooary by Octavio Ponce (USA)
Honorable Mention (Animation Short): Semicolon by Ye Chen (USA)
Best Children Short: I Wanna Go Home by Nan Xi (China)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Children Short): Our Monsters by Mia Petrovic (Canada)
Best Student Short: Swan’s Requiem by Wenjing Xing (China)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Student Short): A Lasting Place by Juwan Rashaad Howard (USA)
Best Newcomer Short: Habitat by Lezhi Niu (China)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Newcomer Short): Am Wasser by Claudius von Stolzmann (Austria/Germany)
Honorable Mention (Experimental Short): Like A Willow Tree by S. Kyle Robisnon (USA)
Best Microfilm: Unruly by David Ernesto Herrera (UK)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Microfilm): What Could Have Been by Amanda Barakat and Sam Chou (Canada)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Web Series/TV Pilot): Viscountess and Maidservant (Episodes 1-4) by Greg Lastrapes(USA)
Best Music Video: You Are Special by Ilia Noyabrov (Ukraine)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Music Video): Lullaby by Oleksandr Shvets (Ukraine)
Honorable Mention (Music Video): Sacred Heart by Christopher Cash (USA)
Best Short Script: World With No Bargains by William Mariano (USA)
Outstanding Achievement Award (Short Script): A Choice by Sophia Lee (USA)
Honorable Mention (Short Script): Crime & Punishment 2121 by Jim Norman (USA)

























See also Winter 2025-2026 Award Winners – Technical Competitions
Cal Film Festival 2023-2026 © All Rights Reserved