SFFFF2026 AWARD-WINNERS

Best Short Documentary: 

Welcome to the Tenderloin

Director: Paul Ghusar (USA)

Best Environmental Film: 

Breaking Ice: The Making of Cracks In the Ice

Director: Jason Lindsey (USA)

Best Digital Feature Film: 

VIOLENT BUTTERFLIES

directed by Adolfo Davila (Mexico)

Best Student Director: 

Hazelbeth

Director: Graham Hastings (USA)

Best Surf/Skate Video: 

Tides of Time

directed by Grégory Mignard (France)

Best International Film: 

The Axe Forgets

Director: John Christopher (Ireland)

Best Animation: 

Like Friend, Like Deer

Director: Malek Eghbali (Iran)

Best LGBTQ Themed Film: 

Give Me the Money

Director Vida Behar (USA)

Best Music Video: 

Legs

Director: Haldean Brown (USA)

Best Feature Documentary: 

Following in the Footsteps of My Ancestors An Ute Kohler Documentary

Director Ute Koehler, Katherine Wermke (Germany)

First Time Director: 

The Rope

Director: Reza Sobhani (Iran)

Best Experimental Film

Like a Spiral

Director: Lamia Chraibi (Morocco, Canada, France)

Best Comedic Film: 

reCAPTURE

Director: Craig Smith (USA)

Best Dramatic Short Film: 

Avagunthan

Director: Dhani Jhankal (India)

Best Horror Film: 

Vibeland: Zodiac

Director: Rodrigo Williams and Alexi Papalexopoulos (USA)

Best Science Fiction

Miroirs d'Amour

Director: Pablo Trehin-Marcot (France)

Best Local Film: 

Avec Amour, Tu Tío

Director: Paul Abueg-Igaz (USA)

Best Virtual Reality: 

Touching the sky

Director: Jonathan Griffith (France, United Kingdom, USA)

Our Film Festival & Purpose

From our opening night gala featuring local musicians, local performers and local fine artists, to cutting edge student work, the Frozen Film Festival is helping to lead the film industry through an independent grass roots movement. Creative thinking and raw talent will rise if given a chance.

With the abundance of filmmakers in the world, but a relative lack of screening opportunities, we are proud to feature a selection of international and domestic films that will bring filmmakers from around the world to San Francisco to celebrate the power of cinema and art.

In addition to our annual international film festival, the SFFFF Youth Program is specifically focused on demonstrating to underserved youth that existing pathways do exist to help them find a career in the film arts. SFFFF holds annual music and art performances, as well as youth programming and awards presentations.