Awards 2026
Honorary Awards
This year’s crop of Denver Film Festival award honorees spans from local legends to industry titans, new and emerging voices to established artists continuing to push the boundaries of their craft, and everywhere in between. Denver Film is proud to recognize the artists and performers who remind us why we keep coming back to the movies.
Meet the honorees who represent the creativity and inspiration that make both Colorado’s film industry and the world of cinema so exciting:
![[gpt-4o]: Benedetta looking directly at the camera, neutral expression](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/BenedettaHS.png)
Maria and Tomasso Maglione Italian Filmmaker Award
Celebrating excellence in directing, the Maria and Tomasso Maglione Italian Filmmaker Award recognizes an outstanding Italian filmmaker with a $10,000 cash prize. This year’s honor goes to Benedetta Porcaroli, recognizing her distinctive voice and achievement behind the camera in The Kidnapping of Arabella.
![[gpt-4o]: CoonHeadshot.png shows a person with short blond hair, resting their face on their hand, wearing a blue shirt, looking contemplative](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/CoonHeadshot.png)
Excellence in Acting
For a standout performance in The Liberation, Carrie Coon receives this year’s Excellence in Acting Award, honoring the depth, nuance, and artistry she brings her role as a Holocaust survivor who renounces her family to join the Harmonia commune cult.
![[gpt-4o]: Acord smiling warmly against a dark background](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Acord-Headshot.png)
Excellence in Sound Design
Recognizing exceptional craft in shaping the sonic world of a film, the Excellence in Sound Design Award goes to David Acord for his outstanding sound design in Behemoth!
![[gpt-4o]: LizSHS.png smiling and looking upwards against a red background](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/LizSHS.png)
Breakthrough Director
With Take Me Home, Liz Sargent establishes herself as an exciting new voice behind the camera. Her work on the film is recognized with this year’s Breakthrough Director Award.
![[gpt-4o]: JC displaying a confident expression, wearing a patterned shirt and blazer](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/JCHeadshot.png)
The Outlaw Award
For his unforgettable turn in Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother, John Cho receives the Outlaw Award, celebrating one of the year’s great on-screen villains.
![[gpt-4o]: Fred looking upward thoughtfully with hand behind neck](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/FredHeadshot.png)
The Rising Star Award
Recognizing an up-and-coming performer whose work stands among the year’s finest, the Rising Star Award is presented to Fred Hechinger for his role in A Long Winter, as Denver Film celebrates a talent poised to make his mark on the industry.
![[gpt-4o]: GitlinHS.png showing a man with glasses, gray hair, and a calm expression against a blurred background](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/GitlinHS.png)
Stan Brakhage Vision Award
Pushing the boundaries of what cinema can be, Michael Gitlin receives the Stan Brakhage Vision Award, honoring a filmmaker whose work advances the spirit of avant-garde and experimental filmmaking.
In Competition Awards
This year’s films In Competition represent the most exciting across the entire Denver Film Festival. With stories that had us laughing, crying, stunned, and surprised, these films are vying for top honors at this year’s festival.
Meet the films In Competition at DFF49:
![[gpt-4o]: KKHead.png portrays a thoughtful man in glasses against abstract background](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/KKHead-aspect-ratio-610-450.png)
Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film
The Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film is presented to a feature-length film that reflects the artistic sensibilities of the late Polish director. The award was established under the auspices of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland and in collaboration with the widow of the late director.
- All of a Sudden (France, Japan), directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- Clarissa (Nigeria, United States), directed by Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
- Growth of the Soil (Norway), directed by Hans Petter Moland
- La Bola Negra (Spain, France), directed by Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
- Minotaur (France, Latvia, Germany), directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev
- Possible Love (Republic of Korea (South Korea), directed by Lee Chang-dong
![[gpt-4o]: Maysles.jpg features two smiling men, one with a camera, the other with headphones](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Maysles-aspect-ratio-610-450.jpg)
Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary
In the early 1960s, two brothers started a revolution in documentary filmmaking. Albert and his late brother David pioneered the method called direct cinema. Hand-held cameras and lightweight sound equipment made possible an immediacy and spontaneity that led to an entirely new way of making films uniquely suited to non-fiction subjects. The Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary is presented to a filmmaker who best represents the truth and purity of documentary filmmaking as established by the Maysles Brothers.
- Edward Said: Between Worlds (United States), directed by Maiken Baird
- Nuisance Bear (Canada, United States, United Kingdom), directed by Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman
- Once Upon a Time in Harlem (United States), directed by David Greaves
- Rehearsals for a Revolution (Czech Republic, Spain, Iran), directed by Pegah Ahangarani
- SUMO: Spirit Weighs Nothing (Japan, United States, United Kingdom), directed by Erik Shirai
- Whispers in May (Hong Kong, Netherlands, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Sweden), directed by Dongnan Chen
![[gpt-4o]: A person with an eyepatch and a boy hide behind rocks and a tree stump, both looking alert in overcast landscape](https://www.denverfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TrueGrit-aspect-ratio-610-450.webp)
The True Grit Award
The True Grit Award celebrates the filmmakers and stories that reflect the creativity, spirit, and distinctive voices of the Centennial State. Returning to the Festival as a juried award category, True Grit honors the best Colorado productions with awards for best feature film and best short. Sponsored by the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media.
- Art Not as Usual (United States), directed by Annie Eastman
- Good Help (United States), directed by Rebekah Henderson, Lilah Park
- Hot Water (United States), directed by Ramzi Bashour
- Ideas of Order (United States), directed by Erin Espelie
- The River (United States), directed by Mara Gasbarro Tasker
- Watch You Rise (United States), directed by Isabella Grace Cohn
- Welcome to the Fishbowl (United States), directed by Sheryl Glubok
- Colorado Shorts: Documentary
- Colorado Shorts: Narrative