André Is an Idiot, The Marching Band Awarded Best of Fest at Sedona International Film Festival

      Credit: Sedona International Film Festival

      The documentary André Is an Idiot, which follows a man seeking happiness after a terminal diagnosis, and the narrative film The Marching Band, centered on two brothers reuniting after one is diagnosed with leukemia, were awarded Best of Fest at the Sedona International Film Festival.

      Both films examine cancer but from vastly different perspectives. In André Is an Idiot, which had its premiere at Sundance earlier this year, documentarian Tony Benna chronicles the life of his friend André Ricciardi, who receives a terminal cancer diagnosis after neglecting a colonoscopy that could have caught the disease early. The documentary portrays a man determined to reject societal norms, including those surrounding death.

      The Marching Band, directed by Emmanuel Courcol, tells the story of an orchestra conductor (Benjamin Lavernhe) who takes a DNA test in search of a bone marrow donor following his leukemia diagnosis. He learns he is adopted and has an older brother (Pierre Lottin), a cook and trombone player in a marching band. This film debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

      The awards concluded nine days of films at the stunning 32nd edition of the Sedona International Film Festival, recognized as one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and among the 25 Coolest Film Festivals.

      Below is the complete list of winners.

      Sedona Film Festival 2026 Winners

      Directors’ Choice Awards 2026

      Best Feature – Drama: Mr. Burton

      Best Feature – Comedy: Ethan Bloom

      Best International Feature: The Marching Band

      Best Humanitarian Feature: Muganga

      Best Indie-Spirit Feature: The Fallow Few

      Most Impactful Film: Shambhala Story

      Most Inspirational Film: Mistake

      Best Family Film: The Secret Floor

      Best Documentary Feature: Sons of Detroit

      Non-Fiction New Visions Award: Room to Move

      Best Indie-Spirit Documentary: Creede U.S.A.

      Best Non-Fiction Storytelling: Natchez

      Most Inspirational Documentary: Dream Touch Believe

      Best Documentary Short: A Sacred Pause

      Best Indie-Spirit Documentary Short: Exodus

      Best Humanitarian Documentary Short: Rovina’s Choice

      Best Short Non-Fiction Storytelling: On Healing Lands, Birds Perch

      Best Short – Comedy: “Daniel Van den Berg is Dead”

      Best Short – Drama: “The Art of Inflation”

      Best International Short: “The Reach”

      Best Humanitarian Short: “Fundbox – A Love Story”

      Best Student Short: “The Demon Core”

      Best Animated Short: “WildKind”

      Best Indie-Spirit Short: “Two People Exchanging Saliva”

      Programmer’s Choice Best Short: Emergency

      Marion Herrman Excellence in Filmmaking Award: La Orquesta

      Screenplay Winners

      Feature Scripts: Burgirlry by Evan Laughlin

      Short Scripts: “Burning Hammer” by Dylan Wilson

      TV Pilots: Sally White by Katrina Jaxson

      Audience Choice Awards 2026

      Best Short – Drama: “The Ride”

      Best Short – Comedy: “Fitted Sheet”

      Best Student Short: “The Demon Core”

      Best Animated Short: “Forevergreen”

      Best Documentary Short: “Icebreakers”

      Best Documentary Feature: Dream Touch Believe

      Best International Documentary Feature: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

      Best Feature Drama: The Secret Floor

      Best Feature Comedy: Switch & Bait

      Best International Film: The Fallow Few

      Best of Fest

      Documentary: André Is an Idiot

      Narrative: The Marching Band

      Main image: André Ricciardi in André Is an Idiot. Sedona International Film Festival