At Indy Shorts 2026, three films receive top honors and qualify for the Oscars.

      "La barrière" by Christophe Deram, "Stalin Boys" by Bianca Giaever and Ora DeKornfeld, and "9 Million Colors" by Bára Anna Stejskalová qualified for the 2027 Academy Awards® and each received $5,000 at the 2026 Indy Shorts Film Festival.

      The festival, sponsored by TQL Wealth Management, distributed over $35,000 in cash awards during its awards brunch on Saturday at Tinker House Events in Indianapolis. With the theme Shorts & Sweets, the event showcased 266 short films from July 21-26 and attracted a record 350 filmmakers.

      Indy Shorts is listed among the 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.

      “Festivals are about discovery, community, and celebration, and it’s been a thrill to see those elements come together this week at Indy Shorts,” said Artistic Director Greg Sorvig. “Congratulations to this year's outstanding jury award winners and to Pioneering Spirit Award Winner Sam Davis, who returned to Indy to present an encore of Live Action Short Oscar® Winner ‘The Singers,’ which qualified as our 2025 Narrative Grand Prize Winner!”

      All award-winning films will be accessible through two virtual programs: Award Winners 1 and Award Winners 2, available until August 2.

      The festival featured 21 films with ties to Indiana, with the Indiana Spotlight Narrative Award, along with a $1,000 cash prize, going to director Bella Ray Rosales for "Lottie Baby." The Hoodox Indiana Spotlight Documentary Award and the accompanying $1,000 cash prize were awarded to director Jason Whalen for "Finding A Way: Revitalizing Nature in America’s Heartland."

      Sam Davis, whose Oscar-winning short "The Singers" qualified for an Oscar last year after winning the 2025 Indy Shorts Narrative Grand Prize, received the Pioneering Spirit Award. Davis was also affiliated with three films shown at the 2026 Indy Shorts Film Festival: "He’s Out There," "Callback," and "One Twenty-Six."

      Ben Proudfoot, the recipient of the festival’s 2023 Pioneering Spirit Award, presented the award to Sam Davis. Proudfoot is a two-time Oscar-winning director for "The Queen of Basketball" and "The Last Repair Shop." An alumnus of Indy Shorts, he returned with "The Baddest Speechwriter of All," which won the Jenni Berebitsky Legacy Award and a cash prize of $1,800. The film was acquired by Netflix and is set for release later this year.

      The Audience Choice Award winners were revealed on Monday. "The Second Life of Freddie Nole," directed by Dana Nachman, earned the Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award along with a $1,000 cash prize and the Documentary Audience Choice Award. "The Human, Will," directed by Edward Bursch, secured both the Episodic Award and the Audience Choice Episodic Award, each with a $1,000 cash prize.

      The Overall Audience Choice Award and a $1,000 cash prize were awarded to "A Family Woman" by Anna Arden and Linnea Arden, which made its World Premiere at Indy Shorts. The World Premiere of "The Method," by Luke Howe, won the Narrative Audience Choice Award and a $500 cash prize.

      The complete list of the 2026 Indy Shorts Film Festival Award Winners can be found below, courtesy of the festival. More details can be accessed at IndyShorts.org.

      2026 Indy Shorts Winners

      ACADEMY AWARD® QUALIFIED | Narrative Short

      Narrative Grand Prize | $5,000

      "La barrière" by Christophe Deram (France)

      Géraldine, a young stage manager, is blocking a deserted road for a film shoot near Calais. Not many people pass, except Amar, a Syrian refugee.

      Jury statement: “This year’s winner is a remarkable short film that achieves an extraordinary emotional impact through its simplicity, precision, and creative vision. While migration has been widely depicted in cinema, this story brings a perspective that is both timely and deeply human. It accomplishes much with little, leaving a lasting impression through its emotional richness, genuine performances, engaging dialogue, and proficient direction.”

      ACADEMY AWARD® QUALIFIED | Documentary Short

      Documentary Grand Prize | $5,000

      "Stalin Boys" by Bianca Giaever and Ora DeKornfeld (United States)

      In a Texas border town, four middle school boys develop a peculiar fascination with Joseph Stalin. While preparing a play about Stalin for the Texas State History Fair, they are compelled to confront their own connections to power and authority.

      Jury statement: “The film escorts us into its world through an eccentric young teen who alarmingly seems to idolize Josef Stalin while preparing a school play about the dictator. As we engage with this small Texas town, far-removed from