SXSW has officially revealed its 2026 Film and TV Festival Jury and Special Award winners, spotlighting a wide range of projects that stood out across this year’s program in Austin.
The awards span narrative and documentary features, shorts, independent TV pilots, music videos, XR experiences, and design, with winners selected by juries across each category. Special honors were also handed out recognizing innovation, storytelling impact, and emerging talent.
“This week reminded me, once again, why we do this,” said Claudette Godfrey, VP of Film and TV. “The world has felt heavy. But inside our theaters, something extraordinary happened. Strangers became collaborators, audiences showed up with their whole hearts, and filmmaker after filmmaker reminded us exactly why we gather.”
Among the top honors, Wishful Thinking directed by Graham Parkes took home the Narrative Feature Competition award, praised for its balance of humor, emotional depth, and genre storytelling. In Documentary Feature, Summer 2000 The X Cetra Story directed by Ayden Mayeri earned the top prize for its exploration of friendship, memory, and creative identity.
Short film categories delivered a wide mix of standout work. Souvenir won Narrative Short, while In The Morning Sun took Documentary Short. In animation, Don Hertzfeldt’s Paper Trail was recognized for its deeply personal and inventive storytelling approach.
Texas talent also made a strong showing, with Forcefield of Love winning the Texas Short Competition and Stages directed by Ryan Booth earning the SXSW Best of Texas Award.
Additional highlights included In My Blood winning the Independent TV Pilot Competition, Body Proxy taking the XR Experience Award, and Fogata by Rawayana and Bomba Estereo winning the Music Video Competition.
Special Awards rounded out the program, with A Long Goodbye receiving the Agog Immersive Impact Award, Plantman and Blondie A Dress Up Gang Film earning the Green Lens Award, and The Peril at Pincer Point taking the NEON Auteur Award. Benjamin Wiessner was honored with the Janet Pierson Champion Award for his contributions to independent film.
Audience Awards voting concluded March 18, with winners set to be announced on sxsw.com.
SXSW 2026 runs March 12 through March 18 in Austin, continuing its role as one of the most influential festivals at the intersection of film, television, and culture.
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