FEATURE FILM AWARDS
Best Picture
2026: Mouse
2025: Burt
2024: Et Tu
2023: The Duel
2022: Americanish
2021: Trees of Peace
2020: Seneca
2019: This World Alone
2018: The Idea of Manhood
2017: Brave New Jersey
2016: Coming Through the Rye
2015: Wildlike
2014: The House That Jack Built
2013: Putzel
2012: Shuffle
2011: A Little Help
2010: The Rivals
2009: Lightbulb
2008: Take
2007: Little Chenier
2006: Andrew Jenks, Room 335
2005: Checking Out
2004: Break a Leg
2003: Melvin Goes to Dinner
2002: Do It for Uncle Manny
2001: Middlemen
Best Documentary
2026: STREET SMART: Lessons From a TV Icon
2025: Segal
2024: ACID Canal
2023: Spellers
2022: InHospitable
2021: In the Dark of the Valley
2020: After the Murder of Albert Lima
2019: General Magic
2018: Abducted in Plain Sight (aka “Forever B”)
2017: The Long Way Back: The Story of Todd “Z-Man” Zalkins
2016: Rwanda and Juliet
2015: Angel of Nanjing
2014: The Joe Show
2013: Los Wild Ones
2012: We Run Sh*t
2011: Thespians
2010: 9000 Needles
2009: The Way We Get By
2008: Finding Kraftland
2007: Golden Days
2006: Life After Tomorrow
2005: Champion
2004: Up for Grabs
2003: The Journey
2002: Speed City
Best Director
2026: Sara Joe Wolansky — The Big Cheese
2025: Jared Isaac — An Autumn Summer
2024: Robert Budreau — Queen of Bones
2023: Mike Cheslik — Hundreds of Beavers
2022: Alana Waksman — We Burn Like This
2021: Alanna Brown — Trees of Peace
2020: Jason Chaet — Seneca
2019: Sean Cunningham — Hudson
2018: Zack Wilcox — Hunting Lands
2017: Jody Lambert — Brave New Jersey
2016: Operator – Logan Kibens
2015: Khalil Sullins — Listening
2014: Henry Barrial – The House That Jack Built
2013: Chris Eska — The Retrieval
2012: Kurt Kuenne — Shuffle
2011: Ron Eyal — Stranger Things
2010: Kate Lindboe — NONAMES
2009: Jeffrey Balsmeyer — Lightbulb
2008: Thomas Whelan — The Art Of Travel
2007: Jordan Albertsen — The Standard
2006: Julie Stevens and Gil Cates Jr. — Life After Tomorrow
2005: Ken Kwapis — Sexual Life
2004: Philip Angelotti, Jr. —You Got Nothin’
2003: John Carlos Frey — The Gatekeeper
2002: Dan Bootzin — Life/Drawing
2001: Kevin Speckmaier — Middlemen
Best Screenplay
2026: Kenny Riches — Mouse
2025: Steven Sears and Devin Sidell — Love, Danielle
2024: Max Tzannes — Et Tu
2023: Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts — The Duel
2022: Christopher Rucinski — Northern Shade
2021: Jason Naczek — Small Town Wisconsin
2020: Prarthana Mohan, Kay Tuxford — The Miseducation of Bindu
2019: Hudson Phillips — This World Alone
2018: Serge Kushnier — The Idea of Manhood
2017: Julian Fort — The Midnighters
2016: Coming Through the Rye — James Sadwith
2015: Frank Hall Green — Wildlike
2014: Joseph Vasquez – The House That Jack Built
2013: Paul Osborne — Favor
2012: Andrew Disney — Searching for Sonny
2011: Tara Miele — The Lake Effect
2010: Todd Berger — The Scenesters
2009: Kevin Sheridan — Leaving Barstow
2008: Chad Shonk — Dakota Skye
2007: Court Crandall — a Lobster Tale
2006: Paul Osbourne — Ten Til Noon
2005: Richard Marcus — Checking Out
2004: Philip Angelotti, Jr. & Steven Langa — You Got Nothin’
2003: Chris Philpott — The Happy Couple
2002: Scott Benefiel — The Month of August
2001: Stephen Burrows — Chump Change
Best ACTING Ensemble
2026: The Only Way Out is Through
2025: Burt
2024: Okie
2023: Brutal Season
2022: Dear Zoe
2021: Downeast
2020: The Immortal Jellyfish
2019: Hudson
2018: Rich Kids
2017: Brave New Jersey
2016: Welcome to Happiness
2015: Wildlike
2014: Teddy Bears
2013: The Retrieval
2012: Searching for Sonny
2011: The Lake Effect
2010: NONAMES
2009: Calling It Quits
2008: Take
2007: Little Chenier
2006: Self Medicated
2005: A Relative Thing
2004: Black Cloud
2003: Melvin Goes to Dinner
2002: Dead Dogs Lie
2001: Rollercoaster
Best Community spotlight feature
2024: Scarlet Winter
2023: Junho
JURY AWARDS
Dan Harkins Breakthrough Filmmaker Award
2014: Eddie Jemison and Sean Richardson — King of Herrings
2013: Fredrik Stanton — Uprising
2012: Gary King — How Do You Write A Joe Schermann Song
2011: Travis Betz — The Dead Inside
2010: Eric Byler — 9500 Liberty
Special Jury Prize Acting Achievement
2023: Vivian Kerr — Scrap
2021: Bill Heck — Small Town Wisconsin
2016: Stephen Lang — Beyond Glory
2014: Elias Koteas — Jake Squared
2013: Lou Taylor Pucci — The Story of Luke
2010: Gillian Jacobs — NONAMES
2009: Dennis Boutsikaris — Calling It Quits
2007: Fred Koehler — Little Chenier
2006: Christian Kane — Her Minor Thing
Special Jury Prize Cinematography
2011: Greg Gricus — Wild Horses, Wild Ride
2008: Yasu Tanida — August Evening
2004: Steve Gainer — Black Cloud
Special Jury Prize Breakthrough Performance
2008: Joey Mcintyre — On Broadway
2007: Philip Vaden — Pope Dreams
2006: Greg Joelson — Dark Heart
2004: Even Peters — Clipping Adam
