We are excited to announce the winners and nominees of the 2026 Genesis International Film Festival (GIFF). This season, the festival received more than 900 submissions from filmmakers representing over 60 countries. The festival’s principal honors, presented in the Special Awards section, are marked by the GIFF statuette, while winners across the festival’s other competitive categories receive the official Winner’s Wreath. Together, these awards recognize outstanding films, filmmakers, performances, and creative achievements from this year’s selection. We are proud to present the winners and nominees of GIFF 2026:
GENESIS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026 WINNERS
SPECIAL AWARDS
SHORT FILM AWARDS
SCREENPLAY AWARDS
DIGITAL ART
DEBUT SHORT FILM AWARDS
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! We would like to thank all the participants for their hard work and dedication. We hope to see you all again next year.
Sincerely,
The GIFF Team
SPECIAL AWARDS
- GIFF Grand Prix: Tarantino by Daniil Aristov
- Best Short Film: The Gentle Fall by Jinglin Shi
- Best Debut Film: Coffin Therapy by Zéré Turlykhanova
- Best National Film: Scroll by Mikhail Malinin
- Best Documentary: MUKUNAN APRENDIZ DE PAJÉ by Rodrigo Sena
- People’s Choice Award: Cats by Danilo Stanimirović
SHORT FILM AWARDS
- Best Short – Drama: The Night I Left Behind by Luciano Besares Barra
- Best Short – Comedy: The Last Ride by Vijesh Rajan & Yashoda Parthasarthy
- Best Short – Animation: Submarine by Evgeny Fadeev
- Best Short – Experimental: THAT LIGHT by Yun Zhang
- Best Short – Arthouse / Indie: See Together by Yik Man Law
- Best Short – Fantasy: El Cuero - Skinned by Hans von Marées Peede & José Tomás Urrutia Goldsack
- Best Extra Short Film (under 3 min.): Goodbye, balcony! by Uliana Lavor
- Best Director: №1158 — Natasha Akimochkina
- Best Actress: Tarantino — Anna Karyakina
- Best Actor: The Night I Left Behind — Sebastián Rubio
- Best Cinematographer: Cow Killer — Mohsen Hoseini
- Best Editing: Railbound — Jake Bann
- Best Music or Score: Bon voyage — Michael Lyamin
- Best Visual Effects (VFX): Computer Animayhem by Theron Smith
- Best Title Sequence (Opening / End Credits): The Last Ride by Vijesh Rajan & Yashoda Parthasarthy
SCREENPLAY AWARDS
- Best Short Screenplay (filmed): Happiness loves silence — written by Polina Zoteeva
- Best Short Screenplay (script): SOUTHBOUND — written by Zhen Li & Shu Lin Zhang
DIGITAL ART
- AI / Neural Networks / Generative Design: Railbound by Jonathan Perry
DEBUT SHORT FILM AWARDS
- Best Debut Short – Drama: Coffin Therapy by Zéré Turlykhanova
- Best Debut Short – Comedy: Gum by Belal Albader
- Best Debut Short – Animation: Hippocrate's True Color by Louis Gatignol
- Best Director – Drama: Coffin Therapy — Zéré Turlykhanova
- Best Actress: Avant — Renee Garibay
- Best Actor: IRUL VAAN MUGIL — Uragapathakam
- Best Cinematographer: Tevel — Nir Bitan
- Best Editing: Haven — Evgeny Kozlov
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! We would like to thank all the participants for their hard work and dedication. We hope to see you all again next year.
Sincerely,
The GIFF Team