Congratulations to the Nominees of our 15th Annual Film Festival! The 2026 Oceanside International Film Festival Award Ceremony will take place at The Star Theatre on Saturday, February 28th at 8:00pm! Tickets for our Award Show are included with our One on One with Catherine Hardwicke event and can be found here. All winners of OIFF 2026 are selected by the festival’s Grand Jury in a private and non-congregational voting process. We hope you will join us in celebrating the spirit of independent cinema for the conclusion of our 2026 Festival.
Best Art Direction (Short or Feature)
“Displaced”
“Hell”
“Hugh”
“Juju: The Surf Musical”
“New Human”
“Tenancy”
Best Soundtrack (Short or Feature)
“Daydreaming”
“Frostbite”
“Juju: The Surf Musical”
“Right On!”
“Shaping The Future”
“Spaghetti Week”
Best Original Score (Short or Feature)
Daniel Maggio & Michael Haight – “Los Angeles Crime Drama”
Seth Samuel & Angel Morris – “Love Birds”
Sameer Gadhia – “Tenancy”
Kevin Nash – “To Lie in the Grass is Enough”
Best Editing in a Short
Bennett Curran – “California is Burning”
Gaby Scott – “The Dolphins”
Angel Morris & Elliot Kennerson – “Love Birds”
Alec MacNeill Richardson – “The Rewilders”
Dave Rosas – “Right On!”
Best Editing in a Feature
Daniela I. Quiroz – “Desert Angel”
James Parker – “In Our Nature”
Carter Feuerhelm – “Join The Club”
Bryan Wibberley – “The Most Biodiverse Place in America”
Tony Gentile & Sasha Flamm – “Shaping The Future”
Best Screenplay (Short or Feature)
Paul Marchand & Adam Kaplan – “Join The Club”
Daniel Maggio – “Los Angeles Crime Drama”
Parker Croft & Nolan Gould – “The Liars of Black Mountain Road”
Mainak Dhar – “Nani”
Catherina Cojulún – “New Human”
Tony Arriola & Reid Emmons – “Tenancy”
Best Cinematography in a Short
Cesinha Feliciano – “Daydreaming”
Michael Enos – “The Dolphins”
“Glass”
Khoi Nguyen – “Hugh”
Evan Feng – “Tomorrow at Dawn”
Gregory Robinson – “Valley Under Fire”
Best Cinematography in a Feature
Maddie Meddings – “Ceibo”
Tinngai Chan – “Desert Angel”
Chandler Desforges – “Join The Club”
James Parker – “In Our Nature”
Isaiah Lundell – “The Most Biodiverse Place in America”
Best Supporting Actress
Nancy Lam as Ann in “Crane”
Franchesca Domenichini as The Moderator in “The Hiring Protocol”
Callie Gilbert as Star in “Los Angeles Crime Drama”
Gabriella Miotto as Grandma in “The Wailing Trees”
Best Supporting Actor
Bill Weldon as Scott in “The Liars of Black Mountain Road”
Shurud Shanto as Baba in “Nani”
Mike Sears as Jude in “New Human”
Reid Emmons as Chris Glasser in “Tenancy”
Best Actor in a Lead Role
Wayne Burns as Jason in “Eel”
Nolan Gould as Ethan in “The Liars of Black Mountain Road”
Jason Nicholls as Champ in “Los Angeles Crime Drama”
Jae U Kim as Min in “Tenancy”
Best Actress in a Lead Role
Anna Marie Sell as Mandy in “Frisco”
Jaleesa Vincent – as Juju in “Juju: The Surf Musical”
Millie Gibbons as Abbie in “The Liars of Black Mountain Road”
Frida Villeda as Gwen & G-8 in “New Human”
Best Direction in a Short
Gabby Scott – “The Dolphins”
Oscar James – “Frostbite”
Parker Croft – “The Liars of Black Mountain Road”
Daniel Maggio – “Los Angeles Crime Drama”
Tony Arriola – “Tenancy”
Best Direction in a Feature
Lucy Small & Maddie Meddings – “Ceibo”
Vincent DeLuca – “Desert Angel”
James Parker – “In Our Nature”
Kip Andersen & Chris OConnell – “Join the Club”
John Fiske – “The Most Biodiverse Place in America”
Best Student Film (Short or Feature)
“California is Burning”
“Crossing The Divide”
“The Eddystone”
“Keepers of the Canyon”
“Leaf Cutter”
Best Animation (Short or Feature)
“The Eddystone”
“Hell”
“Leaf Cutter”
Best Short Documentary
“The Dolphins”
“Frostbite”
“The Human Side of Plastic”
“Love Birds”
“The Rewilders”
Best Feature Documentary
“Desert Angel”
“In Our Nature”
“Join The Club”
“The Most Biodiverse Place in America”
Best Narrative Short
“Hugh”
“Juju: The Surf Musical”
“The Liars of Black Mountain Road”
“New Human”
“Tenancy”
Best Picture of OIFF 2026 (Short or Feature)
“Desert Angel”
“The Human Side of Plastic”
“Join the Club”
“The Liars of Black Mountain Road”
“Love Birds”
“The Rewilders”
2026 HONORARY AWARDS
2026 OCEANSIDE IMPACT AWARD
The 2026 Oceanside Impact Award is an annual Award given to a special trailblazer of note having worked in, shown at or being from the City of Oceanside. This Award is sometimes given prior to our Award Show date.
2026 EMERGING FILMMAKER AWARD
The Emerging Filmmaker Award celebrates the creative vision and exceptional talent of a rising star in the world of filmmaking. This prestigious accolade is designed to honor and recognize the innovative storytelling, technical prowess, and or artistic courage demonstrated by new and upcoming filmmakers. Specifically, this award is presented to an emerging student filmmaker chosen from the regional talent who have screened their work at the present year’s Oceanside International Film Festival. In addition to the accolade, the awarded filmmaker will be presented with a cash award to help further their aspirations by contributing to future filmmaking endeavors or education in the art of filmmaking. By shining a spotlight on these emerging young artists, the festival aims to encourage and support the next generation of storytellers who are pushing boundaries, inspiring communities and shaping the future of cinema.
This year’s Emerging Filmmaker cash award is funded by the Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF). OCAF the original founder of the film festival in 2009 is pleased to support student filmmakers with a cash grant to help offset current or future filmmaking efforts.
