Dances With Films: LA 2026 Announces Awards following record-breaking, celeb-laden fest
Dances With Films: LA announced its Filmmaker Award winners during an entertaining closing night awards celebration at The TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood as it wrapped the 29th edition of Los Angeles’ leading indie film festival, featuring several sold out screenings, celebrity sightings, more films, more events, and another explosion of discovery films and filmmakers during the largest indie film-focused film festival in Lod Angeles. The Grand Jury Prize winners were led by Brian L. Tan’s Bandit (Best Narrative Feature), David Booth Gardner’s The Last Place on Earth (Best Documentary Feature), and Geoff Browne’s Godpower (Best Narrative Short). Heading the list of Audience Choice winners were Andrew Scott Tinkham and Michael Woloson Littermates for Best Narrative Feature, with a tie going to Beatrix Ryle’s My Name is Gitta, and Brad Alexander’s Tell Me About Tomorrow for Best Documentary Feature.
DWF’s coveted Industry Choice Awards went to Jon Bolerjack’s Stan Lee: The Final Chapter in the “Over 40 Minutes” category, and Charlie Roth’s The Expiration of Darius Campbell in the “Under 40 Minutes” category.
Additional Audience Choice Award winners were Kendra Baude’s Physical Touch (Midnight), Jordyn Apostolache’s Money (Downbeat), Gerald Fillmore’s Face Love (Fusion Feature), Christopher Baxter’s I Got Next (Dances With Kidz Pro), and Christopher Nataanii Cegielski, Phillip Montgomery, and Josh Baker’s People of the West (Pilots). In the Short Film categories, Audience Choice Awards went to Meg Mateo’s You Could’ve Been a Nurse (Narrative), Julia Boyd’s Dual Wielder (Documentary), and Darren Rubin’s Plastic Pastures (Fusion).
In the Grand Jury Prize competitions, Honorable Mentions went to Jay Diaz’s Angeleno (Narrative), Boaz Dvir’s To Kill a Nazi, and Jon Bolerjack’s Stan Lee: The Final Chapter (Documentary), and Sam Findlay’s Cornerman, and Will Mayo, and Ian Scott McGregor’s Dropping Off (Narrative Shorts).
The Dances With Films: LA’s lineup of 279 films, with 150 world, North American, and U.S. premieres in the heart of Hollywood.
DWF:LA’s presented thirteen of its famous Orange Carpet events featuring more than 280 films and more than 1000 filmmakers, cast members, and documentary subjects being photographed and interviewed by Los Angeles press covering independent film; several panels and conversations led by top industry leaders and professionals; and four days of speed-dating style press junkets over the course of the film festival’s eleven days. Setting the tone for the jam-packed film event, for the first time, Dances With Films: LA kicked things off with a pre-fest concert at Ovation Hollywood for the attending filmmakers and pass-holders.
Notable attendees included Cody Christian, Rachel Leigh Cook, Rudy Diaz, Kevin Dunn, Jesse Garcia, Racheal Harris, Esai Morales, Sonja O’Hara, Cheri Oteri, Michael Paré, Michael Rooker, Brandon Routh, Jean Smart, Jess Weixler, and Rainn Wilson.
Dances With Films will next return for its 5th New York City edition in December 2026. For more information about Dances With Films, please go to: https://danceswithfilms.com/.
The 2026 Dances With Films LA Filmmaker Award Winners:
GRAND JURY PRIZES
GRAND JURY – NARRATIVE FEATURES
BANDIT
Director: Brian L. Tan
Writer: Monji Husein Atmodjo
Producers: Bo H. Holmgreen, Chali Sakyan, Brian L. Tan “BLT”, Patrick Tashadian, Tara McNamara, Dara Ferrari and Medyna Afrianti
HONORABLE MENTION:
ANGELENO
Director/Writer: Jay Diaz
Producers: Jay Diaz, Samantha Diaz, Kevin Huie and Danielle Savage
GRAND JURY – DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH
Director/Writer: David Booth Gardner
Producers: David Booth Gardner, Nanang Sujana, Shayne McGrath
HONORABLE MENTION:
TO KILL A NAZI
Director/Writer: Boaz Dvir
Producers: Boaz Dvir, Matthew Einstein, Gayle Zachmann
STAN LEE: THE FINAL CHAPTER
Director/Writer: Jon Bolerjack
Producers: George Chan, Jon Bolerjack, Alex Barajas
GRAND JURY PRIZE – NARRATIVE SHORTS
GODPOWER
Director/Writer: Geoff Browne
Producers: Geoff Browne, Garry M.B. Smith, Alex Mecl, GP Pekipuma
HONORABLE MENTION:
CORNERMAN
Director/Writer: Sam Findlay
Producers: Tosin Morohunfola, Sam Findlay, Lydia Anderson
DROPPING OFF
Director/Writer/Producers: Will Mayo, Ian Scott McGregor
INDUSTRY CHOICE AWARDS
INDUSTRY CHOICE AWARDS (UNDER 40′)
THE EXPIRATION OF DARIUS CAMPBELL
Director/Writer: Charlie Roth
Producers: David Hemphill and Charlie Roth
INDUSTRY CHOICE AWARDS (OVER 40′)
STAN LEE: THE FINAL CHAPTER
Director/Writer: Jon Bolerjack
Producers: George Chan, Jon Bolerjack, Alex Barajas
AUDIENCE AWARDS
COMPETITION (NARRATIVE) FEATURE AUDIENCE AWARD
LITTERMATES
Directors: Scott Tinkham and Michael Woloson
Writer: Scott Tinkham
Producers: Oliver Woolf, Michael Woloson, Scott Tinkham, Kaylee McGregor
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AUDIENCE AWARD
MY NAME IS GITTA
Director/Writer: Beatrix Ryle
Producers: Marcus Ryle, Susan Wolf
TELL ME ABOUT TOMORROW
Director: Brad Alexander
Producers: Brad Alexander, Harold Noriega,
Jaden Hossler and Shannon Bayersdorfer
MIDNIGHT AUDIENCE AWARD
PHYSICAL TOUCH
Director: Kendra Baude
Writer: Jesse Montagna
Producers: Marki Yaccino and Jesse Montagna
FUSION FEATURE AUDIENCE AWARD
FACE LOVE
Director/Writer: Gerald Fillmore
Producers: Jorge Alonzo, Victor Corales, Gerald Fillmore
DOWNBEAT AUDIENCE AWARD
MONEY
Director/Writer: Jordyn Apostolache
Producers: Moving Media, Dani Mejía
DANCES WITH KIDZ PRO AUDIENCE AWARD
I GOT NEXT
Director/Writer: Christopher Baxter
Producers: Angel Williams, Andrew Pilkington, Ramfis Myrthil,
Keonia Williams, McKarah Dreyfous and Christopher Baxter
SERIES AUDIENCE AWARD
PEOPLE OF THE WEST
Directors: Christopher Nataanii Cegielski, Phillip Montgomery, Josh Baker
Writers: Maya Rose Dittloff, Bradley Jackson, Marilyn Thomas, Diego D. Moreno, Kris L. Crenwelge
Producers: Brad Munoa, Nico Magee, Joseph Eardly, Edward Hambleton, Rachel Wasserman, Amanda Erickson and Gemma Jordan
COMPETITION (NARRATIVE) SHORTS AUDIENCE AWARD
YOU COULD’VE BEEN A NURSE
Director/Writer: Meg Mateo
Producers: Jaymar Cabebe and Dianne Que
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS AUDIENCE AWARD
DUAL WIELDER
Director: Julia Boyd
Producers: Julia Boyd, Marissa Paiva, Barrett Thomas, Meredith Stein
FUSION SHORT AUDIENCE AWARD
PLASTIC PASTURES
Director/Writer: Darren Rubin
Producer: Dariush Ghaffari