Santa Barbara International Film Festival Announces Winners
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) has unveiled the recipients of its 40th annual film awards. The three short film winners are now eligible for consideration at the 2026 Academy Awards.
"It's a true pleasure to celebrate such a diverse and extraordinary array of winning films," said SBIFF Programming Director Claudia Puig. "With 185 films from 60 countries showcased, SBIFF's lineup has highlighted storytelling from around the globe. The jury winners this year embody the essence of independent filmmaking, exploring themes ranging from immigration and pay equity to environmental hazards, unplanned pregnancy, neuroscience, and hempcrete construction."
The awards ceremony took place on Saturday, February 15th, at the El Encanto in Santa Barbara. The winning films were selected by a distinguished jury comprising Margaret Lazarus, Max Barbakow, Estrella Araiza, Shawn Patterson, Jeff Christian, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Gregory Nava, Andres Castillo, and Jeff Arch.
Full List of Winners:
* Audience Choice Award: "Out of Plain Sight" by Daniel Straub and Rosanna Xia
* Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema: "O Horizon" by Madeleine Sackler
* Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award for Best International Feature Film: "Yen and Ai-Lee" by Tom Shu-yu Lin
* Best Documentary: "Roads of Fire" by Nathaniel Lezra
* Nueva Vision Award for Spain/Latin America Cinema: "Glimmers" by Pilar Palomero
* Best Animated Short Film Award: "The Three Sisters" by Timur Kognov
* Best Documentary Short Film Award: "The Green Buffalo" by Joel Caldwell
* Best Live-Action Short Film Award: "Bitter Chocolate" by Sahar Sotoodeh
* Social Justice Award sponsored by the Fund for Santa Barbara: "Separated" by Errol Morris
* ADL Stand Up Award sponsored by the ADL: "Lilly" by Rachel Feldman
* ASC Award for Cinematography sponsored by The American Society of Cinematographers: "Color Book" by David Fortune