Award Winners
Audience Awards
Films voted the winners by our audience members casting ballots at the theater and online.
Audience Award - Best Feature Film
Audience Award - Best Documentary
Winner - We Are Pat
Runner Up - My Brother's Killer
Audience Award - Best Short
Winner - A Friend of Dorothy
Runner Up - Nipple (Teth)
Honorable Mention - Only the Dead Fish Go with the Flow
Jury Awards
Jury Award - Best Feature Film
Winner - Eva
The Jury selected Eva for the way it elevated queer storytelling. Rather than focusing on Eva solely as a transgender woman, the film portrays her as a multidimensional person who is running a business and struggling to keep her family together in the face of tragedy, while also navigating a complicated romantic relationship.
Runner Up - On the Sea
The Jury recognized On The Sea for its layered storyline and the deeply emotional impact it created, telling the story of a committed family man who surprisingly finds himself hopelessly drawn to a younger drifter.
Honorable Mention - In a Whisper
In A Whisper earned an honorable mention from the Jury for its outstanding acting and a well-crafted, multifaceted story that explored the tension between modern life and traditional life in Tunisia.
Jury Award - Best Documentary
Winner - Tomorrow's Too Late
The Jury selected Tomorrow's Too Late for telling a story of transformation, unwavering courage, and perseverance against a backdrop of societal transphobia.
Runner Up - We Are Pat
The Jury recognized We Are Pat for showing how the trans and nonbinary community have reclaimed a controversial character, leading to learning experiences for everyone involved, including Julia Sweeney.
Jury Award - Best Short Film
Winner - Zari
The Jury selected Zari for its creativity, visual impact, and depth of character development in this sensitive story of embracing one's identity.
The Jury wanted to recognize both Breaking Away and Kiloran Bay for their visual storytelling and resounding sense of hope they instill in the audience.
Rising Star Award
William Reyes (Eva)
The Rising Star Award, in memory of festival volunteer and supporter Pam Connelly, highlights and rewards new talent in the independent film industry.
The Jury awarded the 2026 Rising Star Award to William Reyes, the director of Eva, in recognition of the multi-layered story of grief, family, and building an authentic life for oneself. The jury was moved by the depth and sensitivity of Reyes’ storytelling in his first feature film, and very much looks forward to seeing his future works.
Director's Award
Donncha Gilmore (Girls & Boys)
The Director’s Award is selected annually by the Festival Director. This year, Shane Engstrom presented the award to Donncha Gilmore, director of Girls & Boys. Engstrom noted, “Donncha created a nuanced story and drew out terrific performances by his lead actors. Additionally, he went above and beyond to enhance the festival experience for our audience by pre-recording a Q&A session with committee member and moderator Clare McCarthy, where he shared wonderful insights into the making of the film.”
Iris Prize Nomination
After What Happened at the Library
Leading up to the festival, Out Film CT selected After What Happened at the Library as its inaugural nomination for the Iris Prize in recognition of the powerful acting, precision editing, and the urgency of the real-life story of the storming of a Drag Story Hour by extremists. The film was screened as part of the Festival’s And the Winner Is: Award-Winning Shorts program. The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, based in Cardiff, Wales, awards the largest prize for a LGBTQ+ short film in the world, worth $55,000 in cash.
