AWARD WINNERS
Award Winners
Explore Coronado Island Film Festival award winners by year. Use the year selector to navigate between recent seasons.
2025 Coronado Island Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Jury Awards, Jury Cash Awards, Screenwriting Awards, and Audience Awards for features and shorts across narrative, documentary, international, animation, student, and emerging filmmaker categories.
Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Jury- Best Narrative Feature – Jury Award “Charliebird”
- Best Documentary Feature – Jury Award “Building on the Edge”
- Best International Feature – Jury Award “Seems Like Love”
- Best Narrative Short – Jury Award “A Guest in My Country”
- Best Documentary Short – Jury Award “Inside, The Valley Sings”
- Best International Short – Jury Award “A Good Day Will Come”
Dr. George M. Sanger Student Film Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Wendy McGuire, Dev Purkayastha and Blossom Sanger- Jury Grand Prize – Student Film “You & Me (& Chaz & Rodney)”
- Jury Prize – Advanced Student “We’re Not The Same”
- Jury Prize – High School Student “Where We Left Off”
Dale St. Denis Female Filmmaker Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Doug St. Denis- Mary Pickford Award “Magic Hour”
- Fearless Female Filmmaker Award “Seems Like Love”
- Frances Marion Award “We’re Not The Same”
Emerald & Animation Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Emerald and Bardin Animation Awards- Emerald Award “Wild Hope: Significant Otters and Building for Birds”
- Bardin Animation Award – Jury Grand Prize “Forevergreen”
- Bardin Animation Award – Jury Special Recognition “The Little Ancestor”
Screenwriting Awards
Limited series and feature script honors- Limited Series – Jury Grand Prize “Crate Diggers”
- Limited Series Pilot – Top Finalist “Weeki Wachee”
- Feature Script – Jury Grand Prize “The Last Indian War”
- Feature Script – Top Finalist “Kirby in Limbo”
Audience Award Winners – Features
THE 2025 AUDIENCE AWARDS – Voted on by Coronado Island Film Festival audiences- Best Narrative Feature “Train Dreams”
- Best International Feature “Sentimental Value”
- Best Documentary Feature “The Tale of Silyan”
- Best Animated Feature “ARCO”
- Best Independent Documentary Feature “VOICES: The Danny Gans Story”
- Documentary – Special Recognition “Eyes of Ghana”
- Best Independent Narrative Feature “Magic Hour”
- Focus on Valor “American Solitaire”
- Best Culinary Feature “Trifolé”
Audience Award Winners – Shorts & Emerging Filmmakers
Shorts, animation, local, genre, and emerging filmmaker recognitions- Best Comedy Short “Passarinho”
- Comedy Short – Special Recognition “Cattywampus”
- Comedy Short – Special Recognition “Ms. Rossi Meets the Mob”
- Best Live Action Short “The Singers”
- Best International Short “The Companions”
- Best Dramatic Short “A Guest in My Country”
- Best Local Live Action Short “Spit It Out”
- Live Action Short – Special Recognition “Flavor of the Month”
- Best Animated Short “Warm Soda”
- Animated Short – Special Recognition “Retirement Plan”
- Animated Short – Special Recognition “Wednesday at Gramps”
- Best International Animated Short “Ovary-Acting”
- Best Culinary Short “Lisa Dahl Blessed By Grace”
- Best Local Horror / Suspense Short “Ripple”
- Best Sci-Fi / AI Short “Alone Together”
- Best Documentary Short (Under 15 Minutes) “Shanti Rides Shotgun”
- Best Documentary Short (Over 15 Minutes) “Hustle and Run”
- Best Local Documentary Short “Handwoven”
- Best Emerging Filmmaker – Advanced “Uncle Berry Bit It”
- Best Emerging Filmmaker – High School “Come In”
2024 Coronado Island Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Jury and Audience Award honorees, including student, female filmmaker, screenwriting, and emerging filmmaker recognitions.
Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Jury- Best Documentary Feature “Giants Rising”
- Best Narrative Feature “Bau, Artist at War”
- Best International Feature “The Strangers' Case”
- Best Narrative Short Film “The Masterpiece”
- Best International Short “DIE LAUGHING”
- Best Documentary Short “Then Comes The Body”
Dr. George M. Sanger Student Film Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Wendy McGuire, Dev Purkayastha and Blossom Sanger- Grand Prize Winner “Black Sheep”
- Best Student Award – Advanced “WINDOWS”
- Best Student Award – High School “Savta”
Dale St. Dennis Female Filmmaker Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Doug St. Denis- Fearless Female Award “Sleep Training”
- Fearless Female Award “Never Getting Rid of Me, Bitch”
- Mary Pickford Award “Portrait”
- Mary Pickford Award “Le Charade”
- Frances Marion Award “Essex Girls”
Emerald & Animation Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Emerald presented / underwritten by Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr; Animation presented / underwritten by Gail & Bob Bardin- Emerald Award “WILDING”
- Animation – Jury Grand Prize “LUKi and the Lights”
- Animation – Jury Special Recognition “Wander to Wonder”
Screenwriting Awards
- Limited Series – Jury Grand Prize “The Young Gods Club”
- Limited Series – Jury Top Finalist “Eyes of Fate”
- Narrative Feature – Jury Grand Prize “Amen & Ameen”
- Narrative Feature – Jury Top Finalist “Angel In Retrograde”
Audience Award Winners
Voted on by Coronado Island Film Festival audiences- Best Narrative Feature “A Real Pain”
- Best Documentary Feature “Sugarcane”
- Best Indie Documentary Feature “Robert Shields: My Life as a Robot”
- Best Indie Documentary Feature “I Need You: 53 Years of the Band America”
- Documentary – Special Recognition “Unfurling the World: The Voyage of Irving and Electa Johnson”
- Best Indie Narrative Feature “Hellbent on Boogie”
- Best International Feature “Seed of the Sacred Fig”
- Best Animated Feature “Flow”
- Best Military Feature “Atomic Rocketeer”
- Best Culinary Feature “Marcella”
- Best Comedy Short “Dead Cat”
- Best Dramatic Short “Deep in My Heart is a Song”
- Best Narrative Short “BELIEF”
- Best Documentary Short “The Final Copy of Ilon Specht”
- Best Sci-Fi / AI Short “BestFriendAI”
- Best Local Documentary Short “YOU WILL NOT REPLACE US”
- Best Local Narrative Short “The Bootstrap Cafe”
- Best Emerging Filmmaker – Advanced “Xander”
- Best Emerging Female Filmmaker “Crazy for You”
- Best Emerging Filmmaker – High School “Low Tech Friend”
2023 Coronado Island Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Feature and short film Jury Awards, Jury Cash Awards, and Audience Award winners across narrative, documentary, animation, local, and spotlight categories.
Feature Film Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Feature Jury- Best Narrative “Scrap”
- Best Documentary “Black Barbie”
- Special Advocacy Award “Deep Rising”
- Special International Jury Prize “A Kind Of Kidnapping”
Short Film Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Shorts Jury- Best Narrative Short Film “The Rabbit Hole”
- Best Short Documentary “The Last Repair Shop”
- Best International Short Film “Broken Gargoyles”
- Special Advocacy Award – International Short Film “You’re Not Crazy (No Estas Loca)”
Dr. George M. Sanger Student Film Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Wendy McGuire, Dev Purkayastha and Blossom Sanger- Student Grand Prize Award “The Midwife”
- Best Student Film – Advanced “City of Lost Souls”
- Best Student Film – High School “Memories in Blue”
Dale St. Dennis Female Filmmaker Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Doug St. Denis- Fearless Female Filmmaker Award “Breaking Silence”
- Fearless Female Filmmaker Award “Black Girls Play”
- Mary Pickford Award “Confessions”
- Francis Marion Award “Heritage Day”
- Francis Marion Award “The Last Butterflies”
Emerald & Animation Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Emerald presented / underwritten by Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr; Animation presented / underwritten by Gail & Bob Bardin- Emerald Award “Out There: The National Parks Story”
- Jury Grand Prize – Animation “Spring Roll Dream”
- Jury Special Recognition – Animation “Canary”
Audience Award Winners – Features
Voted on by Coronado Island Film Festival audiences (Narrative & Documentaries)- Best Narrative Feature “Taste of Things”
- Best International Feature “Shayda”
- Best Indie Narrative “Heightened”
- Best Documentary Feature “Humanity Stoked”
- Best Advocacy Documentary “Common Ground”
- Best Military Feature “The Gift”
Audience Award Winners – Shorts
Narrative, documentary, student, international, and spotlight short film awards- Best Narrative Short “Subtext”
- Best Documentary Short “Humanatee”
- Best Advocacy Documentary Short “Bumps in the Road”
- Best Student Short “Azizam”
- Best International Short “You’re Not Crazy”
- Culinary Spotlight “When You Left Me on the Boulevard”
- Cultural Spotlight “David Se Va”
Audience Award Winners – Animation
Animated feature and short film awards- Best Animated Feature “Robot Dreams”
- Best Animated Short “Boat People”
Audience Award Winners – Local Category
Recognizing local and student filmmakers- Best Local Narrative Feature “The Secret Art of Human Flight”
- Best Local Documentary Feature “The Big Dump”
- Best Local Narrative Short “Amazing Grace”
- Best Local Documentary Short “Little Tommy”
- Best Local Student Narrative “The Baseball Cap”
- Best Local Student Documentary “Unbreakable”
2022 Coronado Island Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Feature and short film Jury Awards, Jury Cash Awards, and Audience Award winners across narrative, documentary, animation, local, and emerging filmmaker categories.
Feature Film Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Feature Jury- Best Narrative “Dealing with Dad”
- Best Documentary “Song For Hope – The Ryan Anthony Story”
Short Film Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Shorts Jury- Best Narrative Short Film “Bus Girl”
- Special Jury Mention “Nice To Meet You All”
- Best Short Documentary “When I Get Grown – Reflections of a Freedom Rider”
- Best International Short Film “Into Dust”
- Special Jury Prize – International Short Film “Sandstorm (Mulaqat)”
Dr. George M. Sanger Student Film Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Wendy McGuire, Dev Purkayastha and Blossom Sanger- Student Grand Prize Award “El Carrito”
- Best Student Film – Advanced “The Oubliette”
- Best Student Film – High School “Miyeok-Guk”
- Best Student Documentary Short Film “Pete the Pond”
- Best Animated Student Short Film “The Most Boring Granny in the World”
Dale St. Dennis Female Filmmaker Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Doug St. Denis- Fearless Female Filmmaker Award “Anxious Nation”
- Mary Pickford Award “Bus Girl”
- Francis Marion Award “Sandstorm (Mulaqat)”
Emerald & Animation Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Emerald presented / underwritten by Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr; Animation presented / underwritten by Gail & Bob Bardin- Emerald Award “Song For Hope – The Ryan Anthony Story”
- Emerald Award – Honorable Mention “Flying Fur”
- Jury Grand Prize – Animation “Louis I. King of the Sheep (Louis 1er Roi des Moutons)”
- Jury Special Recognition – Animation “The Night of the Living Dread”
Audience Award Winners – Features
Voted on by Coronado Island Film Festival audiences (Narrative & Documentaries)- Best Narrative Feature “She Said”
- Best Documentary Feature “Immediate Family”
Audience Award Winners – Shorts
Narrative, documentary, international, local, animation, and emerging filmmaker awards- Best Narrative Short “Yellow Wallpaper”
- Best Documentary Short “When I Get Grown – Reflections of a Freedom Rider”
- Best International Narrative Short “Table for 3 (Mesa para 3)”
- Best International Documentary Short “Freedom Swimmer”
- Best Local Film “Sole Trail”
- Best Animation “A Cartoon of a Cat Sleeping”
- Best Emerging Filmmaker “Little White Shadows”
- Best Emerging Filmmaker “The Pomegranate Tree”
2021 Coronado Island Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Feature and short film Jury Awards, Jury Cash Awards, and Audience Award winners across narrative, documentary, international, emerging filmmaker, and animation categories.
Feature Film Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Feature Jury- Best Narrative “7 Days”
- Best Documentary “Bangla Surf Girls”
- Best International “Atlas”
Short Film Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Shorts Jury- Best Narrative Short Film “Turned”
- Best Documentary “Zaida”
- Best International Short Film “The Bathtub”
Dr. George M. Sanger Student Film Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Wendy McGuire, Dev Purkayastha and Blossom Sanger- Student Grand Prize Award “Amal”
- Best Student Film – Advanced “Scar”
- Best Student Film – High School “In the Weeds”
Dale St. Dennis Female Filmmaker Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Doug St. Denis- Fearless Female Filmmaker Award “Bangla Surf Girls”
- Mary Pickford Award “Far East Deep South”
- Francis Marion Award “RAW”
Emerald Award
Presented / underwritten by Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr- Emerald Award “Plant Heist”
- Emerald Honorable Mention “Sounds of the Sidewalk: A Journey Goodbye”
Audience Award Winners
Voted on by Coronado Island Film Festival audiences- Best Narrative Feature “Pig”
- Best Documentary Feature “Far East Deep South”
- Best Narrative Short “Zaida”
- Best Documentary Short “Wicks”
- Best Local Film “The Roads Most Traveled”
- Emerging Filmmaker “Amal”
- Original Screenplay “The Andy Baker Tape”
Audience Award – Animation
Animated short film highlights- Animation Selection “Last Day of Autumn”
- Animation Selection “Doing the Robot”
2020 Coronado Island Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Jury and Audience Award winners across narrative, documentary, student, female filmmaker, emerald, and short film categories.
Jury Awards
Selected by the Coronado Island Film Festival Jury- The Leonard Maltin Tribute Award “Nomadland”
- Best Narrative Feature “Two Ways Home”
- Best Documentary Feature “The Prison Within”
- Special Recognition – Documentary Feature “Fish & Men”
- Best Short “Alina”
Dr. George M. Sanger Student Film Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Wendy McGuire, Dev Purkayastha and Blossom Sanger- Student Grand Prize Award “My War”
- Jury Cash Award Recipient “Estranged”
- Jury Cash Award Recipient “Anna & Sloane Go to the Beach”
- Jury Cash Award Recipient “Dia de las Carpas”
- Special Recognition “The Humanity Test”
Dale St. Dennis Female Filmmaker Awards
Jury Cash Awards – Presented / underwritten by Doug St. Denis- Fearless Female Filmmaker Award “Double Exposure”
- Mary Pickford Award “Two Ways Home”
- Francis Marion Award “Alina”
Emerald Award
Presented / underwritten by Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr- Emerald Award “Kiss the Ground”
Audience Award Winners
Voted on by Coronado Island Film Festival audiences- Best Narrative Feature “Nomadland”
- Documentary Feature “Runner”
- Documentary Feature “Fish & Men”
- Documentary Short “The Other Fab Four”
- Comedy Short “Ms. Rossi”
- Dramatic / Horror Short “Over the Edge”
- Student Narrative Short “Brother’s Keeper”
- Student Documentary Short “A Little Patch of Earth”