2026 Award Winners

2026 Award Winners

Salem Film Fest 2026 hosted a total of 28 screenings with 68 films, including 22 feature-length documentaries, 22 shorts, 24 student films, and 3 docs-in-progress. Among those films, this year the festival honors six filmmakers with awards which represent the appreciation of our audience and jury, and recognition of achievement in different disciplines in filmmaking. 

In a unique tradition of the fest, winners in each category will be awarded original handmade trophies created by artists based in Salem. These awards not only honor the filmmakers' achievements but also celebrate the collaboration between the film festival and the local art community. As we explore the nominated films and the visionaries behind them, we aim to spotlight the talent and creativity that mark the highlights of this year's Salem Film Fest.

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SPECIAL JURY AWARD:

FIUME O MORTE! — WINNER
Directed by Igor Bezinović

Jurors include: Sara Archambault, Anna Feder, Karthik Pandian, Michael Premo, and Milton Guillen.

Special Jury Award by Scott Lanes

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CULTRERA CUTS EDITING AWARD:

FARRUQUITO, A FLAMENCO DYNASTY — WINNER
Directed by Santi Aguado, Reuben Atlas

Jurors include: Nathan Fitch, Loulwa Khoury, Julie Mallozzi, Flavia de Souza, and Sally Wu.

Cultrera Cuts Editing Award by Arlene Brown

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AUDIENCE AWARD:

AMERICAN DOCTOR — WINNER
Directed by Poh Si Teng

UNLESS SOMETHING GOES TERRIBLY WRONG — RUNNER UP
Directed by Kaitlyn Schwalje, Alexander Lewis

The Audience Award is determined by audience votes.

Audience Award by Melynn Nuite

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AWARD FOR JOURNALISM:

AMERICAN DOCTOR — WINNER
Directed by Poh Si Teng

Jurors include: Margo Guernsey, Peter Keough, Zac Manuel, James Sullivan and Nicole Tsien.

Award for Journalism by Sue Grillo

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AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER MAGAZINE AWARD:

JARIPEO — WINNER
Directed by Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig

Selected by Stephen Pizzello, editor-in-chief/publisher of the American Society of Cinematographers' monthly magazine.

American Cinematographer Magazine Award by Jack Walsh

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BEST SHORT AWARD

ENTRE LE FEU ET LE CLAIR DE LUNE — WINNER
Directed by Dominic Yarabe

Jurors include: Cam Howard, Katherine Irving, and Jenny Miller.

Best Short Award by M. Patrick O’Donnell

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Mass Reality Check Winners:

1st - PALLBEARERS
Tati Chavitage | Emerson College
2nd - PULPA
Brianna Benitez | Boston University 
3rd - BEFORE I BLEED
Isa Han | Boston University

Prizes will be awarded by our industry sponsors, Boris FX, Women in Film and Video New England (WIFVNE) and Mass Production Coalition (MPC). The first place winner will also meet individually after the festival with programming staff from Salem Film Fest to get advice about filmmaking as a career and receive insights into funding and distribution, as well as other professional considerations.

Mass Reality Check Award by Richard Flynn

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Keeping It Reel Winners:

Keeping It Reel
1st - “ART”IFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Theo MacQuarrie | Masconomet Regional High School
2nd - A LITTLE BIT OF THE NORTH END
Sarah Vose | Natick High School 
3rd - XIAO SHUN AND DUMPLINGS
David Guo | Buckingham Brown and Nichols 

Our doc shorts showcase for Massachusetts high school students, sponsored by Boris FX. A jury will award software packages provided by our sponsor to the top three films.

Keeping It Reel Award by Peter Grimshaw

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Our Programmers’ Top Picks Are In! Use Our Recommendations to Plan Your Fest

With Salem Film Fest just around the corner, and our Opening Night film TIME AND WATER nearly sold out, our programmers have handpicked a selection of must-see films to help you plan your schedule. These Programmers' Picks highlight some of the most thought-provoking and captivating documentaries in this year’s festival slate—films that have stuck with us long after the credits rolled. Dive in and discover what’s not to be missed!

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ELEPHANTS & SQUIRRELS
Sunday, March 29 @ 12:00pm

We are honored to present the U.S. Premiere of this new film! A recorded Q&A with Director Gregor Brändli to follow the screening.

This film is nominated for our Award for Journalism.

“With remarkable nuance, the film embodies an ethic of care over confrontation, creating space for dialogue rooted in memory, repatriation, and accountability.” - Emily Abi-Kheirs, Program Director

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FIUME O MORTE!
Saturday, March 28 @ 1:00pm

Recorded Q&A with producer Vanja Jambrović to follow!

This film is nominated for our Special Jury Award.

"FIUME O MORTE! is a film that embodies the proverb “Truth is stranger than fiction” - it is equal parts fever dream, historic deep dive, and an entertaining romp reenacted by local townspeople of a relatively unknown (to most) chapter of history - Italian poet, playwright and army general Gabriele D’Annunzio’s 1919 occupation of the port city free state of Fiume, the present day Croatian city of Rijeka." - Jeff Schmidt, Programmer Emeritus

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TRACES OF HOME
Saturday, March 28 @ 6:20pm

Director Colette Ghunim will be in attendance for live Q&A! 

This film is nominated for our Special Jury Award.

"Tracing the ghosts of her parents' past, Colette invites us into a deeply personal reckoning with the American migrant experience. This is a vital meditation on the ties between where we come from and who we become." - Monica Cohen, Programmer

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NIÑXS
Sunday, March 29 @ 12:15pm

Recorded Q&A with Director Kani Lapuerta to follow the screening!

This film is nominated for our Cultrera Cuts Edit Award.

"I'm very proud to see Salem Film Fest continuing to support stories of trans people by trans people. NINXS is a joyful, imaginary, and heartfelt film. It challenges documentary form in it's self-aware narration and has a wit and humor I hope inspires other to keep telling their own stories." - Saul Argenbright, Programmer

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TO USE A MOUNTAIN
Sunday, March 29 @ 12:25pm

Director Casey Carter will be in attendance for live Q&A!

This film is nominated for our Award for Journalism.

"TO USE A MOUNTAIN's thoughtful, unique sound design functions like a subconscious mind; the artfully-crafted, just-under-the-surface audio layer feels like it's watching the film's main audio/visuals in real time with the audience and attempting to understand the story in abstract, non-linear, but incredibly intuitive ways as it goes along." - Joel Roston, Programmer

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GRANDMA & ISABELLA
Friday, March 27 @ 4:05pm

This short film precedes the feature length film THEYDREAM (dir. William D. Callabero). Director Hannah Engelson will be in attendance alongside William for post-screening live Q&A!

"An intimate and enthralling window into a relationship that explores what it means to be a primary caregiver.” - Stephen Jackson, Programmer

Discover This Year’s Shorts Programs!

This year’s shorts programs span continents, perspectives, and forms — bringing together films from Lebanon, South Africa, the United States, and beyond. Across three curated shorts programs and four shorts-feature film pairings, these works move between the intimate and the collective, exploring the stories that shape our shared world. From a program centered on the power of community, to one that expresses personal stories reflecting our collective narratives, each offers a distinct lens on the human experience.

Explore our Short Film Programs

SO CLOSE, SO FAR: ARTS AND CULTURE IN OUR HOMETOWNS
Friday, March 27 @ 2:00pm, Peabody Essex Museum

Through the eyes of artists we learn of the concealed corners of our communities here in New England. From the beautiful serenity of nature that never fails to inspire the creative souls to the power of artistic expression that makes the unusual a joyful possibility for all. This curation of short films celebrates the power of creative community and artistic expression and reminds us of the graceful power of collective imagination. 

This program includes 2 WORLD PREMIERES: TORNADO TASTES LIKE ALUMINUM STING (dir. Harmon dot aut, James Rutenbeck) and SOUND & COLOR (dir. Alissa Fagin); as well as SALT MARSH (dir. Tom Bell), and FINAL FRONTIER (dir. Heidi Burkey). A live Q&A with the films' directors, producers, and protagonists from each of the four films to follow! Ticket holders to a screening at PEM are also welcome to browse the museum before or after the screening.

PERSONAL MEMORY, COLLECTIVE NARRATIVES
Saturday, March 27 @ 4:00pm, National Park Service

Our intimate lives carry the burden of politics unfolding in real time. Our relationships, love stories and our hometowns often become the quiet backdrop of history as it rushes forward in time. These stories traveling across continents, from West Africa to India, the Caucasus mountains to the Middle East and its diasporas invite us to look behind the curtain of headlines and trendy news and see how wars break families and how true love survives beyond borders and decades of separation. 

This program includes ENTRE LE FEU ET LE CLAIR DE LUNE (dir. Dominic Yarabe), PLACE KEEPERS (dir. Robert Hope), I AM GRASS (dir. Abhi Indrekar), SIMPLY DIVINE (dir. Mélody Boulissière, Bogdan Stamatin) and THIS DISSONANCE (dir. Christophe Katrib). Three of the five films in this program are nominated for our Best Short Award. A Q&A with visiting filmmakers Abhi Indrekar & Christophe Katrib to follow!

TOGETHER, STORIES OF OUR COLLECTIVE POWERS
Sunday, March 29 @ 3:00pm, National Park Service

Magic can be real and each of these films make a strong case for it. This block of short films lets us indulge in the unmatchable power and beauty of what humans are capable of accomplishing when they come together. These positive yet crucial stories from places near and far gather us here in Salem to tell us more about the less known history of American Sign Language, a community food project in NYC, a beloved doctor in Mississippi, a local theater band in rural Scotland, and finally revealing what it takes to keep the lights on in a city!

This program includes the WORLD PREMIERE of BARRIGA LLENA, CORAZON CONTENTO (FULL BELLY, HAPPY HEART) (dir. Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg, Marshall Hanig), as well as BLOODLINES, MISSISSIPPI (dir. Crystal Kayiza), NO MEAN CITY (dir. Ross McClean), COMMUNITY THEATRE (dir. Lewis Baillie), and SIGNS FROM THE MAINLAND (dir. Michael Cestaro).

Fresh Voices. Bold Stories. Student Films You Won’t Want to Miss

Fresh Voices. Bold Stories. Student Films You Won’t Want to Miss

This Year’s Student Showcases Are Stronger Than Ever

Each year, Salem Film Fest creates space for emerging filmmakers to share their work. This year’s student showcases stand out.

From deeply personal reflections to urgent social issues, these films are thoughtful, inventive, and often unexpectedly powerful. With both college and high school programs, the range of perspectives is wide, and the level of storytelling is higher than ever.

Real Stories. Real Perspective. Right Now.

What makes these films so compelling is their immediacy.

These are stories told by filmmakers who are living the experiences they’re exploring. Whether it’s identity, family, grief, creativity, activism, or belonging, the work feels current and deeply personal.

You’re not just watching a film. You’re seeing how a new generation is making sense of the world.

College Filmmakers Pushing the Form

Mass Reality Check (College Competition)
Friday, March 27, 2026 · 1:30 PM
Cinema Salem

This year’s college showcase brings together a diverse group of filmmakers experimenting with both form and subject.

A filmmaker retraces a journey of loss and memory over ten days. A street vendor’s daily life becomes a portrait of resilience. An artist reflects on the meaning of landscape beyond what we see. A cappella singers navigate tradition and change.

There is a sense of exploration in these films. Not just in what they are about, but in how they are told.

And with many of the filmmakers in attendance, the Q&A offers a rare opportunity to hear directly about the creative choices behind the work.

Featured Films Include:

Pallbearers — Directed by Tati Chavitage
Sentimental Journey: The Jills Documentary — Directed by Abby Sommers
Pulpa — Directed by Brianna Benitez
Emotional Landscape — Directed by Tiago Serpa
Frisson — Directed by Alison Hupper
Vickerilla Family Reunion — Directed by Charlie Lay
Kakawa Chocolate House — Directed by Siena Tan Yi
Before I Bleed — Directed by Isa Han
Safe Spaces — Directed by Keanna Lane
Siempre Soñando — Directed by Jasmine Garcia-De Los Santos
Closest to the Heart — Directed by Lina Barclay

➡️ Learn More

High School Filmmakers with Something to Say

Keeping It Reel (High School Competition)
Saturday, March 28, 2026 · 1:30 PM
Salem Access Television (SATV)

The high school showcase is often one of the most surprising programs of the weekend.

This year’s lineup includes films on environmental advocacy, mental health in athletics, cultural identity through food, and even questions about the future of art in the age of AI.

There are also stories rooted right here in the community, from local businesses to creative lives unfolding close to home.

What stands out is the clarity of voice. These filmmakers are not waiting to be heard. They already have something to say.

Featured Films Include:

A Little Bit of the North End — Directed by Sarah Vose
Growth — Directed by Aniyah Thomas
Peter Wallace Cartoon Artist — Directed by Leila Wallace
Morgan’s Message — Directed by Margaret Pollard
Voice of the Youth: Environmental Advocacy — Directed by Finn Hanger
Lynn Museum — Directed by Mía Pavón-O’Farrill
The Connection of Cooking — Directed by Ellie Elektra Ioannidis
“Art”ificial Intelligence — Directed by Theo MacQuarrie
The Art of Restoration — Directed by Olivia O’Connor
Mvcho’s Room — Directed by Emmy DeBoever
Xiao Shun and Dumplings — Directed by David Guo
My Guatemala Bakery — Directed by Danian Lima Martinez
The Show Must Go On — Directed by Benjamin Goldlust

➡️ Learn More

Stay for the Conversation

One of the most rewarding parts of these programs happens after the films end.

Most of the student filmmakers are present for a live Q&A, creating a direct and engaging exchange between audience and artist.

These conversations are thoughtful, honest, and often inspiring. You get insight into not only how the films were made, but why they were made.

It’s a reminder that behind every film is a person with a point of view, a process, and a story of their own.

A Glimpse of What’s Next

There’s something special about seeing filmmakers at this stage.

Some are just beginning. Others are already developing a strong voice. All are part of what comes next for documentary storytelling.

To experience their work now is to witness the early chapters of careers that are still unfolding.

Free to Attend. Worth Showing Up For.

Both student showcases are free and open to the public.

If you’re curious, this is an easy way in. If you love documentary film, it’s a chance to discover something new. And if you stay for the conversation, you may leave seeing these films, and filmmaking itself, a little differently.