Couch Film Festival Spring 2026 Edition
BEST of the FEST (JUDGES’ FAVOURITES)
Best Film of the Festival: The Rat dir Nathan Wright-Edwards (Canada)
1st Runner Up for Best Film: Right Hand Man dir Emma Greenman, Yaumara Carrion (USA)
2nd Runner Up for Best Film: A Date with Death dir Piper J. Nichols (Canada)
Honourable Mentions for Best Film:
Stakes dir Kyle Yu (Canada)
Harmonia dir Alex Rodarte, Victoria Sjostedt (USA)
Jurassic Ward dir Max “Amber” Bellomio (USA)
Loud & Proud dir Eliana Anselmo (USA)
Save The Date dir Spencer Litzinger (Canada)
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD: (pending audience votes)
CATEGORY AWARD NOMINEES
1:00-5:00 MINUTES
Winners in RED, Nominees in BLACK
Nominees for Best Animation International [Group 1]
What the Snow Carries Away dir Alexandre Guitel, Maïlys Portier (France)
This Sandwich Is Good, I Don’t Want To Die dir Addid Halgand, Martin La Casta, Eloïse Lasseigne, Satya Rappin, Laeticia Toupdance (France)
Hound dir Vincent Bretagne (France)
Nominees for Best Animation International [Group 2]
La Cripta dir Diamanda Zoel Moreno (Chile)
Ceol dir Gary Gill (Ireland)
I Can Help You Bumblebee! dir Conor McMullin, Stina McMullin (Sweden)
Nominees for Best Animation Canada
Big Friendly Killbots dir Nathan Thomas (Canada)
The Witch and The Glassmaker dir Grace Wu (Canada)
The D Word dir Mya Van Dyk (Canada)
Nominees for Best Animation USA [Group 1]
The Ugly Resistor dir James Parente (USA)
Antsy Antics dir Maximus Ouellette (USA)
Beetle Summer dir Jian Yuan, Anyue Chen (USA)
Date Knight dir Amber Schmoyer, Kareena Bhatia (USA)
Nominees for Best Animation USA [Group 2]
Praying for Love dir Sofia Tonin (USA)
Striking Gold dir Mairin Francis (USA)
Dogs of Bishkek dir Viktor Niksdorf (USA)
Not a Hero by Accident dir Adam Ansorge (USA)
Nominees for Best Animation USA [Group 3]
The Legend of King Nibbles dir Alison Chang, Selin Bekiroglu (USA)
Total Opposites dir Afek Felix Eyal (USA)
Growing Pains dir Hayley Brown (USA)
Sleepless Night dir Rory Brown (USA)
Nominees for Best Comedy
The Susceptible dir Luis Dion-Dussault (Canada)
We’re F*cked dir Maria Jimena Gastelum (USA)
Still Waiting dir Robert Cunniff (USA)
Barking at Ghosts dir Jennifer Mosier, Dave Jenne (Canada)
Nominees for Best Documentary
Bonfire dir Josephine Harrison (USA)
See Both Sides dir Elina Abra (UK)
Real Life Zombies dir Quitina Downey (Canada)
Nominees for Best Drama
Gaza’s Lost Horizon dir Mo'men Ghanim Hasanain (Palestine)
Mahatma dir Shihyun Wang (India)
Day Off dir Nara Toktoshova (UK)
The Price Of Winning dir Ethan Aguirre (USA)
Nominees for Best Experimental International [Group 1]
Princess Deokon 11 dir Danielle Park (South Korea)
Princess Deokon 8 dir Danielle Park (South Korea)
Tutopique #BLOP 2025 dir Maurice Huvelin (France)
Hound dir Vincent Bretagne (France)
Nominees for Best Experimental International [Group 2]
Princess Deokon 2 dir Danielle Park (South Korea)
Princess Deokon 4 dir Danielle Park (South Korea)
Waiting Room dir AmberAmelia Kelly (Ireland)
Untouched dir Signe Søjberg Højlt (Denmark)
Nominees for Best Experimental International [Group 3]
Princess Deokon 7 dir Danielle Park (South Korea)
Princess Deokon 5 dir Danielle Park (South Korea)
Jay: the New Adam dir Erica De Lisio, Emanuele Olivieri, Fabio Marigliano, Francesco Baiano, Antonio Santorelli, Pasquale Fresegna, Antonio Maestà, Andrea Piretti (Italy)
Before She Was dir Helen Elizabeth Baird (UK)
Nominees for Best Experimental North America
Movements dir Roger Gallant (Canada)
Ocean of Dreams dir Vernor Schneider (USA)
The Broken Cog dir Kiana Meister (Canada)
Nominees for Best Horror
Last Christmas dir Jochen Stryjski (Germany)
Beautify dir Elizaveta Makarenko (Russia)
Dogs of Bishkek dir Viktor Niksdorf (USA)
Nominees for Best Music Video International
The Guardians Musical Trailer dir Shihyun Wang (UK)
Mahatma dir Shihyun Wang (India)
Jesus For The Black Man Too dir Oluwatobiloba Emmanuel Omole (Romania)
Nominees for Best Music Video North America
Khaki Dreams: An Achy Breaky Heart Parody dir KS Brooks, Kathryn D. Patton (USA)
Libertad dir Edward Barocela (USA)
Ghost Chair: A Concept Film to Move the Soul! dir Nancy Paradis (USA)
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Cigarettes and Silence dir Senula Herath (Canada)
Not Him dir Piotr Przybylski (Poland)
Trash Demon dir Sam Eisner (Canada)
The Snowman dir Trey Murphy (USA)
Nominees for Best Original Story
Eric dir Solange Brunet (USA)
Paternity dir Publio César de la Vega García (Spain)
Housewife dir Dalton Snider-Smith (USA)
Shut Your Trap! dir Luis Ramos (Mexico)
Nominees for Best Romance
The Letter dir Solange Brunet (USA)
We’re F*cked dir Maria Jimena Gastelum (USA)
Praying for Love dir Sofia Tonin (USA)
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural
Skip & Henry dir Austin Cole (USA)
Mission Popo dir Jennifer Wu (Canada)
Blueprint dir Mateusz Ruciński (Poland)
Nominees for Best First-Time Filmmaker
Leo Michael Bienenstock - Off Track (Canada)
Ben Ronalds, Lucas Duncan - Ice Cream Boys (Canada)
Bruna Perussello - Out There (Canada)
Zara Parsonage - The Burb (Australia)
Nominees for Best Student FIlm
Self-Reflecting dir Lucas Jackson (USA)
The Commercial Break-Up dir Hayes K Davis (USA)
Covid Party: Una Tipica Festa Napoletana dir Pasquale Fresegna (Italy)
Nominees for Best Actor
Ben Locke - Claustrophobia (USA)
Amar Sanjay Pawar - Cigarettes and Silence (Canada)
Zack McGugan - Off Track (Canada)
Nominees for Best Actress
Emma Harkin - Behind Closed Doors (Canada)
Anna Garoucheva Gonzalez - Apartment 10A (Canada)
Roze Logtenberg - Day Off (UK)
Nominees for Best Cast
Flavour of the Month dir Dani Clayton (Canada)
The Burb dir Zara Parsonage (Australia)
Apartment 10A dir Gui Queiroz (Canada)
Nominees for Best Cinematography
Roger Gallant - Movements (Canada)
Theo Christianson - Apartment 10A (Canada)
David Brick - Housewife (USA)
Nominees for Best Writer
Nathan Wright-Edwards - My Dog Franklin (Canada)
Elizabeth Butler - Barking at Ghosts (Canada)
Nathan Thomas - Big Friendly Killbots (Canada)
Nominees for Best Director
Elina Abra - See Both Sides (UK)
KS Brooks, Kathryn D. Patton - Khaki Dreams: An Achy Breaky Heart Parody (USA)
Nancy Paradis - Ghost Chair: A Concept Film to Move the Soul! (USA)
5:01-20:00 MINUTES
Winners in RED, Nominees in BLACK
Nominees for Best Animation
Agathe Must Go dir Dylan Hall, Mya Hatar (France)
Memories on the Balcony dir Camilly De Souza Rangel (Brazil)
All the Rage dir Connie Jones (USA)
Nominees for Best Comedy
The War On Art - The Doomsday Poets dir David Joyce (Canada)
The Nook dir Jess Blackwell, Steve Chambers (Canada)
Cereal Killer dir David Esposito, Ryan Crepack (USA)
Namaste Away From Me dir Michael Jonathan Gellis (USA)
Autonomous dir Jennifer Mosier (USA)
Nominees for Best Documentary Canada
Run As One dir Amber-Sky Ranville (Canada)
Chasing the Sunset Whale dir Alexander Deyneko (Canada)
Anatomy dir Ivana Salvador (Canada)
Nominees for Best Documentary USA
Love Thy Neighbor dir Sarah Leon (USA)
Beyond Words: Signed, Peter dir Paisley McGee (USA)
Ziwei- TaiBai Prophecy on Doomsday dir Shihyun Wang (USA)
ZiWei - Biscuit Tale dir Shihyun Wang (USA)
Nominees for Best Drama Canada
Lion in the Den dir Ryan Gourley (Canada)
A Will To Kill dir Karthic Janarth (Canada)
Backroad Genesis dir Evan Cummings (Canada)
Love Letter dir Thipika Balakrishnan (Canada)
Absent dir Kayla Neves (Canada)
Nominees for Best Drama USA
Do Evil Thoughts Make an Evil Man? dir Simon Stockdale (USA)
Underdog dir Madina Zhalgas (USA)
The Dreamer dir Leo Torres (USA)
Runner dir Leopoldo Torres (USA)
Nominees for Best Experimental International [Group 1]
Vague Void dir Rob Winward (UK)
Spheres dir Martin Gerigk (Germany)
Aghbash dir Samad Ghorbanzadeh (Iran)
Nominees for Best Experimental International [Group 2]
The Ground Floor dir Sajjad Taheri (Iran)
Within These Walls dir Alona Petliarska (UK)
Negligible Impact dir Trevor Holland (UK)
Back Home Late dir Alessandra Guarino (Italy)
Nominees for Best Experimental North America
Year Of The Catfish dir Gary Steven Fisher (USA)
November 1st dir Chris Cammarata (Canada)
Ca$h Cow$ dir Harley Collar (USA)
Nominees for Best Horror
Last Chance dir Mathéo Clary (France
A Date with Death dir Piper J. Nichols (Canada)
Darkness dir Stephen D'Anna (USA)
Autonomous dir Jennifer Mosier (USA)
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Canada
Haunt Restorer dir Wil Andrews (Canada)
Chemical Toilet dir Max Panahi (Canada)
My Mother Margaret dir Jaxon Moore (Canada
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller USA
For Honor dir Jacob St. John (USA)
MisSjudgment dir Izac Chen lee, Rick Peters (USA)
The Deadliest Toy Chest dir Werner Jauch (USA)
Finish the Story dir Jake Frost (USA)
Nominees for Best Original Story
All the Quiet Roads dir Matt Jenkins (USA)
Green-Eyed dir Sally Cacic (Canada)
The Rules of Life dir Larry Neale (UAE)
Cash Only dir Alexis Villasan (Canada)
Nominees for Best Romance
The Sorrows of the Past dir Sarah Leon (USA
Love Machine dir Nicholas Gearin (USA)
Friendship was a Safe Bet dir Nara Toktoshova (UK)
Love Mirrors dir Pablo Tréhin-Marçot (France)
Cake dir Gui Queiroz (Canada)
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural
Dystopia dir Jonathan Tavern (France)
Foreverland dir Lucas Del Grande (Canada)
W. Mulberry St. dir Michael Donaldson (USA)
Vixen Comforts Fixen dir Kimber Leigh, Klor Rowland (USA)
Nominees for Best First-Time Filmmaker
Bruna Perussello - Love, Sarah (Canada)
Adam G. Levine, Sebastian Silvestri - The One Who I Adore (Canada)
Sean Restivo - The Sioux: From Red Cloud to Wounded Knee (USA)
Bootz (Dominick Avila) - Early Autumn (Canada)
Nominees for Best Student Film
Of Lights Returns dir Daniele Catini (Italy)
A Will To Kill dir Karthic Janarth (Canada)
The Great Beyond dir Kaden Velasquez (USA
Last Kill dir Carson Clark McFadden (USA)
Nominees for Best Actor
Rhys Sherlock - Drifter (Australia)
Andrew Gordon - Ca$h Cow$ (USA)
Maven The Poet - The Rules of Life (UAE)
Gary Steven Fisher - Year Of The Catfish (USA)
Nominees for Best Actress
Galane Pillimini - Lola (France)
Laura D'Eramo - W. Mulberry St. (USA)
Anna Garoucheva Gonzalez - Cake (Canada)
Jess Blackwell - The Nook (Canada)
Nominees for Best Cast
Higher dir Michael Carlo Allen (Italy)
The Tales of Montefuoco: Darkwater dir Riccardo Lancialonga (Italy)
Green-Eyed dir Sally Cacic (Canada)
Autonomous dir Jennifer Mosier (USA)
Nominees for Best Cinematography
Liam Wark - Foreverland (Canada)
Yukhym Petliarskyi - Within These Walls (UK)
Patrick Sutherland - Green-Eyed (Canada)
Kyle Del Rosario - Cash Only (Canada)
Nominees for Best Writer
Daniel R. Daggett - Chasing Butterflies (Canada)
Alexandra F. Clayton - K-Town Blues (USA)
Kailey Barker, Harley Collar - Ca$h Cow$ (USA)
Alessandra Staffetti - The Deadliest Toy Chest (USA)
Nominees for Best Director
Hui Sun - Milu: The Rutting Season (China)
Riccardo Lancialonga - The Tales of Montefuoco: Darkwater (Italy)
Kimber Leigh, Klor Rowland - Vixen Comforts Fixen (USA)
Alexis Villasan - Cash Only (Canada)
20:01-45:00 MINUTES
Nominees for Best Comedy
Three Aliens dir Evgeny Malakovich (Belarus)
City Don't Sleep - Pilot dir Nich Esposito (USA)
Mental dir Suzanna Turner (USA)
Living With Mr. Fishy dir Scott Ackerson (USA)
Nominees for Best Drama
After - Season 1, Episode 1: Together dir Andrew Jacob Brown (USA)
Attack on Arkinboro Lane dir Jose Pedro Sarango (USA)
Trigger dir Haris Gioulatos (Greece)
Let Me Be Frank dir Benicio Da Silva (South Africa)
On A Leeward Shore dir Bob Walters (USA)
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Mind Game dir Omguru (India)
Beneath The Western Sky dir Dimitri Luttrell (USA)
Who Broke The Vase? dir David Aledo Yanguas (Germany, Spain)
Nominees for Best Actor
Luke Kicklighter - Beneath The Western Sky (USA)
Vasilis Koukalani - Trigger (Greece)
Andrew Jacob Brown - After - Season 1, Episode 1: Together (USA)
Nominees for Best Actress
Autumn Sims - Beneath The Western Sky (USA)
Laura Gross - Mental (USA)
Sofia Carli - Who Broke The Vase? (Germany, Spain)
Nominees for Best Cast
Trigger dir Haris Gioulatos (Greece)
Attack on Arkinboro Lane dir Jose Pedro Sarango (USA)
A Mother's Love dir Harald Schwarzenbacher (Austria)
Nominees for Best Cinematography
Robert Fernandez - Mental (USA)
Andrew Jacob Brown - After - Season 1, Episode 1: Together (USA)
Daniel Hodász - Who Broke The Vase? (Germany, Spain)
Nominees for Best Writer
Haris Gioulatos - Trigger (Greece)
Nich Esposito, Shameel Kumar, David Fieman, Jacob Kindlon - City Don't Sleep - Pilot (USA)
Wednesday Klevisha, Jaina Cipriano, Lucas O'Neil, Noah Schachter - The Impostor Syndrome - Episode 1 (USA)
Nominees for Best Director
Berry Blanton - Into the Breach: Breaking the Firewall (USA)
Volkmar Sering - The Cycle (Germany)
Steve Barnett - F*CKIT - The Movie (UK)
45:01-120 MINUTES
Nominees for Best Feature Documentary
Meeting the World by Bike dir C. Bernard (Switzerland)
Yunseul: Ripples of a Lifetime dir Soo Jin Lee (South Korea)
Trans Rising dir John Francis Rizzo (Netherlands)
My Grandfather: The Zookeeper dir Josiah Olmstead (USA)
Nominees for Best Feature Narrative
Dharau dir Manish Suresh Shinde (India)
BIMOKSH-Emancipation dir Tushar Kanti Bandyopadhyay (India)
Recovery Loser dir Daniel Kress (Canada)
Tri-Colère dir Soo Jin Lee (South Korea)
Nominees for Best Actor
Dr. Janardan Ghosh - BIMOKSH-Emancipation (India)
Danny Rye - Recovery Loser (Canada)
Shaurya Kalidas Wanjale - Dharau (India)
Nominees for Best Actress
Martha Skak - Clown Person (Denmark)
Malgeum Kang - Tri-Colère (South Korea)
Sujata Ghosh - BIMOKSH-Emancipation (India)
Nominees for Best Cast
Tri-Colère dir Soo Jin Lee (South Korea)
Trans Rising dir John Francis Rizzo (Netherlands)
Recovery Loser dir Daniel Kress (Canada)
Nominees for Best Cinematography
C. Bernard - Meeting the World by Bike (Switzerland)
Giwon Seo, Hunkwang Kim - Tri-Colère (South Korea)
Manas Bhattacharyya, Kaushik Bhattacharya, Pabitra Pramanik, Gaurav Gupta, Shubhayan Chandra, Prantik & Priya Chakraborty - BIMOKSH-Emancipation (India)
Nominees for Best Writer
Soo Jin Lee - Tri-Colère (South Korea)
Tushar Kanti Bandyopadhyay - BIMOKSH-Emancipation (India)
Daniel Kress - Recovery Loser (Canada)
Nominees for Best Director
Soo Jin Lee - Tri-Colère (South Korea)
John Francis Rizzo - Trans Rising (Netherlands)
Manish Suresh Shinde - Dharau (India)
15-SECOND STORY
Best 15-Second Story: The Escape dir José Pablo Grané (Argentina)
Nominees for Best 15-Second Story
Change Him dir Larry Rosen (USA)
Mouth dir Dominic Asselin (Canada)
The Escape dir José Pablo Grané (Argentina)
Epilepsy Experimental dir Alexander Whitlock (Australia, United Kingdom)
A Lonely Month in a Year of Lonely Days dir Kevin Lucero Less (UK)
Backpack Clown dir Alan Watkins (USA)
Missing dir Irene Garzón Rollán (Canada)
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