11th Annual LAFA 2026 Nominations

Entering its second decade, the Los Angeles Film Awards continues to serve as an elite global benchmark for filmmaking excellence, spotlighting extraordinary narratives that carry the depth and polish of high-end cinema. The selection process for our 11th annual edition highlighted a breathtaking caliber of films, driven by complex storytelling, magnificent ensemble casts, and profound cultural relevance.

Standing at the forefront of this year's competition with a remarkable 4 nominations each is a trio of exceptional feature films.

First is Everything To Me (previously The Book of Jobs), a deeply moving coming-of-age drama written and directed by Kayci Lacob. Featuring an stellar cast including Judy Greer, Rich Sommer, Victoria Pedretti, and a breakout, nominated performance by Abigail Donaghy, the film masterfully uses Steve Jobs as a generational compass to navigate the personal and societal shifts of the Millennial era.

Sharing the top tier is The Queen's Jewels, a sweeping action-adventure written and directed by Joshua Friedman. Anchored by a brilliant ensemble led by Carson Rowland and Katherine McNamara, this timeless tale thrusts a small-town surfer into a high-stakes treasure hunt across the Bahamas while evading a ruthless collector.

Rounding out this powerful lineup is Not That Rich, a beautifully poignant drama written and directed by Chenyang Zhao. Starring Eva Du and Yuan Tian, the film offers an intimate and luxurious character study of a privileged Chinese girl uprooted to the United States, brilliantly capturing the invisible sacrifices of cultural assimilation and family survival.

To our distinguished nominees: your storytelling has set a phenomenal standard for global cinema this season. We are proud to present the official best of the best for the 11th Annual LAFA.

Best of Fest

The Ninth Order - Nick John A'Hern

Not That Rich - Chenyang Zhao

The Queen's Jewels - Joshua Friedman

The Book of Jobs - Kayci Lacob

Between The Mountain and The Sky - Jeremy Power Regimbal

The Wildman of Shaggy Creek - Jesse Edwards

Best Narrative Feature

The Wildman of Shaggy Creek - Jesse Edwards

Not That Rich - Chenyang Zhao

Sebastian - Mann Robinson

The Ninth Order - Nick John A'Hern

Freed - Jefferson Nali, Luciana Costa

Arulvaan - Ganesh Vinayakan

Best Narrative Short

The Rowboat - Yutong Cao

Mother's Day - Kathryn Boyd Brolin

Inside the Déjà Vu - João Pedro Oliveira

The Everlasting Life of Debbie Gomolka - Brian Sacca

When I Die - Syuen Chia

Asher Baby - Paulina Ulrich

Best Indie Feature

From the South, The Revenge - Fabio Flecha

Freed - Jefferson Nali, Luciana Costa

MIRARI - Jérémie Brunel

Hidden Creek - Julian Mercado-Avila, Darien Jewel

Heart Full of Hope - Dale Fabrigar, Tricia Aurand

Give Me Your Hand - Kevin Sakac

Best Indie Short

Crazy Pete - Gregg Prosser, Miah Kane

Perfidia - Collins Abbott White

Anakin - The Quiet One - Alexandre Tissier

Death! - Matthew B.C., Abi Tedder

I Choose You - Kaylah Pollock

Race Car - Johannes Klein, Isabela Pauwels

Best Web/TV Pilot

The Drug Counselor - Crawford Banks

Conscious Co-Working - Matt Crowe

The Knight Prowler - Arjun Pankaj Razdan

Jammerz - A.J. Cheaytelli, Prashanth Vanchy

Giggin' - Tom Claspill

Rock N' Rolled - John Fahy

Best Web/TV Series

Destination - Hermann Boya

Dating Positive (+) - Mustafa Mahdi, Indeya Dynice

Chasing the Tide - Jay Kleberg, Chrissy Kleberg

The Madness of David Judge - Mike Mayhall

Gavin's Adventures - Fiona Lincke

Dick Bunny - Katie Locke O'Brien

Best Documentary Feature

Among Neighbors - Yoav Potash

Rising Beyond the Limits - Olena Tumanska

Between The Mountain and The Sky - Jeremy Power Regimbal

Paddle Out - Sebi Lee

May Contain: My Life - Jennifer Greenstreet

Sweet Störy - Sarah Justine Kerruish, Matt Maude

Best Documentary Short

Ex-Friends - Kathryn Ebba Gould

My Pastor's Family - Junho Seo

Baller State of Mind: The Philosophy of David Arquette - Betsy Pike

The Last Show - Lisle Turner

Last Days on Lake Trinity - Charlotte Cooley

Breaking Borders - The legacy of the Berlin Wall Jumper - Idris Aleshinloye

Best Animation

My Turn! - Isabelle Maria Tumboimbela, Daisha Lin Sherman

Matilda and the Brave Escape - Ash Reed, Ed Winters, Surge, Camilla Brandow

A Solid Future - Javier de la Torre González, Aitor Esteves Saizarbitoria

Vibrantea - Emerson Tenney

Every Light in Between - Pol Solà, Guille Comin

The Lonely Life of Lint - Sarah Sklar

Best Music Video

Earth - Yura Katynsky, Angelina Usanova

La Cuadrada by Belinda & Tito Double P - Lariss De la Vega, Kathya Velázquez

Douche Canoe - Craig Melville

Rise Up & Fight - Nolan Williams, Jr.

ZHAOYIFAN - Comet (ft. PONY5IBE) - AUTOAUNA, ALX112

If It's Hot, It'll Sell - Sarah Brine, Rachel Fox, Mike Maimone and Mutts

Best Student Film

Blossom - Liang Zhang

Hiraeth: Outbound - Zhilin Xu

Soeur Celeste - IB Asanga, Michaela Bidon, Sofia Folgia, Nina Istrope

She Who Raised Me - Sophie Kairis

Untouchable - Joe Yang

Blood Of Anger - Loïc Da Silva

Best Director (Feature)

Intersection - Adam Nowak

One More Like - Karoly Palfai

Not That Rich - Chenyang Zhao

The Book of Jobs - Kayci Lacob

Sugar Beach - Zoe Manzotti, Noely Mendoza

The Wildman of Shaggy Creek - Jesse Edwards

Best Director (Short)

Peeling Off - Yinghui Li

The Shadow of the Witness - Brian Rodríguez

NOD - Tristan Baumgardner

Dysturbian Utopia - J'kari Calixte

Dual Agency - Frank Blake

Rock N' Rolled - John Fahy

Best First Time Director (Feature)

Julian - Izrael Moreno

The Queen's Jewels - Joshua Friedman

Hidden Creek - Julian Mercado-Avila, Darien Jewel

At What Cost - Stewart A Campbell

The Eventologist - Oscar Yema

Among The 8 - Erick Yahir Lozano

Best First Time Director (Short)

The Fort - Victoria McDevitt

The Scapegoat - Peng Zhang

Facade - DangVy NGUYEN

Motel Room Six - Aron Cagan

Untouchable - Joe Yang

Mint Condition - So Man Tsoi

Best Actor

Julian - Ulysse de Maximy

The Queen's Jewels - Carson Rowland

Rise of the Underdog - Mack Lindon

Hidden Creek - John Henry Richardson

Blood Of Anger - Simon Vandemaelen

The Caretaker - Ben Probert

Best Actress

The Book of Jobs - Abigail Donaghy

Mother's Day - Kathryn Boyd Brolin

Don't Forget Me - Zhang Xin Yu

Dual Agency - Jessie Bell

The Queen's Jewels - Katherine Macnamara

Tokyo Strange Tale - Risa Shigematsu

Best Duo

A Long Way From Cairo - Precious Mustapha & Dipo Ola

Soeur Celeste - Gabrielle King & Faith Harrison

Tandem - John Henry Richardson & Charlie Jackson

Jera and Brandon Sketch Show - Jera Sky & Brandon Weaver

Give Me Your Hand - Mélinda Martinho & Kevin Sakac

Asher Baby - Katie Parker & Heston Horwin

Best Cinematography

At What Cost - Chris M Stanton

Alpha 27 - Nick Azzaro

The Knight Prowler - Reuben Janet Ellis & Vedant Mane

Dysturbian Utopia - Jason Blount

The Truth About Engines - Zachary Shea

Julian - Lluis Martí

Best Editing

Evil Unearthed - Matt Benton

Mother's Day - Michael Costello, Lauren Stava

The Skids ReVolution - Laura Graham, Colin J Graham

Azul - Lu Li

1-800-CHOICES - Kelby Wood, Jeffrey Glaser

The End - Weiqi Meng

Best Score

Faith and the Christmas Star - Anne Trenning

New Squam City - Antonin Urruty

A Fluorescent Sky - Michael Walters

Marmots on Toast - Patrick Kendell-Smith

Treasure Trackers - Robin Hoffmann

Tokyo Strange Tale - Maria Kawane

Best Original Story

Mint Condition - So Man Tsoi

Inside the Déjà Vu - João Pedro Oliveira

#KK - Arjun Pankaj Razdan, Sushil Arun Yadav, Reuben Janet Ellis

The Book of Jobs - Kayci Lacob

Returning Home - Rachel Lear

Intersection - Adam Nowak, Marek Nowak

Best Screenplay

When Pigs Fly - Terry Luke Podnar, Ed Charles Learner

The Widow of Summit Springs - Susan Sweeney

Apples - Hayley Jean Reeves

Reflections - Manuel Freedman

Poster Girls - Christina Capra

Not So Alone - Emma Prescott

Best Television Script

The Firekeeper - Daniel R Stevens

God Bless America - Jaiden Dal Bello

Constellation Chronicles - Vincent James Lowry

Southern Bites - Nigel Tyrone Simms

Cafe Romeo - Alberto Diamante

Good American B*tches - Talia Masiello

Jury Award for Outstanding Film

Belief - Yitong Liu

Unbankable - Luke Willms

Echoes of Regret - Alexandre Tissier

1-800-CHOICES - Stephen James Thomas

Billy - Pablo Damián Schiel

Chain - Niko Nettesheim

Jury Award for Outstanding Screenplay

The Lost Scout - Stephanie Parney, Nicholas Roy

Oliver, Again - Robert Benjamin

Hiding Places - Samuel Wilson

Girl in a Glass Box - Raf Lindia, Blanche Baker

Marshmallow Lake - Daniel Bodenmann

Gang Agley - Jeremy Hogan, Aaron Krygier

Jury Award for Outstanding Music Video

Nocturnal - Big Howl

Immortals - Blaximental, Manzanon

Mommy Talk - Chen Hsuan Tseng

You, Me and The Night - Coco Bigles, Cat Serrano

Country Couture - Cali Tucker, Dustin J. Robison

High School Sweetheart - Samuel Kaperski, Célia Pyamootoo

Breakthrough Filmmaker of the Year

Not That Rich - Chenyang Zhao

Bygones - Angel McCoughtry

Locksmith - Whitney Williams

Johnny Malibu - William Mazzola

As We Flow to the Sea - Nelson Chi

Demolition - Megan Raney Aarons

A magnificent congratulations to the extraordinary nominees of our 11th annual edition. Your exceptional artistry and dedication to the moving image continue to elevate global cinema, and we are deeply honored to champion your success on the international stage.

Submissions for our next season are officially open - submit your project: https://filmfreeway.com/lafa