SXSW is formally announcing its film festival award winners, despite the festival’s cancellation earlier this month.
This year’s SXSW film festival had several special award juries set up. Unfortunately, the event itself was nixed alongside the broader SXSW, but Janet Pierson, SXSW’s Director of Film, says changes were made to honor this year’s filmmakers. “We’re honored to at least be able to present our juried and special awards. We know that it’s no substitute for the actual festival’s vitality,” Pierson relayed. “But we hope it will help garner some well-deserved recognition for these wonderful works.”
This year’s SXSW film festival award winners were chosen from a group of 135 feature films and 119 short films. Since the show was canceled this year, there is no Audience Award.
SXSW Film Festival Award Winners
Narrative Feature Competition
- Winner: Shithouse
- Director: Cooper Raiff
Special Jury Recognition for Directing
- Winner: Topside
- Directors: Celine Held, Logan George
Special Jury Recognition for Acting
- Winner: Really Love
- Director: Angel Kristi Williams
- Actors Kofi Siriboe, Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing
Documentary Feature Competition
- Winner: An Elephant in the Room
- Director: Katrine Philip
Special Jury Recognition for Achievement in Documentary Storytelling
- Winner: The Donut King
- Director: Alice Gu
Special Jury Recognition for Breakthrough Voice
- Winner: Finding Yingying
- Director: Jiayan ‘Jenny’ Shi
Short Film Grand Jury Awards
Narrative Shorts
- Winner: White Eye
- Director: Tomer Shushan
Special Jury Recognition for Acting
- Winner: Dirty
- Director: Matthew Puccini
- Actors: Morgan Sullivan, Manny Dunn
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: Darling
- Director: Saim Sadiq
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: Single
- Director: Ashley Eakin
Documentary Shorts
- Winner: No Crying at the Dinner Table
- Director: Carol Nguyen
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: Mizuko
- Directors: Katelyn Rebelo, Kira Dane
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: Dia de la Madre
- Directors: Ashley Brandon, Dennis Höhne
Midnight Shorts
- Winner: Regret
- Director: Santiago Menghini
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: Laura Hasn’t Slept
- Director: Parker Finn
Special Jury Recognition for Creature Design
- Winner: Stucco
- Director: Janina Gavankar, Russo Schelling
Animated Shorts
- Winner: Symbiosis
- Director: Nadja Andrasev
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: No, I Don’t Want to Dance!
- Director: Andrew Vinciguerra
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: The Shawl
- Director: Sara Kiener
Music Videos
- Winner: 070 Shake – ‘Nice to Have’
- Director: Noah Lee
Special Jury Recognition for Animation
- Winner: Mitski – ‘A Pearl’
- Director: Saad Moosajee, Art Camp
Special Jury Recognition for Direction
- Winner: The Lumineers – ‘Gloria’
- Director: Kevin Phillips
Texas Shorts
- Winner: Just Hold On
- Director: Sam Davis, Rayka Zehtabchi
Special Jury Recognition
- Winner: Coup d’etat Math
- Director: Sai Selvarajan
Texas High School Shorts
- Winner: Wish Upon a Snowman
- Director: Miu Nakata
Special Jury Recognition: Narrative
- Winner: Ultimatum
- Director: Kai Hashimoto
Special Jury Recognition: Documentary
- Winner: Unveiled
- Director: Sofia Bajwa
Special Jury Recognition: Animation
- Winner: The Orchard
- Director: Zeke French