ÉCU 2026 Awards

Winners 2026

Celebrating the most daring, original, and inspiring voices in independent cinema.

The Awards of ÉCU 2026

Discover the official winners of ÉCU 2026, celebrating outstanding independent films, performances, scripts, and creative achievements from around the world.

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Independent Film 2026

Winner Inkubus Director: Reza Sam Mosadegh

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Independent Dramatic Short 2026

Winner Arundel’s Lighthouse Director: Julie Fackler

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Independent Dramatic Feature 2026

Winner Isola Director: Nora Jaenicke

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Independent Documentary 2026

Winner Je t’écris / I Write To You Director: Guillaume Levil

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Experimental Film 2026

Winner Sunyata Director: Quentin Kwiatkowski

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Independent Music Video 2026

Winner FOLLOW THIS DOWN Director: Philos Maurice Klein

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Independent Animation 2026

Winner Freedom Director: Arjan Brentjes

ÉCU 2026

Europe’s Best Independent Comedy 2026

Winner Teodoro Director: Esteban Roel

ÉCU 2026

Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Short 2026

Winner The Third Dream Director: Mohammadhossein Nikzad

ÉCU 2026

Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Feature 2026

Winner The Obelisk Director: Béla Baptiste

ÉCU 2026

Best Non-European Independent Documentary 2026

Winner PUNKIE Director: Audrey Olsen

ÉCU 2026

Best Student Film 2026

Winner The Beanie Directors: Henri Ikonen & Ella Koponen

Performance

Best Actor 2026

Winner Tino Salehi For Too Far, Too Late Director: Reza Daghagh

Performance

Best Actress 2026

Winner Hanife Sylejmani For Teresa, Station B Director: Katharina Sporrer

Craft

Best Editing 2026

Winner Irrevocable Sentence Director: Theodoros Tziatzios

Craft

Best Cinematography 2026

Winner Moti Director: Yash Saraf

Craft

Best Director 2026

Winner An excess baggage Director: Myriam Garcia Marienstras

Jury

Special Jury Mention #1 2026

Winner PRESCRIPTION Director: Hanane Sarin

Jury

Special Jury Mention #2 2026

Winner The strength of silence Director: Samuel Vela

Jury

Special Jury Mention #3 2026

Winner BUSH Director: Ronen Eldar

Innovation

Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Film 2026

Winner The Hum Director: Olaf Taranczewski

Audience

Audience Award 2026

Winner CLOCKING OUT Director: Joshua Mueller

Special Award

The Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking 2026

Winner I Owe You A Touch Director: Marwan Elshafie

Special Award

Excellence in Women’s Filmmaking 2026

Winner Abja and Her Pickled Eggs Director: Rita Heer

Script

Best Short Script 2026

Winner La mort de l’oiseau Director: Myriam Garcia Marienstras

Script

Best Feature Script 2026

Winner The Present Director: Haris Leventi