KWIFF 2026 — Award Nominations

The Kitchener-Waterloo International Film Festival (KWIFF) is proud to present the official 2026 Award Nominations, celebrating outstanding filmmakers, storytellers, performers, and creative talent from Canada and around the world.

Congratulations to all our KWIFF 2026 nominees. We celebrate your creativity, dedication, and contribution to independent cinema and look forward to recognizing this year’s winners during the festival.

BEST SHORT FILM

Sophie — India
Keeping Christmas Together — Canada
The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
Beg Yuh A Call — Jamaica
Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
The Housemaid — Canada
WATTLESEED — Canada
The Hollow Rabbit — Canada
All Tied Up — Canada
The Chase — Nigeria
Marta Vs. The Bugs — Canada
Story Narrated by Anuhya — Canada
If Dogs Run Free — Canada

BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM

Keeping Christmas Together — Canada
The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
The Housemaid — Canada
Wattleseed — Canada
The Hollow Rabbit — Canada
All Tied Up — Canada
Marta Vs. The Bugs — Canada
Story Narrated by Anuhya — Canada
If Dogs Run Free — Canada

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM

Sophie — India
Beg Yuh A Call — Jamaica
Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
The Housemaid — Canada, China
The Chase — Nigeria

BEST FILM (THRILLER HORROR)

The Hollow Rabbit – Canada
Apocalypse Death Party - United States
The Hollow Rabbit – Canada
NIAGARA'S 13 GHOSTS – Canada
They Are Killing Us... – Canada
WATTLESEED - Canada

BEST STUDENT FILM

PATIENT — Canada
Almost Cupid — Canada
SEMPITERNO — Canada / Peru
Mother Language — Canada
WATTLESEED — Canada
Hive Mindset — Canada

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

Hive Mindset — Canada
John Erb in Upper Canada — Canada
NIAGARA'S 13 GHOSTS — Canada

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM

John Erb in Upper Canada — Canada
Guardians of the Earth – ZSN II — Canada
Hive Mindset — Canada
NIAGARA'S 13 GHOSTS — Canada
Guardians of the Earth - ZSN II - Canada

BEST TRAILERS

A Night with Nathan — Canada
NIAGARA'S 13 GHOSTS — Canada
Apocalypse Death Party (Official Trailer) — United States
All For Tomorrow (Teaser Trailer) — United States
Wattleseed — Canada
THE LUCKY DRAW – Canada
This Bloody Country — United States
Guardians of the Earth - ZSN II - Canada
The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST EDITING

A Night with Nathan — Canada
Mother Language – Canada
SEMPITERNO - Canada, Peru
Almost Cupid — Canada
WATTLESEED — Canada
The Housemaid – Canada
Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
THE LUCKY DRAW – Canada
A Night with Nathan — Canada
This Bloody Country — United States
If Dogs Run Free — Canada
Hive Mindset — Canada
The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST PICTURE FILM

This Bloody Country — United States
THE LUCKY DRAW — Canada
A Night with Nathan — Canada
THE WORD — Ethiopia
If Dogs Run Free — Canada
The Border at Tolstoi — Canada

BEST COMEDY FILM

Marta Vs. The Bugs – Canada
Almost Cupid — Canada
Apocalypse Death Party - United States
All Tied Up – Canada
THE LUCKY DRAW – Canada
Mother Language – Canada
Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST EXPERIEMENTAL FILM

Marta Vs. The Bugs – Canada
Mother Language – Canada
SEMPITERNO - Canada, Peru
The Hollow Rabbit – Canada
WATTLESEED — Canada
The Housemaid – Canada
Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
THE LUCKY DRAW – Canada
Hive Mindset — Canada
Guardians of the Earth - ZSN II - Canada
Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST ANIMATED / SCI-FI FILM

They Are Killing Us... — Canada
The Double — Canada / Germany
WATTLESEED - Canada

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

If Dogs Run Free — Canada
Mother Language – Canada
Almost Cupid — Canada
WATTLESEED — Canada
The Housemaid – Canada
Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
A Night with Nathan — Canada
This Bloody Country — United States
If Dogs Run Free — Canada
The Border at Tolstoi — Canada

BEST SCREENPLAY

City of Secrets — Brazil
Cedar Pines Episode 1: The Oxymoron
Beyond the Border — Norway
Cedar Pines Episode 2: The Body
Midnight in Marrakech — Morocco
Cedar Pines Episode 3: Zedernkiefern
Echoes of Tomorrow — Japan
The Forgotten Road — Ireland
Under the Northern Sky — Sweden
MEE TOO: Between Hope and Change — Germany

BEST SCREENPLAY INTERNATIONAL

Cedar Pines Episode 7: Das Ende
The Last Signal — Canada
After the Storm — Philippines
The Hidden Shore — Australia
Cedar Pines Episode 4: Heaven
The Glass House — South Korea
Cedar Pines Episode 6: Strand
Borealis — Canada
Cedar Pines Episode 5: Privatwald

BEST PRODUCER

David Nguyen - Keeping Christmas Together — Canada
Grace Wei - THE LUCKY DRAW – Canada
Tomas Getachew Abera - THE WORD — Ethiopia
Brent Baird - A Night with Nathan — Canada
Craig Packard, Anne Weiler - This Bloody Country — United States
Grace Wei - The Housemaid – Canada
Srinivas Kasturi - Story Narrated by Anuhya – Canada
Christopher Andrew McGruer, Samantha Colwell-Castles, Sarah Goldman - If Dogs Run Free — Canada
George W. Cannon III, Sansara Cannon, Diana Dias, Kevin Moolenaar - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands

Andrew Moreau, Shane Murphy, Brent Skagford, Fiona Wan, Lorna Wright - The Border at Tolstoi — Canada

BEST ACTOR

Sarat Puduri - Story Narrated by Anuhya – Canada
Azadi Sage Knight - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Allen Liu - The Housemaid – Canada
Martin Dingle Wall - This Bloody Country — United States
Larry Cedar - This Bloody Country — United States
Brent Baird - A Night with Nathan — Canada
Girum Ermias Lidetu - THE WORD — Ethiopia
Cameron Donsberger - If Dogs Run Free — Canada
Brent Skagford - The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
Peter Aziz - Keeping Christmas Together — Canada
Peter Nash Garas - Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST ACTRESS

Grace MO - THE LUCKY DRAW - Canada
Veena Rao - Story Narrated by Anuhya - Canada
Grace WEI - THE LUCKY DRAW - Canada
THE CHASE - Maranatha Braimoh – Nigeria
Phoebe CHEN - THE LUCKY DRAW – Canada
Naydyeyah Acoy-Thomas - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Jaiya Taylor - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Gillian Zhao - The Housemaid – Canada
Maggie Gwinn - This Bloody Country — United States
Rainey Qualley - This Bloody Country — United States
Jacqueline Godbout - A Night with Nathan — Canada
Mahider Assefa Tadesse - THE WORD — Ethiopia
Lorna Wright - The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
Hannah Klamann - Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Charlie Stover - This Bloody Country — United States
Dishan Bates - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Razonel Wiliams - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Ethan Gu - The Housemaid – Canada
Jacob Ward - This Bloody Country — United States
Pete Comrie - A Night with Nathan — Canada
Bob Kotyk - The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
Michael Lake - Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jessica Rose- Keeping Christmas Together — Canada
Deepa Sairam - Story Narrated by Anuhya – Canada
Irene Ali - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Rafia Iqbal- A Night with Nathan — Canada
Mamatha Ramakrishna - Story Narrated by Anuhya – Canada
Samantha Colwell-Castles - If Dogs Run Free — Canada
Norah Eagen - If Dogs Run Free — Canada
Jessica Chin King - Keeping Christmas Together — Canada

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS INTERNATIONAL

Kiana Joseph - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Malik Gomes - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Sanskriti Raiker – Sophie - India
Brandy Brooks – Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
Georgia Coles - This Bloody Country — United States
Brookelyn Lindley - This Bloody Country — United States
Zuma E. Nisbett - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands

BEST DIRECTOR

Christopher Andrew McGruer - If Dogs Run Free — Canada
Srinivas Kasturi - Story Narrated by Anuhya – Canada
David Li - THE LUCKY DRAW – Canada
George W. Cannon III - Bottled Love — U.S. Virgin Islands
David Li - The Housemaid – Canada
Craig Packard - This Bloody Country — United States
Brent Baird, Pete Comrie - A Night with Nathan — Canada
Daniel Beyene Abebe - THE WORD — Ethiopia
Bob Kotyk - The Border at Tolstoi — Canada
David Nguyen - Keeping Christmas Together — Canada