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List of San Diego International Film Festival award winners

The San Diego International Film Festival is an independent film festival held annually in San Diego. The festival's top honorary award is the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence that has been presented at the festival by the family of Gregory Peck since 2014. The festival also presents the Chris Brinker Award to first time directors. Those and other honorary and competitive awards presented by and at the festival are here organized by year and by award.

Film Competition Award Winners By Year

SDiFF2025

Oct 15-20, 2025

  • Best Feature: Aontas, Ireland
  • Artistic Director’s Award: Matter of Time
  • Best Gala Fil: Hamnet
  • Best Documentary: Standout: The Ben Kjar Story
  • Best International Feature: Hello Mother, Mongolia
  • Best Ensemble: Fantasy Life
  • Best Comedy: For Worse
  • Best Women Film Series: The Fisherman, Ghana
  • Best Short Documentary: The Opening Address
  • Best Short Narrative: Sally, Get the Potatoes
  • Best International Short Film: Kong Kong
  • Best Animation: Forevergreen
  • Best Student Film: Echoes of the Wild

Audience Choice Awards:

  • Feature: Obraz, Montenegro.
  • Documentary: Standout: The Ben Kjar Story and A Quiet Love
  • Short: Rise
  • Gala Award: Hamnet

SDiFF2024

Oct 16-20, 2024

  • Artistic Director's Award: Drive Back Home
  • Best Gala Film: Conclave
  • Best Feature Film: Bob Trevino Likes It
  • Best Documentary: Moses 13 Steps
  • Breakthrough International: Mariana's Trench
  • Best International Feature: Stranger's Case
  • Best Drama Feature: The Uninvited
  • Best Women's Film Series: We Are Dangerous
  • Best Short Doc: Hello Stranger
  • Best Short Narrative: The Last Ranger
  • Best Shorts Track: Heartstrings
  • Best International Short Film: Il Taglio Di Jonas
  • Best Animation: Luki and the Lights
  • Kumeyaay Award: Bring Them Home
  • Best Student Film: Xander

Audience Choice Awards:

  • Audience Choice Feature: Evergreen$
  • Audience Choice Documentary: Bring Them Home
  • Audience Choice Short: Buscando Alma
  • Audience Choice Gala: September 5

SDiFF2023

Oct 18-22, 2023

  • Artistic Director's Award: Fresh Kills
  • Best Gala Film: American Fiction
  • Best Feature Film: Blood For Dust
  • Best Documentary: The Grab
  • Breakthrough Documentary: Hidden Masters
  • Best International Feature: Ariel: Back to Buenos Aires
  • Best Drama Feature: Junction
  • Best Comedy Feature: A Kind of Kidnapping
  • Best Women's Film Series: Miranda's Victim
  • Best Short Doc: Squid Fleet
  • Best Short Narrative: Things Unheard Of
  • Best Shorts Track: Global Consciousness Track
  • Best International Short Film: Lambing
  • Best Animation: American Sikh
  • Kumeyaay Award: Before The Sun
  • Best Student Film: The External-Internal Monologue of an Interdependent Insomniac
  • Best Military: Brothers After War

Audience Choice Awards:

  • Audience Choice Feature: Three Storey Comedy
  • Audience Choice Documentary: Brothers After War
  • Audience Choice Short: Desi Standard Time Travel
  • Audience Choice Gala: The Holdovers

SDiFF2022

Oct 19-23, 2022

  • Artistic Director's Award: American Murderer (dir. Matthew Gentile)
  • Best Gala Film: The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Best Feature Film: Freedom's Path
  • Best Documentary: With This Breath I Fly
  • Best International Feature: The Woman In the White Car
  • Best Drama Feature: What We Do Next
  • Best Comedy Feature: Róise & Frank
  • Best Women's Film Series: The Moon & Back
  • Best Ensemble Cast: Bleecker
  • Best Short Doc: For the Bees
  • Best Short Narrative: Shower Boys
  • Best International Short Film: The Red Suitcase
  • Best Animation: Tehura
  • Kumeyaay Award: The Wind & the Reckoning
  • Best Local Film: Don't Do It
  • Best Student Film: Black Whole
  • Valor Award: Mending the Line (dir. John Waller)

Audience Choice Awards:

SDiFF2021

Oct 14-24, 2021

  • Best Feature Film: Queen of Glory (dir. Nana Mensah)
  • Best Documentary Feature: Holy Frit (dir. Justin Monroe)
  • Best International Feature: Petite Maman (dir. Céline Sciamma)
  • Best Thriller Feature: The Boathouse (dir. Hannah Cheesman)
  • Best Drama Feature: The Beta Test (dir. Jim Cummings)
  • Best Comedy Feature: They/Them/Us (dir. Jon Sherman)
  • Best Ensemble Cast: Voodoo Macbeth
  • Best Short Doc: The Bitter Root
  • Best International Short: Good Morning, Ignacio (dir. Alan Jonsson Gavica & Leticia Fabián)
  • Best Animation: Freebird
  • Kumeyaay Award: Pictures of My People (dir. Mark Ruberg)
  • Military Award: Do Not Hesitate
  • Best Local Film: Cheyenne
  • Best Student (College): Cheyenne
  • Best Student (High School): Mazel Tov
  • Chris Brinker Award: Women is Losers (dir. Lissette Feliciano)

Audience Choice Awards:

SDiFF2020

Oct 15-18, 2020

  • Best Narrative Feature: Drunk Bus (dir. John Carlucci and Brandon LaGanke)
  • Best Documentary: MLK/FBI (dir. Sam Pollard)
  • Best International Feature: 150 Million Magical Sparrows (dirs. Brahmanand S. Singh, Tanvi Jain)
  • Best Thriller Feature: Through the Glass Darkly (dir. Lauren Fash)
  • Best Drama Feature: Farewell Amor (dir. Ekwa Msangi)
  • Best Comedy Feature: Eat Wheaties! (dir. Scott Abramovitch)
  • Best Ensemble Cast: Before/During/After (dir. Stephen Kunken, Jack Lewars)
  • Best Short Documentary: Panthoot (dir. Richard Reens)
  • Best Short Narrative: Last Queen on Earth (dir. Michael Shumway)
  • Best International Short Film: Chen Chen (dir. Kargo Chen)
  • Best Animation: To: Gerard (dir. Taylor Meacham)
  • Kumeyaay Award: Invasion: The Unist'ot'en's Fight for Sovereignty (dirs. Michael Toledano, Sam Vinal)
  • Best Local Film: Anna (dir. Rich Underwood)
  • Chris Brinker Award: The MisEducation of Bindu (dir. Prarthana Mohan)
  • Artistic Director's Award: You Asked for the Facts: Bobby Kennedy at the Univ of Mississippi

Audience Choice Awards:

  • Audience Choice Documentary: The Mustangs: America's Wild Horses
  • Audience Choice Short: Feeling Through (dir. Doug Roland)
  • Audience Choice Gala: Nomadland
  • Audience Choice Feature: Drunk Bus

SDiFF2019

Oct 15-20, 2019

  • Best Narrative Feature : The Steed (dir. Erdenebileg Ganbold)
  • Best Documentary: Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War (dir. Kerry David)
  • Best Short Film: Long Time Listener, First Time Caller (dir. Nora Kirkpatrick)
  • Best International Short Film: Portraitist (dir. Cyrus Neshvad)
  • Best Animation: Riptide
  • Best Global Cinema: Philophobia (dir. Guy Davies)
  • Kumeyaay Award: Angelique's Isle (dir. Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Michelle Derosier)
  • Best Ensemble Cast: Inside Game (dir. Randall Batinkoff)
  • Best Original Screenplay: Love in Kilnerry (dir. Daniel Keith)
  • Best World Premiere: 100 Days to Live (dir. Ravin Gandhi)
  • Best Student Film: Sonora
  • Best Local Film: Flourish (dir. Christopher Allan Francis, Nicole Franco)
  • Best Comedy Film: Babysplitters (dir. Sam Friedlander)
  • Best Thriller Feature: Safe Inside (dir. Renata Gabryjelska)
  • Litecoin Filmmaker Award: Philophobia
  • Artistic Director's Award: Safe Spaces (dir. Daniel Schechter)

Audience Choice Awards:

  • Studio Film: Marriage Story (dir. Noah Baumbach)
  • Feature Film: Carol of the Bells (dir. Joey Travolta)
  • Documentary: Breaking Their Silence, Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War (dir. Kerry David)
  • Short Film: Men of Vision (dir. Frank Todaro)

SDiFF2018

Oct 10-14, 2018 | Jury Awards:

  • Best Animation: The Driver is Red (dir. Randall Christopher)
  • Best Student Film: Learning to Swim
  • Best Global Cinema: My Name is "Batlir", Not Butler (dir. Stare Yildirim)
  • Kumeyaay Award: Indian Horse
  • Most Inspirational Film: The Push (dir. Grant Korgan, Brian Niles)
  • Best World Premiere: Electric Love (dir. Aaron Fradkin)
  • Best Local Film: Daisy Belle (dir. William Wall)
  • Best Local Breakout: Romance is Dead (dir. Todd Jackson)
  • Best Short Film: Akeda (dir. Dan Bronfield)
  • Best Short Comedy Film: Hero (dir. Drew and Nate Garcia)
  • Best Documentary: '
  • Best Thriller: Rust Creek
  • Best Breakout Feature: I May Regret (dir. Graham Streeter)
  • Best Feature Film: Tiger
  • Artistic Directors' Award: Soufra (dir. Thomas A. Morgan)

Audience Choice Awards:

  • Best Documentary: Soufra
  • Best Feature: I May Regret
  • Best Short: Your Call Is Important To Us
  • Best Studio: Boy Erased

SDiFF2017

Oct 4-8, 2017 | Jury Awards:

  • Best Narrative Feature: The Bachelors (dir. Kurt Voelker)
  • Best Documentary: <u>The Last Animals</u>
  • Best Short Film: <u>The Foster Portfolio</u>
  • Best Foreign Short: Ostoja Will Move Your Piano
  • Best Animated Short: Green Light (dir. Seong-Min Kim)
  • Best Global Cinema: The Divine Order
  • Kumeyayy Eagle Award: Waabooz (dir. Molly Katagiri)
  • Best Military Film: Apache Warrior (dir. David Salzberg, Christian Tureaud)
  • Best Ensemble Film: Butterfly Caught (dir. Manny Rodriguez Jr.)
  • Best World Premiere: Dismissed (dir. Benjamin Arfmann)
  • Best Comedy Feature: The Lonely Italian (dir. Lee Farber)
  • Best Breakthrough Feature: <u>Selling Isobel</u>
  • Chairman's Award: Dog Years (dir. Adam Rifkin)

Audience Choice Awards:

  • Best Documentary: Resistance is Life (dir. Apo W. Bazidi)
  • Best Feature: Life Hack
  • Best Short: The Dog With the Woman (dir. Phoebe Arnstein, Stephen Ledger-Lomas)
  • Best Studio: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

SDiFF2016

Sept 28-Oct 2, 2016 | Jury Awards:

  • Best Narrative Short: Bon Voyage (dir. Marc Raymond Wilkin)
  • Best Comedy: The Late Bloomer (dir. Kevin Pollak)
  • Best Military Film: Railway Spine (dir. Samuel Gonzalez, Jr.)
  • Kumeyayy Eagle Award: Te Ata (dir. Nathan Frankowski)
  • Best Documentary: Political Animals
  • Best International Film: Julieta (dir. Pedro Almodovar)
  • Breakthrough Feature: Po
  • Chairman's Award: Citizen Soldier (dir. David Salzberg, Christian Tureaud)
  • Best Narrative Feature: So B. It
  • Breakthrough Documentary: In Utero

Audience Choice Awards:

SDFF2015

Sep 30-Oct 4, 2015 | Jury Awards:

  • Best Narrative Feature – Diablo
  • Best Documentary – India's Daughter
  • Best International Film – Victoria
  • Best Narrative Short – SubRosa (dir. Thora Hilmarsdottir)
  • Best Animated Film – SOAR (dir. Alyce Tzue)
  • Best Military Film – No Greater Love (dir. Justin Roberts)
  • Kumeyaay Award – For Blood (dir. Chadwick Pelletier, John T. Connor)
  • Chairman's Award – Kidnap Capital

Audience Choice:

SDFF2014

Sep 24-28, 2014 | Jury Awards:

  • Best Narrative Feature: Where the Road Runs Out (dir. Rudolf Buitendach)
  • Best Documentary: Waiting for Mamu
  • Best International: Schimbarev (dir. Álex Sampayo)
  • Best Narrative Short: The Bravest, The Boldest (dir. Moon Molson)
  • Best Animated Film: The Dam Keeper
  • Kumeyaay Award: Sycuan: Our People. Our Culture. Our History.
  • U-T San Diego Award: Where the Road Runs Out
  • Chairman's Award: The Hornet's Nest

Audience Choice:

SDFF2013

Oct 2-6, 2013 | Jury Awards:

SDFF2011

  • Best Narrative Feature - East Fifth Bliss (dir. Michael Knowles)
  • Best Documentary - (dir. Tony Hardmon & Rachel Libert)
  • Best Short Film - It Takes Balls (dir. Benoit Lach)
  • Best San Diego Film - Repeat After Me (dir. Bryan Bangerter)
  • Best Screenplay - James Westby (Rid of Me)
  • Best Actor - John Turturro, (Somewhere Tonight)
  • Best Actress - Rachel Boston (The Pill)

Audience Choice:

SDFF2010

Audience Choice:

SDFF2009

Audience Choice:

SDFF2008

  • Best Feature - Summerhood (dir. Jacob Medjuck)
  • Best Actress - Sasha Alexander - The Last Lullaby
  • Best Actor - Michael Tassoni - The Appearance of a Man (dir. Daniel Pace)
  • Heineken Red Star Award - The Appearance of a Man
  • Physical Graffiti Best Action Sports Story - Against the Grain
  • Best Short - In the Name of the Son
  • Best Documentary - Uncounted (dir. David Earnhardt)
  • Best Music Video - Greg Laswell - How the Day Sounds
  • Best San Diego Short - Residue

Audience Choice:

SDFF2007

Sept 27-30, 2007

SDFF2006

Sept. 27 – Oct. 1, 2006

  • Best Feature Film - Danika
  • Best Director - Jordan Albertsen, The Standard
  • Best Screenplay - Tim Boughn, Neo Ned
  • Best Documentary --Chasing the Horizon
  • Best Short - "Olyver Brody"
  • Best Female Filmmaker - Heather MacAllister, The Narrow Gate
  • Best Actor - Ryan Donowho, The Favor
  • Best Actress - Regina Hall, Danika
  • San Diego Filmmaker - "Nothing To Do With Amy"
  • Best Music Video - "Just Go", Misdirection
  • Best Music Video Director—Fernando Apodaca, "Life Wasted", Pearl Jam

Audience Choice:

  • Best Feature - Neo Ned
  • Best Documentary - The Creek Runs Red

SDFF2005

Sept 21-25, 2005

Audience Choice:

SDFF2004

Sept 29 - Oct 4, 2004

Night of the Stars Honorees

SDiFF2025

October 16, 2025

Festival guests: Brian Austin Green

SDiFF2024

October 17, 2024

SDiFF2023

No awards banquet was held in 2021 due to the 2023 SAG/AFTRA strike.

SDiFF2022

Oct 20, 2022 | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla

Festival Guests: Jung Ryeo-won, District Attorney Summer Stephan

SDiFF2021

Oct 14-24, 2021

No awards banquet was held in 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols about social distancing.

SDiFF2020

No awards banquet was held in 2020 due to COVID-19 protocols about social distancing.

SDiFF2019

Oct 18, 2019 | Pendry Hotel San Diego

Host: Scott Mantz

Festival Guests: Stephen Gyllenhaal, Cindy Marten.

SDiFF2018

Oct 11, 2018 | Pendry Hotel San Diego

Host: Scott Mantz

Festival Guests: Hal Linden, Nat Wolff, Jassa Ahluwalia

SDiFF2017

Oct 5, 2017 | Pendry Hotel San Diego

Host: Jeffrey Lyons Co-hosts: Ben Lyons, Scott Mantz

Festival Guests: Rian Johnson, Nick Eversman (presenter)

SDiFF2016

Sept 29th, 2016 | Museum of Contemporary Art

Host: Jeffrey Lyons Co-hosts: Ben Lyons, Scott Mantz

Festival Guests: Warren Beatty, Kevin Pollak, Josie Totah (as JJ Totah), Sean Patrick Flanery, Kweku Mandela

SDFF2015

Oct 1, 2015 - Museum of Contemporary Art

Host: Jeffrey Lyons

Festival Guest:s Mika Haka, Leslee Udwin, Roger Ross Williams, Dawn Porter

SDFF2014

Sept 25, 2014 | Museum of Contemporary Art

Festival Guests: Tom Berenger, Josh Duhamel, Dennis Haysbert, Stelio Savante

SDFF2013

Oct 3, 2013 | Museum of Contemporary Art

Festival Guests: Michael B. Jordan, Troy Duffy

SDFF2012

Sept 27, 2012 | Museum of Contemporary Art

Guests: Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Diane Ladd, Anne Heche, Pennie Lane, Stephen Gyllenhaal, Martin McDonagh, Mark Christopher Lawrence

SDFF2011

Sep 28-Oct 2

Confirmed Guests: Will Reiser, Tom Sizemore, Lee Hirsch

SDFF2010

Sept 20, 2010

Guests: Jenna Fischer, Kim Coates, Leland Orser, Davis Guggenheim, Jason Ritter and Elliott Gould.

SDFF2009

Confirmed Guests: William Shatner, Richard Dreyfuss, James Van Der Beek, James Cromwell

SDFF2005

Sept 24, 2005

Confirmed Guests: Melissa Joan Hart, Bryan Greenberg, Ben Younger.

SDFF2004

SDFF2002

Achievement in Acting Award: James Woods

Confirmed Festival Guests: Kevin Smith, Jeff Anderson, Rod Lurie, Tatum O’Neal, Cliff Robertson, Joey Lauren Adams and Scott Baio

By award

Golden Eagles

Best Narrative Feature

Best Documentary

Best Animation

  • 2022: Tehura
  • 2021: Freebird
  • 2020: To: Gerard (dir. Taylor Meacham)
  • 2019: Riptide
  • 2018: The Driver is Red (dir. Randall Christopher)
  • 2017: Green Light (dir. Seong-Min Kim)
  • 2015: SOAR (dir. Alyce Tzue)
  • 2014: The Dam Keeper (dir. Robert Kondo)

Kumeyaay Eagle Award

for Best Native American Film

Audience Awards

Best Documentary

  • 2022: Holy Frit (dir. Justin Monroe)
  • 2021: The Disruptors (dir. Stephanie Soechtig)
  • 2020: The Mustangs: America's Wild Horses
  • 2019: Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War (dir. Kerry David)
  • 2018: Soufra (dir. Thomas A. Morgan)
  • 2017: Resistance is Life (dir. Apo W. Bazidi)
  • 2016: Seed: The Untold Story (dir. Taggart Siegel)
  • 2015: Moments of Clarity (dir. Stev Elam)
  • 2014: Waiting for Mamu
  • 2011: The Highest Pass (dir. Jon Fitzgerald)
  • 2010: Waiting for Superman (dir. Davis Guggenheim)
  • 2009: Jesse's Story (dir. Mark S. Jacobs)
  • 2008: Speed & Angels (dir. Peyton Wilson)
  • 2006: The Creek Runs Red (dirs. B. Beesley, J. Brannum)
  • 2005: "Little Man," (dir. Nicole Conn )

Best Narrative Feature

Best Narrative Short

  • 2022: Moon
  • 2021: Munkie (dir. Steven Chow)
  • 2020: Feeling Through (dir. Doug Roland)
  • 2019: Men of Vision
  • 2018: Your Call Is Important To Us
  • 2017: The Dog With the Woman (dir. P., S. Ledger-Lomas)
  • 2016: Mine (dir. Simon Berry)
  • 2015:The Gunfighter (dir. Eric Kissack)
  • 2014: Sure Thing

Best Studio/Gala Film

Gregory Peck Award

Chris Brinker Award

For best first time director.

  • 2020: Prarthana Mohan
  • 2019: Ravin Gandhi
  • 2018: Stare Yildirim
  • 2017: Manny Rodriguez
  • 2016: Anne Hamilton
  • 2015: Jack Robbins
  • 2014: John Hill

Cinema Vanguard Award

Humanitarian Award

Fairbanks Award

Virtuoso Award

Auteur Award

Music Icon Award

Spotlight Award

Rising Star Award

References

External links