EXCLUSIVE: NewFilmmakers Los Angeles has revealed the winners of its 14th Annual Best of NFMLA Awards, honoring “some of the most exciting emerging voices in independent cinema today.”
Nani Sahra Walker earned the 2026 Best New Filmmaker Award, which comes with the $2,500 Anthony Rhulen Grant (awarded in memory of the film producer known for The Butterfly Effect and Lucky Number Slevin). Walker received the honor for her narrative feature debut, Shakti, which celebrated its Los Angeles premiere through NFMLA.
Shakti, about a single mother “drawn into Kathmandu’s supernatural underworld of shamans and secrets” after her mischievous daughter falls ill, won four awards at the prestigious Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, including Best Premiere Narrative Feature and Best Director.
The NFMLA awards are selected by a jury of 29 entertainment industry professionals representing development, production, distribution, and creative disciplines across film and television. Among the jurors were Emmanuel Grinda, manager, International TV & Digital Distribution at Lionsgate, and Andrea Alarcón of the Sundance Institute.
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In a statement, prize winner Nani Sahra Walker said, “I am deeply honored to receive the Best New Filmmaker Award from NewFilmmakers LA. Shakti is a film I spent years bringing to life, inspired by personal and collective stories of resilience. I’ve always believed that great cinema can evoke compassion, and this recognition inspires me to continue telling stories that bring people together across cultures and experiences. I’m grateful to NFMLA for believing in my work and for fostering such a generous creative community.”
This year marked the launch of a new partnership between the Best of NFMLA Awards and Shine Global, which launched the Shine Global Resilience Award “to recognize and celebrate films and filmmakers that highlight the resilience and strength of children in the face of adversity.” The prize went to the Best International Short, Comedy nominee One Day directed by Yazmeen Kanji and Maryam Remtulla. The honor includes $2,500 along with support, amplification, and engagement through the Shine Global team and network.
Winners in the categories of Best Short Film Drama, Best Short Film Comedy, Best International Short Film Drama, Best International Short Film Comedy, and Best Feature Film will receive a package of Entertainment Partners’ Movie Magic Scheduling and Budgeting software.
The winners of the Best Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature Film awards will each receive a Platinum Badge to the American Film Market (AFM) that runs from November 10–15 in Los Angeles. Courtesy of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the global trade association of the independent film and TV industry, the badge provides premium access to AFM, “where thousands of entertainment professionals gather annually to discover, finance and sell projects, forge partnerships, and shape what’s next for our industry.”
Scroll for the full list of prizes for the 14th Annual Best of NFMLA Awards.
Jurors Emmanuel Grinda and Andrea Alarcón spoke to the quality of the pool of 84 awards nominees across 16 categories. “It’s a privilege to recognize and celebrate such an incredible range of emerging filmmaking talent from around the world,” said Grinda.
Noted Alarcón of jury duty, “I left feeling energized by the remarkable mix of emerging international and U.S.-based nonfiction filmmakers and the globally resonant stories they are bringing into the world. Amidst the difficult socio-political realities we are currently living through, I was struck by the thoughtfulness,artistic ambition and immense bravery with which these filmmakers are approaching their work. It was a privilege to spend time with these films, and I’m grateful to NFMLA for fostering a space that champions emerging artists and cultural dialogue.”
Here is the full list of winners of the 14th Annual Best of NFMLA Awards:
Best New Filmmaker
Nani Sahra Walker
Shine Global Resilience Award
One Day directed by Yazmeen Kanji and Maryam Remtulla
Best Feature Film
Surrender – Directed by Jess Dang and Produced by Jessica Olthof & Darren Haruo Rae
Best Documentary Feature Film
Moses – Directed by Fran Guijarro and Produced by Fran Guijarro, Juli Lopez & Diya Guha
Best Short Film, Documentary
Entre le Feu et le Clair de Lune – Directed by Dominic Yarabe and Produced by Dominic Yarabe & Carlo Nasisse
Honorable Mention:
Like a Spiral – Directed by Lamia Chraibi and Produced by Patricia Bergeron & Ghassan Fayad
Best Short Film, Comedy
Prawn Star – Directed by Mitch Deitz and Produced by Judy Febles
Best Short Film, Drama
Corpse Fishing – Directed by Jean Liu and Produced by Sarah Park
Best International Short Film, Comedy
Passarinho – Directed by Natalia García Agraza and Produced by Daniela Mosca
Best International Short Film, Drama
Nightfaces – Directed by Martin Winter, Stefan Langthaler and Produced by Alfie Ángel, Victoria Herbig, Stefan Langthaler & Martin Winter
Best Short Film, Animated
Flocky – Directed by Esther Casas Roura and Produced by Esther Casas Roura & Juan Carlos Concha
Best New Media & Experimental
The Fish Tank – Directed by Victoria Garza and Produced by Cecilia Chávez Hita
Best Screenplay
Vision – Written by Dan Parris & Theodore Simpson
Best Performance, Comedy
Ilhan Abdullahi, Unqualified
Best Performance, Drama
Sonja Romei, Nightfaces
Best Cinematography
Evan Weidenkeller, Dawn Every Day
Best Film Editing
Sean Puglisi, Street Smart: Lessons from a TV Icon
Best Sound Design
Dominic Yarabe & Shirley Yumeng He, Entre le Feu et le Clair de Lune
Best Score
David Melchor, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
NFMLA is a year-round arts and culture nonprofit dedicated to championing independent filmmakers and content creators. Through the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival and an expanding slate of educational programs, workshops, competitions, networking opportunities, and industry partnerships, NFMLA provides emerging artists with platforms for visibility, professional development, and meaningful industry connection.
