The Sonoma International Film Festival is wrapping up another delightful five days of films and events in Wine Country. Early Sunday, the festival announced its annual awards with Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers” and Judd Ehrlich’s “Jane Elliott Against The World” taking the Audience Awards for Best Film and Best Documentary, respectfully. The Grand Jury, Best Narrative Feature, went to Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi’s “Maspalomas,” while the Grand Jury, Best Documentary Feature, went to Chase Joynt’s “State of Firsts.”
READ MORE: “Wishful Thinking,” “The Snake,” And “Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story” Take Top Prizes At 2026 SXSW Film Festival
Starring Ian McKellan and Michaela Coel, “The Christophers” was a world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and opens in limited release on April 10. “Jane Elliott” earned rave reviews out of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and will announce distribution soon. Debuting at the 2025 San Sebastian International Film Festival, “Maspalomas” earned nine Goya Awards nominations, including Best Film, and saw its star, Jose Ramon Soroiz, take Best Actor. As with all the films in competition, it’s still looking for U.S. distribution.
This writer was a member of the Narrative Feature Grand Jury, which also gave a Special Jury Prize for Directing to Marie-Elsa Sgualdo for “Silent Rebellion,” which premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival last year.
In a statement, SIFF Artistic Director Carl Spence notes, “This year’s record-breaking attendance and ticket sales underscore the extraordinary appetite for bold, international cinema and immersive cultural experiences here in Sonoma. With packed screenings, dynamic filmmaker engagement, and a festival atmosphere unlike any other, SIFF 2026 has truly been a landmark community celebration of film, food, wine, and fun.”
This year’s festival included a string of notable guests, including Julian Schnabel, Barry Jenkins, Lulu Wang, Ed Solomon, Marc Murphy, former AMPAS president David Rubin, and Sundance Film Festival director Eugene Hernandez, among others.
A complete list of this year’s awards is as follows:
GRAND JURY FILM AWARDS:
Grand Jury Award | Best Narrative Feature:
Maspalomas (Jose Mari Goenaga, Aitor Arregi | Spain)
Jury Statement from the Narrative Feature Grand Jury: Gregory Ellwood (The Playlist), Max Geschwind (CAA), and Kirsten Schaffer (Women in Film).
“For an authentic and rare depiction of an elder man confronting personal and physical crisis at the onset of the COVID pandemic, we award the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature to Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga for the nuanced and moving queer drama Maspalomas.”
Special Jury Prize for Directing
Silent Rebellion (Marie-Elsa Sgualdo| Switzerland )
“For its unflinching portrayal of a virtuous teen in WWII era Europe, we are awarding a Special Jury Prize for Directing to Marie-Elsa Sgualdo for her excellence in crafting intimate storytelling and grounded performances in Silent Rebellion.”
Narrative Competition Films: Ky Nam Inn (Vietnam) Directed by: Leon Le, Maspalomas (Spain) Directed by: Jose Mari Goenaga, Aitor Arregi, My Tennis Maestro (Italy) Directed by: Andrea di Stefano, Orphan (Hungary) Directed by: Lászlo Nemes, Silent Rebellion (Switzerland) Directed by: Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, The Soundman (Belgium) Directed by: Frank Van Passel, Sundays (Spain) Directed by: Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, and Vainilla (Mexico) Directed by: Mayra Hermosillo
Grand Jury Award | Best Documentary Feature:
State of Firsts (Chase Joynt | USA)
Jury Statement from the Documentary Feature Grand Jury: Jo Addy (SoHo House), Nick Price (Reel South), and Ania Trzebiatowska (Sundance).
“This year, the jury wants to recognize a film that represents what authentic truth looks like among the squalor of our politics. The award-winning film is a nuanced portrait of leadership and responsibility that also provides a clear and honest account of the challenges and apparent harms that come from seeking to change the world. The language of change is complex, and sometimes it’s as simple as using the right name. The jury is honored to platform a story that showcases the wholeness of a person in an industry and society so quick to tokenize. The Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Sonoma International Film Festival this year goes to Chase Joynt for State of Firsts.”
Documentary Feature Competition Films:
The Art of Adventure (Canada) Directed by: Alison Reid, Barbara Forever (USA) Directed by: Brydie O’Connor, The Big Cheese (USA) Directed by: Sara Joe Wolansky, Fork in the Road (USA) Directed by: Jonathan Nastasi, Vivian Sorenson, Jane Elliott Against the World (USA) Directed by: Judd Ehrlich, Kim Novak´s Vertigo (USA) Directed by: Alexandre O. Philippe, Newport and the Great Folk Dream (USA) Directed by: Robert Gordon, and Raoul’s, A New York Story (USA) Directed by: Greg Olliver, Karim Raoul, State of Firsts (USA) Directed by: Chase Joynt
Grand Jury Award | Short Films and Jury Statements
All 47 Official Selection short films competed for the 3 Grand Jury Short Awards.
The Short Film Grand Jury included Erik Anderson (Awards Watch), Kerry Barden (Casting Director), and Schuyler Fisk (Artist).
Grand Jury Award: Live Action Short
A Very Normal Seeming Man (Director Al Pattanashetty | USA)
“As funny as it is heartwarming and creative, this meta father/son comedy is a wonderful representation of familial support while navigating personal and career uncertainty.”
Grand Jury Award: Documentary Short
Voices from the Abyss (Director Irving Serrano and Victor Rejon | Mexico)
“Through stunning editing and black and white cinematography, the dangerous lives of cliff divers, old and young, and what keeps them coming back, opened our eyes to a world we’d never seen and wanted to explore more of.”
Grand Jury Award: Animated Short
Two Black Boys in Paradise (Director Baz Sells | UK)
“For its depiction of the evolution of humanity and innocence corrupted by society, the film shows the life of boys becoming men in the face of the darkest levels of adversity with poetic beauty.”
Special Mention for Cultural, Environmental and Community Impact: Abalone Stories: Loss, Connection, Renewal (USA, Dir. Cynthia Abbott)
Special Jury Mention for Directing
Domingo Familiar (Directed by Gerardo del Razo | Mexico)
SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AUDIENCE FILM AWARDS:
The Stolman Audience Award for Best Film
THE CHRISTOPHERS (United Kingdom) Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
1st Runner-up: You Found Me (France) Directed by: Alice Vial
2nd Runner-up: Primavera (Italy) Directed by: Damiano Michieletto
3rd Runner-up: Colors Of Time (France) Directed by: Cedric Klapisch
4th Runner-up: I Swear (United Kingdom) Directed by: Kirk Jones
The A3 Audience Award for Best Documentary
Jane Elliott Against the World (USA) Directed by: Judd Ehrlich
1st Runner-up: The Six Billion Dollar Man (USA) Directed by: Eugene Jarecki
2nd Runner-up: The Art of Adventure (Canada) Directed by: Alison Reid
3rd Runner-up: The Balloonists (USA) Directed by: John Dower
4th Runner-up: Raoul’s, A New York Story (USA) Directed by: Greg Olliver, Karim Raoul
The McNeely Award for Best Short Film
Abalone Stories: Loss, Connection, Renewal (USA) Directed by: Cynthia Abbott
1st Runner-up: Sense of Emergency (USA) Directed by: Madeline Down
2nd Runner-up: Sauna Sickness (Sweden) Directed by: Malin Barr
3rd Runner-up: Check Please (USA) Directed by: Shane Chung
4th Runner-up: Last Days on Lake Trinity (USA) Directed by: Charlotte Cooley
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