AFI FEST 2026 has named its Grand Jury Prize winners, with three shorts now eligible for consideration at the 100th Academy Awards.
The American Film Institute announced the winners Monday following the 40th edition of AFI FEST presented by Canva. Grand Jury Prize winners in the live action, documentary and animated short categories qualify for Oscar consideration.
Alexandra Matheou’s Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection) won the Grand Jury Prize for Live Action Short Film. The jury praised the film’s “sensitive and ironic exploration” of a woman judged by those around her because of her inability to smile, calling the story a meditation on whether an apparent imperfection can become a path toward authenticity.
Stephen P. Neary’s Living With a Visionary received the Grand Jury Prize for Animated Short Film. The jury cited Neary’s use of color and intimate detail in telling a story about memory, caregiving, and the relationship between John and his partner Diana against the isolation of the early COVID-19 pandemic.
Fanny Texier’s A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Short Film. The documentary jury praised its intimate portrayal of the bonds between women, grief, resilience and the spaces they create for one another.
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AFI also awarded several Special Jury Mentions.
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s The Bovine Comedy received the Special Jury Mention for Audacity of Vision in live action, while Jean-François Leblanc’s A Breach Within was recognized for cinematography. Tamara Todorović’s Nobody Said Anything received the screenwriting mention, and Marco Cavazzin’s Mutrion was honored for uniqueness of expression.
On the animation side, Emulsion by Shiyu Tang earned a craft mention, Trading Cards by Radheya Jang was recognized for story, The End by Niki Lindroth von Bahr received the direction honor, and Liron Topaz’s Saba was cited for world-building.
Documentary Special Jury Mentions went to Listen by Taliesin Black-Brown for craft, Water Cooler by Emma V.F. for social impact, Buckskin by Mars Verrone for storytelling, and A Wolf in the Suburbs by Amélie Hardy for world-building.
This year’s AFI FEST lineup featured 158 films, including six Red Carpet Premieres, 12 Special Screenings, 13 Luminaries selections, 18 Discovery titles, 16 World Cinema selections, 17 documentaries, three After Dark films, 45 films in the Short Film Competition and 24 selections from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Global Media.
Canva returned as presenting sponsor for the 2026 festival, with additional partners including FIJI Water, Apple Original Films, Los Angeles Times, Amazon MGM Studios, Netflix, AT&T, Panavision and others. Check out some other pics from AFI below:
Until next year…
