MIDDLEBURY — Ahead of next week’s 12th annual event, the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival late this week announced the bulk of its 2026 Award and Prize winning films in advance of the festival.

This could give anyone attending the festival insights as they plan their viewing at the gala, which will run from Wednesday, Aug. 26, to Sunday, Aug. 30, at venues around downtown Middlebury.

Here are the winners thus far:

• Best Narrative Feature: Nandauri
• Best Documentary Feature: Bucks Harbor
• Best Narrative Short: Somewhere To Be
• Best Documentary Short: Stalin Boys
• Hernandez/Bayliss Prize for Triumph of the Human Spirit: A Place of Absence
• Clio Prize for Visualizing History: A Place of Absence
• Gaia Prize for Environmental Filmmaking: Gaslit and The Lake
• Cadwell Family Prize for Best Vermont-Made Film: Prickly Mountain and My Design/Build Life
• Thaddeus Stevens Prize for Social Engagement: Seized
• PhotoPlace Gallery Prize for Poetic Cinema: In Excess
• Kate Hearst Prize for Human Connectivity: Kiloran Bay
• Gamble-Paison Prize for Best International Feature Film: Born That Way and Jail Time Records
• Swift House Prize for Best Depiction of the Arts: Acting Like Women
• Jeanine Basinger Prize for Best Student Film: Truant

The two awards that will be determined during the festival next week are:

• Audience Award – Feature: Coming Soon So Be Sure To Vote At The Fest!
• Audience Award – Short: Coming Soon So Be Sure To Vote At The Fest!

In what can only be described as a spectacularly unusual year, MNFF12 has awarded two VTeddies to one film AND two Prizes are going to not just one but two films.

First, “A Place of Absence is described as an emotionally powerful documentary feature about two mothers’ search for their missing children. It has won both the Hernandez/Bayliss Prize for Triumph of the Human Spirit and the Clio Prize for Visualizing History.

The Hernandez/Bayliss Prize is awarded to the “feature film that best captures the triumph of the human spirit and honors the inspirational power of independent filmmaking.”  The Clio Visualizing History Prize for the Advancement of Women in Film is given to a “woman filmmaker whose feature film boldly portrays the story of a person or events of historical significance.”

Organizers of the film festival congratulated filmmaker Marialuisa Ernst for winning these Prizes and for bringing this significant film to the world!

“A Place of Absence” will be screened on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 11:30 a.m. at Town Hall Theater, preceded by the short “A Grieving Heart.”

Second, we have TWO prizes which have been awarded to TWO films each, a first in MNFF’s 12-year history. The Gaia Prize for Environmental Filmmaking has been awarded to “Gaslit” and “The Lake.” The prize honors films that portray “…exceptional insights into environmental issues. In recognition of Gaia, Mother Earth in Greek mythology, this award seeks to encourage new filmmakers from around the world to bring widespread attention to global sustainability, environmental justice and climate change concerns.”

“Gaslit” will be screened on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2:30 p.m. at Town Hall Theater. The screening in the main hall is sold out.  Tickets are available for the added screening in the Anderson Studio but are going fast.

“The Lake” will be screened on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 9 a.m. at Dana Auditorium.

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival’s Gamble-Paison Prize for Best International Feature Film was also awarded to two documentaries, “Born That Way” and “Jail Time Records.” The Gamble-Paison Prize recognizes “excellence in feature narrative or documentary filmmaking by a first or second time international director.”

“Born That Way” will screen on Friday, Aug. 28, at 11:30 a.m. at Dana Auditorium.

“Jail Time Records” will screen on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7:15 p.m. at Twilight Hall.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Schedule and the Film Guide to build your custom Festival viewing experience. They are on the Addison Independent website here.

MNFF passes are still available for purchase online.