56th USA Film Festival Winners – ‘Olive’ and ‘Every Line Becomes A Circle’ Take Top Prizes

After several days of screenings and celebrity appearances, the 56th USA Film Festival concluded in Dallas with the filmmaker award presentations.

Olive, directed by Tom Koch, won Best Narrative Short, while Every Line Becomes A Circle, directed by Lynnette Luis, Christopher Leete, and Ottilie Maters, received the award for Best Nonfiction Short.

Narrative jury prizes were awarded to Broken Dawn, directed by Have-Oh Park, Jasmine. Home, Mother, directed by Ugnė Skonsmanaitė, and The Pearl Comb, directed by Ali Cook. The nonfiction jury prize went to Lisa Lu Plays Herself, directed by Mei-Juin Chen.

Honorable mentions included Fireflies in the Dusk by Jonathan Hammond and The Ride by Slava Denisov in the narrative category, as well as Reverence by Charles Evans Jr. and Si La Isla Quiere (Island Willing) by Cece King in nonfiction.

Additional category winners included Vita 2.0 by Vita Stoikova (Student Nonfiction), Ball Lightning by Catriona Baker (Animation), 91 Times Smash by Yuxin Yang (Student Animation), We Didn’t Say It, You Pictures It! by Farzaneh Forouzesh (Experimental), Ankara 1979 by Can Karayalçın (Student Award), and El Lloron by Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez (Texas Award).

Additional jury prizes went to Dobrina by Hannes Rall (Animation), On Saint Nicholas’ Eve by Amy Mirel Ivasca (Student Animation), Allegory of the Cave by Weipeng Huang and Yajing Wang (Experimental), Old Man’s Child by Gery Riba (Student), and Tito Ritmo by Ulises Córdova (Texas).
The USA Film Festival is known for its celebration of new and classic films from the U.S. and abroad, as well as free public screenings. This year’s festival opened with a tribute to fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, who attended the screening of Arthur Elgort: Models & Muses, a documentary directed by Warren Elgort.

The festival’s 2026 Short Film Jury included actor Jim Beaver, actress Dale Dickey, actress and educator Diane Baker, animator and director Bill Haller, film historian Foster Hirsch, manager and producer Chris Roe, and artist and director Rosson Crow.

The 2026 USA Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners

FIRST PLACE / NARRATIVE
Olive
Director: Tom Koch
 
FIRST PLACE / NONFICTION
Every Line Becomes A Circle
Directors: Lynnette Luis, Christopher Leete, Ottilie Maters
 
FIRST PLACE / STUDENT NONFICTION
Vita 2.0
Director: Vita Stoikova
 
FIRST PLACE / ANIMATION
Ball Lightning
Director: Catriona Baker
 
FIRST PLACE / STUDENT ANIMATION
91 Times Smash
Director: Yuxin Yang
 
FIRST PLACE / EXPERIMENTAL
We Didn’t Say It, You Picture It!
Director: Farzaneh Forouzesh
 
STUDENT AWARD
Ankara 1979
Director: Can Karayalçın
 
TEXAS AWARD
El Lloron
Director: Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez
 
PERFORMANCE AWARD
Lesley Ann Warren 

Special Jury Prizes 

Jury Prize, Narrative – Broken Dawn, Hae-Oh Park, director
Jury Prize, Narrative – Jasmine. Home. Mother., Ugnė Skonsmanaitė, director
Jury Prize, Narrative – The Pearl Comb, Ali Cook, director
Jury Prize, Nonfiction – Lisa Lu Plays Herself, Mei-Juin Chen, director
Jury Prize, Animation – Dobrina, Hannes Rall, director
Jury Prize, Student Animation – On Saint Nicholas’ Eve, Emy Mirel Ivasca, director
Jury Prize, Experimental – Allegory of the Cave, Weipeng Huang & Yajing Wang, co-directors
Jury Prize, Student – Old Man’s Child, Gery Riba, director
Jury Prize, Texas – Tito Ritmo, Ulises Córdova, director
 
Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mention, Narrative – Fireflies in the Dusk, Jonathan Hammond, director
Honorable Mention, Narrative – The Ride, Slava Denisov, director
Honorable Mention, Nonfiction – Reverence, Charles Evans, Jr, director
Honorable Mention, Nonfiction – Si La Isla Quiere (Island Willing), Cece King, director
Honorable Mention, Animation – Something Greater Than You, Gordon LePage, director
Honorable Mention, Student – Casi Septiembre, Lucía G. Romero, director