After 11 days and over 40,000 attendees from across the Bay Area, the 49th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF49) officially wrapped with A24’s The Debut, with writer/director Jesse Eisenberg in attendance, and announced the Audience Awards winners.
The Overall Audience Award went to Tenzing, directed by Jennifer Peedom, with Elsinore, directed by Simon Stone, taking the Audience Award | Narrative, and When a Witness Recants, directed by Dawn Porter, winning for Documentary.
MVFF49 introduced the New Directors section spotlighting first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world, with the New Directors Audience Award going to Wicker, from Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson.
“The 49th Mill Valley Film Festival was a success on every front,” said Mark Fishkin, CAFILM Founder and Executive Director. “In her first year as Artistic Director, Rose Kuo, working alongside our veteran programming team, assembled an extraordinary lineup of films, complemented by events that captured the essence of what has been called a destination festival with the clout of an urban one. Renowned guests joined us from around the world, and the films themselves offered a fitting prelude to our 50th anniversary next year.”
Full List of MVFF 2026 Audience Awards
MVFF Overall Audience Award
TENZING
Director: Jennifer Peedom
Audience Award | Narrative
ELSINORE
Director: Simon Stone
Audience Award | Documentary
WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS
Director: Dawn Porter
Audience Award | New Directors
WICKER
Directors: Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson
Other awards given during MVFF this year include:
2026 MVFF Awards
MVFF Tribute | Sam Rockwell
MVFF Tribute | Linda Perry
MVFF Auteur Award | Lee Chang-dong, Possible Love
MVFF Maverick Director Award | James Gray, Paper Tiger
MVFF Award, Acting | Andrew Scott, Elsinore
MVFF Award, Acting | Léa Seydoux, Gentle Monster
MVFF Award for Screen Artistry | Virginie Efira, All of a Sudden
MVFF Award, Breakthrough Performance | Rosalind Eleazar, Misty Green
MVFF Award, Bay Area Rising Star | Beth de Araújo, Josephine
2026 MVFF Shorts Awards
Best Narrative Short | Are We Still Married? • dir. Kit Steinkellner
Best Documentary Short | The Right Fit • dirs. Nicolas Collins and Max Mollring
Special Jury Prize, presented by Redbreast Unhidden Shorts | Gravity • dir. Dalya Keleş
2026 Mind the Gap Awards & Prizes
Mind the Gap Award, Director | Marie Kreutzer, Gentle Monster
Mind the Gap Award for Groundbreaking Work | Sophie Okonedo, Mouse
Mind the Gap Elton Creation Prize ($10,000) | Fernanda Tovar, Sad Girlz
Mind the Gap Elton Creation Prize Special Jury Award ($5,000) | Beth de Araújo, Josephine
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