40th AFI FEST Announces Winners of Oscar Qualifying Grand Jury Prizes

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced the winners of the 40th edition of AFI FEST.

Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection) by Alexandra Matheou took home the Grand Jury Prize – Live Action Short Film; Living With a Visionary by Stephen P. Neary won the Grand Jury Prize – Animated Short Film; and A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere by Fanny Texier won the Grand Jury Prize – Documentary Short Film.

The Grand Jury Prize winners for Live Action Short, Documentary Short and Animated Short will be eligible for consideration in the 100th Academy Awards® for Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short.

This year’s Live Action jury included film programmer Mike Dougherty, filmmaker Giulia Grandinetti and film journalist Mia Lee Vicino. This year’s Documentary jury included award-winning documentary filmmaker Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Educational Programs Manager for the Palm Springs International Film Festival Natali Hopkins and filmmaker Nick Stachurski. This year’s Animation jury included curator Martine Joelle McDonald, stop-motion animator Kenzie Sutton and actress and producer Kelly Marie Tran.

Winners of the 2026 AFI FEST.

Grand Jury Prize

Grand Jury Prize – Live Action Short Film
FREE ELIZA (NOTES ON AN ANATOMICAL IMPERFECTION) by Alexandra Matheou

Jury Statement: “We were incredibly moved by FREE ELIZA’s sensitive and ironic exploration of a microcosm of society, seen through the eyes of a woman superficially judged as ‘imperfect’ by those around her due to her inability to smile. Is her anatomical flaw a cage, or is it the first true step toward courageous authenticity?”

Grand Jury Prize – Animated Short Film
LIVING WITH A VISIONARY by Stephen P. Neary

Jury Statement: “Stephen P. Neary’s LIVING WITH A VISIONARY skillfully adapts the life-affirming, heartbreaking and ephemeral vision John shared with his beloved partner, Diana. Each thoughtful wash of color and tender detail reveals the gifts of a passionate curator and mother as shared reality and memories slip further away from daily view. Neary directs a poignant narrative of care in motion, inviting us to reflect on the sanctuary of deep intimacy set against the early isolation of Covid-19 that will resonate for generations to come.” 

Grand Jury Prize – Documentary Short Film
A WOMAN’S PLACE IS EVERYWHERE by Fanny Texier

Jury Statement: “With remarkable intimacy and emotional generosity, A WOMAN’S PLACE IS EVERYWHERE makes the bonds between women — and the spaces they create for one another — deeply felt. Its sensitive filmmaking gives grief and resilience equal room, leaving us with an expansive understanding of what it means to make a home.”

Special Jury Mentions

Special Jury Mention for Audacity of Vision – Live Action Short
THE BOVINE COMEDY by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke

Jury Statement: “An unmistakably queer film with boundless imagination, a wicked sense of humor and a virtuosic balance between tenderness and provocation. THE BOVINE COMEDY delighted us with its wholly original depiction of a not-too-distant future where class warfare and worker exploitation rages on in increasingly absurd ways.”

Special Jury Mention for Cinematography – Live Action Short
A BREACH WITHIN by Jean-François Leblanc

Jury Statement: “A BREACH WITHIN’s cinematographer Vincent Biron’s supremely confident camerawork is instrumental in delivering an immersive, spellbinding thriller that breathlessly portrays complex action and emotion through luxurious long takes and a particularly impressive 360-degree opening shot.”

Special Jury Mention for Screenwriting – Live Action Short
NOBODY SAID ANYTHING by Tamara Todorović

Jury Statement: “NOBODY SAID ANYTHING is an intelligent, observant script that, through nuanced subtext, trusts its audience to understand that its anger cannot be expressed in easily digestible terms, but nonetheless packs a deeply felt emotional punch.”

Special Jury Mention for Uniqueness of Expression – Live Action Short
MUTRION by Marco Cavazzin

Jury Statement: “MUTRION is an exploration of male vulnerability and the boundaries of a volatile friendship that excited us with the unpredictability of its narrative and formal choices, and its actors’ skillful portrayals that communicate deeply with furtive glances, body language and emotionally charged silences.”

Special Jury Mention for Craft – Animated Short
EMULSION by Shiyu (Shino) Tang

Jury Statement: “Shiyu Tang’s EMULSION demonstrates masterful craft and endless creativity. As figures in the piece merge and transform, Tang explores both conflict and interconnectivity — all while maintaining a magical sense of whimsy that will keep the viewer enthralled. It is a captivating, sensory journey that invites warmth, wonder and inspiration for animators and audiences.”

Special Jury Mention for Story – Animated Short
TRADING CARDS by Radheya Jang

Jury Statement: “Radheya Jang’s TRADING CARDS thoughtfully centers a mesmerizing search for self-reflection, belonging and purpose, unfolding with a haunting, universal curiosity. Skillfully structured as a game of chance, the story explores tenderness and vulnerability with precision and discernment. The moving visual language and framing cleverly invites audiences to celebrate their own evolving journey.”

Special Jury Mention for Direction – Animated Short
THE END by Niki Lindroth von Bahr

Jury Statement: “May we all carry the audacity, humor and sheer delight of Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s THE END into every new beginning we dare to imagine. Bold, clever and expansive in execution, the film embraces the wisdom and curiosity of absurdism. The vignettes highlight the gift of caught moments and remind us that life on this world, or any other, offers an invitation to grow, explore and appreciate differences and unexpected connections at every turn. Directed with incredible precision across timing, stylization and clarity of voice, it is an absolute triumph and call to tell bold, specific stories that only you can tell.”

Special Jury Mention for World Building – Animated Short
SABA by Liron Topaz

Jury Statement: “In SABA, Liron Topaz combines beautiful animation with undeniably efficient world-building. It is a moving piece that conveys grief in a new light, successfully pulling its audience into its story, invoking intense emotion. Its impact is only heightened by the creative choice to lean into the compelling visual language with minimal dialogue. A narrative generous in spirit, and visual landscape that lingers warm in heart, Topaz has built an exceptional care-driven world that was a true pleasure to experience.”

Special Jury Mention for Craft – Documentary Short
LISTEN by Taliesin Black-Brown

Jury Statement: “For its exceptional command of sound and image, creating a sensory experience that asks us to listen as closely as we look. Each element works in concert with remarkable sensitivity, giving LISTEN its quiet emotional power.”

Special Jury Mention for Social Impact – Documentary Short
WATER COOLER by Emma V.F.

Jury Statement: “An urgent act of witnessing whose restraint makes its impact all the more devastating. WATER COOLER confronts us with the normalization of cruelty and leaves us questioning what we allow ourselves to accept.”

Special Jury Mention for Storytelling – Documentary Short
BUCKSKIN by Mars Verrone

Jury Statement: “For an assured, deeply personal approach to storytelling that trusts the emotional resonance of small moments. BUCKSKIN’s filmmaker moves gracefully between intimacy and historical reflection, allowing each to deepen our understanding of the other.”

Special Jury Mention for World Building – Documentary Short
A WOLF IN THE SUBURBS by Amélie Hardy

Jury Statement: “For creating a distinct cinematic world through a precise balance of humor, atmosphere and observational detail. In A WOLF IN THE SUBURBS, the familiar becomes wonderfully strange, drawing us into a world whose seemingly small tensions take on unexpected weight.”