Soho Film Awards 2026: Meet the Winners

The winners of the 2026 Soho Film Awards have been revealed, with honours going to filmmakers from Britain, Ireland, Italy, France, Greece and the United States. The celebrations begin on Friday 16 October, and SohoMag is proud to be a partner of this year's festival.

Oct 10, 2026 - 17:06

Oct 27, 2026 - 12:16

Still from "The Transition of Z" (Australia, 2026)

Soho has been the heart of British filmmaking for more than a century, home to the cutting rooms, post-production houses, screening rooms and private clubs where the industry does its business. It is a fitting name, then, for an award that champions original, independent cinema from Britain and around the world. This autumn the Soho Film Awards, whose motto is The Spirit of Independent Cinema, has announced its 2026 winners, and the list is a vivid snapshot of the energy in independent film today.

The winners:

Best Feature Film: Last Supper (USA, 2026), directed by Sonny Corona III. A Southern noir tragedy from a Texas filmmaker, in which a grieving father's mission of vengeance turns into a slow, painful reckoning over a dinner table, in a kitchen where the sauce has been simmering for six hours. It is a film about family, grief and forgiveness, made with grit and dark humour.

Best Short Film: Something Pointless (UK, 2026), directed by Asa Bailey. A short philosophical drama about a bullied boy who befriends an elderly man covering a forgotten brick wall with painted eggshells. The Welsh director is a pioneer of virtual production, and his cast includes the BAFTA winner Owen Teale and the Olivier Award winner Sophie Thompson, alongside Sule Rimi and Leo Harris.

Best Indie / Alternative / Arthouse Feature: Beyond Mamushi (UK, 2025), directed by Martin Daniels. A psychological supernatural horror about a woman trapped in a brutal relationship, for whom an outside influence may offer escape, or something far worse.

Best Comedy Feature: Rest In Peace, If You Can (France, 2025), directed by Charly Ongolo and Michel Nogara.

Best Leading Actor / Actress: Yekaterina Molostova, for Bye-Bye, Sing Sing (USA, 2026), directed by Peter Valentino.

Best Short Drama: Empathy Rehearsals (Italy, 2026), directed by Jacopo Cullin. A coming-of-age drama.

Best Short Thriller: Drop Number 8 (USA, 2025), directed by Ryan and Chad Chamberlain. A dark comedy from the filmmaking brothers.

Best Short Romance: We Are Where We Are (UK, 2026), directed by Clara Planelles.

Best Short Sci-Fi / Fantasy: Dead to Door (UK, 2026), directed by Kate Lloyd. A fantasy comedy.

Best Short Indie / Alternative / Art House Film: This Will Make You Sleep Instantly (Greece, Romania, UK, 2025), directed by Michalis Langas. A surreal short about an insomniac director who clicks on a video promising instant sleep and finds himself somewhere between dream and waking. Langas, a London-based Greek writer-director, works as a dentist by day.

Best Short Film Screenplay: The Race (Ireland, 2026), written and directed by Edelle Kenny. A short comedy.

Best Short Film Cinematography: A Girl Called Alice (UK, 2026), directed by Tristan Loraine. A short crime thriller.

Best British Drama: Theatre Royal Battersea Rise (UK, 2026), written by Tim Heath and directed by Tim Heath and Tom Swash. A short drama.

Outstanding Performance Honorary Award for artistic performance and collaboration: Muddled Meals (UK, 2026), written by Anita Albrecht, directed by Christie Arnold. A short psychological drama.

The celebration

The festival opens on the evening of Friday 16 October at The Savile Club in Mayfair, one of London's most elegant private members' clubs. Guests, filmmakers and members of the jury will be welcomed from the early evening, and the programme begins at 6pm with an opening address, Why We Need This Film Festival. The evening will focus on a curated programme of short films, followed by the presentation of the awards, with private screenings of feature films taking place on subsequent dates.

A proud partnership

SohoMag is delighted to be a partner of the Soho Film Awards 2026. Independent cinema has always been part of Soho's story, and we are proud to support a festival that celebrates the filmmakers, writers and performers who keep that spirit alive. Congratulations to all of this year's winners and to every film in the Official Selection.

Full details of the winning films, trailers and the programme can be found on the festival's official website, the official source of information about the awards: