2026 | YEAR 10

AWARD NOMINATIONS

  • REEL East Texas Film Festival & Student Film Screenings Nov. 6-8
  • REEL East Texas Film Festival Screenings Nov. 7-8

Special Events in the
TEXAN THEATER

  • REEL Network Brunch 10:00 am. Nov. 8
  • REEL Live Screenplay Readings 3:45 p.m. Nov. 8
  • REEL Awards Ceremony 9:00 p.m. Nov. 8

2025 Award Nominations

STUDENT FILMS

Best High School Documentary

Constellations of the Sea
No Small Matter
Raised to Serve: Parenting Through Generations
Redefining Resilience: The Hannah Evans Story
Those Left Behind
Us and Them

Best High School Fiction

Hexed
Red Roses
Six Minutes
The Record
Tree of Life
Vacancy

Best College Documentary

Housing Hope
Pull of the Water: The Sadie Goldin Story
Restored: Rwanda’s Journey

Best College Fiction

Beach Bagles
Beaks Bloody
The Other Paige
Golden Dandelions
Moontime

FEATURE FILMS

Best Supporting Actor (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Supporting Actress (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Actor (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Actress (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Cinematography (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Production Design (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Director - Documentary (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Director - Fiction (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Comedy (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Documentary (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Drama (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Foreign (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Horror (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Sci-Fi (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Festival Screenplay (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Contest Screenplay (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Best Texas Film (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

Audience Choice (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

REEL Jury Award (FEATURE)

Announced at Festival

SHORT FILMS

Best Supporting Actress

Caroline Helander (Self Help)
Meghan Martin ($13)
Bethany Rowe Neidler (Magic Camera)
Sherry Saum (The Writer)
Ellen Toland (Desperate Things)

Best Supporting Actor

Eric Anderson (Penitence)
Rawiri Paratene (Farm)
Neal McDonough (The Writer)
Joe Grisaffi (Coyote)
Steve Brudniak (Penitence)

Best Actress

Silva Custin (The Fountain)
Ginette McDonald (Farm)
Noreen Mao (Insensible Losses)
Melissa Skirboll ($13)
April Yanko (Do Evil Thoughts Make an Evil Man?)

Best Actor

Hoyt Richards (Do Evil Thoughts Make an Evil Man?)
Janez Skof (The Fountain)
Dwight Tolar (Subtract Nine Sundays)
Jefferson White (The Writer)
Braulio Yanez (Penitence)

Best Cinematography

Piero Basso (Subtract Nine Sundays)
Brady Bessette (Self Help)
Blaz Hojzar (The Fountain)
Rob Neilson (Coyote)
Lance Wordsworth (Farm)

Best Dance Film

Announced at Festival

Best Director (Documentary)

Michael Catenacci (Remnants)
Chen Heifetz, Jordan Barr (Guygu)
Ben Masters (Hope for the Gudalupe)
Michael Dean Marbach (Wonderful World with Clint Townsend )
Helene Sevaux (Four Hands)

Best Director (Fiction)

Sara Gaston (Coyote)
Glenn Maxwell (Penitence)
Kate McGill (Farm)
Andrej Srebrnjak (The Fountain)
Simon Stockdale (Do Evil Thoughts Make an Evil Man?)

Best Animated

Announced at Festival

Best Comedy

Announced at Festival

Best Documentary

Four Hands
Guygu
Hope for the Guadalupe
Remnants
Wonderful World With Clint Townsend

Best Drama

Subtract Nine Sundays
Desperate Things
Do Evil Thoughts Make an Evil Man?
Insensible Losses
Penitence

Best Dramedy

Farm
Last Call
Turf War

Best Horror

Dahlia Has a Phobia
Dead on Distribution
Horses
Seasoning
Tasty Bones

Best Foreign Film

Announced at Festival

Best Music Video

Announced at Festival

Best Science Fiction

Growth
Magic Camera
The Fountain (f)

Best TV/Web Series

Announced at Festival

Best Contest Screenplay | Comedy

Announced at Festival

Best Contest Screenplay | Drama

Announced at Festival

Best Festival Screenplay | Drama

Announced at Festival

Best Texas Film

Coyote
Desperate Things
Hope for the Guadalupe
Penitence
Wonderful World with Clint Townsend

REEL People’s Choice Award "Audience Favorite"

Announced at Festival

REEL Jury Award "Best of Festival"

Four Hands
Hope for the Guadalupe
Penitence
Remnants
The Fountain