Official Results

September 2026 Winners

Congratulations to the filmmakers whose outstanding work earned recognition in the September 2026 edition of the New Jersey Film Awards.

Watch the September 2026 Awards Ceremony

Watch the Latest Awards Ceremony

September 2026 Awards Ceremony

Celebrate the filmmakers recognized during our September 2026 competition.

Watch on YouTube

Featured Winners

A selection of standout projects recognized in the September 2026 competition.

The Man They Never Knew

Winner of 5 Awards

Encaved

Winner of 4 Awards

MAIBA TAYA

Winner of 3 Awards

The Perfect Reflection

Winner of 3 Awards

A Park for Life

Winner of 2 Awards

Shards of Time

Winner of 2 Awards

Official Winners

The complete official September 2026 winners list.

Film Awards

16 awards

Best Feature Documentary A Park for Life

Best Drama Short Shards of Time

Best Comedy Short Encaved

Best Horror Short A Modest Woman

Best Thriller The Man They Never Knew

Best Sci-Fi Short Robot Coffin

Best Inspirational Short Behind an Ordinary Day

Best New Jersey Short Sideblinded

Best AI Short Oh, Wendell Danby

Best Microshort The Swan Family in “Just Desserts”

Best Music Video Growing up Italian

Best College Short The Perfect Reflection

Best High School Film MAIBA TAYA

Best Trailer Lookout

Best Movie Poster Encaved

Best Concept Bad Old Man: the Ballad of Jubal Early

Acting Awards

6 awards

Best Actor David Morwick (Tightly Bound)

Best Actress Marcie Ryan (Robot Coffin)

Best Supporting Actor Rick Edwards (The Man They Never Knew)

Best Supporting Actress Brooke Grydsuk (The Perfect Reflection)

Best Young Actor Louie Jay Fernandez (MAIBA TAYA)

Best Ensemble Encaved

Technical Awards

10 awards

Best Director Scott Glazer (Apocalypse Later)

Best First-Time Filmmaker April Williamson & Matt Santos (The Perfect Reflection)

Best Female Filmmaker Juliana Rodríguez (The Man They Never Knew)

Best Young Filmmaker Sarah Juanatas (MAIBA TAYA)

Best Cinematography Diogo Diniz Garcia Gomes (A Park for Life)

Best Editing Alexandros Kouros (Shards of Time)

Best Visual Effects Cedric Stein (Encaved)

Best Special Effects Makeup Julia Pierce (The Man They Never Knew)

Best Sound Design Gabriele Santini (The Man They Never Knew)

Best Original Score Michael D. Jones (The Man They Never Kn

Screenplay Awards

2 awards

Best Feature Screenplay Feral Mountains (Terry Luke Podnar)

Best Short Screenplay Marie and Me (Glen Samson)