Pulling Focus 2026 Festival 1st Place Winners
Best
Short Film
Sites of Memory
Directed By
Castel Sweet
Best
Student Film
Tobacco Road
Directed By
Kiara Danae Mangum
Best
In The Midwest
Stolen School
Directed By
Raphael Nash
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Best
Inspirational Film
Love, Law, Legacy
Directed By
Joseline J. Hardrick
​
Best
First-time Filmmaker
Open Competition Showcase
Best
Animation Short
Toll
Directed By
Sakile Camara
Heat Me
Directed By
Kelly Sarri
My First Memory of Dance
Directed By
Rhonda Greene, Marco Orozco, Mel McCann
2026 Runner-Up Winners
Best
Short Film
Runner-Up
Best
Student Film
Runner-Up
Best
In The Midwest
Runner-Up
Best
Inspirational Film
Runner-Up
Mixed Memories
Directed By Katherine Adams
Black Seeds Continue to Grow
Directed by Laura Colbert
The Woman Who Cried Pearls
Directed by Peyton Freeney
Anima, To Thee, My Soul
Directed by Diane Goueto Degry
Best
First-time Filmmaker
Runner-Up
Open Competetion
Showcase
Runner-Up
Best
Animation Short
Runner-Up
Black Soil Rising
Directed by
Raya Salter
Collateral
Directed by
Yazid Yettou
Lucky Land
Directed by
Luke Hardmon Williams
2026 Audience Choice
Dog or Die
Block 1
Black Seeds Continue to Grow
Block 2
Together The Short
Block 3
Stolen School
Block 4
Directed by Eric Hamilton
Directed by Laura Colbert
Directed by Anita C Osuigwe-Spencer
Directed by Raphael Nash
Living Moments
Block 5
Directed by Joan Ferebee
Silver String
Block 6
Directed by Getulio Ribeiro
Yesterday Today Together
Block 8
Directed by Ty Manns, Domingo Guyton
"Pulling Focus: Turning Visions into Cinematic Reality"
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