Lights dim, winners shine at the 2026 Tyler Film Festival

The credits have rolled on the 2026 Tyler Film Festival, presented by Dobbs & Porter, with filmmakers from Texas and beyond earning honors following two nights of independent film at Liberty Hall.

This year’s festival featured a wide range of stories and styles, giving audiences the chance to experience independent filmmaking on the big screen and hear directly from filmmakers throughout the weekend.

The 2026 Tyler Film Festival award winners are:

Jury Award / Best of the Festival - Showtime | Directed by Lam Can-zhao | China 

Best Student Film - Beach Bagels | Directed by Marek Alexander Elikan | Waco, Texas

Best Cinematography - Guardian of the Well | Directed by Bentley Brown and Tahir Ben Mahamat Zene | United Arab Emirates

Consulting Producer Aaron Brown

Best Actress - Chloe Sneed in Talk of the Country | Directed by Riley Cusick | North Texas

Chloe Sneed

Best Actor - Alec Meza in Wish You Were Here! | Directed by Liam Alexander | Los Angeles, California

Best Young Actor - Sarthak Masne in The Voice of Old | Directed by Adesh Vinod Dhage | India

Audience Favorite & Funniest of the Fest - Mr. Mittens | Directed by Glenn Maxwell | Austin, Texas

Film with the Biggest Heart - Love You Well, directed by Drew David Koch | Fort Worth, Texas

Documentary protagonist Dakota Rainey

The 2026 Tyler Film Festival is sponsored by Dobbs & Porter, the Texas Film Commission, Sharon and James Wynne, Monsour Law Firm, KETK, True Vine Brewing Company, TAG, Heritage East at Culture ETX, Heart of Tyler, Visit Tyler, Tyler Art Festival, and Liberty Hall.

Submissions for the 2027 Tyler Film Festival open on Oct. 1 and will close on May 1, 2027! For more information, follow Tyler Film Fest on Facebook and Instagram.