Previous Award Winners
2025 North Carolina Film Festival Award Winners ›
Best Overall
8 AM
Thomas Mendolia
United States
Best Lead Performance
Karen Carlson as “Julia”
in In a Quiet Room
United States
Best Supporting Performance
Will Davenport as “Benji”
in Until Daylight Comes
United States
Best Cinematography
How The Rose Reaches
Belle Adams
United States
Best Sound Editing
Tell Everyone Around
Cliff Bumgardner
United States
People's Choice Award
Watching.
Sullivan Styles
NC, United States
Best in Category: Action
Runestone
Robert C. Bruce
United States
Best in Category: Animation
Mistletoe
Andrea Schmitz,
Andrea Sparacio
United States
Best in Category: Comedy
Ms. Rossi 3: Ms. Rossi Meets the Mob
Pat Battistini
Italy
Best in Category: Documentary
One Fighting Irishman
Sharon Yamato
United States
Best in Category: Drama
8 AM
Thomas Mendolia
United States
Best in Category: Experimental
Fireworks at a Funeral
Adam Ingram Perry
United States
Best in Category: Horror
Kruz’
Loic Zimmermann
United States
Best in Category: Music
The High King’s Daughter
Joël Gibbs
Ireland
Best in Category: Romance
Collage
Marius Conrotto
Spain
2024 North Carolina Film Festival Award Winners ›
Best Feature
This Time
Robert George Vaughn
Best Short
Where Can I Live?
Miranda Jacoby
Best Feature Documentary
PARADISE
Garrett Martin
Best Short Documentary
Dr. Eddie Henderson: Uncommon Genius
Michelle Bauer Carpenter
Best Cinematography
The Jukebox
Jon Housholder & Jeff Schafer
Best Lead Performance
Chester Shepherd as “Todd Marshall”
in The Jukebox
Best Supporting Performance
Kevin Roberge as “The Salesman”
in It’s In The Water
People's Choice Award
Bite of Bénin
Brad Herring & Adé Carrena
2023 North Carolina Film Festival Award Winners ›
Best Feature
Burst the Silence
Eric D. Schaeffer
Best Short
Elliott
Adam Zammiello
Best Feature Documentary
Beloved Children of the Holocaust
Cliff Springs
Best Short Documentary
Rosenwald: Toward a More Perfect Union
Charles Poe
Best Animation
Genes 6th Symphony
Jordi Garcia
Best Music Video
Tunnel by the Bay
Jared Mullen
Best Cinematography
Dry Drowning
Cassandra Clare & Mike Powell
Best Lead Performance
Mark Cornell in “The Fog”
Best Supporting Performance
Michael Provost in “The Calling”
2022 North Carolina Film Festival Award Winners ›
Best Feature
Gospel of Ted
Alex Wroten
Best Short
Resilience
Jerod Wood
Best Feature Documentary
Beaufort Remembers
Mark Albertin
Best Short Documentary
DUB: The True Story of WD Jones
Ross Hamil
Best Animation
Fly Fishing
David Richardson
Best Music Video
The City Streets
Lauren E. Banks
Best Cinematography
A Moment of Humanity
Randall Moser
Cinematography by Neil Ervin
Best Lead Performance
Deja Anderson Ross in “Pictures Only”
Best Supporting Performance
Lily Jane in “Lioness”
2021 North Carolina Film Festival Award Winners ›
Best Feature
Into the Dreams… and Horror Experiences
Taka Octz
Best Short
The Death of My Father
Lex Kimbrough
Best Feature Documentary
The Dancin’ Bulldogs: A 16 Seed’s Journey to the NCAA Tournament
Christian Jessup
Best Short Documentary
A Song for Falling Memories
Michael Pearce, Bruce DePyssler
Best Animation
The Fuzzies
Josh Funk
2020 North Carolina Film Festival Award Winners ›
Best Feature
Broken Halos
Michael Kampa
Best Short
All Bark
Rachel Smith