Greater Port Jeff coverage is funded in part by ConnectOneBank — customized solutions for your company, no matter the industry. Click here to learn more.
A rare directing honor highlighted one of the strongest lineups in the 31-year history of the Stony Brook Film Festival as organizers announced the winners of this year’s festival awards.
Presented by Stony Brook Medicine, the annual festival welcomed filmmakers from around the world to the Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, showcasing 36 independent films before honoring 10 productions and filmmakers for excellence in storytelling, directing and independent filmmaking.
Festival Director Alan Inkles said the quality of this year’s selections prompted jurors to award the Jury Award for Directing, an honor presented only a handful of times over the festival’s three-decade history.
“Every year, this Festival gets better and better because the quality of the films selected continues to improve,” Inkles said. “This year’s Festival featured one of the strongest lineups of American independent films we’ve ever presented, while also celebrating extraordinary filmmakers from around the globe.”
Danny Madson received the Jury Award for Directing for Downbeat. In a statement shared after the ceremony, Madson said the recognition was especially meaningful because he also served as the film’s cinematographer, editor and sound designer.
The Jury Award for Best Feature went to A Mosquito in the Ear, directed by Nicola Rincieri, while audience members voted Anne Packard: An Artist’s Resolve and Hungarian Wedding as co-winners of the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature.
The Spirit of Independent Filmmaking Award was presented to Richie James Follen for Crystal Cross. During the awards ceremony, Follen reflected on screening the low-budget film before its largest audience to date.
“We made this movie with no money,” he said. “Hopefully this Festival will inspire the powers that be to give money to make more movies like this.”
Among the short films, The Doorman earned the Opening Night Short Film Award, This Conversation Has Been Removed captured the Audience Choice Award for Best Short, and Francine, East-West received the Jury Award for Best Short.
The festival, produced by the Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, concluded its 31st season after presenting independent films from around the world and welcoming directors, actors and filmmakers to Stony Brook throughout its run.
The complete list of 2026 award winners and photos from the festival are available here.
Top: The Opening Night Short Film Award was presented to The Doorman, with director Lily Ghazaryan accepting the honor in person during the Festival Awards Ceremony (courtesy photo).
Your Long Island news, delivered.
Subscribe to the GLI Newsletter — its free
