Edmonton International Film Festival Announces Grand Jury Short Film Award Winners

The Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) achieved status as an Academy Awards Qualifying Festival for short films in 2016. This means that its Grand Jury Awards in the short film categories — Animation, Live Action and Documentary — are eligible for OSCAR consideration.

The jury, comprised of 5 international and Canadian filmmakers and EIFF Alumni, has deliberated. EIFF announced the three (3) short films which won Grand Jury Awards at EIFF, and are now contenders for the golden statuette.

Grand Jury Award: Best Short Film (Documentary)

POSTCARDS
Producer/Director/Writer: Freyja Kristinsdóttir
20-mins. | Iceland | Documentary. On his first Camino de Santiago journey, Kristinn writes 46 postcards to his wife, Stella – one for each year of their life together. Stella passes away just a day after their 51st wedding anniversary. Kristinn walks the Camino once more, seeking peace and wondering if love can bloom again after five decades with one soul. Icelandic language.

'Freyja Kristinsdóttir delivers an emotional punch with this heartwarming story of a 46-day journey through the Camino, where 46 treasured postcards become a touching symbol of everlasting love. Equally heartbreaking as it is hopeful, this beautifully recreated story touched our hearts.'

'A beautifully constructed film about a pilgrimage of the heart that tells the story of a life built together, as well as a love that never dies. Incorporating themes of memory and loss, it is a series of love letters (or postcards in this instance) from a man to his wife that also serves as a love letter from the filmmaker to her parents.'

Grand Jury Award: Best Short Film (Animation)

SOUL CATCHER (Haboolm Ksinaalgat)
Directors: Amanda Strong and Pamela Post
15-mins. | Canada | Animation. Lu'oo'ya (Echo), a gender-fluid Ts'msyen youth, learns the supernatural powers of their ancestors under the tutelage of an ancient female shaman (voiced by Tantoo Cardinal) and using a soul catcher amulet, retrieves the lost soul of a 100-year-old totem pole that a missionary ordered thrown into the Skeena River in order to 'drown the devil' in their people.
Screens WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30 @ 2pm as part of the SHORT STOP 6.0 short film programme.

'A beautifully crafted animated short. The story is meaningful and the genre invites a younger generation to engage with a truly important conversation. The film combines Ts'msyen history and the impacts of colonialism with exceptional craft, making it a powerful watch for the jury. We believe the Academy will agree with our enthusiasm.'

'SOUL CATCHER captures a rich, layered portrait of Lu'oo'ya, who uses supernatural shifts through time to reconnect with their ancestral past. Its themes of colonial oppression and reclamation of heritage resonated with the jury, and coupled with a brilliant narrative, made it an obvious choice in the category.'

'A deeply poignant film about identity and generational trauma. Using stop-motion animation to access this true story, it allows us to delve into a painful past and a history that none of us should ever forget, as it pertains to the First Nations. It honours the memory and the struggles of those ancestors and provides them with an opportunity to reclaim their legacy through film for generations to come.'

Grand Jury Award: Best Short Film (Live Action)

FICTION
Director/Writer: Ambroise Rateau
22-mins. | France | Drama/Comedy. Actor Philippe Rebbot goes to a film shoot without having read the script. Nothing goes as planned. French language.

'With its clever mise en abyme style, one forgets that are watching a short. A relentless, action-packed triumph of complex and exceptional storytelling that had us all blown away by its originality. A worthy winner and the proud choice of the 2026 EIFF Grand Jury winner for Best Live Action Short.'

'FICTION thrives in the blur. Rateau keeps you guessing where Philippe Rebbot ends and the role begins, with the vérité style turning that uncertainty into something genuinely uneasy. You're never quite sure whether you're watching a performance or a man slowly coming apart. There's a real Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror chill to it. Clever, unsettling and quietly disorientating.'

'A sharply-observed and darkly comedic tale that deftly turns the lens on the actor's process and cinéma vérité as a style of storytelling. This is a film that compels you to lean in as you navigate the space between fact and fiction alongside the characters. Highly original and impressive in both concept and execution, this film absolutely delivers as intended.'

The 40th Edmonton International Film Festival takes place now to Oct. 3rd.

The 99th OSCARS take place Sunday, March 14, 2027.

The full Lineup & Schedule for the 40th Edmonton International Film Festival can be found on Eventive. Tickets & Passes