JACKRABBIT and KARLOVY VARY Win Top Prizes at SOHO International Film Festival

The SOHO International Film Festival closed the book on its 17th edition last night, announcing winners across features, documentaries, animation, shorts, television pilots and performance.

Top honors went to 'Jackrabbit,' directed by Ballard C. Boyd, which took Best US Showcase Feature Film, and to 'Karlovy Vary,' directed by Yongseuk Lee of South Korea, which won Best World Showcase Feature Film. In the documentary categories, 'Good Moment,' directed by Corbett Jones, won Best Showcase Documentary Film, and Hannah Rafkin's 'Field Trip' won Best Showcase Documentary Short and then added the Audience Award for Short Film or Series Pilot to its shelf.

'Every year this festival reminds me why we do this,' said Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago, executive director and head of programming of the SOHO International Film Festival. 'These filmmakers came from Seoul and Salzburg, from Saint Lucia and from Brooklyn, with budgets that would make a studio accountant laugh and ideas that would make a studio executive nervous. This week, a packed room of filmmakers agreed: this is what great storytelling looks like, and our festival is proud to provide that stage.'

The festival also deepened its ties to the city. In collaboration with the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), NYC Film Commissioner Rafael Espinal brought his Listening Tour to the festival, taking the pulse of the filmmakers and industry professionals gathered there.

Industry panels rounded out the programming, led by a conversation hosted by the festival in partnership with the Casting Society of America (CSA) on how casting directors act as strategic partners in getting an indie film made, from financing through production and press tours. Panelists were Kate Geller, whose credits include 'Chili Finger,' 'Oh, Hi!' and 'Shiva Baby'; Lauren Charkow, who cast 'Regulars,' a nominee for the festival's Audience Award for Exhibition Films; and Alan Scott Neal, casting director of 'Cotton Fever,' Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, a member of the casting teams on 'Euphoria,' 'Uncut Gems' and 'Marty Supreme,' and director of the feature 'Last Straw.' The SOHO17 Spotlight Salon Series added a practical session, 'Protect Your Picture: A Conversation About the Legal Essentials Every Indie Filmmaker Should Know,' led by guest speaker Benjamin C. Feldman. A two-time Tony Award-winning producer for the Broadway revivals of 'Pippin' and 'Company,' and a principal at the Manhattan entertainment law firm Feldman, Golinski, Reedy + Ben-Zvi, Feldman has served as production counsel on films including Michelle Obama's 'Becoming.'

The festival also presented a special screening of 'Gangland,' the crime drama directed by Vincent Grashaw from a script by Zach Montague and released by Saban Films in July. The film follows a tribal police officer whose past threatens the peace he has fought to keep on his reservation. The screening was attended by Lou Diamond Phillips, who stars in the film and also serves as an executive producer.

Audiences Weigh In

Festival-goers picked 'The Age of Love,' directed by David Joseph Pellicane, as the winner of the Audience Award for Full Length Feature, beating fellow finalists 'Bravado,' 'Hamilton House,' 'Jackrabbit' and 'Jesus Land.' The Audience Award for Exhibition Films went to 'The Road to Sydney' (Philippines, Canada, United States).

Performances That Stole the Room

The festival's acting honors spanned continents and formats:

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, US Feature: DJ Qualls, 'The King of Black Goo'

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, World Feature: Veronika Zhuravle, 'Your Heart Will Be Broken' (Russian Federation)

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, US Short: Luke Lowrey, 'Hunted'

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, World Short: Ruaridh Mollica, 'Run Club' (United Kingdom)

Best Acting Performance as an Ensemble: the cast of 'Burncoat', written and directed by Jay Martin

Small Screen, Big Ambition

In the festival's television categories, 'The Gliwensbourg Chronicles' (France), written and directed by Emilie Tommasi, won Best Long Form TV Pilot. 'Dr. Sam,' written by Raji Ahsan and directed by Danielle Beckmann, won Best Short Form TV Pilot.

Shorts and Animation

The short-film categories were among the evening's most competitive. 'Meeting Your Maker,' directed by Gregory JM Kasunich, won Best US Showcase Short Film. 'Run Club,' directed by Lauren Lyle of the United Kingdom, took Best World Showcase Short Film, giving the film a second win alongside Mollica's performance award. In animation, '113 Words for You Today,' a China, Taiwan and United States co-production directed by Bo Qing Tang and Lan Zeng, won Best Showcase Animated Film.

A Jury of Powerhouses

The slate was judged by a jury of industry heavyweights spanning producing, directing, casting, distribution, talent management and journalism:

Marci Phillips, New York VP of Talent & Casting for Disney Entertainment Television, with more than 25 years casting ABC pilots and series and a key role in the Disney Television Discovers: Talent Showcase.

Ernabel Demillo, host and reporter for CUNY-TV's seven-time Emmy-nominated 'Asian American Life,' award-winning journalist and tenured journalism professor at Saint Peter's University.

Indra Suharjono, co-founder of I.E. Entertainment, exclusive worldwide distributor for BEC World in Thailand and of the eight-part mini-series 'Coolie,' produced by Cathay Film Company; executive producer of 'Project Runway Thailand' Season 1.

Xackery Irving, independent filmmaker ('Nothing Without You,' 'American Chain Gang') whose latest documentary, 'Brace for Oblivion,' was filmed in combat zones in Ukraine, won Best International Documentary at the 2026 Galway Film Fleadh and screened at the Odesa International Film Festival.

Narumi Inatsugu, four-time Primetime Emmy-nominated director, producer and creative executive; Chief Creative Officer of JoySauce, a media network devoted to Asian and Asian American storytelling, and Founder and CEO of Rumiville.

Rachel Watanabe-Batton, Emmy-winning film and television producer and member of the Producers Guild of America, the Television Academy, and New York Women in Film and Television.

Leslie Fields-Cruz, who joined Black Public Media (formerly the National Black Programming Consortium) in 2001 and, by 2005, as Director of Programming, led distribution of all funded programs to public television.

Susanna D'Arcy, former first assistant director to David Fincher, now a producer and line producer for features, television, live events and musicals, with an international division serving France, Egypt, Belgium and Italy.

Daryn Simons, producer, talent manager and digital strategist; past President of the Talent Managers Association and the 2015 Heller Award winner for Talent Manager of the Year.

James Tumminia, Emmy-nominated producer of 'Love, Gilda' and executive producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary 'Viva Verdi!'; actor in 'Criminal Minds' and 'Resident Evil: Extinction.'

Richard J Lee, award-winning producer and director with more than 20 years in film, TV and commercials; his feature 'The Death That Awaits' (Megan Lawless, Paul Johansson, Ron Yuan) is streaming on Tubi and Amazon Prime.

About the SOHO International Film Festival

The SOHO International Film Festival is an annual celebration of independent cinema, bringing filmmakers from around the world to New York for screenings, conversations and awards across features, documentaries, animation, shorts and television. Founded by Jorge Ballos, the festival is led today by Ballos and his partner Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago, who serves as executive director and head of programming. Together they have built a platform devoted to emerging and established voices that might otherwise go unseen, and to the audiences hungry to discover them. For more information, visit sohofilmfest.com.

Full List of Winners and Nominees

Winners are marked with a trophy and listed in bold.

Best US Showcase Feature Film

🏆 JACKRABBIT, directed by Ballard C. Boyd

Babybacks, directed by Geno Marx

Behind the 8 Ball, directed by Nathan Israileff

Bravado, directed by Alex Hanno

Good Thoughts, directed by Rachel Carey

Hamilton House, directed by Jordan Rowe

In This Moment, directed by Mike Talplacido

Jesus Land, directed by Saila Kariat

The Age of Love, directed by David Joseph Pellicane

The King of Black Goo, directed by Andrew Zappin

Best World Showcase Feature Film

🏆 KARLOVY VARY (South Korea), directed by Yongseuk Lee

Milarepa (Italy), directed by Louis Nero

Shambhala Story (Japan, US), directed by Toshio Sekine

The World Outside (Austria, Germany), directed by Katrine Eichberger and Nikolas Mühe

Your Heart Will Be Broken (Russian Federation), directed by Mikhail Weinberg

Best Showcase Documentary Film

🏆 GOOD MOMENT, directed by Corbett Jones

It's Not You, Its Me: Chicago, directed by Anthony L. Williams

9/11: Untold Stories, directed by Julie Rowen and Dana Kuznetzkoff

People vs Politics, directed by Robert M. Pease and Carol A. Wingard

Poverty Trap, directed by Michael Matheson Miller

Sober, directed by Jefe Greenheart and William J Saunders

Best Showcase Animated Film

🏆 113 WORDS FOR YOU TODAY (China, Taiwan, United States), directed by Bo Qing Tang and Lan Zeng

Figure 8, directed by Josiah Earles

Flamingo in the Garden, directed by Xinhui Ma

See You Tomorrow (Japan), directed by Keiya Ando

Shelley a Gothic Love Story, directed by Keith Walker

Something Greater Than You, directed by Gordon LePage

You. Matter, directed by John J Budion

Best US Showcase Short Film

🏆 MEETING YOUR MAKER, directed by Gregory JM Kasunich

Cinch, directed by Ally Musmeci

Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting, directed by Alexander Thompson

Filthy Short Film, directed by Lisa Cole

First Impressions, directed by Andrew Slane and Javier Ortega

Focal Point, directed by Raphael Buisson

Hunted, directed by Christopher T Folkens

Last Stand at Butte City, directed by Natalie Schwan

Pinball, Brooklyn, directed by Geoff Sean Levy

Terms & Conditions, directed by Stefan Maximilian Lan

The Empty Room, directed by Hersh Ellis

Why I Am an Anarchist, directed by Sara Crow

Best World Showcase Short Film

🏆 RUN CLUB (United Kingdom), directed by Lauren Lyle

A Hand to Hold (United Kingdom), directed by Philip Clyde-Smith

A Reflection of Me (Sweden), directed by Stephane Mounkassa and Stefan Sundin

Brave Rebel Army (Canada), directed by Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt

Burdened (Canada), directed by Conor Forrest

Chicken (Australia), directed by Emma Canalese

Hidden Words (Italy), directed by Gianni Panza and Gaia Billi

I Take You to Be My Ex (United Kingdom), directed by Jenn Murray

Songbird (Australia), directed by Kevin Lim

The Last One (Russian Federation), directed by Sofia Kosazhevskaia

The Things We Carry (Saint Lucia), directed by Kyvon Edwin

The Whole Thing (New Zealand), directed by Calvin Sang

You Don't Murder Baudelaire (France), directed by Vanessa Caffin

Best Showcase Documentary Short

🏆 FIELD TRIP, directed by Hannah Rafkin

Finding Hope, directed by Koko VanDernoot and Brody VanDernoot

Per Chi 'For Whom' (Italy), directed by Alessandro Spallino

Run DJ Run, directed by Darby Duffin

Where the Wind Goes, directed by Everett Ravens

Audience Award for Full Length Feature

🏆 THE AGE OF LOVE

Bravado

Hamilton House

Jackrabbit

Jesus Land

Audience Award for Short Film or Series Pilot

🏆 FIELD TRIP

Eggs

Funny/Not Funny

The Happiness Intervention

Wunderkind

Audience Award for Exhibition Films

🏆 THE ROAD TO SYDNEY (Philippines, Canada, United States)

Bad P.I.

Frank & Edna Take on Le Mans

Muffled

Regulars

Best Long Form TV Pilot

🏆 THE GLIWENSBOURG CHRONICLES (France), written and directed by Emilie Tommasi

Burncoat, written and directed by Jay Martin

Best Short Form TV Pilot

🏆 DR. SAM, written by Raji Ahsan, directed by Danielle Beckmann

Morphic, written and directed by Malik Maliki

Sandwiched, written by Tiffany Chandon, directed by Meg Swertlow

The Happiness Intervention, written and directed by Alana Sanyo

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, US Feature

🏆 DJ Qualls, The King of Black Goo

Luca Malacrino, Bravado

Viridiana Marquez, Babybacks

Melissa Chambers, Babybacks

Grant Rosenmeyer, Behind the 8 Ball

Laurel Toupal, Good Thoughts

Ben Larson, Good Thoughts

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, World Feature

🏆 Veronika Zhuravle, Your Heart Will Be Broken (Russian Federation)

Mo Zyu-Yi, Shambhala Story (Japan, US)

Lee Je-Yeon, Karlovy Vary (South Korea)

Katrina Eichberger, The World Outside (Germany)

Daniel Vegas, Your Heart Will Be Broken (Russian Federation)

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, US Short

🏆 Luke Lowrey, Hunted

Jonathan Kite, Meeting Your Maker

Matilda Lawler, Why I Am an Anarchist

Brittany Ishibashi, The Empty Room

Tommy Martinez, Pinball, Brooklyn

Paul Oakley Stovall, Arlington

Shunori Ramanathan, First Impressions

Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role, World Short

🏆 Ruaridh Mollica, Run Club (United Kingdom)

Arlo Green, The Whole Thing (New Zealand)

Nikita Tu-Bryant, The Whole Thing (New Zealand)

Angie Diaz, Chicken (Australia)

Jenovic Luyindula, A Reflection of Me (Sweden)

Zidane Wilson, The Things We Carry (Saint Lucia)

Mahout Drama, You Don't Murder Baudelaire (France)

Mark Huberman, I Take You to Be My Ex (United Kingdom)

Best Acting Performance as an Ensemble

🏆 BURNCOAT, written and directed by Jay Martin

Dr. Sam, written by Raji Ahsan, directed by Danielle Beckmann

The Gliwensbourg Chronicles, written and directed by Emilie Tommasi

Photo Credit: Champion Hamilton