Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, announced the winners of its three Emerging Filmmaker Awards on Saturday (1/10) at its annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch held at the London West Hollywood. Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) and Natasha Rothwell (White Lotus) served as hosts for the event and handed out the honors. Winners for the remaining categories will be revealed at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards next month.
“Supporting independent artists and allowing them to pursue their visions without compromise is central to the mission of Film Independent, and the Emerging Filmmaker Awards have always been an essential tool towards achieving that goal,” said Brenda Robinson, acting president of Film Independent. “We are incredibly proud to be able to help elevate these artists early in what are sure to be long and esteemed careers.”
Tatti Ribeiro, director of Valentina, received the Someone to Watch Award, which recognizes a talented first-time narrative filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award, which is in its 32nd year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. The finalists for the award included Neo Sora for Happyend and Annapurna Sriram for Fucktoys.
Rajee Samarasinghe, director of Your Touch Makes Others Invisible, received the Truer Than Fiction Award, which is presented to a first-time director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award is in its 31st year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. Tony Benna for André is an Idiot and Brittany Shyne for Seeds were also finalists for the award.
Tony Yang received the Producers Award, which honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films. The annual award, in its 29th year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. Finalists were Emma Hannaway and Luca Intili. This year’s Producers Award is sponsored for the first time by Producers United, a new advocacy group of veteran and next wave producers working to ensure the sustainability of dedicated producing, or what they’ve coined Career Producing, against the many hurdles facing these devoted originators, champions and caretakers of film and television. Film Independent and Producers United are proud to join forces to protect the integrity of the career producer’s vital role.
The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Emceed by the recently announced host, Saturday Night Live alum Ego Nwodim, will take place on Sunday, February 15. The 41st annual show, held at the historic Hollywood Palladium, will be streamed live on the Film Independent and IMDb YouTube channels, as well as across other social platforms. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and celebrate creative independence, diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision in independent film and television.
