2026 Sundance Film Festival Winners
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Directing Award
Josef Kubota Wladyka ’14 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), director / writer / producer for Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature
Bedford Park
Stephanie Ahn ’99 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), director/writer
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic
HOLD ONTO ME (Κράτα Με)
Myrsini Aristidou ’17 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), director / writer / producer
SHORTS PROGRAM AWARDS
The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction
Lily Platt (MFA Candidate Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), director/writer/producer, Crisis Actor
The Short Film Jury Award: Animation
Stephen P. Neary ’08 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), director/writer/producer/executive producer/storyboard artist/animation/color by, Living with a Visionary
All Alumni who worked on Award-Winning Films
Crisis Actor
Lily Platt (MFA Candidate Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), director/writer/producer
Sophie Seyd (MFA Candidate Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), producer
Alex Bendo ’23 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), producer
Lexi Preiser '21 (MFA Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film/MBA, Stern School of Business), producer
Leo Zhang '25 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), director of photography
Living with a Visionary
Stephen P. Neary ’08 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), director/writer/producer/executive producer/storyboard artist/animation/color by
Connie Li Chan ’10 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), color by
Katherine LaVictoire ’08 (BFA, Drama), principal cast
Lady
Sara Blecher ’93 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), intimacy consultant south africa
TheyDream
Antonio Cisneros ’08 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), additional cinematography
Josephine
Stefanie Estes ’06 (BFA, Drama), Ms. Volk
Joshua Beirne-Golden ’09 (BFA, Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing), producer
Caitlin Machak ’10 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), camera operator
The Lake
Alex Takats ’14 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), director of photography
Soul Patrol
Danielle Massie ’16 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), produced by
Gabriela Tessitore ’12 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), editor
Nuisance Bear
Nicole Quintero Ochoa ’16 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), executive producer
Take Me Home
Philipp Engelhorn ’07 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), executive producer
Michelle Hamada ’14 (MA, Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies), executive producer
Lydia Storie ’08 (MA, Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies), executive producer
Bedford Park
Stephanie Ahn ’99 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), director/writer
Hyeseung Kim ’20 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), assistant editor
Ainsley Roh ’22 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), art department coordinator
Drew Leary ’05 (BFA, Drama), stunt coordinator
Callum Shaw ’17 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), gaffer
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
Josef Kubota Wladyka ’14 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), director/writer/producer
Mao Nagakura ’98 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), producer
Kimberly Parker Zox ’14 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), producer
Benjamin Rodriguez Jr. '16 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), editor
Joanna Fang '14 (BFA, Kanbar Institute, Film and Television), foley artist
Hold Onto Me
Myrsini Aristidou ’17 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), director/writer/producer/editor
Anders N. Berg ’17/’18 (MBA, Stern)/(MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), co-producer
Thomas J. Mangan IV ’91 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), Faculty, executive producer
Lasse Ulvedal Tolboll ’18 (MFA, Kanbar Institute, Graduate Film), cinematographer
*We apologize for any omissions! Please send edits or additions to tsoa.alumni@nyu.edu.
