Best Challenge Film winners, Theresa & Sarah
2026 Award Winners
Celebrating our Misty Flicks 2026 Award Winners!
What a weekend of incredible films, talented filmmakers and independent storytelling!
A massive congratulations to our 2026 award winners! We're thrilled to recognise and celebrate your creativity, talent and achievements.
Thank you to every filmmaker who submitted their work to Misty Flicks this year, our finalists, and to our sponsors and partners for helping make the Festival possible and generously supporting our award winners.
Short & Feature Films
Best Short
Static Noises (Jomz Alip Lailo)
Best Director - Short
Jomz Alip Lailo (Static Noises)
Best Editing
Static Noises
Best Screenplay
Static Noises (Jomz Alip Lailo)
Best Feature
Mighty Indeed (Vanessa Wells)
Best Documentary
Mighty Indeed (Vanessa Wells)
Best Director - Feature
Vanessa Wells (Mighty Indeed)
Audience Short Film Favourite
Searching for Hawaiki (Fredrick Pokai)
Honourable Mentions
Honourable Mention - Short film
Pulling Up Stumps
Honourable Mention - Actor
Marianne Infante (Static Noises)
Ian Mune (Pulling Up Stumps)
Mark Mitchinson (Pulling Up Stumps)
Larissa Allen (Exposure)
Honourable Mention - Cinematography
Jack Barry (Six Concertos)
Exposure
Mike Potton (Static Noises)
Honourable Mention - Director
Elinor Teele (Pulling Up Stumps)
Troy Fea (Hardly Working)
Honourable Mention - Editing
Pulling Up Stumps
Six Concertos
Hardly Working
Honourable Mention - Production Design
Hardly Working
Honourable Mention - Score
Static Noises
Search for Hawaiki
Honourable Mention - Screenplay
Elinor Teele (Pulling Up Stumps)
Youth Films
Best Youth Film Collaboration
Dubiety (Jude Caudeville)
Best Youth Film Solo
The Time Elevator (Neil Lin)
Best Youth Actor
Gracie Moodie
Challenge Films
Best Challenge Film
Two Mums, One Film (Theresa Barnes and Sarah Oemcke)
Best Script
Two Mums, One Film (Sarah Oemcke and Theresa Barnes)
Best Use of Prop or Character Name
The Memory Palace Package (Taine Wotherspoon and Josh van de Laar)
Best Challenge Actor
Taine Wotherspoon (The Memory Palace Package)
Best Challenge Director
Reneel Singh (Final Boarding)
Honourable Mentions
Best Challenge Film - Runner Up
Final Boarding (Reneel Singh)
Honourable Mention - Use of Prop
First Kiss Tineke Robson
Honourable Mention - Overall Production
Showgirl Sophie Hampson
Outstanding Female Filmmaker
Outstanding Female Filmmaker
Vanessa Wells
Honourable mention - Outstanding Female Filmmaker
Jomz Alip Lailo
Elinor Teele
Best Pitch
Best Pitch
Jayde Hudson
