RiverRun Announces 2026 Awards: ‘If I Go Will They Miss Me’ Wins Best Narrative Feature and ‘Jaripeo’ Wins Best Documentary Feature

The RiverRun International Film Festival has announced the Audience and Jury Awards for the 2026 Festival. This year’s Festival ran April 17-25 and offered both in-person and virtual screenings. The Festival this year presented 178 films representing 47 countries.

“We were thrilled to welcome more than 11,500 attendees to this year’s Festival across screenings and events throughout our nine-day run,” said Michael Morin, Executive Director of RiverRun. “It was a joy to host so many incredible filmmakers, both returning and new, and to present a dynamic lineup of awards ceremonies, engaging panels, and outstanding film screenings. We were especially encouraged by the energy of our engaged audiences and the enthusiasm of our filmmakers, which made for an exceptional experience in my inaugural year as Executive Director.

“The success of this year’s festival was truly a collaborative effort between our dedicated team, both new and longstanding, and our passionate community of volunteers, donors, and sponsors who continue to make RiverRun possible. We are especially proud of the debut of our ‘LIMITLESS: Stories Without Restraint’ program, which deeply resonated with audiences and proved to be a powerful addition to the Festival. I look forward to many more festivals ahead, each building on this momentum and reaching even greater heights.”

RIVERRUN 2026 AWARDS:

KILPATRICK AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

“Peter Asher: Everywhere Man” directed by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine

RE:VISION INDEPENDENT FEATURE COMPETITION

Best Narrative Feature: “If I Go Will They Miss Me”directed by Walter Thompson-Hernandez

Peter Brunette Award for Best Director: Harry Domenico Rossi for “Pescador”

Honorable Mention: “Glorious Summer” directed by Helena Ganjalyan and Bartosz Szpak

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Best Documentary Feature: “Jaripeo” directed by Efrain Mojica and Rebecca Zweig

Best Director – Documentary Feature: Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazic for “To Hold a Mountain”

Special Grand Jury Prize – Documentary Feature: “Wood Street” directed by Caron Creighton

NARRATIVE SHORTS

Best Narrative Short:“Haint”directed by Jahmil Eady

Special Jury Award – Narrative Short, Best Ensemble: “Scissors” directed by Hannah Alline

Special Jury Award – Best Student Narrative Short: “Rage” directed by Fran Moreno Blanco and Santi Pujol Amat

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Best Documentary Short: “Ibuka, Justice”directed by Justice Rutikara

Honorable Mention: “The Hotline” directed by Ricki Stern and Jesse Sweet

Special Jury Award – Best Student Documentary Short: “The Chimney Sweeper”directed by Jack Raese

ANIMATED SHORTS

Best Animated Short: “Jour de Vent” directed Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Elise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Taillez, Camille Truding

Special Jury Award – Animated Short: “One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six”directed by Yingdan Lai

REEL SOUTH AWARD

“Free Joan Little” directed by Yoruba Richen

LIMITLESS DIRECTOR AWARD FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT

Cameron S. Mitchell for “Disposable Humanity” and Miles Levin for “Under the Lights”

The LIMITLESS Director Award for Community Impact is presented to a filmmaker whose work embodies the power of cinema as a force for change, honoring a director whose story not only represents its community, but has the potential to transform it.

PITCH FEST AWARDS

First Place, Narrative Competition: “The World Between” directed by Abigail Rees and Olivia Stallworth (University of North Carolina School of the Arts)

Second Place, Narrative Competition: “I Am Awake in the Place Where Women Die” directed by Story Lee (University of Mississippi)

Honorable Mention, Narrative Competition: “Ghar Nahi Jaana (I Don’t Want to Go Home)” directed by Sayali Patukale (NC State University)

First Place, Documentary Competition: “Threading the American Dream” directed by Ashish Shrestha (University of Mississippi)

Second Place, Documentary Competition: “The Medal That Time Forgot” directed by Emily Allgar (Wake Forest University)

Honorable Mention, Documentary Competition: “Help Me God” directed by Howard Affandi (University of North Carolina School of the Arts)

The 15^th annual RiverRun Pitch Fest was held with college students from several colleges and universities –Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, NC State University, Tulane University, University of Florida, University of Mississippi, University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Wake Forest University – pitching their documentary film projects to a panel of judges (Hannah Black, Resita Cox, Emily Foster, Marie Jamora, Jonna McKone and Megan Peterson) in hopes of winning cash prizes. 

MASTER OF CINEMA

Michael R. Miller

EMERGING MASTERS OF CINEMA

Resita Cox

Marie Jamora

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