Each To Their Own World by Klarissa Webster and Manal Issa, 2024 by Elisabeth Subrin take jury prizes.
The 19th annual celebration of short film finished last night with the awards ceremony, following a packed five day programme of events across the city.
Glasgow Film Festival 2026 finished its 19th edition on a high last night, as it announced the winners of its two prestigious annual competitions plus the coveted Scottish and International Audience Awards, chosen by GSFF26 festival goers.
The Scottish Short Film Award honours inspiration and innovation in new Scottish cinema, and saw 21 new films compete. Named in honour of the legendary Scottish filmmaker, the Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film promotes cinematic storytelling that places sound and image centre stage. This year includes twenty eight documentary, animation, fiction and experimental shorts from Canada, Egypt, France, Morocco, Palestine, Papua, Spain, Syria, Thailand and more.
The GSFF26 Scottish Short Film Award was awarded by a jury consisting of Luce Grosjean, founder and director of Miyu Distribution, the leading international distribution company for animated short films; Federica Pugliese, Artistic Director of Lago Film Festival, with experience across film programming, marketing and theatrical distribution; and Jen Davies, co-founder of Conic Films Ltd., whose films include On Falling and Everybody to Kenmure Street (2026).
It was won by Klarissa Webster for Each To Their Own World. As winner, Klarissa Webster receives a cash prize of £500.
The jury said: This was a unanimous decision from the jury. This film is an emotionally resonant and beautifully crafted documentary, singled out by a direction which initially appeared simple but gradually revealed impressive depth and nuance, showing how welcoming Scotland can be and the importance of finding one’s own community. Both funny and poignant, the sound design was particularly important in shining a light on the different ways in which the work itself can be experienced by different audiences. The film is also a strong call-to-action and an eye-opening experience for hearing audiences while being a moving and meaningful film for all viewers.
The GSFF26 Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film was decided by a jury including Ruairí McCann, an Irish writer, programmer, illustrator, musician and library worker from Belfast and County Sligo. He is the co-editor of the film journal and virtual cinematheque Ultra Dogme. Ruairí was joined by filmmaker Nicolas Gourault, an artist and filmmaker based in Paris (FR) with a background in visual arts and visual studies, and Naziha Arebi. Naziha is a BAFTA nominated filmmaker and visual artist working at the intersections of art and activism, with a focus on class, memory, ecology and collective power. She is co-founder of film collectives Rawiyat and HuNa, is a Sundance Lab fellow, a Lumières d'Afriques artist and a member of the Palestine Film Institute.
It was won by Elisabeth Subrin for Manal Issa, 2024. As winner, Elisabeth Subrin receives a cash prize of £500.
The Young Scottish Filmmaker Prize went to We Walk At Night by Agnes Athley and Mother’s Influence by Meg Wriggles, with a special mention to Blueland by Fran Spaeth. The Young Scottish Filmmaker Prize is delivered in partnership with Glasgow Film, Eden Court, supported by BFI Film Academy, National Lottery funding and designed in consultation with Short Circuit and GMAC Film.
GSFF26 ran from 18 - 22 March at GFT, Civic house and Grosvenor Picture Theatre with a packed programme including an opening night gala screening of Downriver a Tiger, Victor Diago’s hypnotic feature-length portrait of Glasgow presented in partnership with the Catalan Film Festival; a retrospective screening and artist’s talk by Tehran-born, LA-based artist Gelare Koshogozaran, and a curated strand by programmer Ren Scateni, Lost in Transmission, which showcased moving image work that interrogated words and meaning-making; the premiere of Glasgow artist Adam Lewis Jacob's You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know, Do You?, about the Bradford Resource Centre, a historic mobilising hub; and a guest programme by cimentheque and film journal Ultra Dogme.
More information
Since 2008, Glasgow Short Film Festival has been the leading short film event in Scotland. We host an inclusive community of filmmakers and film lovers, showcasing ground-breaking works of visual storytelling. The festival nurtures, promotes and inspires diverse forms of cinematic expression, in Scotland and around the world. In everything we do, we aim to be critical and curious, welcoming and accessible.
In 2019 the festival reconstituted as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), charity number SC049556.
The 20th anniversary edition of the festival will take place 17 - 21 March 2027.
Glasgow Short Film Festival is funded by Screen Scotland and Glasgow Life.
Image credits
Header image: Group shot of award winners - credit Ingrid Mur