SXSW audience winners
The 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival audience awards were announced after screenings March 12–18 — Wishful Thinking starring Lewis Pullman and Maya Hawke took the top Narrative Feature prize. The full jury and audience winners list has been published, spotlighting films where literary storytelling and screencraft intersect this festival season. (sxsw.com)(deadline.com)
SXSW certified its Audience Awards with accounting firm Maxwell Locke & Ritter and reported the Film & TV Festival screened 120 features, including 90 world premieres, 52 short films and 20 music videos during the March 12–18 run. (sxsw.com) The Feature Film Program Headliner Audience Award went to Over Your Dead Body, directed by Jorma Taccone and produced by Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Lee Kim, Guy Danella, Nick Spicer and Aram Tertzakian. (sxsw.com) The Narrative Feature Competition audience pick was Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film, directed by Robb Boardman and credited to producers Mark Ankner, Robb Boardman, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones, Jay Patumanoan, Adam Karm and Ben Wagner. (sxsw.com) Documentary audiences awarded The Ascent, a film directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri and Francis Cronin, as the Documentary Feature Competition Audience Award winner. (sxsw.com) Festival juries handed out Special Awards including a Special Jury Award for Performance to Susan Kent for The Snake and a Special Jury Award for Screenwriting to Robb Boardman, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divianian and Frankie Quinones for Plantman & Blondie, as listed in SXSW’s press release and coverage. (sxsw.com) (deadline.com) The film Wishful Thinking is credited as writer‑director Graham Parkes’ feature directorial debut, according to festival listings and film coverage. (en.wikipedia.org))
