LAcon V Worldcon Film Festival names 2026 winners

The LAcon Worldcon Film Festival announced its 2026 award winners ahead of the Aug. 27-31 convention in Anaheim, California. The festival drew more than 100 submissions from over 25 countries, underscoring the event’s growing role in international science fiction, fantasy, horror, animation and indie filmmaking.

Why it matters: - The LAcon Worldcon Film Festival is becoming a recurring showcase for speculative film, with the 2026 edition drawing more than 100 submissions from filmmakers in over 25 countries. - The winning films will screen during LAcon V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention, at the Anaheim Convention Center from Aug. 27-31, 2026. - The festival gives international independent filmmakers a platform inside one of science fiction fandom’s biggest annual gatherings.

What happened: - LAcon Worldcon Film Festival announced its 2026 award winners on Aug. 1, 2026. - The festival is part of LAcon V, which takes place Aug. 27-31 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. - Shawn Marier, the festival director, said the selections show that speculative fiction remains strong in the international independent film world. - Marier also said one highlight is presenting speculative fiction films from around the globe.

The details: - Best Feature went to Dead Media, directed by Joseph Scrimshaw, from the United States. The film screens Friday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. - Best Featurette went to Pocket Change, directed by Tanner Mobley and Heston Roewe, from the United States. The film screens Saturday, Aug. 29 at 11 a.m. - Best Short went to Battle of LA, directed by Patrick Pizzolorusso, from the United States. The film screens Saturday, Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. - Best Science Fiction went to One Minute Problem, directed by Nicolás Delgado de la Cámara, from the United States. The film screens Sunday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. - Best Fantasy went to The Screenwriter, directed by Mark Petrasso, from Italy. The film screens Thursday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. - Best Horror went to Bug, directed by Filip Momirovski, from North Macedonia. The film screens Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. - Best Animated went to The Black Smoke of Prediction..., directed by Damir dado Šuša, from Croatia. The film screens Saturday, Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. - Best Student Film went to My Name is Ringo, directed by Jon Peter Lewis and tied to the University of Southern California, from the United States. The film screens Friday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. - Films are selected by a jury of filmmakers and fans that includes Tina Anderson, Kathy Bond, Ching-In Chen, Abie Ekenezar, Kin Ferate, Chris Garcia, David Haas, Kevin Lawrence, Arendse Lund, Sarah Scrivano, Mark Sebring and David Haas. - The 2026 festival is the second annual Worldcon Film Festival after a successful pilot project at the 2025 World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle.

Between the lines: - The awards list shows the festival leaning on genre breadth rather than one dominant category, with winners spanning science fiction, fantasy, horror, animation and student work. - The international spread of winners, including entries from Italy, North Macedonia and Croatia, matches the festival’s global submission base. - The repeated emphasis on independent filmmaking suggests LAcon is positioning the festival as both a fandom event and a discovery venue for genre creators.

What's next: - The winning films will be screened during LAcon V, giving attendees a built-in chance to see the award titles during the convention. - LAcon V will run across the Anaheim Convention Center, Hilton Anaheim and Anaheim Marriott hotels. - SCIFI, Inc., the Southern California Institute for Fan Interests, presents LAcon V as a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit. - More information is available through the convention’s social channels: LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook and X.

The bottom line: - LAcon V’s film festival is maturing into a broader international platform for genre shorts and features, with 2026 winners set to screen in Anaheim during Worldcon.