Dances With Films: NY announced its Audience and Industry Choice Award winners during its breakfast awards event at The Stand on January 19. The awards ceremony followed a weekend of sold-out screenings and events during its fourth New York edition of the indie-focused film festival.

Movies and pilot projects that had the plight of the country’s immigrants on their mind, and documentaries featuring heartfelt New York stories, led both the Industry Choice Awards and the Audience Choice Award winners. Nadir Saribacak’s ‘Gazelle,’ about a Turkish music teacher struggling to get a foothold in the U.S. for his family, won the Industry Choice Award – Over 40 Minutes. Brandon Widener’s ‘Immigreat’ won the Audience Choice Award for Best Television and Web Series Pilot. His series tells the stories of inspirational immigrants.

Sabbuur Ikhlas’ ‘Untouchables: The Story of St. Benedict’s Fencing’ won the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary. The movie chronicles the legendary New York-based fencing coach who led diverse teams described by producer Matthew Brewster during their acceptance’s speeches, as the ‘Bad News Bears’ of fencing.

The Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Short went to Brad Bailey’s ‘Her Fight, His Name: The Story of Gwen Carr and Eric Garner.’ Carr’s appearance at the film festival was one of several emotional highlights during the festival. The Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Peter Odiorne’s ‘The Cereal Aisle Effect.’

In the pre-awards presentations remarks during the ceremony, Dances With Films’ Co-Founder Leslee Scallon spoke of the significance of the awards presentations taking place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with DWF’s penchant putting filmmakers on a pedestal who give voice to the underserved. Co-Founder Michael Trent added that DWF’s philosophy of fostering the support between the festival’s ever-growing family of filmmakers has continued during the festival’s nearly three decades-long run.

The Industry Choice Award – Under 40 Minutes went to Vasilisa Kuzmina’s ‘Song of Silence.’ She, along with co-writer Daisy Anderson, are appreciative of receiving applause from their fellow filmmakers when they said the movie was made with an all-female crew.

Additional emotional highs during the awards occurred when Jesse Cowell delivered an impassioned speech about the struggle he and other indie filmmakers endure to build a career and gain their own personal level of success after he won he repeated his win from last year, gaining the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Short with ‘Where’s My Package?’

Dances With Film’s Midnight category, which has gained critical praise for its programming, delivered Audience Choice Awards to Cameron A Tubb’s ‘Acolyte’ for Best Midnight Feature. Jamie Manelis’ ‘My Dead Dad’s Funeral’ was named Best Midnight Short.’

The awards ceremony also included a presentation of Dances With Films LA’s Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Short to Hans Augustave for his film ‘NWA’ (Black). He had filming during the festival, and was unable to attend the festival in person.

In addition, Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent received an award in recognition of the film festival’s support of Adam Zaslow’s documentary ‘Zzaslow K-427,’ about an amazing mine detection dog who had a profound effect through his deployments and then later on the director himself. The film, which also screened at DWF LA, had its first screening in New York, courtesy of the festival. the screening was filled with first responders.

DWF: NY packed a lot of crowds into the theaters at Regal Union Square during the film festival’s four days of screenings. The film festival featured 30 feature-length and pilot world premieres among its lineup of 157 films.

Dances With Films will next return for its 29th outing in Los Angeles and the Historic Chinese Theatre in June. For more information about Dances With Films, visit its official website.

The 2026 Dances With Films: NY Filmmaker Award Winners include:

Industry and Programmers’ Choice Awards

Industry Choice Award – Over 40 Minutes

‘Gazelle’

Director: Nadir Saribacak

Industry Choice Award – Under 40 Minutes

‘Song of Silence’

Director: Vasilisa Kuzmina

Audience Choice Awards

Best Narrative Feature

‘The Cereal Aisle Effect’

Director: Peter Odiorne

Best Documentary Feature

‘Untouchables: The Story of St. Benedict’s Fencing’

Director: Sabbuur Ikhlas

Best Midnight Feature

‘Acolyte’

Director: Cameron A. Tubbs

Best Television and Web Series Pilot

‘Immigreat’

Director: Brandon Widener

Best Narrative Short Film

‘Where’s My Package’

Director: Jesse Cowell

Best Documentary Short Film

‘Her Fight, His Name: The Story of Gwen Carr and Eric Garner’

Director: Brad Bailey

Best Midnight Short Film

‘My Dead Dad’s Funeral’

Director: Jamie Manelis