‘Nina Roza,’ ‘In the Heart of the South’ and ‘How We Stand’ Take Top Vancouver Film Festival Prizes

Geneviève Dulude-De Celles' "Nina Roza" won the Summit Award, the top juried prize at the 45th Vancouver International Film Festival, which announced its 2026 awards winners on Wednesday night. Nyla Innuksuk's "In the Heart of the South" and Marie Clements' "How We Stand" also took top honors as the festival prepares to wrap its 45th edition on Oct. 11.

The festival recognized films across six juried competitions: Summit, Horizon, Tides, Arbutus, Vanguard and Short Forum.

Which films won the top awards?

The Summit jury praised "Nina Roza" for its compassionate exploration of the immigrant experience, identity and belonging. The film follows a protagonist returning to his hometown for the first time in 28 years, drawn back by the mystery surrounding a young artistic prodigy.

"We all know what it's like to long for home," the jury said. "We were all enamored by this film's direction, authentic performances, stunning cinematography, and evocative music."

Ian Bawa's "Strong Son" received a special mention in the Summit competition.

Nyla Innuksuk's "In the Heart of the South" won the Horizon Award. The jury called the film a "strong example of Canadian cinema" and praised performances by Anna Lambe and Zorga Qaunaq as well as its "polished cinematic approach." Nathan Donovan's "Clubfoot" took the Horizon jury's special mention.

What did the Tides and Arbutus juries select?

Banchi Hanuse's "Ceremony" won the Tides Award. The feature documents the disappearance of ooligan fish from Bella Coola and the Nuxalk Nation's efforts to protect and preserve its lands and waters.

"Through beautiful cinematography and inventive storytelling, the film documents the strengths of community members consistently challenging the boundaries of imposed systems while drawing upon the resilience and generosity of their ancestors," the Tides jury said. Carol Nguyen's "Still Night, Burning House" earned a special mention.

The Arbutus Award, which recognizes British Columbia filmmaking, went to Marie Clements' "How We Stand," a story of sisters separated by tragedy. The jury said the film confronts "difficult and traumatic history by bringing it into vivid, real, human focus. Its surrealist style, deft storytelling, heart, and powerful heroines at once entertain, educate and demand self-reflection—as individuals, and as a society." Hayley Gray and Kaayla Whachell's "Send the Rain" won a special mention.

Who won in Vanguard and Short Forum?

Banu Sıvacı's "Hear the Yellow" took the Vanguard Award, cited for its "remarkable depth," "originality," "singular cinematic language" and "emotional precision." The jury said that through "bold character work and intelligent use of metaphor, it transports us into a vividly specific landscape while creating a powerful dialogue between rural and urban, and a family separated by time." Samuel Urbina's "That Shadow Fading" received the special mention.

The Short Forum Award went to "Pre-Parenting," an animated film by Taiwan-based filmmaker Yu Yu. Kamal Aljafari's "Going Home" scored the special mention.

Who sat on the juries?

• Summit Award: Rhia Aden, Nach Dudsdeemaytha, Caitlyn Sponheimer
• Horizon Award: Arjun Ayillath, Madeleine Davis, Michael Mann
• Tides Award: Selwyn Jacob, Lyana Patrick, Jeff Lee Petry
• Arbutus Award: Josephine Anderson, Brenda Lieberman, David Taylor
• Vanguard Award: Joaquin Cardoner, Caroline Monnet, Sarah Shamash
• Short Film Award: Tanvi Bhatia, Ariel Bond, Thanh Lieu

The awards close out a 45th edition that spotlighted Canadian and Indigenous-led filmmaking across its top categories, with "Ceremony," "How We Stand" and "In the Heart of the South" all centering Indigenous and regional stories.