DENVER - s4story -- The American West Film Fest has officially announced its slate of Gold Winners and Honorable Mentions for October 2026. The festival celebrates independent cinema made by both emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. These standout films have been added to the roster of contenders for the festival's inaugural live annual showcase, taking place at the Isabel Castillo Performing Arts Center in Raton, New Mexico, on January 16, 2027.

October 2026 Gold Winners:

• Best Fiction Feature: The Bottomless by Sean Cranston
• Best Non-Fiction Feature: Blue Death: The 1918 Influenza in Montana by Dee Garceau
• Best Documentary Short: Wisdom of the Naturalists by Dave Bowden
• Best Western Short: Bonney by Dylan Murillo
• Best Low Budget Short: Where Is Home? by Mauricio Momo Meneses
• Best Comedy Short: It's Keisha, Right? by Josh Goodwin
• Best Drama Short: ONA by Cyril Ferment
• Best Horror Short: A Beautiful Day In Innsmouth by Cody McCullough
• Best Sci-Fi Short: Pieces of Us by Sam Cavalcanti
• Best Music Short: Silver Wings by Anastasia Marika Williams

October 2026 Honorable Mentions:

• According to Kate by Manuela Schneider
• A Confession of a Raven by Christopher E. Knox
• A Latina in DC by Diana Noris
• Brothers by John Galvin
• Honor Song by Dee Garceau
• Making Conversation by William Briggs
• Old Time Train by Emily Niebuhr
• Studio Story Monsters Where is Pink Piggy by Linda Foster Radke
• The Black Pearl by Gaultier Barra
• The UNBREAKABLE BOND AN OLD WEST TALE by Mario L Gandolfo

Filmmakers looking to submit their projects to the upcoming monthly selections can take advantage of a special end-of-year promotion. By using the code 26FOR2026, applicants will receive 26% off their submission fee through the end of 2026.

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All submissions are received exclusively via FilmFreeway. To learn more about the October winners, read the festival's official rules, or submit a film, visit https://awfilmfest.com/.