The American Pavilion presented by IndieWire has announced the winners of the 2026 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase presented by Gold House at the Cannes Film Festival.
2026 marked Gold House’s third year as presenting sponsor of the competition, which celebrates emerging cinematic voices from around the world. The 29th edition of the contest selected 20 short films across Student, Documentary, Short Film, and LGBTQ+ categories. The diverse group of filmmakers from around the globe included multiple alumni of The American Pavilion‘s Cannes program.
The 2026 contest was particularly special, as selected films were shown inside the Palais des Festivals for the first time, allowing the showcase to integrate into the heart of the world’s biggest film festival.
The 2026 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase winners are:
- Gold House Cultural Impact Award — “Katti (unfriend)” directed by Kanishka Aggarwal
- Emerging Filmmaker Showcase LGBTQ+ Award — “Zari” directed by Shruti Parekh
- Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Short Film Award — “LUKi and the Lights” directed by Toby Cochran
- Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Documentary Award — “Monster Slayer” directed by Catie Skipp
- Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Student Film Award — “Blooky: The Book Who Wanted to be Read” directed by Pablo Diaz De Leon Hicks (USC)
- Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Student Documentary Award — “In The Eye of the Beholder” directed by Megan Whitham (Loyola Marymount University)
Gold House is the leading cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asia Pacific creators and companies to power tomorrow for all. Under a nonprofit umbrella, their innovative family of companies, programs, and platforms include membership systems and events to fortify relationships among the Asian Pacific community and with other marginalized communities (#StopAsianHate); first-of-its-kind investment vehicles and accelerators to propel the next generation of top Asian Pacific founders, creatives, and leaders (Gold House Ventures, Creative Equity Fund); and industry-leading research, consulting, and marketing to promote authentic and affirming portrayals (Gold Story Consultation, Gold Open, Gold List, A100 List). To learn more, visit www.goldhouse.org or follow @GoldHouseCo on Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, Threads, and LinkedIn.
