Oldenburg 2026: The Awards
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VERDICT: Zachary Nichols' 'Variations on Violence' took home the top prize at this year's Oldenburg Film Festival.
The award winners at Oldenburg 2026 were:
German Independence Award for Best Short Film
White Whiter Whitest Black, Michele Leonardi
German Independence Award for Best First Film presented by Hans-Ohlms-Stiftung
Big Daddy’s Flowers, Matthew Osubor
German Independence Award for Spirit of Cinema
Foreign Tongue, Boris Mojsovski
German Independence Award for Originality, Daring and Audacity
The Joyless Economy, Marjorie Conrad
Seymour Cassel Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor
Frank Mosley, Jackrabbit
Seymour Cassel Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress
Gia Crovatin, Murderous
German Independence Award for Best Film
Variations on Violence, Zachary Nichols
Read more of our coverage of Oldenburg Film Festival 2026.
