The 35th Aspen Shortsfest has announced its winning films.
The Youth Jury of middle and high school students from across the Roaring Fork Valley awarded a prize to the film that they felt best reflects their peers. The 2026 student jurors included Jimmy Chuluun, Elliot Galbraith, Timothy Lindenfelser, Penelope Mathis, and Caden Smith.
“The Youth Jury worked so hard. They watched 35 of the 61 films. They debated every film. They really put the time and the hours in at night. They were just marvelous kids,” says Aspen Film Executive Director Kitty Boone.
The Youth Jury chose “The Meloneers,” directed by Brendan Young (U.S.), as the winner.
In small-town rural America, this coming-of-age story examines the intersection of wrestling and fatherhood as a high school coach uses the sport to help the community's youth understand what they can and can't control in their lives.
The festival, held April 7-11, was touted as one of the few Academy Award-qualifying events. This year’s edition featured 61 short films from more than 25 countries, including eight world premieres, according to organizers.
“It was incredible to see the quality of storytelling that happened in 20 minutes and how hard it is to do that,” Boone said. “It’s quite amazing what comes out of their passion for film and a good story. To me, that was really powerful.”
First published in The Aspen Times.