Ojai Film Festival Announces 2026 Winners Led by Everybody Digs Bill Evans and In Memoriam
The 27th annual Ojai Film Festival concluded its run by revealing its complete list of honorees, featuring top feature film wins for Grant Gee's Everybody Digs Bill Evans and Rob Burnett's In Memoriam alongside several distinguished artist recognitions.
Published 8 November 2026
Festival Conclusion and Top Feature Wins
The Ojai Film Festival successfully wrapped up its 27th annual event by unveiling the complete roster of winners for its competitive slate. Concluding the multi-day cinematic gathering during Sunday's official awards ceremony, the festival highlighted standout independent features that captured the attention of audiences and juries alike.
Grant Gee's Everybody Digs Bill Evans claimed the prize for Best Dramatic Feature after serving as the event's opening night title. Meanwhile, Rob Burnett's In Memoriam took home the award for Best Comedic Feature as the official closing night selection.
Dramatic Feature Highlights
Everybody Digs Bill Evans centers on the intense ten-day period following the sudden death of bassist Scott LaFaro. The narrative explores how grief, addiction, and creative paralysis threatened to silence one of the greatest innovators in jazz history.
Actor Anders Danielsen Lie takes on the titular role of the legendary jazz piano icon in the film. Prior to its recognition at Ojai, the project earned distinction by winning the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and it has secured an Oscar-qualifying run through Cohen Media Group.
Comedic Feature Highlights
The closing night winner, In Memoriam, brings a darkly humorous perspective to the entertainment industry through the lens of an aging and dying actor. The protagonist becomes fixated on securing a spot in the prestigious Oscars In Memoriam reel.
Starring Marc Maron in the lead role, the comedy tackles themes of mortality and legacy with sharp wit. Director Rob Burnett helmed the feature, which resonated strongly with viewers during the festival's final screening.
Distinguished Artist and Special Awards
Beyond the primary feature categories, the festival honored numerous industry veterans and emerging talents through specialized awards. Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone received Distinguished Artist Awards, sharing the recognition alongside cinematographer Randall Einhorn.
Additional honorees included Bill Pullman, who accepted the Luminary Award, and Paul Schrader, who was awarded the Storyteller Award for his contributions to cinema.
Screenplay, Documentary, and Short Film Winners
The competition also celebrated excellence across screenwriting, documentary filmmaking, and short formats. Eduardo Moral Escudero won Best Original Screenplay for Anchor Baby, while Jeremy Seifert took home Best Documentary Feature for Papertown.
In the short film categories, Owen Dubeck won Best Documentary Short for To Write Love, Benavram Akal secured the Sergio Aragonés Award for Best Animated Short with Pillowzzz, and Elizabeth Dement won Best Narrative Short for Arlene.
Special Jury and Thematic Honors
Several specialized awards recognized films with distinct social and artistic missions. The Social Impact and Vision Award winner was It All Comes Back by Jeremy Seifert and Evan-Marie Petit, with an honorable mention going to BEN'IMANA by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo.
Jake Addison Melfi received the Panavision Limelight Award for Best Student Film. Additionally, Josh Loeb won the Bill Paxton Award for Best Gold Coast Film with In Spite of Ourselves, and Steve Beebe earned the Festival Theme Award for The Ballad of Lieutenant Dan.
News Overview
The 27th annual Ojai Film Festival concluded its run by announcing its 2026 winners during a Sunday awards ceremony, featuring Everybody Digs Bill Evans as Best Dramatic Feature and In Memoriam as Best Comedic Feature. The event also distributed honors to notable figures like Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Bill Pullman, and Paul Schrader alongside various independent shorts and documentaries.
Key facts
- The Ojai Film Festival concluded its 27th year.
- Everybody Digs Bill Evans won Best Dramatic Feature.
- In Memoriam won Best Comedic Feature.
- Anders Danielsen Lie stars in Everybody Digs Bill Evans.
- Marc Maron stars in In Memoriam.
- Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone received Distinguished Artist Awards.
- Bill Pullman received the Luminary Award.
- Paul Schrader received the Storyteller Award.