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Smudge the Blades and La Bola Negra Among Big Winners at Santa Fe International Film Festival

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The Indigenous hockey drama Smudge the Blades and the queer epic La Bola Negra were among the big winners as the Santa Fe International Film Festival announced its 2026 awards.

Ahead of the Awards ceremony, the festival awarded renowned actress and singer Pam Grier with its Lifetime Achievement Award and acclaimed actor Zahn McClarnon with its Visionary Award.

Led by executive director Liesette Bailey and artistic director Jacques Paisner, the festival — one of MovieMaker‘s 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee — showcased a range of films from both established and new filmmakers in its 18th edition, and captured the inventive spirit and worldly outlook at the core of the festival. Santa Fe, meanwhile, is the No. 1 Smaller City on our most recent list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.

Santa Fe International Film Festival Award Winners

Smudge the Blades, directed by Cody Lightning and shot primarily in Edmonton, won the Best Narrative Feature Jury Award presented by Panavision, and received a camera package valued at $60,000, a $5,000 cash prize from James Costa and Trevor Burgess’ Bird Street Productions, and a $1,000 cash prize from the Santa Fe Film Institute.

By Deirdre McCarrick