Woodstock Film Festival names 2026 Maverick winners and new executive director

The Woodstock Film Festival announced its 2026 Maverick Awards winners and named Jessica Edwards as its next executive director. The festival also gave co-founder Meira Blaustein an honorary award as it marked a leadership transition and highlighted its top films across narrative, documentary, short, and student categories.

Why it matters: - The Woodstock Film Festival is signaling a leadership handoff while reinforcing its role as a home for independent film in the Hudson Valley. - Jessica Edwards is taking over as executive director as co-founder Meira Blaustein transitions out of the role. - The festival’s awards spotlight the films and filmmakers it is elevating this year, including several cash prizes and industry support packages.

What happened: - The Woodstock Film Festival announced winners for the 27th annual Maverick Awards on Oct. 18, 2026. - Mouse won Best Narrative Feature. - Rehearsals for a Revolution won Best Documentary Feature. - Washed Up won Best Ultra Indie. - They’re Here won Best Short Documentary. - The festival announced Jessica Edwards will become executive director. - Meira Blaustein received an Honorary Maverick Award.

The details: - Mouse, by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, won the Gigantic Pictures Award for Best Feature Narrative and receives a $5,000 cash prize. - Josephine, by Beth de Araújo, earned an honorable mention in the feature narrative category. - Rehearsals for a Revolution, by Pegah Ahangarani, won the Leon Gast Award for Best Feature Documentary. - Rain Reign, by Erika Burke Rossa, won the Laurent Rejto Made in the Hudson Valley Award sponsored by Kyotocolor Inc. - The Laurent Rejto award includes a major studio-level digital color grading package for the next film, including look development in pre-production, full online conform, full 4K digital intermediate color grading, and a deliverable package valued at $80,000. - Washed Up, by Isabel Moncloa Daly, won the Gray Schwartz Ultra Indie Award and receives a $2,000 cash prize. - They’re Here, by Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller, won Best Short Documentary. - One Last Order, by Sam Soko and Lauren Defilippo, received an honorable mention in short documentary. - Dongmei, by Rubing Zhang, won Best Short Narrative. - Saba, by Liron Topaz, won Best Animation. - Virgin Fandango, by Marcy Page, received an honorable mention in animation. - Seized, by Sharon Liese, won the World of Ha Changemaker Award, which recognizes a film that addresses a pressing contemporary issue and prompts constructive conversation. - Nuisance Bear, by Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden, won the Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography. - The Great Experiment, by Stephen Maing and Eric Daniel Metzgar, received an honorable mention for cinematography. - Rain Reign, by Erika Burke Rossa, won the NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Directing a Narrative Film. - Our Dark Horse, by Grace Barry, won the NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Directing a Documentary Film. - Re/Pair, by Lacey Schwartz Delgado, received an honorable mention in the documentary directing category. - Wicker, edited by Sofi Marshall, ACE, won Best Editing, Narrative. - To Hold a Mountain, edited by George Cragg, won Best Editing, Documentary. - Rehearsals for a Revolution, edited by Arash Ashtiani, received an honorable mention in documentary editing. - Bless the Telephone, by K.D. Chalk, won Best Student Short.

Between the lines: - The festival moved the Maverick Awards from a Saturday night format to a Sunday brunch for the first time. - The celebration took place at Oz Farm in Saugerties, surrounded by fields, wooded trails, and mountain views. - Food and beverage sponsors included Griffin House, Empire Merchants North, Sawyer Motors, and Blue Duck Brewing Company, with contributions from Bread Alone and The Station. - Blaustein’s honorary award underscores her long tenure and the festival’s effort to frame the transition as continuity, not rupture. - Edwards described the role as a “dream job” and said she wants to connect filmmakers, industry partners, and audiences in the Hudson Valley.

What's next: - Edwards will step into the executive director role and help guide the festival’s next chapter. - The festival says her leadership will build on the foundation Blaustein created over more than 26 years. - The transition is expected to keep the festival anchored in its independent-film mission while expanding its reach and audience connections.

The bottom line: - Woodstock is pairing an executive leadership change with a marquee awards rollout, signaling both continuity and a reset for the festival’s next era.