Lunenburg, N.S., September 27, 2026: After over 900 submissions, 76 selected films, and 5 days of programming, the 13th Edition of the Lunenburg Doc Fest ended on September 27 with an awards presentation celebrating documentary film as an art form. A total of $36,000 cash and in-kind prizes were awarded to nine films and filmmakers.

“Thank you to all of the filmmakers who shared their work and who joined us in Lunenburg,” says Walter Forsyth, Festival Director of the Lunenburg Doc Fest. “We were proud to recognize the best international, national, and Atlantic Canadian documentary films.”

The following five films were selected by a jury of peers and subject matter experts while two were chosen by audiences.

Juried Competitions

Award: CBC Presents The Launch Best Live Pitch

Winner: Israel Ekanem - Colour Blind Phoenix

Prize: $20,000 cash and in-kind services

Award: Best Atlantic Canadian Filmmaker sponsored by Equifilm

Winner: Sing The World Better - directors Lian Morrison and Wanda Nolan

Prize: $500 and $10,000 in services

Award: The Pamela Segger Best Canadian Feature Documentary

Winner: Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney - director Matthews Rankin

Honourable Mention: The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony - director Habiba Nosheen

Prize: $1,000 cash

Award: Best International Feature Documentary

Winner: Silenced - director Selina Miles 

Honourable Mention: A Fox Under A Pink Moon - directors Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhlaghi

Prize: $1,000 cash

Award: Best Canadian Short Documentary

Winner: The Bookstore That Never Sleeps - director Justin Zoras

Prize: $500 cash

Award: Best International Short Documentary

Winner: The Echo of the Gaze - director Charles Bover

Prize: $500 cash

Audience Awarded Competition

Award: The Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Documentary

Winner: Steal This Story, Please! - directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Prize: $1000 cash

Award: The Audience Choice Award for Best Short Documentary

Winner: The Bookstore That Never Sleeps - director Justin Zoras

Prize: $500 cash

Every year, the Lunenburg Doc Fest assembles a group of jurors to review the year’s selection of documentaries. For 2026, there were 16 jurors, coming from various aspects of filmmaking, who worked together to review and select the winner of each award. 

At the celebration, the Lunenburg Doc Fest also announced the dates for next year, which are September 22-26, 2027. Submissions for the next festival will be opened early 2027.

For more information about the festival, visit lunenburgdocfest.com.