2026 World Water Film Festival Nominations
Celebrating Excellence in Water Storytelling
From nearly 200 submissions, the 2026 WWFF nominees reflect the many ways filmmakers are exploring how people understand, depend on, protect, and live with water. This year, the festival introduces six special awards inspired by the Interactive Dialogues of the 2026 UN Water Conference, bringing particular attention to films that speak to the issues shaping the global water conversation.
These awards sit alongside World Water Film Festival’s broader festival honors, which recognize and celebrate filmmaking and the stories that deepen our understanding of water and the people, places, and cultures connected to it.
2026 WWFF Award Winners:
2026 World Water Film Festival Nominees
2026 DIALOGUE AWARDS
Inspired by the 2026 UN Water Conference
Six Interactive Dialogues
Stories on Screen. Global Priorities in Action.
As the world looks toward the 2026 UN Water Conference, these six WWFF award categories were inspired by the conference’s Six Interactive Dialogues. Together, the nominees bring global water priorities to life through stories of people, prosperity, planet, cooperation, multilateral action and investment, turning complex challenges into human stories that can inform, connect, and inspire action.
Water for People Award
Recognizing human rights, health, sanitation, equity, vulnerable communities and access.
*Award Category Inspired by a 2026 UN Water Conference Interactive Dialogue
Water for Prosperity Award
Recognizing water-food-energy connections, livelihoods, sustainable development and economic opportunity.
*Award Category Inspired by a 2026 UN Water Conference Interactive Dialogue
Water for Planet Award
Recognizing climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, resilience and nature-based solutions.
*Award Category Inspired by a 2026 UN Water Conference Interactive Dialogue
Water for Cooperation Award
Recognizing community trust, inclusive governance, transboundary cooperation and shared knowledge.
*Award Category Inspired by a 2026 UN Water Conference Interactive Dialogue
Water in Multilateral Processes Award
Recognizing policy, SDG 6, governance, institutions and collective action.
*Award Category Inspired by a 2026 UN Water Conference Interactive Dialogue
Investments for Water Award
Recognizing innovation, technology, financing, capacity-building and scalable solutions.
*Award Category Inspired by a 2026 UN Water Conference Interactive Dialogue
*WWFF is an accredited stakeholder to the 2026 UN Water Conference. The World Water Film Festival awards are independently presented by WWFF and are inspired by the 2026 UN Conference’s six Interactive Dialogues.
WWFF FESTIVAL AWARDS
Celebrating the Art & Impact of Water Storytelling
Beyond what our films are about is how powerfully their stories are told. The World Water Film Festival Awards celebrate the voices, artistry, craft and impact that make water stories resonate, from emerging storytellers and community engagement to cinematography, narrative, documentary and experimental filmmaking.
Congratulations to the 2026 Nominees!
Emerging Water Storyteller Award
Recognizing resourcefulness, voice and storytelling by an emerging, student, first-time or community filmmaker; production budget is not the measure.
Community Impact Award
Recognizing demonstrated or exceptional potential for tangible community engagement and impact.
Best World Water Day Theme:
Water and Gender
Award
Recognizing meaningful alignment with the 2026 World Water Day theme, Water and Gender, including women's leadership, agency, equity and lived relationships with water.
Best Cinematography
& Technical Achievement
Award
Recognizing outstanding visual craft and technical achievement in service of the water story.
Best Storytelling Award
Recognizing narrative strength, emotional intelligence, clarity and the ability to make audiences care.
Best
Short Film Award
Recognizing exceptional short-form water storytelling suited to accessible, democratized screening.
Best
Narrative Award
Recognizing honoring outstanding fictional storytelling that uses characters, conflict, and a scripted plot to engage, move, and transport the audience for water.
Best
Experimental Award
Recognizing highest overall experimental film.
Best
Documentary Award
Recognizing highest overall documentary film.
IHE Delft Audience Award
Drawing from the films presented during the 2026 World Water Film Festival at IHE Delft, this special recognition is selected by our co-host for a film that reflects the ideas, conversations and water challenges explored through this year’s program.
THE WORLD WATER FILM FESTIVAL'S HIGHEST HONOR
Grand Jury Award
Recognizing the highest overall honor for excellence in water storytelling, craft, relevance and impact.
