Dario Russo was named best Australian director for “The Fox,” while Talia Liddle received the Uncle Jack Charles Award.

Marine Atlan’s La Gradiva has won the A$140,000 Bright Horizons Award at the 2026 Melbourne International Film Festival.

The French filmmaker received the festival’s richest prize during Saturday night’s MIFF Awards ceremony at Rydges Melbourne. More than A$300,000 was distributed across the festival’s feature, short-film and emerging-talent competitions.

Now in its fifth year, the VicScreen-supported Bright Horizons competition recognizes filmmakers early in their careers and has become one of MIFF’s most closely watched programs.

The international jury described La Gradiva as a deeply moving work distinguished by Atlan’s assured direction, shifting perspectives and ensemble performances. The film explores the ambitions, privileges and uncertainties of a group of young people approaching adulthood.

“We were impressed by the cinematic craft, which drew us close to the characters and left us transported,” the jury said.

Australian filmmaker Dario Russo received the Blackmagic Design Award for best Australian director for The Fox, described by the jury as an inventive and distinctly Australian modern folktale featuring a talking fox and magpie.

Russo received A$50,000 and a fully equipped Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K camera package valued at A$27,500.

“Every year, the MIFF Awards are truly transformative for their recipients,” MIFF artistic director Al Cossar said.

Cossar praised La Gradiva for its layered portrait of near-adulthood and The Fox for its “bold, singular comedic confidence.”

Australian director Sophie Hyde served as jury president for the two major awards. She was joined by American independent filmmaker Joe Swanberg, writer-director Desiree Akhavan, Iranian-Australian filmmaker Noora Niasari, actress Courtney Eaton and Singaporean producer Tan Si En.

Atlan prevailed over a 10-film Bright Horizons field that included Sophy Romvari’s Blue Heron, Beth de Araújo’s Josephine, Harvey Zielinski’s Sweet Milk Lake and Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s Wicker.

Russo’s fellow nominees for the Australian directing prize were Hyun Lee for French Girls, Maddelin McKenna for Mad Rush and Zielinski for Sweet Milk Lake.

The A$20,000 Uncle Jack Charles Award, recognizing an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander screen creative featured in the festival, went to Talia Liddle for Protest on the Dance Floor.

The short screened as part of MIFF’s inaugural Sovereign Shorts program. Jurors Mark Coles Smith, Dr. Todd Fernando and Hayley Percy described Liddle as a striking new voice with a confident visual language and the potential to carry First Nations stories to international audiences.

Fernanda Tovar’s Sad Girlz received the MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award and its A$10,000 prize. Josef Gatti’s Phenomena earned a special mention.

The audience-voted Intrepid Audience Award went to Isaac Elliott’s Hard as Puck, a documentary centered on the Garden Island Pirates ice hockey club.

Earlier in the festival, New Zealand filmmakers Nick Mayow and Prisca Bouchet received the City of Melbourne Grand Prix for best short film for Lion Rock. Andrew Dang and Jak Scanlon won the inaugural A$10,000 Armani Beauty Talent of Tomorrow Award for Last Chance to Evacuate Earth.

MIFF’s online program continues nationally through Aug. 30 via ACMI’s Cinema 3 platform.