2026 COWPOKESFF AWARD WINNERS
1. Best Short Film (Tie)
Toxic Abuse
Vapor Trails
2. Best Mini Short Film
Insensible Losses
3. Best Western Feature Film
Sundown
4. Best Western Short Film (Tie)
Four Tarantulas
The Baku
5. Best Western Mini-Short Film
Darlin'
6. Best Feature Documentary Film
Hell on Wheels
7 Best Short Documentary Film
The Wilson 3
8. Best Foreign Film (Tie)
8 Seconds
A Few Good Men From The North
9. Best Proof Of Concept Film
A Strange Trip
10. Best AI Animation Film
A Cowboys Journey
11. Best Teaser/Trailer Film
Justice Hill Texas
12. Best Music Video (Tie)
"Sheriff Ron" Performed by Adam Cunningham
"Trouble" Performed by Keith Michael Kallina
13. Best Director Short Film (Tie)
Robert Cantu - Toxic Abuse
Matt Jenkins - Vapor Trails
14. Best Director Western Feature Film
Brett William Mauser - Sundown
15. Best Director Western Short Film (Tie)
Theodore Carl Flood - Four Tarantulas
Johnny Yong Bosch - The Baku
16.Best Director Western Mini-Short Film
Robert Gamperl & Travis Lee Eller - Darlin'
17. Best Director Foreign Film (Tie)
Jeff Ridout - 8 Seconds
Onni Vesa - A Few Good Men From The North
18. Best Director Music Video (Tie)
Jarrod Christman - Sheriff Ron
Jody Stelzig - Trouble
19. Best Director Feature Documentary Film
Nicholas Hetherington - Hell on Wheels
20. Best Director Short Documentary Film
Coby Coonradt - Basin Bloodlines
21. Best Director Proof Of Concept Film
Mike L. Hall - A Strange Trip
22. Best AI Animation Director Film
David Butterfield - A Cowboy's Journey
23. Best Director Teaser/Trailer Film
George Meyers - Justice Hill Texas
24, Best 1st Time Filmmaker Feature Film
Jarrod Christman & Weston Grillo
Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill
25. Best 1st Time Filmmaker Short Film
Natalie Grace Daubert - After Hours
26. Best Female Filmmaker
Amanda Williams - Insensible Losses
27. Best Actor Short Film (Tie)
Wes Gillum - The Path
Dan Perrin - Vapor Trails
28. Best Supporting Actor Short Film
Wally Harris - Vapor Trails
29. Best Actress Short Film
Ruby Elian - Toxic Abuse
30. Best Supporting Actress Short Film
Jozie Caudillo - The Path
31. Best Actress Mini-Short Film
CJ Morrison - After Hours
32. Best Supporting Actress Mini-Short Film
Natasha Ero - Insensible Losses
33. Best Actor Western Feature Film
Jarrod Christman - Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill
34. Best Supporting Actor Western Feature Film
Roley Schoonover - Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill
35. Best Actress Western Feature Film
Yazmin Luna Lopez - Sundown
36. Best Supporting Actress Western Feature Film
Lisa Butala - Sundown
37. Best Actor Western Short Film (Tie)
Cal Bartlett - Four Tarantulas
Jason Narvy - The Baku
38. Best Supporting Actor Western Short Film
Dennis Allyn - The Pastor
39. Best Actor Western Mini-Short Film
Travis Lee Eller - Darlin'
40. Best Actress Western Short Film
Amanda Smith - So You Want to be an Outlaw
41. Best Supporting Actress Western Short Film
CJ Morrison - The Pastor
42. Best Actor Foreign Film
Eero Vesa - A Few Good Men From The North
43. Best Supporting Actor Foreign Film
Niko Hyriäinen - A Few Good Men From The North
44. Best Actress Foreign Film
Maris Jors - A Few Good Men From The North
45. Best Actor Proof Of Concept Film
Vincent X. Weir - A Strange Trip
46. Best Supporting Actor Proof Of Concept Film
Davon "Red" Mitchell - A Strange Trip
47. Best Narrator In A Film
Joe Finler - Toxic Abuse
48. Best Voice Actor AI Animation
David Butterfield - A Cowboy's Journey
49. Best Supporting Voice Actor AI Animation
Norman Butterfield - A Cowboy's Journey
50. Best Monster Actor
Paul Michael Bloodgood - After Hours
51. Best Original Film Score (Tie)
Jarrod Christman - Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill
Wes Gillum - The Path
52. Best Original Film Song
"Her Man" Performed by 'El Verde Boys' for "The Pastor"
53. Best MP3/Lyrics
"Alone I Cry" Written by Wes Gillum
54. Best Video Poetry Film
8 Seconds
55. Best Short Drama Film
Toxic Abuse
56. Best Western Feature Drama Film
Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill
57. Best Western Short Drama Film
Four Tarantulas
58. Best Western Mini-Short Drama Film
The Bounty Hunter
59. Best Psychological Drama Film
Four Tarantulas
60. Best Substance Awareness Film
Toxic Abuse
61. Best Noir Film
Four Tarantulas
62. Best Rodeo Film
Hell on Wheels
63. Best Comedy Film (Tie)
So You Want to be an Outlaw
Vapor Trails
64. Best Thriller Film
The Baku
65. Best Horror Film
After Hours
66. Best Suspense Film
Sundown
67. Best Sci-Fi Film
Stubborn
68. Best Faith Film
The Pastor
69. Best Feature Action Film
Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill
70. Best Short Action Film
Toxic Abuse
71. Best Adventure Film
A Strange Trip
72. Best Heartfelt Film
The Wilson 3
73. Best Family Film
The Path
74. Best YouTube Film
So You Want to be an Outlaw
75. Best Movie Poster
The Colorado Trail
76. Best Of The Fest Film
Hell On Wheels
77. 2026 Cowpoke Of The Year Award
The winner is CJ Morrison
SCREENPLAYS
78. Best Dark Fantasy Short Screenplay
"A Fistful of Christmas"
79. Best Revenge Western Feature Screenplay
"7 Bullets"
80. Best Neo-Western Feature Screenplay
"Desert Ghost"
81,. Best Western With A Twist Mini-Short Screenplay
"Justice Hill Texas"
82. Best True Story Based Screenplay
"Summer of 71"
83. Best Adventure Screenplay
"Sunka Wakan"
84. Best Texas Western Screenplay
"The Last Outlaw"
85. Best Family Faith Screenplay
"The Path"
86. Best First-time Female Screenwriter
Nina Moyer for the Screenplay "Emmaline"
MANUSCRIPT
87. Best Texas Justice Western Manuscript
"Putney's Crusade, The Knights of the Rising Sun"
88. Best Arizona Drama Western Manuscript
"The Bronc Peeler"
89. Best Texas Western Unpublished Short Story
"The Last Outlaw"
6th Annual
April 10-12 2026
114 N Waggoner St, Electra, TX 76360
#COWPOKESFF
Cant attend? You can still Donate and help support the CIFF
IF YOU WON TROPHY(S), OR IF YOU NEED DUPLICATES, THEY CAN BE MAILED TO YOU. DETAILS HERE!
IF YOU WON TROPHY(S), OR IF YOU NEED DUPLICATES, THEY CAN BE MAILED TO YOU. DETAILS HERE!
IF YOU WON TROPHY(S), OR IF YOU NEED DUPLICATES, THEY CAN BE MAILED TO YOU. DETAILS HERE!
IF YOU WON TROPHY(S), OR IF YOU NEED DUPLICATES, THEY CAN BE MAILED TO YOU. DETAILS HERE!
