Festival Archive
Mendocino Film Festival Audience Choice & Jury Award Winners
Audience Choice Award – Each year our discerning audience determines the Audience Choice Award recipient. The award is given to the highest-rated feature-length documentary or narrative film.
Jury Awards – A jury of film industry professionals chose award winners in three major categories: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, and Short Films.
Click on the program books to see inside (not available for all).
The Rogue Wave Award
The Rogue Wave Award was established to honor those individuals in the film industry who have used their talents, celebrity, and resources in service to society and the world at large.
2018 Rogue Wave Award for Social Justice Activism – Jimmy Smits & Esai Morales, both were in attendance to accept the award and for a special screening of Mi Familia
2017 Rogue Wave Award for Environmental Activism – Pierce & Keely Shay Brosnan accepted the award and engaged in a Q&A following the screening of Poisoning Paradise
2009 Innagural Rogue Wave Award for Social Activism – Danny Glover
The Albert Maysles Award
The Albert Maysles Award for Documentary Excellence was established in 2007. Widely revered as the “Dean of Documentary Filmmaking,” Albert Maysles joined as a Mendocino Film Festival special guest and advisor from 2007 to 2015.
2012 – Ralph Arlyck accepted the award and participated in a special conversation and screening of his classic film Following Sean.
2011 – Les Blank accepted the award and screened his classic film The Blues Accordin’ to Lightin’ Hopkins
2010 – Haskell Wexler accepted the award and participated in an engaging interview and Q&A during the festival
2009 – Robert Elfstrom accepted the award and screened his classic film Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music
2008 – Jasmine Dellal was the inaugural recipient of the Albert Maysles Award for her film Gypsy Caravan