The winners of HARD:LINE 2026
The closing evening of HARD:LINE 2026 culminated in the official awards ceremony, bringing an intense and high-energy edition to a close. After days of screenings and late-night discussions, the festival once again delivered a strong experience both on screen and beyond.
HARD:LINE 2026 is over, although selected films will continue to screen at Andreasstadel in Regensburg through 22 April 2026.
The ceremony revealed the winners of the two Audience Awards and the Méliès d’Argent. As the sole German member of the Méliès International Festivals Federation, HARD:LINE presents this prestigious award to a European fantastic short film. The winning film will go on to compete for the Méliès d’Or for Best European Fantastic Short Film.
Discover which films ultimately took the top honours in what proved to be an extremely close competition.
Congratulations to all the 2026 winners.
And the winner is…
Méliès d’argent Award Winner – Short Films @ HARD:LINE Film Festival 2026
The winner of the Méliès d’Argent Award for Best European Fantastic Genre Short Film at HARD:LINE is “Compost” by Jennifer Lumbroso (France, 2025).
“Where’s Dad?” wonders 11-year-old Leonard. He’s been missing for several months now. As if he’d vanished into thin air. And what’s going on with the compost pile in the garden? It’s been acting strangely lately. Leonard feels magically drawn to the pile of dirt. What’s more: the compost speaks to him. But neither Leonard’s mother, who has been acting very strangely lately, nor his little sister believes him. The compost pile grows, and with it, Leonard’s distrust of his mother.
The jury, consisting of Valeria Bistagnino (producer of the opening film The Virgin of the Quarry Lake), Elinor Lewy (co-founder of the Berlin film festival “Final Girls”), and comic artist Christopher “Piwi” Tauber.
HARD:LINE is part of the Méliès International Festivals Federation, an association currently consisting of 35 film festivals, whose mission it is to promote European fantastic cinema around the globe. The Méliès d’argent is awarded to short films for cinematic quality and creativity. The winning short film qualifies for the competition for the Méliès d’or.
Don’t forget to watch the MELIES D’ARGENT Special Programs on our Méliès Fantastic Hub!