Award This! Honors Indie Filmmakers in its 7th year with Special Presenters Justine Bateman, Zach Selwyn, Leah Knauer, and Drew Horton this Saturday, January 31st, 2026!
Film Threat’s Award This! has become a unique voice for indie film and an annual industry staple. An event with a mission — to champion independent films across a multitude of diverse categories to bring awareness to the growing number of exceptional indies available on DVD, VOD, and streaming services. Film Threat recognizes these films each year with a ceremony hosted by actors, comedians and critics, and the celebration continues at a huge afterparty. And yes, there will be a Award This! gift bag.
Comedians Yoshi Obayashi and Andrew Manning co-host the 7th Annual Award This! event.
Film Threat’s Award This! list of industry giants presenting awards this year include co-hosts Yoshi Obayashi, a comedian and novelist (NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Showtime’s Comics Without Borders) & Andrew Manning, a comedian and writer (Comedy Cellar, Comedy Mothership, Top Secret Comedy Club in London), and special guest presenters: star Justine Bateman, a Golden Globe & Emmy nominated filmmaker and author (Look, Feel, and critically acclaimed Violet), Zach Selwyn, an actor, writer and musician (G4’s Attack of the Show, NFL Network’s Good Morning Football), Leah Knauer, an actor, comedian, and singer (Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, After Midnight), and Drew Horton, a filmmaker, comedian and prolific commercial actor (instructor at Margie Haber Studios) and announcer Jon Bailey, an Emmy nominee and voice of Optimus Prime (The Goldbergs, Elvis).
Justine Bateman will present at the 7th Annual Award This! event.
The 7th Annual Award This! nominees were selected from over 2,000 indie films reviewed by Film Threat in 2025. Award This! returns for its seventh year and will take place at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, California on Saturday, January 31st and a limited number of select tickets are still available to the public on the Frida Cinema website.
Film Threat’s Award This! show can also be seen on YouTube shortly after the awards are presented. Film Threat’s Award This! is the only award show where the general public may attend by simply buying a ticket. (Try getting tickets to the Oscars!)
This years’ vastly differing nominees have offered unique visions across a broad range of genres. And the utterly unique Award This! bold and diverse categories include Indie Sci-Fi, Documentary, Indie Horror, Indie Comedy, Horror Comedy, Public Domain Horror, Indie LGBTQ+ Film, Unreal Outsiders Documentary, Indie Action/Thriller, Indie Drama, Indie Romantic Comedy, Indie Western, Music Documentary, Films About Filmmaking, WTF Indie, Pop Culture Documentary, Socially Relevant Documentary, Short Film, Best Director (Male), Best Director (Female), Indie Made for Less Than the Contents of an Oscar Gift Bag (Under $100K), and the prestigious Indie Movie of the Year.
Jon Bailey (Epic Voice Guy) returns as the announcer for the 7th Annual Award This! event.
Film Threat editor-in-chief Alan Ng, who personally reviewed many of the nominated films, went on to state, “This group of nominees is among the best we have ever seen in the seven years of putting on this event. There is an indie film revolution happening and I’m proud to play a part in helping spread the word about this remarkably talented group of filmmakers.”
The nominating board of Award This! is comprised of the staff of Film Threat’s editors and critics which number 30+ worldwide along with an advisory board of media figures and independent film luminaries.
Check out Film Threat’s 7th Annual Award This! Nominees…
