Golden Calves Winners 2026 announced for the Netherlands Film Festival

Twenty-six Golden Calves were awarded to creators of films, documentaries, series, and digital culture productions in twenty-five categories at the 46th edition of the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF). For eight days, the NFF served as a meeting place for creators and audiences, celebrating Dutch film in all its diversity. Videos of the award presentations from the EY Golden Calves Gala at the Stadsschouwburg Utrecht can be viewed at our YouTube channel.

In the Feature-Length Documentary and Feature Film categories, the winners were selected through voting rounds conducted according to the Academy system - a collaboration between the Dutch Academy for Film (DAFF) and the NFF. The next edition of the Netherlands Film Festival will take place from Friday, September 24, through Friday, October 1, 2027.

Golden Calves Winners 2026:

Best Digital Culture
Graves’ End - Finn Stevenhagen (production: Finn Stevenhagen)

Best Documentary Short Film
How to Catch a Butterfly - Kiriko Mechanicus (production: Docmakers)

Best Short Film
This is Your Captain Speaking - Nienke Deutz & Digna van der Put (screenplay: Nienke Deutz, Digna van der Put, production: seriousFilm)

Best Leading Role Short Film
Juul Vrijdag - A Shot At Art

Best Leading Role Drama Series
Chris Peters - BASTA

Best Supporting Role Drama Series
Sabri Saddik - Mocros

Best Screenplay Drama Series
Luuk van Bemmelen & Martijn Hillenius - Hein 2

Best Director Drama Series
Remy van Heugten - BASTA

Best Drama Series
BASTA - Mark Furstner, Hollands Licht Producties (screenplay: Thomas van der Ree, Director: Remy van Heugten)

Best Sound Design
Evelien van der Molen - Sugar

Best Music
Spinvis - Toutes Directions

Best Cinematopgraphy
Myrthe Mosterman, NSC - Truly Naked

Best Editing
Emiel Nuninga, NCE - Truly Naked

Best Production Design
Fleur Ankoné - Truly Naked

Best Costume Design 
Mattijs van Bergen & John van Vlerken - Downtown

Best Hair & Make-up Design
Katja Alexis † - The Wolf, the Fox & the Leopard

Best Documentary Feature Film
Mijn woord tegen het mijne - Maasja Ooms en Willemijn Cerutti, Cerutti Film

Best Leading Role Feature Film
Daan Buringa - Joe Speedboot

Best Supporting Role Feature Film
Thor Braun - Downtown

Best Screenplay Feature Film
Muriel d'Ansembourg - Truly Naked

Best Director Feature Film
Muriel d'Ansembourg - Truly Naked

Best Feature Film
Truly Naked- Isabella Depeweg & Els Vandevorst, Isabella Films (regie: Muriel d'Ansembourg, scenario: Muriel d'Ansembourg)

Audience Award Feature Film
Our Girls - Koji Nelissen & Derk-Jan Warrink, Keplerfilm and Marijn Wigman, Nuts & Bolts Film Company (screenplay and director: Mike van Diem)

Audience Award Documentary
Mama’ku - Van Jakarta tot de Molukken - Chris de Krijger & Sven Peetoom, There Will Be Film (director: Sven Peetoom)

Film Culture Award
Halina Reijn

Academy system and juries
The nominations and winners of the Golden Calves for feature films and feature documentaries are determined according by the Academy system of the Dutch Academy For Film (DAFF).

Golden Calves Winners 2026 announced for the Netherlands Film Festival

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