On May 26, 2026, Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School's English Department held the 4th Annual Mary Wards Film Festival to uplift student voices and stories. Close to 100 documentary films were submitted this year and, after much deliberation, the 2026 Mary Wards Documentary Film Festival Awards were announced:
Grade 12 Winning Documentaries
2026 Grade 12 Documentary of the Year: Just Another Man's Junk by Veronica K.
2026 Grade 12 Most Impactful Award: Make Them Listen by Isabelle V.
2026 Grade 12 Best Storytelling Award: The House He Left Behind by Victoria M.
Grade 9 Winning Documentaries
2026 Grade 9 Documentary of the Year: Hearing the Unheard by Rose R.
2026 Grade 9 Most Impactful Award: Eat and Leave No Crumbs by Violet V.
2026 Grade 9 Best Cinematic Design: Afraid of Me by Arianna D. and Ghost by Giorgia W.
Our audience also voted for the 2026 Mary Wards Grade 9 People's Choice Award. For the first time ever, it was a tie. The two winners are Afraid of Me by Arianna D. and Ghost by Giorgia W. We would really like to thank Gina Racioppo, Patt Olivieri, and Ana Rita Santos-Furtado for judging alongside our past student winners Alyssa L. (2024 Documentary of the Year) and Olivia B. (2025 Documentary of the Year).
This year, the festival featured work from Grade 9 and Grade 12 students, and had some of the most creative and visually compelling documentaries submitted thus far. The Grade 12 students were tasked with telling someone's story beautifully, and Grade 9 students created documentaries that used their voices and talents to raise awareness of an issue and/or encourage viewers to reconsider their behaviour or perspectives.
Thank you to all student filmmakers who submitted their work. We are looking forward to next year's submissions!
