LONDON, UK — After five days of premieres and packed screenings, SCI-FI-LONDON’s 26th Film Festival (13–17 May 2026) has wrapped. Today, the festival announces the winners of its three prestigious awards, celebrating the best in independent, high-concept genre cinema.
Famed for being a “champion of big ideas” (BFI’s Sight & Sound), SCI-FI-LONDON continues to discover visionary filmmakers. Previous alumni include Shane Carruth (Primer) and Gareth Edwards (Rogue One).
BEST FEATURE: THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
Directed by Sebastian Badarau (Romania)
The festival’s top prize goes to the Romanian feature The Uncertainty Principle. Shot in striking black-and-white, this chamber thriller centres on three physicists on the verge of a quantum breakthrough who cannot agree on the meaning or necessity of their discovery.
Drawing comparisons to the intellectual tradition of The Conversation and the early works of Francis Ford Coppola, the film has been hailed by the festival as:
“A raw, electric masterpiece. The Uncertainty Principle is hypnotic, fearless, and shot with a gritty intensity you can’t look away from.”
Director Sebastian Badarau on the win:“With THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE I wanted to write a picture about people pushing to figure out what life’s answers to our deepest questions are… It’s a sort of paradox: we’re striving for balance, searching for truth and human connection, but we hold on so dearly to our own core of beliefs that this may prevent us from achieving all that.”
BEST SHORT FILM: BROADCAST
Directed by Ewan Pollitt (UK)
In a year full of outstanding short-form work, Broadcast stood out for its wit and relevance. Set in near-future London, the film follows a young woman pursuing a controversial deal for a home.
The festival’s verdict: “Writer and director Ewan Pollitt and his team have delivered a piece that is as timely as it is witty. By taking the very real anxieties of the modern housing crisis and pushing them to a satirical, near-future extreme, the film manages to be both deeply entertaining and genuinely unsettling.”
THE AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT: ARE YOU A HUMAN BEING?
Directed by Matthieu Moerlen (France/Switzerland)
The public has spoken! This year’s Audience Award goes to Are You a Human Being?, a dark comedy. Blending poetry and AI frustrations, it explores an existential crisis after a computer crash, a theme that resonated with London viewers.
A Message from the Festival
Founded by producer Louis Savy, SCI-FI-LONDON remains one of the world’s longest-running and most respected genre festivals. Reflecting on 2026’s success, organisers stated:
“We want to thank our team, our venue, the filmmakers and audience for making it a brilliant festival. Your support ensures that independent genre cinema continues to have a home in the heart of London.”
