This past Sunday, June 22, 2026, marked the presentation of the inaugural Short of the Week Award at the Ouray International Film Festival. Created through a new partnership between the festival and Short of the Week, the award brings together Ouray’s community-driven approach with our long-standing commitment to discovering exciting new talent.

From the outset, the aim of the partnership has been about more than simply handing out another festival prize. Together, we wanted to create an award that could have a tangible impact on a filmmaker’s journey. Alongside recognition from the festival – including the incredible handcrafted trophy by Cie Hoover, visible in the featured image above – the winning film will receive an online premiere on Short of the Week in the coming weeks, extending its journey beyond the festival circuit and introducing it to our global audience of filmmakers, industry professionals, and film lovers.

For us, this is what makes this collaboration so exciting. Festivals are obviously a great destination to discover emerging talent and one of the reasons Short of the Week exists is to ensure those voices continue to find audiences long after the closing night. In connecting these two moments, we hope this award becomes another meaningful step in supporting emerging filmmakers and helping outstanding short films reach the widest possible audience.

With that in mind, we’re delighted to announce the very first recipient of the Short of the Week Award…

We Buy Gold by David Huang and Albie Smith-Chang

Synopsis: Two coin dealers in New York City’s Chinatown try and make the deal of a lifetime.

Jury Statement, by S/W Managing Editor, Rob Munday: I came to Ouray with a strong sense of what I was looking for in the inaugural winner of the Short of the Week Award. Throughout the screenings, although there was some outstanding work on show, I was waiting for a film to truly punch me in the gut with its originality and energy. It took a while, but when it came, it knocked me backwards. We Buy Gold is unapologetically scrappy, utterly charming, and instantly memorable. If this is what David Huang and Albie Smith-Chang can achieve with such limited resources, I can’t wait to see what they’re capable of with even greater opportunities.

Festival Statement, by Co-Founder and Head Programmer of OIFF, Jake Abell: It’s a joy to see this award embody our organisations’ shared commitment to supporting short filmmakers. And the visceral, funny, wild energy of We Buy Gold embodies the sort of passionate artistry that our fest and SotW love to support. I can’t wait to see who receives the next award in 2027.

Festival Statement, by Co-Founder and Head Programmer of OIFF, Jared LaCroix: I remember laughing so much when I first watched We Buy Gold. I also found the iPhone footage and wild editing style refreshing. Knowing that this film also resonated with Short of the Week further reinforces my belief that our sensibilities are aligned and that we share a genuine commitment to championing fresh, bold voices.

Main Image: by @travperk_photo