Wishbone Origins Wins Best Animation at the Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival!

Yesterday was honestly one of the most surreal days of my life.

I opened an email from the Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival letting me know that Wishbone Origins had officially been selected to screen in Hollywood on May 31st, 2026 at The Hudson Theatres on Route 66.

As someone who almost talked themselves out of submitting to film festivals entirely, this already felt unreal.

I immediately called my husband, my dad, my grandma… and we all spent half the day celebrating the fact that my Candy Kult Land animation had been accepted into a real Hollywood film festival.

Then later that night, while checking the screening information again…

…I realised I somehow completely missed the fact that Wishbone Origins had actually won BEST ANIMATION.

No joke. 😭

The winners had already been announced and my brain had apparently stopped processing information the second I saw the word “selected.”

So after celebrating being officially selected all day, I then had to call everyone back AGAIN to explain that I had somehow accidentally missed the fact that I had won an award.

Typical me.

From Internet Daydream to Hollywood Screening

This was my very first serious attempt at submitting one of my animations into film festivals.

The entire time I worked on Wishbone Origins, I constantly doubted myself and questioned whether I belonged in spaces like this at all....

I nearly backed out multiple times.... my husband had to deal with me daily trying to talk myself out of it...

I told myself... “People like me don’t belong in film festivals.”

But I pushed through the discomfort anyway because something inside me kept pulling me toward storytelling and animation.

And now somehow this magical little lucky charm, and her grumpy cupcake friend are screening in Hollywood after winning Best Animation at an underground indie film festival.

Life is crazy....

Why This Means So Much To Me

What makes this moment so special isn’t even just the award itself.

It’s knowing that complete strangers, people who knew nothing about Candy Kult Land, nothing about my characters, and nothing about my world… still connected with the story.

As an independent self-taught creator who makes everything myself, that means more to me than I can explain.

Wishbone Origins was built with heart, emotion, color, imagination, and a lot of late nights.

Seeing it resonate outside of my own audience honestly feels magical.

This is a very personal story for me... I created Wishbone when life had me at rock bottom, and Wishbone Origins is the animated version of that moment. Real parts of the story exist in the film, real things I put into the character are noted. 

Over a year and a half ago, this little character named Wishbone changed my life, and now, she continues to change the world around me and constantly proves that nothing is impossible...

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who has supported Candy Kult Land, watched my animations, shared my work, encouraged me, or believed in these strange little characters over the years.

This is a win for the weird kids, the school dropouts... the ones that feel like you don't fit in, who felt like you didn't fit the mould.... I'm one of you, and this is proof you can do anything you set your mind to.. No matter what people say.

And yes…
I am still in shock. ✨

🎬 Wishbone Origins
🏆 Best Animation
✨ Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival 2026

Wishbone Origins will be screening at Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival Next week

May 31st 2026 at The Hudson Theater 539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood CA 90038