Photo by David Hill

Fantastic Fest is almost at its end, which means it’s of course time for the one and only Fantastic Awards!

Now I could waste your time for a few paragraphs on the apparent ridiculousness of holding an Award Ceremony at the half-way point of a festival, but instead I’m going to save my tirades for more important matters, and just assume that Festival Organizers worldwide know what they’re doing.  What I WILL give you though is a list of this years Award Winners!

As you look through the list of winners, you may want to take note of a few key films and add them to your “To Screen” list.  One of them is Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s  homage to 70’s horror film’s Here Comes The Devil, which became the first film in Fantastic Fest history to completely SWEEP the Horror Features category (a feat that was almost accomplished by last year’s, still unreleased, sensation You’re Next).

The second film you should likely take note of is Kristina Buozyte’s imaginative sci-fi film Vanishing Waves, which has not only been the center of quite an exorbitant amount of festival buzz, but was one win away from sweeping the Fantastic Features category, losing the Best Actor award to Rene Bitorojac in Vegetarian Cannibal.

Here are the list of this year’s Winners, Special Mentions, and Runner-Ups which includes the addition of a brand new documentary category:

Audience Award for Best Picture

I Declare War (Directed by Robert Wilson & Jason Lapeyre)

AMD’s “Next Wave” Spotlight Competition

The quirky and charming cast of Flicker

Best Picture – Flicker (directed by Patrik Eklund)

Best Director – Charles de Lauzirika (Crave)

Best Screenplay – Max Porcelijn (Plan C)

Best Actor – Michael Eklund (Errors of the Human Body)

Best Actress – Alina Levshin (Combat Girls)

 

Fantastic Features

Vanishing Waves

Best Picture – Vanishing Waves (directed by Kristina Buozyte)

Best Director – Kristina Buozyte (Vanishing Waves)

Best Screenplay –  Bruno Samper, Kristina Buozite (Vanishing Waves)

Best Actor – Rene Bitorajac (Vegetarian Cannibal)

Best Actress – Jurga Jutalite (Vanishing Waves)

Horror Features

Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s homage to 70’s horror Here Comes The Devil became the first film to sweep Fantastic Fest’s Horror Feature Category

Best Picture – Here Comes The Devil (directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano)

Best Director – Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Here Comes The Devil)

Special Mention: Hajimi Ohata (Henge)

Best Screenplay – Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Here Comes The Devil)

Best Actor – Francisco Barreiro (Here Comes The Devil)

Best Actress – Laura Caro (Here Comes The Devil)

Special Mention: Katherine Isabel (American Mary)

Gutbuster Comedy Features

The hilariously obscene Gutbusters Best Picture winner, New Kids Nitro

Best Picture – New Kids Nitro (dir.  Steffen Haars, Flip Van der Kuil)

Best Director – Dario Russo (Danger 5)

Best Screenplay – John Mitchell (The History of Future Folk)

Best Actor – Chapan To (Vulgaria)

Best Actress – Rina Takeda (Dead Sushi)

 

 

 

 

Documentary Features (New Category)

Best Picture – The American Scream (directed by Michael Stephenson)Best

Director – Rodney Ascher (Room 237)

 

 

 

 

Short Fuse: Horror Shorts

It may not have won any awards, but Paperman is definitely a short that you should keep an eye out for!

Winner: At The Formal (Andrew Kavanagh, Australia)

Runner-up: The Sleepover (Chris Cullari, USA)

 

Fantastic Shorts

 

Winner: Record/Play (Jesse Atlas, USA)

Runner-up: Love (Kaveh Nabatian, Canada)


Drawn and Quartered: Animated Shorts

Winner: Bendito Machine IV (Jossie Malis, Spain)

Runner-up: Tram (Michaela Paviatova, Czech Republic)