A Look at the Award Winners from This Year’s Fantastic Fest

As Fantastic Fest 2024 wraps up in Austin, TX this year, we’re reminded of why genre filmmaking is truly the best form of filmmaking. For indie films in particular, genre films (most particularly horror and the many sub-genres therein) bring the most diverse voices and often employ the most DIY of styles to tell new and unique stories.

This year’s fest was no different and showcased a lot of up-and-coming genre and indie filmmaking talent, alongside some big screenings and familiar names in the world of horror. To go along with our coverage this year we’d like to share the announced awards and winners of this year’s Fantastic Fest.

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Fantastic Fest 2024 Awards

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Fantastic Fest this year screened an exceptional selection of shorts and features from around the world across several different competitions and categories. The highlights included some truly DIY and innovative filmmakers who brought some unique approaches to their bloody films.

“Today, we celebrate the incredible diversity of talent showcased in this year’s films. Our jurors faced the formidable challenge of selecting winners from a remarkable array of stories, each representing different cultures and perspectives. Their task was not easy, but it truly reflects what Fantastic Fest is all about: embracing the richness of global cinema and the shared human experiences that unite us all.” — Annick Mahnert, Director of Programming for Fantastic Fest.

Here are the full lists of award winners from this year’s Fantastic Fest.

“MAIN COMPETITION” FEATURES

• Best Picture: Bring Them Down, directed by Christopher Andrews
• Best Director: James Ashcroft – The Rule of Jenny Pen
• Best Actor: Geoffrey Rush – The Rule of Jenny Pen

“NEXT WAVE” FEATURES

• Best Picture:Sister Midnight, directed by Karan Kandhari
• Best Director: Emma Benestan – Animale
• Honorable Mention: Touched by Eternity, directed by Mārcis Lācis

HORROR FEATURES

• Best Picture: Chainsaws Were Singing, directed by Sander Maran
• Best Director: John Hsu – Dead Talent Society
• Honorable Mention: The Ensemble Cast of Trizombie, directed by Bob Colaers

SHORTS WITH LEGS

• Best Picture: “She Stays”, directed by Marinthia Gutiérrez
• Honorable Mention: “Duck”, directed by Rachel Maclean

SHORT FUSE

• Best Picture: “Be Right Back”, directed by Lucas Paulino & Gabe Ibañez
• Honorable Mention: “The Night Practice,” directed by Bogdan Alecsandru

FANTASTIC SHORTS

• Best Picture: “The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste”, directed by Pernell Marsden
• Honorable Mention: “Atom & Void”, directed by Gonçalo Almeida

DRAWN AND QUARTERED

• Best Picture: “Mira”, directed by Eva Louise Hall
• Honorable Mention: “The Night Boots”, directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon

AUDIENCE AWARD

• Dead Talents Society, directed by John Hsu