Fantastic Fest 2025 Awards Celebrate Global Genre Voices

The winners of Fantastic Fest 2025 brought global genre cinema to Austin, from shocking horror debuts to bold indie visions.

Fantastic Fest has closed out its 20th edition in Austin with the announcement of this year’s award winners, honoring a diverse and ambitious slate of international genre cinema. From shocking horror debuts to inventive animation and daring indie features, the juries spotlighted projects that embody the fearless spirit of the festival.

The festival also marked the debut of Fantastic Pitches, presented by Chroma, awarding one filmmaker $100,000 in funding, worldwide distribution, and a guaranteed world premiere slot at Fantastic Fest 2026.

“To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we curated a remarkable lineup of feature and short films,” said Annick Mahnert, Director of Programming. “Each year, our jurors face the difficult task of choosing from an extraordinary pool of talent, and this year was no exception. Despite the challenge, their selections reflect the true spirit of Fantastic Fest — a celebration of global cinema and the diverse voices that bring it to life.”

MAIN COMPETITION

13 Days Til Summer

Jurors: Mercedes Bryce Morgan, Fred Durst, Patton Oswalt

• Best Picture: The Plague, dir. Charlie Polinger

• Best Director: Bartosz M. Kowalski – 13 Days Till Summer

• Special Mention: Decorado, dir. Alberto Vázquez

NEXT WAVE

Luger

Jurors: Aaron Schimberg, Otessa Moshfegh, Lars Knudsen

• Best Picture: Camp, dir. Avalon Fast

• Best Director: Paolo Strippoli – The Holy Boy

• Special Mention: Luger, dir. Bruno Martín

HORROR COMPETITION

The Vile

Jurors: Jose Cañas, Mònica García Massagué, Brandon Hill

• Best Picture: The Vile, dir. Majid Al Ansari

• Best Director: Martín Mauregui – Crazy Old Lady

• Special Mention (Best Kill): Knife in Bed in The Curse, dir. Kenichi Ugana

SHORT FILMS

Jurors: Lisa Ogdie, Shams Mohajerani, Matt Pifko

• Best of Fest: Water Sports, dir. Whammy Alcazaren

• Shorts With Legs – Best Picture: Water Sports, dir. Whammy Alcazaren

• Short Fuse – Best Picture: The Dysphoria, dir. Kylie Aoibheann

• Fantastic Shorts – Best Picture: Giant Skeleton, dir. Austin Birtch

• Drawn and Quartered – Best Picture: A Breath of Mindfulness, dir. Milly Cohen

• Honorable Mention: The Gnawer of Rocks, dir. Louise Flaherty

AUDIENCE AWARD

• The Holy Boy, dir. Paolo Strippoli

FANTASTIC PITCHES (Presented by Chroma)

Jurors: Barbara Crampton, Toby Poser, Tim League, Matt Johnson

• Winner: Play House – Director Nicolas Curcio, Producers Kirby Gladstein & Ben Gojer

With new films from veterans and daring debuts from emerging voices, Fantastic Fest 2025 has once again proven itself as one of the premiere global stages for genre storytelling. From Charlie Polinger’s plague-fueled nightmare to Avalon Fast’s bold sophomore feature and Paolo Strippoli’s audience favorite, this year’s winners reflect the festival’s enduring mission: to celebrate bold visions, no matter how unsettling, unflinching, or unexpected.