HYSTERIA FEST 2025: DAY 3 RECA Prom Night Brings Horror Heat & Big Wins to STL

Day 3 of Hysteria Fest 2025 featured Canadian horror deep dives, live podcasts, prom mayhem, and a stacked award ceremony.

By Travis Brown | HMU

St. Louis, MO — July 14, 2025

PROM NIGHT. PODCASTS. AWARDS. MAYHEM.

Day 3 of Hysteria Fest brought the energy, the sweat, and the screams. With screenings across Arkadin Cinema and The Heavy Anchor, Saturday was all about big indie voices, retro horror love, and the night we’ve all been waiting for—Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou.

KILLER BLOCKS & COMEDIC CARNAGE

The afternoon kicked off with the Blood Across the Bevo short block, followed by two unforgettable screenings:

• Girls Just Wanna Kill (which snagged Best International Feature)

• The Hedonist, a hilariously dark ride that earned Nick Funess the Best Director award. (We covered this gem back at Panic Fest—check our review for the full scoop.)

HEAVY ANCHOR: Q&As, LIVE PODS & LOCAL LOVE

One more day of Free events were on Saturday Night at The Heavy Anchor

At The Heavy Anchor, I was back on mic duties hosting the screening for In the Flesh, the latest from Connor Doyle of Elgin, IL.

Filmmaker Connor Doyle and producer Skye Murie "In The Flesh" - Heavy Anchor

He joined me on stage for a Q&A post-screening, sharing insight into the personal inspiration and emotional horror that drives his work.

DTB Podcast was live chatting Canadian Tax Shelter Era horror.

Later, I got to reconnect with the squad from Destroy The Brain—a crew I got my start with—as they recorded a live podcast all about Canadian horror’s Tax Shelter Era, packed with deep cuts and niche love for some very weird cinema.

Destroy The Brain crew at Hysteria Fest 2025

AWARDS NIGHT: THE WINNERS

Paul Hibbard Giving out Awards

As fans rolled in for the Horror Prom costume contest, the full list of awards was announced, with some surprises and well-earned wins. Here are some of the big ones:

• 🥇 Best Film: Dooba Dooba

• 🎥 Best Director: Nick Funess – The Hedonist

• 🌍 Best International Feature: Girls Just Wanna Kill

• 🎞 Best Short: The Pretty

• 🏡 Best St. Louis Film: Open the Door

• 👏 Best Local Feature Acting Awards: Play Along’s Adam Daniel Mezei (accepted in person) & Erin Pitt (Best Actress, accepted on her behalf)

• 🌟 Best Actress in a Short: Serra Naiman – The Baby

• ✂️ Best Editing: Contraction

• 🎥 Best Cinematography: Haze

The full list will be posted on Hysteria’s website and social media this morning, so keep your eyes peeled.

PROM NIGHT II & EAT CUTE CLOSE IT DOWN

Both venues ended the night with screenings of Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou, while The Heavy Anchor gave the mic to STL horror once again with the screening of Eat Cute, a local queer horror short that capped off the night with bite.

The shorts + music video block before it served as a chaotic mix of vibes—exactly what you’d expect on prom night at Hysteria.

FINAL DAY PREVIEW

As of this writing, we’re heading into the Filmmaker Brunch before the final slate of screenings. Up next:

• 🎬 Beyond the Drumlines at 1PM

• 🎥 Haze at 5PM (our closing coverage pick)

• 🧊 Curtains (1983) screening at 9PM for the true Canadian horror heads

We’ll be back tomorrow with the final recap from Hysteria Fest 2025. For now, hydrate, rest up, and keep the bloody good vibes going.

Follow @hysteriafilmfestival and @HMUNCUT for more coverage, interviews, and winners throughout the week.