Fantastic Fest names its 2026 horror winners, led by Ghost in the Cell and a folk-horror pitch prize
Fantastic Fest gave its horror best picture award to Joko Anwar's Ghost in the Cell and its Fantastic Pitches prize to the folk-horror project Father Figure, which the festival says won a $100,000 financing award from Chroma.
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A pitch prize is a promise about a film that does not yet exist. It settles who gets the backing, not whether the film is finished, and the 2027 premiere is where that gets tested.
According to the festival’s release, dated September 22 and reproduced by Keith Loves Movies and Film Combat Syndicate, Joko Anwar’s Ghost in the Cell won the horror best picture award at Fantastic Fest, and Nikias Chryssos won horror best director for Bloody Tennis. Jordan Downey’s The Cycle received a special mention. The release also lists winners in other strands.
In Fantastic Pitches, now in its second year and presented by Chroma, Father Figure took first place: a 1970s wedding folk-horror project by writer-director Connor Martin, working with producer Josh Farnworth. The release says Chroma awarded the project $100,000 in financing, and the prize also includes a distribution deal and a Fantastic Fest 2027 premiere. The team has a year to produce the film.
American Vermin took second place. Writer-director A.K. Espada, producer Annie Jacob and cinematographer Alexandra Bock receive a Blackmagic Cinema package from Fangoria and a year of mentoring from the three jurors, Gore Verbinski, Catherine Hardwicke and Nic Curcio.
Chain of custody — sources
- Fantastic Fest (press release, as published by Keith Loves Movies)
Fantastic Fest announces 2026 award winners
Primary - Film Combat Syndicate (press release, as published)
Fantastic Fest XXI: Bloody Tennis, Ghost in the Cell and more announced among 2026 winners
Secondary