The 29th Fantasia International Film Festival opened on July 16 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada,[1] with American neo-Western black comedy film Eddington, by Ari Aster. The Canadian Trailblazer Award was presented to Hungarian-born Canadian filmmaker George Mihalka, the director of the 1981 slasher film My Bloody Valentine, and Sheila McCarthy, Canadian actress and singer during festival.[2][3]
Pascal Plante, a Canadian film director and screenwriter served as jury president for Compétition Cheval Noir. The seven of the competition’s eight categories awards were announced on July 26, with the jury awarding Mother of Flies, a horror–fantasy film by John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Posner, with the Cheval Noir Award for Best Film, marking the first time a United States production has received this award.[4]
The festival closed on August 3, 2025 with dog sex adult comedy Fixed, by Russian-American animator, producer–director, Genndy Tartakovsky, who was also honored with 'Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award' along with Danny Elfman, American film composer, and musician.[5] In the Audience Awards announced on August 5, 2025, Best International Feature Gold was awarded to 2025 French film Flush, a thriller comedy by Grégory Morin.[6]
Juries
Compétition Cheval Noir
Pascal Plante, Canadian film director and screenwriter – Jury President
Ethan Eng, Canadian filmmaker
Alison Foreman, Journalist, features writer at IndieWire
Payton McCarty-Simas, freelance writer, artist, and editor based in New York City
George Schmalz, Vice President, Theatrical Distribution and New Business Development at Kino Lorber
New Flesh Competition for Best First Feature
Chris Nash, writer, director, and prosthetics effects artist from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – Jury President
Jim Brunzell, director of festivals, Dark Star Pictures
The opening film Eddington is a 2025 American action comedy film by Ari Aster. It depicts the political and social turmoil in the fictional city of Eddington, New Mexico, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The closing film Fixed is a 2025 American adult animated romantic comedy film by Genndy Tartakovsky. It follows a dog who learns that he is going to be neutered in the morning.
The festival announced its juried awards, with Mother of Flies, by John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser—collectively known as the Adams Family—receiving the Cheval Noir Award for Best Film. It also received The Sandro Forte Award for Best Motion Picture Score.[4][13][14]
Cheval Noir competition
Best Film: Mother of Flies by John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser
Special Jury Mention (Best Film): New Group by Yuta Shimotsu
Best Director: Hadrah Daeng Ratu for The Book of Sijjin And Illiyyin
Best Screenplay: Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson for Terrestrial, by Steve Pink
Best Cinematography: Alex Metcalfe for Cielo by Alberto Sciamma
The Sandro Forte Award for Best Motion Picture Score: H6LLB6ND6R for Mother of Flies
Outstanding Performance Award: Ui Mihara for I Fell in Love with a Z-Grade Director in Brooklyn by Kenichi Ugana
Special Mention: Girasol by Dominic Couturier and Pierre Inglebert
AQPM Award for Best Emerging Production in a Short Film: Iconic by April Daneau
Special Mention: Don’t Judge a Unicorn by Its Horn by Ellie Charette
ARRQ Award for Best Direction in a Short Film: Guillaume Boivin and Steve Villeneuve, for The Screaming
Special Mention: Théophile Mur, for Butter Knife
EVS Award for Best Emerging Direction in a Short Film: Andrew Cyr-Marcoux, for L’écho Perdu
Royal Photo Award for Best Cinematography in a Short Film:
1st place to Liane Paré for Dumpster Duchess by Raphë, Liana Paré
2nd to Pierre Inglebert, for Girasol by Dominic Couturier and Pierre Inglebert)
3rd to Martin Reisch, for Island of Forgetfulness by Erin Ross
Special Mention to Guillaume Langlois and Raphaël Ouellet, for Greluche by Daphnée Côté-Hallé
Fantasia Award for Best Performance in a Short Film to Stéfanelle Auger, for Envolée by Renaud Ouimet
Special Mention to Marguerite Bouchard, for L’explosion, et puis le calme by William Tétreault and Maximilian Isaacs, for Here Comes Kermit Williams by Ryan Terk
Canadian Cinema Editors (CCE) Award for Best Editing in a Short Film to John-Daniel Arauz, for Kitty the Viper by John-Daniel Arauz
Special Mention to Marc-Olivier Huard, for Interurbain by Marc-Olivier Huard
Spira Award for Best Regional Short Film to Frères D’armes by François Lalonde
Special Mention to Rien Que Du Vent by PH Debiès
Bam Music Award for Best Sound in a Short Film to Loud by Adam Azimov
Toon Boom Award for Best 2D Short Film to Grain by Ilana Zackon
Dragonframe Award for Best Stop Motion Short Film to Songes et étrangetés au jardin by Kimm D. and Caroline Hayeur
Special Mention to Exit the Red Room | A David Lynch Tribute by Corey Nikolaus
Coup de Coeur SLA Location Award for a Short Film to A Better Day by Scott Cowan
Audience Awards
Audience awards were announced on August 5, 2025.[6][15]
Best International Feature
Gold: Flush, by Grégory Morin, France
Silver: Fucktoys, by Annapurna Sriram, United States
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