The twenty ninth Fantasia Fest isn’t over but, however we already know the massive winners in Montreal. On Saturday night time, filmmakers and jurors gathered in a theater at Cinéma du Musée to award seven of the competitors’s eight classes. (Les Fantastiques Week-Ends Du Cinéma Québécois, a regional class, was introduced final week.)
“Mom of Flies” took residence the Cheval Noir for Finest Movie — the primary movie from the U.S. to realize this feat — in addition to Finest Rating. The haunting function was a household affair, from filmmakers and punk band John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser. They’re collectively often known as — anticipate it — the Adams Household.
“That’s simply good advertising and marketing,” joked director Pascal Plante, whose movie “Pink Rooms” received the Cheval Noir in 2023. Plante served because the part’s jury president in 2025, and introduced Finest Movie.
“I wish to put my coronary heart as much as the mic, so you may hear how briskly it’s going proper now,” mentioned Zelda Adams, the eldest baby. “Thanks, Fantasia, a lot for this. I can’t consider it. Each time we end a movie, we expect to ourselves, ‘Is it adequate to get into Fantasia?’ And by chance, this one was!”
Just like the Adams’ previous Fantasia entries, “Mom of Flies” was shot of their residence within the Catskills. The transferring drama hangs within the house between life and loss of life, drawing from actual experiences with most cancers.
“Every part that we make has a private resonance, and this one has a very darkish resonance on the mobile stage,” mentioned mother Toby Poser. “Studying that it speaks to others means a lot to us.”
“In a Violent Nature” author/director Chris Nash served as jury president for the New Flesh Competitors for Finest First Characteristic. The prize went to “It Ends” from director Alexander Ullom. After the ceremony, Nash praised the debut for its sincerity, and mentioned, “Every part about it resonated with being a younger grownup and never figuring out the place you’re going along with your life, after which realizing, that by no means ends. It sticks with you.”
Learn the entire listing of winners from Fantasia 2025 beneath.
Cheval Noir
Finest Movie: “Mom of Flies” (dirs. John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser)
“This may not be the movie with probably the most means or the flashiest camerawork, but it surely’s a movie that, in a meta approach, reminds us why we even hassle to make movies within the first place. It’s humorous – each time I’m again on this neighborhood, it brings me again to my Concordia days… and one trainer as soon as instructed us, ‘Don’t simply make movies with your mates!’ and I used to be type of all the time against that idea. I attempt to make movies with my pals as a lot as attainable. However these filmmakers carry this up a notch: they even hold it within the household! The result’s an earnest movie; a real indie that feels genuine, important, and impeccably crafted. The modifying – on a laptop computer on Premiere Professional – and cinematography – with no matter prosumer digital camera you may get your arms on – are on level, to say the least. Briefly: it simply rocks. Our Cheval Noir Award for Finest Movie goes to ‘Mom of Flies’ by Zelda, John, and Toby… aka the Adams Household!” —Pascal Plante (“Pink Rooms”), Jury President
Particular Jury Point out/Finest Idea: “New Group” (dir. Yuta Shimotsu)
Finest Director: Hadrah Daeng Ratu, “The E-book of Sijjin and Illiyyin”
Finest Screenplay: Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson, “Terrestrial” (dir. Steve Pink)
Finest Cinematography: Alex Metcalfe, “Cielo” (dir. Alberto Sciamma)
The Sandro Forte Award for Finest Movement Image Rating: H6LLB6ND6R, “Mom of Flies” (dirs. John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser)
Excellent Efficiency Award: Bakhytzhan Alpeis, “Stinker” (dir. Yerden Telemissov)
Excellent Efficiency Award: Ui Mihara, “I Fell in Love with a Z-Grade Director in Brooklyn” (dir. Kenichi Ugana)
New Flesh Competitors for Finest First Characteristic
Finest First Characteristic: “It Ends” (dir. Alexander Ullom)
“’It Ends’ is a movie that manages to make use of low price range conventions and tropes to their fullest extent as a way to create a movie that runs from being an unnerving thriller to a honest and bittersweet contemplation on time, friendship, and solitude; this is able to be a tough activity for even probably the most seasoned filmmaker, however Alexander Ullom succeeds with an unusual stage of grace and delicacy that rewards the viewers in methods they wouldn’t initially anticipate.”
Particular Jury Mentions: “Fucktoys” (dir. Annapurna Sriram) and “Hellcat” (dir. Brock Bodell)
Worldwide Brief Movie
Finest Movie: “Barlebas” (dir. Malu Janssen)
“An all too acquainted story, concern of the ability that girls maintain. A narrative of resilience instructed via stunning photos and a haunting soundtrack. The lead carries the viewers alongside along with her unforgettable unique voice and songs. Positively a simple and unanimous resolution for the jury.”
Finest Director: Ko Ba-reun, “Ground”
Finest Screenplay: Dylan Pun, “Shrimp Fried Rice” (dir. Dylan Pun)
Finest Cinematography: Sam Du Pon, “Barlebas” (dir. Malu Janssen)
The Sandro Forte Award for Finest Movement Image Rating: Christopher Lund, “Proxy” (dir. Artem Skiy)
Excellent Efficiency Award: Ruby Zoom, “The Collector” (dir. Scott Leberecht) and Agnieszka Rajda, “Bizarre to Be Human” (dir. Jan Grabowski)
Particular Jury Mentions – “Bizarre to Be Human” (dir. Jan Grabowski) and “The Rebirth” (dir. Connie Shi)
Satoshi Kon for Excellence in Animation
Finest Animated Characteristic: “The Woman Who Stole Time” (dir. Yu Ao and Zhou Tienan)
Particular Jury Point out: “I Am Frankelda” (“Soy Frankelda”) (dir. Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz)
Finest Animated Brief – Bronze: “My Organs Mendacity on The Floor” (dir. Shinobu Soejima)
Finest Animated Brief – Silver: “Éiru” (dir. Giovanna Ferrari)
Finest Animated Brief – Gold: “Off-Time” (dir. Nata Metlukh )
Jury Assertion: “For its full of life animation, its designs, and its drawn universe that delighted all three of us, its partaking sound design, its reflection on time, accelerationism, and the eye and care required to be in contact with oneself, with others, and with all of life: the Satoshi Kon 2025 Jury awards its Gold Prize for Finest Brief Movie to ‘Off-Time’ by filmmaker Nata Metlukh.”
Northern Excellence for Finest Canadian Filmmaker
Finest Director (Characteristic Movie) – Chloé Cinq-Mars, for “Peau À Peau” (“Nesting”)
Jury Assertion: “Anchored by a uncooked and uncompromising lead efficiency and immersive route, this movie leads us down an at instances terrifying younger mom’s downward psychological spiral. For its unflinching and deeply human exploration of an often-overlooked side of motherhood, we give the award for Finest Canadian movie to author/director Chloé Cinq-Mars for ‘Peau À Peau’ (‘Nesting’).”
Particular Jury Point out – Simon Glassman, for “Buffet Infinity”
2025 Northern Excellence Jury: Elza Kephart (President), Olivia Norquay, Joe Lipsett, Cam Maitland, Alanna Thain
AQCC Award
Finest Movie: “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake” (dir. Laura Casabe)
Jury Assertion: “For its even handed steadiness between the coming-of-age story and on a regular basis horror, for its robust symbolism linked to the crises of Twenty first-century Argentina and for the wonderful performances of all of the actresses, we award the Quebec Affiliation of Movie Critics (AQCC) prize to the movie ‘The Virgin of the Quarry Lake,’ by Laura Casabe.”
Particular Jury Point out: “Burning” (dir. Radik Eshimov)
Poulain Noir
Finest Movie – Bronze: “Christopher and The Bug” (dir. Vanessa Lynn Esteves)
Finest Movie – Silver: “Cleaning soap Field”/”Boîte À Savon” (dir. Jimmy Pettigrew)
Finest Movie – Gold: “The Sound of Raindrops” (dirs. Max Banse, Julie Blanc, Alvaro Deolio, Elena Forlini, Estelle Jourdan, Gabriel Riera, and Lila Trouvé)
Jury Assertion: “‘The Sound of Raindrop’s is a movie of outstanding inventive mastery. Its animation stands out for its originality, the standard of its visible composition, and a proper method that’s each poetic and metaphorical. Via the story of two brothers threatened by a storm, each inside and exterior, the movie addresses a fragile topic with nice sensitivity. It resonates with the viewer with out ever overstating its message and invitations us to mirror on what binds us collectively. The music and sound design help the narrative with subtlety and persistently considerate selections. Congratulations to your entire group for this daring, highly effective, and transferring work.”
Particular Jury Mentions: “The Little One and the Large” (dir. Isabela Costa) and “A Small Backyard by the Window” (dir. Lee Jong-hoon)
Les Fantastiques Week-Ends Du Cinéma Québécois
MELS Award for Finest Brief Movie
- 1st Place – “Molosse” (dir. Marc-Antoine Lemire)
- 2nd Place – “Butter Knife” (dir. Théophile Mur)
- third Place – “Itty Bitty Betty” (dir. Laura Buchanan)
- Particular Point out – “Girasol” (dirs. Dominic Couturier and Pierre Inglebert)
AQPM Award for Finest Rising Manufacturing in a Brief Movie: “Iconic” (Adelaide Sokolov, dir. April Daneau)
- Particular Point out: “Don’t Choose a Unicorn by Its Horn” (Ellie Charette and Arian Salarian, dir. Ellie Charette)
ARRQ Award for Finest Course in a Brief Movie: Guillaume Boivin and Steve Villeneuve, “The Screaming”
- Particular Point out: Théophile Mur, “Butter Knife”
EVS Award for Finest Rising Course in a Brief Movie: Andrew Cyr-Marcoux, “L’écho Perdu”
Royal Photograph Award for Finest Cinematography in a Brief Movie
- 1st Place – Liane Paré, “Dumpster Duchess” (dir. Raphë, Liana Paré)
- 2nd Place – Pierre Inglebert, “Girasol” (dir. Dominic Couturier and Pierre Inglebert)
- third Place – Martin Reisch, “Island of Forgetfulness” (dir. Erin Ross)
- Particular Point out – Guillaume Langlois and Raphaël Ouellet, “Greluche” (dir. Daphnée Côté-Hallé)
Fantasia Award for Finest Efficiency in a Brief Movie: Stéfanelle Auger, “Envolée” (dir. Renaud Ouimet)
- Particular Point out: Marguerite Bouchard, “L’explosion, et puis le calme” (dir. William Tétreault) and Maximilian Isaacs, “Right here Comes Kermit Williams” (dir. Ryan Terk)
Canadian Cinema Editors (CCE) Award for Finest Enhancing in a Brief Movie: John-Daniel Arauz, “Kitty the Viper” (dir. John-Daniel Arauz)
- Particular Point out – Marc-Olivier Huard, for Interurbain (dir. Marc-Olivier Huard)
Spira Award for Finest Regional Brief Movie: “Frères D’armes” (dir. François Lalonde)
- Particular Point out: “Rien Que Du Vent” (dir. PH Debiès)
Bam Music Award for Finest Sound in a Brief Movie – “Loud” (dir. Adam Azimov)
Toon Increase Award for Finest 2D Brief Movie: “Grain” (dir. Ilana Zackon)
Dragonframe Award for Finest Cease Movement Brief Movie: “Songes et étrangetés au jardin” (dirs. Kimm D. and Caroline Hayeur)
- Particular Point out: “Exit the Pink Room | A David Lynch Tribute” (dir. Corey Nikolaus)
Coup de Coeur SLA Location Award for a Brief Movie: “A Higher Day” (dir. Scott Cowan)
