“Bring Them Down,” a dark Irish drama in the vein of “The Banshees of Inisherin” (which played the festival in 2021), has won Best Picture in the main competition at Fantastic Fest 2024, TheWrap can exclusively reveal.
The film, which stars Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan, is described in the official program as “beautifully crafted and assured character piece.” Best Director and Best Actor in the same category went to “The Rule of Jenny Pen’s” James Ashcroft and Geoffrey Rush. The film is described in the program as “a truly demented, shifty thriller that pits venerable character actors Rush and John Lithgow against one another with the gloves off.”
Other awards at arguably the country’s greatest genre film festival, held at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar in Austin, Texas, went to Karan Kandhari’s debut feature “Sister Midnight” (in the “Next Wave” category) and “Chainsaws Were Singing” (in the Horror Features category) which has the most Fantastic Fest-y title of the year and is described in the program as “a madcap quest full of blood, guts and toe-tapping showtunes.” (Of course.)
“Today, we celebrate the incredible diversity of talent showcased in this year’s films,” said Annick Mahnert, Director of Programming for Fantastic Fest. “Our jurors faced the formidable challenge of selecting winners from a remarkable array of stories, each representing different cultures and perspectives. Their task was not easy, but it truly reflects what Fantastic Fest is all about: embracing the richness of global cinema and the shared human experiences that unite us all.”
See all of the winners, including those in the various shorts programs, below.
“MAIN COMPETITION” FEATURES
Best Picture: BRING THEM DOWN, directed by Christopher Andrews
Best Director: James Ashcroft – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN
Best Actor: Geoffrey Rush – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN
“NEXT WAVE” FEATURES
Best Picture: SISTER MIDNIGHT, directed by Karan Kandhari
Best Director: Emma Benestan – ANIMALE
Honorable Mention: TOUCHED BY ETERNITY, directed by Mārcis Lācis
HORROR FEATURES
Best Picture: CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING, directed by Sander Maran
Best Director: John Hsu – DEAD TALENT SOCIETY
Honorable Mention: The Ensemble Cast of TRIZOMBIE, directed by Bob Colaers
SHORTS WITH LEGS
Best Picture: “She Stays,” directed by Marinthia Gutiérrez
Honorable Mention: “Duck,” directed by Rachel Maclean
SHORT FUSE
Best Picture: “Be Right Back,” directed by Lucas Paulino & Gabe Ibañez
Honorable Mention: “The Night Practice,” directed by Bogdan Alecsandru
FANTASTIC SHORTS
Best Picture: “The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste,” directed by Pernell Marsden
Honorable Mention: “Atom & Void,” directed by Gonçalo Almeida
DRAWN AND QUARTERED
Best Picture: “Mira,” directed by Eva Louise Hall
Honorable Mention: “The Night Boots,” directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon
AUDIENCE AWARD
DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY, directed by John Hsu
For more information on the films listed above, visit https://www.fantasticfest.com/film-guide.
Leave a Reply