Screamfest® Horror Film Festival, the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States, is excited to announce its 2026 award winners. The festival took place from October 6 to 15, 2026, at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
Screamfest wrapped tonight with the premiere screening of Briarcliff Entertainment’s Christmas at the Kringles, directed by Kevin Lewis and featuring an all star cast including Ron Livingston (Office Space), Rachel Bilson (The O.C.), Rob Riggle (The Hangover), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911), Arden Myrin (Insatiable), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Beverly D’Angelo (Vacation) and David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer).
The 2026 awards recognized standout achievements across feature films and shorts, with KICK ON taking home Best Picture and Best Make Up, while director Nick Kozakis earned Best Director for the film. Other top honors went to Santiago Otoya for Best Cinematography for POSTMORTEM, Javier Botet for Best Actor for GUMMY, and Laura Im for Best Actress for VALLEY VIEW MOTEL.
Additional winners included NINE for Best Editing, NERVOUS for Best Musical Score, RINRADA THE INFLUENCER for Best Special Effects, IT HELPS for Best Short, NEWCOMER for Best Student Short, Avant de Rentrer for Best Animated Short, and TV DAD, which received the Short Film Audience Choice Award.
This year’s Screamfest once again brought the horror community together for an exciting celebration of genre cinema, spotlighting innovative filmmakers, fresh perspectives, and standout films that kept audiences engaged throughout the festival.
Screamfest 2026 Winners
Best Picture: KICK ON, Nick Kozakis
Best Director: Nick Kozakis, KICK ON
Best Cinematography: POSTMORTEM, Santiago Otoya
Best Actor: Javier Botet, GUMMY
Best Actress: Laura Im, VALLEY VIEW MOTEL
Best Editing: NINE, Jeanne Signé & Edouard Alvado
Best Special Effects: Artistaya Arriyawongsa, RINRADA THE INFLUENCER
Best Make Up: KICK ON, Nick Kozakis
Best Musical Score: NERVOUS, Matthew Pusti
Best Short: J. Zachary Thurman, IT HELPS
Best Student Short: NEWCOMER, Sam Shapson
Best Animated Short: Avant de Rentrer, Arthur Bonneau
Short Film Audience Choice Award: TV DAD, Sam Ripley
Here are my thoughts on some of the films I had a chance to catch.
Postmortem
In Postmortem, Annable, a medical examiner grieving the loss of her husband, lives with her daughter when she’s assigned a case involving 16 bodies connected to what authorities dismiss as a group suicide. The victims are described as elders who crossed the border before taking their own lives, and with only one survivor, the sheriff’s department appears ready to consider the matter closed.
But Annable grows curious, and her investigation begins to take a disturbing turn. What initially seems like a straightforward case leads her toward forces she never knew existed, putting her in a situation she may not fully understand.
I enjoyed Postmortem, particularly its blend of psychological horror and supernatural thriller elements. The film also delivers some gore, which certainly worked in its favor for me. I found myself invested in the story, although some of Annable’s decisions had me questioning her judgment. At the same time, I had to remind myself that she’s grieving, and everyone handles loss differently.
The ending was another story altogether. I’ll just say I was shocked.
Wounds
In Wounds, Caleb is an aspiring special effects makeup artist struggling to create realistic work that translates convincingly on screen. With pressure mounting from his uncle and the rest of the film crew, he struggles to prove himself. Then, one night while walking home after filming, Caleb witnesses something terrifying. What he sees becomes the inspiration he’s been missing, and suddenly, his work is earning the praise he’s always wanted.
But things begin to get out of hand as Caleb takes his work beyond the set. Then again, perhaps it never really started there to begin with.
Starring Paris Jackson and Eric Roberts, Wounds offers a fresh take on horror and gore while still delivering the elements that make a scary movie work. I thought the story was well written, and I particularly enjoyed the storyline and its unexpected twists and turns. The acting was decent, and the film kept me engaged throughout.
What stood out to me most was the concept itself. The connection between Caleb’s newfound inspiration and the increasingly disturbing direction of his work gives the film an intriguing premise. It takes the world of special effects makeup and pushes it into much darker territory, making for an enjoyable horror experience.
The Caged
A recovering alcoholic and fiction writer moves into a remote mansion in the UK with his family. The house has been unoccupied for nearly a decade, allowing them to get it for a good price. But settling into their new home proves to be anything but peaceful as strange and unsettling things begin happening throughout the house.
The family soon discovers that the home has a dark history involving Ursula Kemp, a woman who was executed for witchcraft in the 1500s. As the haunting intensifies, Ursula begins tormenting the family, forcing them to face paranormal activity they were in no way prepared for.
Based on a true story, The Caged takes place in the actual home said to be haunted by Ursula’s spirit, adding another layer of intrigue to its premise.
