2026 AWARD NOMINEES
The following list are the nominees (not including secret nominees) for the 2026 FilmQuest Awards. The award winners, including the coveted FilmQuest Cthulhu Trophy winners, will be announced in full at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on October 31st, 2026 in Provo, Utah. The 2026 FilmQuest Nominees are, as usual, filled with many more deserving films than can possibly win or be nominated. To the nominees, congratulations!
The following nominees were culled from a process that began with a record breaking 2,944 submissions for the 2026 festival. Each Feature Film category, unless otherwise noted, has up to 8 nominees. Each Short Film & Other category, unless otherwise noted, has 10 nominees. A “secret” nominee in all short film categories (unless otherwise indicated) will be announced at the Awards Ceremony, however there are no secret nominees for feature films this year. These “secret nominees” often became the winner of their categories, and is our patented twist on the awards process, a unique and fun activity that many have come to enjoy. All “Virtual Exclusive” films are also eligible for awards, and several winners have emerged from this group as well. For this year, all Feature Films are eligible for “Best Feature Film” and as such no specific nomination will be announced at this time for the feature film.
Nomination laurels and laurels for the 2026 season can be found on our site here and via FilmFreeway here.
Congratulations to all the 2026 Award Nominees, and start spreading the word today! Use hashtags #filmquest #prepareforfantastic #filmquest2026 #thebestofthebest #filmquestawards #filmquestwinner #filmquestnominee as you promote online!
BEST FEATURE FILM
All 18 Features in Competition
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Rubberhead: The Life and Monsters of Steve Johnson
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST FANTASTIC & BEYOND SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST FANTASY SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST FOREIGN SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST HORROR SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST MIDNIGHT SHORT
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BEST MICRO SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST MINI SHORT (New Category!)
Coming Soon!
BEST SCI-FI SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST STUDENT SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST UTAH SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST FOUND FOOTAGE SHORT
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BEST ANIMATED SHORT
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BEST MUSIC VIDEO
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THE MINERVA AWARD
(Awarded to a short film female identifying filmmaker/duo/group whose work embodies the advancement of the voice and empowerment of the female filmmaker in genre cinema today. Must have been a film directed, written, and/or produced by the same female filmmaker.) (*No Secret Nominee)
Coming Soon!
BEST DIRECTOR – FEATURE
Bandit – Brian L Tan
Gaua – Paul Urkijo Alijo
Godhead – Mark H. Rapaport
Ithaqua – Casey Walker
Rain Catcher – Michele Fiascaris
Sender – Russell Goldman
The Avalanche – Johnny Coffeen
THE RELIC | DRAGON – J.M. Logan
BEST SCREENPLAY – FEATURE
Bandit – Husein M. Atmodjo
Bravado – Alex Hanno & Luca Malacrino
Gaua – Paul Urkijo Alijo
Godhead – Mark H. Rapaport
Rain Catcher – Michele Fiascaris, Alba Moyano & Filippo Polesel
Sender – Russell Goldman
The Avalanche – Johnny Coffeen
The Peril at Pincer Point – Jake Kuhn & Noah Stratton-Twine
BEST ACTOR – FEATURE
Bandit – Wafda Saifan
Godhead – Al Warren
Ithaqua – Luke Hemsworth
Rain Catcher – Dudley O’Shaughnessy
The Avalanche – Lou Taylor Pucci
The Crawling – Will Brittain
The Peril at Pincer Point – Jack Redmayne
The Velocipastor 2 – Greg Cohan
BEST ACTRESS – FEATURE
Bravado – Caitlin Morris
Gaua – Yune Nogueiras
Godmother – Paige Evans
Mother and Me – Caylee Cowan
Oddities – Lilimar
Sender – Britt Lower
The Avalanche – Alex Essoe
THE RELIC | DRAGON – Taylor Bini
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – FEATURE
Bandit – Teuku Rifnu Wikana
Bravado – Luca Malacrino
Godhead – Kimball Farley
Godmother – Bruce Davison
Ithaqua – Michael Pitt
Mother and Me – Brady Noon
Sender – David Dastmalchian
Whiskey Throttle – Jasen Wade
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – FEATURE
Godhead – Sarah Coffey
Godmother – Dee Wallace
Mother and Me – Tara Janae Smith
Oddities – Adrienne Barbeau
Oddities – Lovie Simone
Rain Catcher – Jessie Mei Li
Sender – Rhea Seehorn
The Crawling – Katherine Hughes
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – FEATURE
Gaua
Grind
Ithaqua
Sender
The Peril at Pincer Point
THE RELIC | DRAGON
The Velocipastor 2
Whiskey Throttle
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – FEATURE
Bandit
Gaua
Godhead
Mother and Me
Rain Catcher
Sender
The Peril at Pincer Point
Whiskey Throttle
BEST EDITING – FEATURE
Bravado
Gaua
Grind
Rain Catcher
Rubberhead
Sender
The Avalanche
Whiskey Throttle
BEST SOUND – FEATURE
Bandit
Gaua
Grind
Ithaqua
The Crawling
The Peril at Pincer Point
THE RELIC | DRAGON
Whiskey Throttle
BEST SCORE – FEATURE
Gaua
Godhead
Ithaqua
Rain Catcher
Sender
The Avalanche
The Peril of Pincer Point
THE RELIC | DRAGON
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN / ART DIRECTION – FEATURE
Gaua
Grind
Ithaqua
Sender
THE RELIC | DRAGON
The Velocipastor 2
BEST COSTUMES – FEATURE
Gaua
Ithaqua
THE RELIC | DRAGON
The Velocipastor 2
BEST VISUAL FX – FEATURE
Gaua
Godmother
Grind
Ithaqua
Oddities
The Avalanche
The Peril at Pincer Point
THE RELIC | DRAGON
BEST MAKEUP FX – FEATURE
Gaua
Godmother
Grind
Ithaqua
Oddities
The Crawling
THE RELIC | DRAGON
The Velocipastor 2
BEST DIRECTOR – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST SCREENPLAY – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST ACTRESS – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST ACTOR – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST EDITING – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST SOUND – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST SCORE – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN / ART DIRECTION – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST COSTUMES – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST VISUAL FX – SHORT
Coming Soon!
BEST MAKEUP FX – SHORT
Coming Soon!