2023 AWARD WINNERS
The following list is are the winners and full list of nominees for the 2023 FilmQuest Awards. The award winners, including the coveted FilmQuest Cthulhu Trophy winners, were announced in full at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on November 4th, 2023 at Velour Live Music Gallery in Downtown Provo, Utah. The 2023 FilmQuest Winners are, as usual, filled with many more deserving films than can possibly win or be nominated. To the winners, congratulations!
The following winners and nominees were culled from a process that began with a record breaking 1,600 submissions for the 2023 festival. Secret nominees were chosen in most categories, and 7 secret nominees were revealed to be the eventual winners in their categories.
Winners and nomination laurels for the 2023 season can be found via Dropbox (click here).
Congratulations to all the 2023 Award Winners and Nominees, and start spreading the word today! Use hashtags #filmquest #prepareforfantastic #filmquest2023 #thebestofthebest #filmquestawards as you promote online!
*Indicates winner was a secret nominee
2023 AWARD WINNERS
BEST FEATURE FILM
The Deep Dark
GRAND PRIZE BEST SHORT FILM
Escape Attempt
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Murder Camp
BEST FANTASTIC SHORT
[subtext]
BEST FANTASY SHORT
Juggernaut
BEST FOREIGN SHORT
Sincopat
BEST HORROR SHORT
Terror**
BEST MICRO SHORT
Tooth
BEST MIDNIGHT SHORT
Fck’n Nuts
BEST SCI-FI SHORT
Escape Attempt
BEST STUDENT SHORT
Voyager**
BEST UTAH SHORT
To Err
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
The Voice of the Hollow
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Abandon**
BEST WEB SERIES
Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Citizen Sleuth
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Justice for Batman
BEST FOUND FOOTAGE FEATURE
Frogman
BEST FOUND FOOTAGE SHORT
Angel Hare
THE MINERVA AWARD
A.K. Espada for “I Could Just Die… and That Would Be All Right”
BEST DIRECTOR – FEATURE
The Wait – F. Javier Guiterrez
BEST SCREENPLAY – FEATURE
American Meltdown – Andrew Adams
BEST ACTOR – FEATURE
Hippo – Kimball Farley
BEST ACTRESS – FEATURE
New Life – Sonya Walger
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – FEATURE
The Deep Dark – Amir El Kacem**
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – FEATURE
New Life – Hayley Erin
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – FEATURE
Me, Myself & The Void**
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – FEATURE
The Wait
BEST EDITING – FEATURE
Hundreds of Beavers
BEST SOUND – FEATURE
Double Blind
BEST SCORE – FEATURE
Irati
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION – FEATURE
Irati**
BEST COSTUMES – FEATURE
Irati
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – FEATURE
Hundreds of Beavers
BEST MAKEUP – FEATURE
How to Kill Monsters
BEST DIRECTOR – SHORT
Come Home – Mike Pecci
BEST SCREENPLAY – SHORT
To Err – Derek Romrell
BEST ACTOR – SHORT
What Lies Within – Aiden Carere
BEST ACTRESS – SHORT
Pruning – Madeline Brewer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SHORT
The Sin-Eater – Jack Parry-Jones
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SHORT
Oddities – Ariela Barer
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – SHORT
Volition
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SHORT
Accidental Stars
BEST EDITING – SHORT
Entrainment
BEST SOUND – SHORT
Honk
BEST SCORE – SHORT
Lost in the Sky
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION – SHORT
S P I D E R L I L Y**
BEST COSTUMES – SHORT
Velma
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – SHORT
Evenveil
BEST MAKEUP – SHORT
Old Time Radio: Your Move
DIRECTOR’S PRIZE
Overall Cinematic Achievement – Hundreds of Beavers
Overall Cinematic Achievement – Lost in the Sky
Overall Cinematic Achievement – The Last Movie Ever Made
Overall Cinematic Achievement – The Reclaimers
Artistic Vision & Execution – The Ringmaster
Cultural Impact & Achievement – My Scary Indian Wedding
Atmosphere & Tone – Meadowville
Atmosphere & Tone – Red Velvet
Payoff & Execution – Too Slow
Dynamic Duo – Kill Your Lover
BEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – FEATURE
1st Place – The Circuit Breaker by David Ethan Sanders
2nd Place – The Memory Sphere by Kevin Sluder
3rd Place – Borderline by Kieran Shea & David Osorio
BEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – SHORT
1st Place – The Insatiable Pine by Kent Green
2nd Place – The Weeping Willows by Amalie Lorentzen
3rd Place (TIE) – Lashes by Jill Sachs
3rd Place (TIE) – Honed by Jeffrey Howe
BEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – FEATURE – TOP 20 (Updating)
A Nice Place to Visit by John Munn
Blood of the Mob by Johnny Giacalone
Borderline by Kieran Shea & David Osorio
Consumed by Don Stroud
Deep Down by Dan Sullivan
Frankenstein in the Land of Oz by Mike Mann
Hunter by Alan Sanchez
Krolik by Rose Ann-Marie Norberg
Mysteries of the Desert by Whitney Crowder & Adam Hardman
NRG by Andreas Petersen
Rough Cut by Mitchell V. Slan
Settlement by Jason Sheedy
Sheriff of Rottingham by Anthony Ferraro
The Broken Fellowship by Sam T. Weston
The Circuit Breaker by David Ethan Sanders
The Hat Man by Edward G. Lyons & Melissa P. Lyons
The Memory Sphere by Kevin Sluder
The Prodigal by Thomas O’Malley
The Third Wife by Barrett Burgin & Daniel Yen Tu
Wicked Grin by Arran Crawley
BEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – SHORT – TOP 10
Blackout by Scott Akers
Detective Palooka by Jason Lou Baldwin
Erosion by Tony Hipwell
Freeda by Lorenzo Colonna & Giada Mazzoleni
Honed by Jeffrey Howe
Lashes by Jill Sachs
Mermaid by Jerry D. Ochoa
Mouse by Michael Clifton
The Insatiable Pine by Kent Green
The Weeping Willows by Amalie Lorentzen
All Un-produced Screenplay Competition judging was done by a group of third party professional judges.
**Indicates winner was a secret nominee
2023 NOMINEES
Includes the full list of secret nominees as revealed during the 2023 Closing Night Awards Ceremony, indicated per each category that had a secret nominee.
BEST FEATURE FILM
All You Need is Blood
Double Blind
Frogman
Hippo
Irati
New Life
The Deep Dark
SECRET NOMINEE: The Wait
GRAND PRIZE BEST SHORT FILM
(Included winners for each major short film category)
[subtext] – Best Fantastic Short
Escape Attempt – Best Sci-Fi Short
Fck’n Nuts – Best Midnight Short
Juggernaut – Best Fantasy Short
Murder Camp – Best Comedy Short
Sincopat – Best Foreign Short
Terror – Best Horror Short
To Err – Best Utah Short
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
(No secret nominee)
A Disturbance in the Force
Citizen Sleuth
BEST FOUND FOOTAGE FEATURE
(No secret nominee)
Frogman
Zombie Strain
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Bounce House
Dog Breath
Farmer Ed
Hide Your Crazy
Murder Camp
Shoes Off
String
The 44th Chamber of Shaolin
Up on the Housetop
SECRET NOMINEE: Sucker
BEST FANTASTIC SHORT
[subtext]
A Cotton Moon
Accidental Stars
Before I Go
The Loop: Undeniable
They Call It… Red Cemetary!
They Grow Up So Fast
Volition
Waving
SECRET NOMINEE: Cornerboy
BEST FANTASY SHORT
Elixir
Evenveil
I Could Just Die… and That Would Be All Right
Juggernaut
S P I D E R L I L Y
The Ringmaster
The Sin-Eater
Things Visible and Invisible
Villain
SECRET NOMINEE: ZIB
BEST FOREIGN SHORT
Bookworm
Cafe Cicatriz
Facies
La Nueva
LIV
Quiet
Shallots and Garlic
Sincopat
The Black Box
SECRET NOMINEE: Gutter
BEST HORROR SHORT
Come Home
D I G
Get Away
Hitched
Maryla
My Scary Indian Wedding
Oddities
Pruning
The Queue
SECRET NOMINEE: Terror
BEST MICRO SHORT
Alicia
Alone
Fun, Gus!
Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake
Sempre Avanti
The Princess and the Formaldehyde Specimen
Toggle
Tooth
We Forgot About the Zombies
SECRET NOMINEE: Yule Cat
BEST MIDNIGHT SHORT
Dead Enders
Fck’n Nuts
Fudgie Freddie
Nosepicker
Ride Baby Ride
Septichexen
The Perfect Place to Cry
Too Slow
Wesley Loses His Penis
SECRET NOMINEE: Content: The Lo-Fi Man
BEST SCI-FI SHORT
Autopilot
Dark Cell
Ensouled
Entrainment
Escape Attempt
Lost in the Sky
Recollector
Remote
T-Minus
SECRET NOMINEE: Awake
BEST STUDENT SHORT
A Dire Strait
Booba
Jeong-Dong
Requiem
The Management
The Spirit Became Flesh
The Third Ear
Trapped
Voyager
SECRET NOMINEE: Book of the Old Ways
BEST UTAH SHORT
An Arrangment of Skin
Box Boy
Saborrrr!
Sneak Over
The Last Embrace
To Err
Tower Theatre
Whisper
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
SECRET NOMINEE: The Handbook
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Drifter
Forlorn
In the Heat
Lands of Steel
Lord
Middle Watch
No. 8 Reporting
Regular Rabbit
The Voice in the Hollow
SECRET NOMINEE: The Forest King
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
All I Need (The Burning Hell)
Ashes in the Wind (System Syn)
Dead Dreams Falling
Finger Bang Your Day (Jeff Hilliard)
Heart of Vengeance (Crooks)
Hunter (Affentanz)
Kill for Your Love (Labrinth)
Make You Wanna Cry (The Glare)
Old Flames (Abigail Lapell)
SECRET NOMINEE: Abandon (Jeff Hilliard)
BEST WEB SERIES
(No secret nominee)
24/7
Bento Banana
Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story
Hit Man: Secrets of Lies
Pear
Tales from the Dark Web: Moira Hill
BEST FOUND FOOTAGE SHORT
(No secret nominee)
Angel Hare
Haunted by Nikola Tesla
Salvage
Spiral to the Center
Thin Skinned
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
(No secret nominee)
Justice for Batman
The Strom Chaser
THE MINERVA AWARD
(Awarded to a female 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)
A Little Help – Christine Celozzi
Autopilot – Jennifer Zhang
F’ckn Nuts – Sam Fox
I Could Just Die… and That Would Be All Right – A.K. Espada
Kill Your Lover – Alix Austin
No Overnight Parking – Meg Swertlow
Pruning – Lola Blanc
Ride Baby Ride – Sofie Somoroff
Storm – Lena Tsodykovskaya
Ten of Swords – Faye Jackson
The Ringmaster – Maya Albanese
Velma – Scarlet Moreno
Victim No #6 – Nancy Menagh
Violet Butterfield – Brooke H. Cellars
Where the Witch Lives – Mariel Sharp
BEST DIRECTOR – FEATURE
All You Need is Blood – Cooper Roberts
Double Blind – Ian Hunt-Duffy
Hippo – Mark H. Rapaport
Irati – Paul Urkijo Alijo
New Life – John Rosman
The Deep Dark – Mathieu Turi
The Wait – F. Javier Guiterrez
SECRET NOMINEE: Frogman – Anthony Cousins
BEST SCREENPLAY – FEATURE
American Meltdown – Andrew Adams
How to Kill Monsters – Paul Butler & Stewart Sparke
Hundreds of Beavers – Mike Cheslik & Ryland Brickson Cole Tews
Irati – Paul Urkijo Alijo, Jon Muñoz Otaegui & Juan Luis Landa
Me, Myself & The Void – Timothy Hautekiet & Nik Oldershaw
The Hyperborean – Tony Burgess
The Last Movie Ever Made – Nathan Blackwell
SECRET NOMINEE: Hippo – Mark H. Rapaport & Kimball Farley
BEST ACTOR – FEATURE
All You Need is Blood – Logan Riley Bruner
Frogman – Nathan Tymoshuk
He Never Left – Colin Cunningham
Hippo – Kimball Farley
Kill Your Lover – Shane Quigley Murphy
Me, Myself & The Void – Jack De Sena
The Wait – Víctor Clavijo
SECRET NOMINEE: The Last Movie Ever Made – Adam Rini
BEST ACTRESS – FEATURE
American Meltdown – Jacki Von Preysing
Black Mold – Agnes Albright
Double Blind – Millie Brady
Hippo – Lilla Kizlinger
Kill Your Lover – Paige Gilmour
My Mother’s Eyes – Akane Ono
New Life – Sonya Walger
SECRET NOMINEE: How to Kill Monsters – Lyndsey Craine
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – FEATURE
All You Need is Blood – Eddie Griffin
Black Mold – Jeremy Holm
He Never Left – David E. McMahon
Hippo – Jesse Pimentel
Me, Myself & The Void – Chris W. Smith
The Deep Dark – Samuel Le Bihan
Zombie Strain – William Mann
SECRET NOMINEE: The Deep Dark – Amir El Kacim
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – FEATURE
All You Need is Blood – Mena Suvari
He Never Left – Jessica Staples
Hippo – Eliza Roberts
Irati – Edurne Azkarate
Me, Myself & The Void – Kelly Marie Tran
My Mother’s Eyes – Mone Shitara
New Life – Hayley Erin
SECRET NOMINEE: American Meltdown – Nicolette Sweeney
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – FEATURE
Double Blind
How to Kill Monsters
The Deep Dark
The Hyperborean
The Last Movie Ever Made
The Wait
Zombie Strain
SECRET NOMINEE: Me, Myself & The Void
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – FEATURE
All You Need is Blood
American Meltdown
Black Mold
Double Blind
Hippo
Irati
The Wait
SECRET NOMINEE: The Deep Dark
BEST EDITING – FEATURE
A Disturbance in the Force
Citizen Sleuth
Frogman
Hundreds of Beavers
Me, Myself & The Void
My Mother’s Eyes
The Hyperborean
SECRET NOMINEE: Double Blind
BEST SOUND – FEATURE
Double Blind
Frogman
How to Kill Monsters
Hundreds of Beavers
My Mother’s Eyes
New Life
The Deep Dark
SECRET NOMINEE: Irati
BEST SCORE – FEATURE
Citizen Sleuth
He Never Left
Hippo
Irati
Me, Myself & The Void
My Mother’s Eyes
The Wait
SECRET NOMINEE: All You Need is Blood
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN / ART DIRECTION – FEATURE
Double Blind
How to Kill Monsters
Hundreds of Beavers
The Deep Dark
The Last Movie Ever Made
The Wait
The Wheel of Heaven
SECRET NOMINEE: Irati
BEST COSTUMES – FEATURE
Irati
The Deep Dark
The Last Movie Ever Made
The Wait
The Wheel of Heaven
SECRET NOMINEE: Hundreds of Beavers
BEST VISUAL FX – FEATURE
How to Kill Monsters
Hundreds of Beavers
Irati
Kill Your Lover
The Hyperborean
SECRET NOMINEE: Me, Myself & The Void
BEST MAKEUP FX – FEATURE
All You Need is Blood
Black Mold
Frogman
How to Kill Monsters
Irati
New Life
The Deep Dark
SECRET NOMINEE: The Hyperborean
BEST DIRECTOR – SHORT
A Dire Straight – Liang-Chun Lin
Come Home – Mike Pecci
Escape Attempt – Alex Topaller & Dan Shapiro
Evenveil – Sam Balcomb
My Scary Indian Wedding – Ramone Menon
Pruning – Lola Blanc
Recollector – Nabil Chowdhary
T-Minus – L.M. Oliver
Terror – Giles Buchanan
SECRET NOMINEE: The Reclaimers – Jason Sheedy
BEST SCREENPLAY – SHORT
[subtext]
Bounce House
Hitched
In The Heat
Murder Camp
Oddities
String
Sucker
To Err
SECRET NOMINEE: Get Away
BEST ACTRESS – SHORT
13 Steps – Sara Fletcher
A Deer Caught in the Headlights – Amelie Onzon
A Good Scream – Fayna Sanchez
Accidental Stars – Madeleine Morrell
I Could Just Die…- Courtney Locke
Overnights – Anatasha Blakely
Pruning – Madeline Brewer
Requiem – Bella Ramsey
The Reclaimers – Erin Ownbey
SECRET NOMINEE: A Dire Strait – Christine Liao
BEST ACTOR – SHORT
Booba – Joseph Lopez
D I G – Sam Boxleitner
Dixieland – Tony Todd
Frequencies – Matthew Solomon
Fudgie Freddie – Brian Firenzi
Terror – Charles Sandford
The Forgotten – Judah Simard
Waving – Ralph Ineson
What Lies Within – Aiden Carere
SECRET NOMINEE: The Black Box – Lee Zen Lee
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SHORT
13 Steps – Suzanne Voss
Bounce House – Jade Kaiser
Farmer Ed – Samantha Nugent
Lure – Bobby Rainsbury
My Scary Indian Wedding – Lexa Gluck
Oddities – Ariela Barer
That’s Our Time – Debra Wilson
What Lies Within – Randi Lynne Weidman
Will the circle be unbroken – Whitney Palmer
SECRET NOMINEE: Booba – Kyle Mcllelan
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SHORT
Lure – Douglas Russell
Martyr of a Forgotten Dream – Duke Lafoon
My Scary Indian Wedding – Patrick Rutnam
Robbie Ain’t Right No More – Jadon Cal
The Heritage – Bruce Jones
The Ringmaster – Sam Witwer
The Sin-Eater – Jack Parry-Jones
Unkind Cut – Skinner Myers
Volition – Zachary Grant
SECRET NOMINEE: Requiem – Safia Oakley-Green
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – SHORT*
Captive
Closing Time
Hitched
Interference
Jeong-Dong
Kiddo
Martyr of a Forgotten Dream
Murder Camp
Not Us
Remote
Shallots and Garlic
The Ghost Light
Tower Theatre
Up on the Housetop
Volition
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SHORT
13 Steps
Accidental Stars
Are You Awake?
Booba
Escape Attempt
Gutter
Meadowville
Septichexen
The Last Embrace
SECRET NOMINEE: Come Home
BEST EDITING – SHORT
Are You Awake?
Come Home
Entrainment
Evenveil
For the Safety Theo
Hideous Heart
Homecoming
Meadowville
Terror
SECRET NOMINEE: Saborrrr!
BEST SOUND – SHORT
13 Steps
Come Home
Escape Attempt
Evenveil
Hitched
Honk
Sincopat
The Reclaimers
Vestige
SECRET NOMINEE: Hideous Heart
BEST SCORE – SHORT
Book of the Old Ways
Juggernaut
Lost in the Sky
Martyr of a Forgotten Dream
My Scary Indian Wedding
Recollector
T-Minus
Things Visible and Invisible
ZIB
SECRET NOMINEE: The Ringmaster
BEST PRODUCTION DESGIN / ART DIRECTION – SHORT
Casual Vignettes of Gilded Vulgarity
Dark Cell
Dead Enders
Escape Attempt
Fck’n Nuts
T-Minus
The Management
Velma
Voyager
SECRET NOMINEE: S P I D E R L I L Y
BEST COSTUMES – SHORT
Casual Vignettes of Gilded Vulgarity
Content: The Lo-Fi Man
Facies
Juggernaut
Old Time Radio: Your Move
Requiem
S P I D E R L I L Y
The Ringmaster
Velma
SECRET NOMINEE: Evenveil
BEST VISUAL FX – SHORT
D I G
Dark Cell
Escape Attempt
Evenveil
Fungus
Gov.os
Hideous Heart
Lost in the Sky
We Hunt Giants
SECRET NOMINEE: Remote
BEST MAKEUP FX – SHORT
Dead Enders
Hide Your Crazy
High Fun
I Could Just Die…
Let It Kill You
Old Time Radio: Your Move
Saint-Sacrifice
The Heritage
Toad Boy
SECRET NOMINEE: Bookworm
UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
All un-produced screenplay finalists (aka Official Selections) were chosen by a team of third party judges. Winners and Top 20 (Features) and Top 10 (Shorts) were announced at the festival’s closing night awards ceremony on November 4th, 2023.
SCREENPLAY FINALISTS – FEATURES (Top 50)
A Nice Place to Visit by John Munn
A Stench in the Nostrils of God by Michael Klug
Abyssus by Eric Hanson & Derek Stewart
Angler by Adam Baker & Jason Von Godi
Asphalt & Lipstick by Ryan Andrews & Katisha Shaw
Biter by Jennifer Trudrung
Blood of the Mob by Johnny Giacalone
Blue by Adam Means and David McAbee
Borderline by Kieran Shea & David Osorio
Chateau Sauvignon by David M. Night Mair & Adam T. Wolfe
Consumed by Don Stroud
Death Sentence by Lee H. Ross
Deep Down by Dan Sullivan
Don Hustle by Josh Kirk
Eject by David Yorke
Emmett of Xendia by Michael Andrew Blomquist
Fire Lake by Mark Miller
Forsaken by Jeffrey Stackhouse & Wendy Lashbrook
Frankenstein in the Land of Oz by Mike Mann
Green River by Bryan Ricke
Hunter by Alan Sanchez
Infinity Canvas by Jay Hodgkins
Inheritance by Michael Smallwood
Krolik by Rose Ann-Marie Norberg
Matriarch by Scott Alexander Naar & Sarah Naar
Mysteries of the Desert by Whitney Crowder & Adam Hardman
Necessary Predators by Nicholas Holland
NRG by Andreas Petersen
Queen of the Night by Lauren Pruitt
Quest for Humanity: The Champion Search by Lance B. Witmer
Rough Cut by Mitchell V. Slan
Settlement by Jason Sheedy
Sheriff of Rottingham by Anthony Ferraro
Snatchers by Craig Alexander
The Broken Fellowship by Sam T. Weston
The Circuit Breaker by David Ethan Sanders
The Devil Herself by Luke Wijaysinha-Gray
The Ferry Man by Mary Noel Hoffmann
The Hat Man by Edward G. Lyons & Melissa P. Lyons
The Hollow by Melissa Vitello
The Memory Sphere by Kevin Sluder
The Morbs by Greg Sisco
The Place I Belong by Bryant Karnes
The Prodigal by Thomas O’Malley
The Third Wife by Barrett Burgin & Daniel Yen Tu
The Tooth Fairy by Tony Morales & Fer Zaragoza
Thrash by Kieran Shea & David Osorio
Time, Space, and the Poet by John Turner
Wicked Grin by Arran Crawley
Wish It Away by Gabe Martinez
SCREENPLAY FINALISTS – SHORTS (Top 30)
Advent by Katherine LaVictoire
Apocalypse Messiah by Emily Robyn Clark
Berenice’s Basement by Ken Teutsch & Mike Prince
Blackout by Scott Akers
Detective Palooka by Jason Lou Baldwin
Deus in Machina by Michelle Fenn
Devil’s Instrument by Frederik Ehrhardt
Do Not Open by Brian Barnes
Drip by Stephanie Moore
Erosion by Tony Hipwell
Freeda by Lorenzo Colonna & Giada Mazzoleni
Hair Wraith by Jenny Popovich
Honed by Jeffrey Howe
House Broken by Joseph Douglas Lint
Hurtling Slowly by Stephonika W. Kaye
Kissyfoot by Michael Clifton
Lashes by Jill Sachs
Mermaid by Jerry D. Ochoa
Mouse by Michael Clifton
Mr. Right by Rakefet Abergel
Okay (The Hive) by Jessica Makinson
Scratch, Scratch by Pierre Langenegger
Silvertooth: Starring the Darkwings by Nick Burchard
Sitting Larry by Maryellen De Vivo
The Avon Lady by Guillermo Ortiz & Geena Karsama
The First Day of School by Shane Thompson
The Insatiable Pine by Kent Green
The Magic Mechanic by Justin Carter
The Weeping Willows by Amalie Lorentzen
Transport by Shea E. Butler
CONGRATULATIONS to ALL the 2023 FilmQuest Award Nominees & Screenplay Official Selections!
FILMQUEST 2023 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
The 2023 FilmQuest saw a record setting 1,600 films and screenplays submitted for consideration, shattering yet again our previous record for submissions, and made judging and selecting this year’s lineup an incredibly difficult task. From these submissions, we made our Official Selections across several categories from around the world to play and compete at the 10th Anniversary 2023 FilmQuest Festival.
Screenplay finalists were chosen by a group of professional third party judges, of which the list of 80 finalists (50 features, 30 shorts) has been made and can be seen below the film selections. A total of 31 nations are represented in the final selections from a field that saw over 50 countries submit to the festival for consideration. Over 55% of all films selected were either written, directed, and/or produced by a female filmmaker.
The 10th annual FilmQuest will take place October 26th – November 4th, 2023 at the Velour Live Music Gallery in beautiful Downtown Provo, Utah. Tickets and passes will go on sale once the schedule of events and screenings are finalized no later than September. A virtual cinema, with selections screening exclusively online will also be a part of the festival, will be hosted with our new streaming platform partner Entertainment Oxygen, aka EO (download the mobile app today). More information on how to access the films for the online screenings will be coming soon. The website will also be updated in September with information on each film and screenplay in preparation for the physical festival this Fall.
Nominations will be announced for all awards at a later date in September. Premiere statuses TBD. Selections are subject to change before the festival.
Start planning your FilmQuest experience today and prepare for Fantastic as our 10th Anniversary season is going to be a can’t miss experience and event! Congratulations once again to all the 2023 Official Selections!
FEATURE FILMS
A Disturbance in the Force (Documentary) – USA
All You Need is Blood – USA
American Meltdown – USA
Black Mold – USA
Double Blind – Ireland
Frogman – USA
He Never Left – USA
Hippo – USA
How to Kill Monsters – UK
Hundreds of Beavers – USA
Irati – Spain
Kill Your Lover – UK
Me, Myself & The Void – USA
New Life – USA
The Deep Dark – France
The Hyperborean – Canada
The Last Movie Ever Made – USA
The Wait – Spain
The Wheel of Heaven – USA
Zombie Strain – USA
SHORT FILMS
COMEDY, DARK COMEDY & HORROR COMEDY SHORTS
A Good Scream – USA
A Little Help? – USA
Baby Face – USA
Bag for Life – UK
Batshit Crazy – India
Bounce House – USA
Cafe Cicatriz – Chile
Candor – USA
Casual Vignettes of Gilded Vulgarity – USA
Content: The Lo-Fi Man – USA
Dead Enders – USA
Deliverance – USA
Dog Breath – USA
Don’t Let Kyle Sit Down – USA
Farmer Ed – USA
Fck’n Nuts – USA
First-ish Contact – Australia
Five Stars – USA
For the Safety of Theo – USA
Fun, Gus! – USA
Gold and Mud – USA
Goo Darts – USA
Haunted by Nikola Tesla – USA
Hide Your Crazy – USA
High Stakes – USA
Justus: Seaghan Destroy – Canada
Knock, Knock, (Knock) – UK
Leverage – USA
Look! The Invisible Man – USA
Murder Camp – USA
Nosepicker – UK
Old Time Radio: Your Move – USA
Overnights – USA
Quiet! Mom’s Working! – USA
Scam – USA
Seeing Other People – USA
Shoes Off – USA
Strange Bedfellows – USA
String – USA
Sugar Rag – USA
Surgical Precision – New Zealand
The 44th Chamber of Shaolin – USA
The Discarded – UK
The Foul – UK
The Girl with the Haunted Vagina – UK
The Haunted Baby Carriage from Hell – USA
The Heritage – UK
The Jellyfish Man – USA
The Lure – UK
The Stand-Up – USA
They Grow Up So Fast – USA
Thin Skinned – USA
Too Slow – USA
Tooth – USA
Unkind Cut – USA
Up on the Housetop – USA
Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist for the Dead – USA
Virgil’s Rings – USA
We Forgot About the Zombies – USA
Welcome to Candy’s – France
Wesley Loses His Penis – USA
You Have Reached Your Destination – Canada
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Justice for Batman – USA
The Storm Chaser – UK
FANTASTIC SHORTS
[subtext] – USA
A Cotton Moon – USA
A Sweet Tooth – USA
Before I Go – USA
Cornerboy – Germany
Dixieland – USA
Garbage Days – Belgium
Lady and the Tramp – UK
Not Us – USA
Shallots and Garlic – Canada
Skewered – UK
The Inflection Scheme – USA
The Loop: Undeniable – USA
They Call It… Red Cemetery! – Portugal
Volition – USA
FANTASY & DARK FANTASY SHORTS
Clemency – USA
Evenveil – USA
Fungus – Australia
I Could Just Die… and That Would Be All Right – USA
Juggernaut – Italy
LIV – Denmark
Pink Reef – Australia
Spiderlily – USA
Sylvie Made It – Belgium
The Black Box – Taiwan
The Christ of the Skull – Spain
The Legend of King Kang-Mi – USA
The Ghost Light – USA
The Ringmaster – USA
The Sin-Eater – UK
Things Visible and Invisible – USA
Villain – UK
We Hunt Giants – USA
Wraith – Canada
ZZZ – USA
HORROR & THRILLER SHORTS
13 Steps – USA
A Deer Caught in the Headlights – Netherlands
A Suit and a Straight Razor – USA
Accidental Stars – USA
Alicia – Spain
Are You Awake? – USA
Bookworm – Spain
BUG – USA
Bye-Bye – Canada
Callus – Ireland
Captive – USA
Caterpillar – UK
Come Home – USA
Cover Your Ears – Sweden
D I G – USA
Dead Connection – USA
Dysmorphia – USA
Eject – UK
Elixir – Ireland & UK
English Tutor – South Korea
Eyestring – USA
Facies – Spain
Fudgie Freddie – USA
Get Away – USA
Gummies – Dominican Republic & USA
Here to Stay – USA
High Fun – India
Hitched – Australia
Honk – USA
In Your Hands – USA
Interference – USA
Janelle’s Baby – USA
Kiddo – UK
La Nueva (The Newcomer) – Spain
Leech – UK
Let It Kill You – USA
Lure – UK
Make It Stop – USA
Maryla – France
Meadowville – USA
Merger – UK
My Scary Indian Wedding – USA
Nash – USA
Night Nurse – USA
No Overnight Parking – USA
Oddities – USA
POV – USA
Pruning – USA
Quiet – Spain
Red Velvet – USA
Ride Baby Ride – USA
Robbie Ain’t Right No More – USA
Saint-Sacrifice – Canada
Sempre Avanti – USA
Septichexen – Norway
Shelter Half – USA
Slashr – USA
Spoor – UK
Storm – USA
Ten of Swords – UK
Terror – UK
The Drawing – USA
The Fledgling – USA
The Forgotten – USA
The Hunt – USA
The Invaders – USA
The Perfect Place to Cry – USA
The Queue – USA
The Reclaimers – USA
The Tunnel – USA
Toad Boy – USA
Velma – USA
Victim No. 6 – USA
Where the Witch Lives – Canada
Worry No More – USA
Yule Cat – Sweden
SCI-FI & THE BEYOND SHORTS
Alone – USA
Angel Hare – USA
Autopilot – USA
Awake – USA
Closing Time – USA
Dark Cell – France
Ensouled – UK
Entrainment – USA
Escape Attempt – USA
Frequencies – USA
From Above – USA
GOV.OS – Colombia & USA
Gutter – Canada
Hideous Heart – USA
Homecoming – USA
Human Resources – USA
Lost in the Sky – Sweden
Lux Chroma – Malaysia
Radio Telescope – USA
Recollector – Australia
Remote – USA
Salvage – USA
Sincopat – Spain
Spiral to the Center – UK
Sucker – Netherlands
T-MINUS – USA
That’s Our Time – USA
The Orb – USA
The Universe and You – USA
They Come from the Sky – USA
TLG – USA
Toggle – USA
Variations on a Theme – USA
Vestige – UK
Visitors – Australia
Waving – UK
ZIB – USA
UTAH SHORTS
An Arrangement of Skin – USA
Body of Work – USA
Box Boy – USA
Bull Rider – USA
Hannah Harbor – USA
Munch – USA
Poolside Inn – USA
Saborrrr! – USA
Sacrament – USA
Sneak Over – USA
The Handbook – USA
The Last Embrace – USA
The Princess and the Formaldehyde Specimen – USA
To Err – USA
Tower Theatre – USA
Whisper – USA
Will the Circle Be Unbroken – USA
STUDENT FILMS
COMEDY & DARK COMEDY STUDENT FILMS
The Management (Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg) – Germany
The Mantis (CalArts) – USA
Trapped (London Film School) – UK
Virgins for Satan (USC) – USA
Work Life (USC) – USA
FANTASTIC STUDENT FILMS
Booba (USC) – USA
Heptapus (Columbia University) – USA
Martyr of a Forgotten Dream (New York Film Academy) – USA
Requiem (National Film and Television School) – UK
What Lies Within (USC) – USA
FANTASY STUDENT FILMS
Book of the Old Ways (Victorian College of the Arts) – Australia
The Old Young Crow (NYU & CalArts) – Japan & USA
HORROR & THRILLER STUDENT FILMS
A Dire Strait (Chapman University) – Taiwan & USA
Jeong-Dong “Affects” (Korea National University of Arts) – South Korea
Ringing Rocks (AFI) – USA
The Spirit Became Flesh (USC) – USC
Vespa (Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema) – USA
SCI-FI & THE BEYOND STUDENT FILMS
Ten With a Flag (Screen Academy Scotland) – UK
The Third Ear (Pratt Institute) – USA
Voyager (ESCAC) – Spain
ANIMATED FILMS
A Beaver’s Tale – Canada
A Paw Over Dark – USA
Dandelion – USA
Decay Process – USA
Demons in the Closet – Germany
Drifter – Belgium
Forlorn – USA
In the Heat – Canada
Innermost – China
L’abattu des vents – Canada
Lands of Steel – Belgium
Las Nogas – USA
Lord – Canada
Middle Watch – UK
Mothership – USA
No. 8 Reporting – Canada
P.F. Chang’s Signature Rice – USA
Regular Rabbit – Ireland
The Dark Odyssey 2: Ice Nexus – USA
The Forest King – Canada
The Voice in the Hallow – Colombia & USA
MUSIC VIDEOS
Abandon (Jeff Hilliard) – USA
All I Need (The Burning Hell) – USA
Ashes in the Wind (System Syn) – USA
Dead Dreams Falling – France
Engulfed (Judiciary) – USA
Finger Bang Your Day (Jeff Hilliard) – USA
Heart of Vengeance (Crooks) – Denmark
Hit and Run (Billy and the Kidz) – USA
Hunter (Affentanz) – Germany
ITIIITIATIIHYLIHYL (Blackshape) – USA
Kill for Your Love (Labrinth) – USA
Make You Wanna Cry (The Glare) – UK
Old Flames (Abigail Lapell) – Canada
Revolution Maker (Jane Jensen) – USA
The Girl is Crying in Her Latte (Sparks) – USA
Umm (Bucky ft. Button) – USA
Unchained Melody (Elvis Presley) – Australia/USA
Upside (PLS&TY) – USA
WEB SERIES
24/7 – USA
Bento Banana – USA
Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story – USA
Hit Man: Secret of Lies – USA
Pear – USA
Tales from the Dark Web: Moira Hill – Australia