The Deep Dark, a mining horror story directed by Mathieu Turi, won Best Feature Film at the 10th annual FilmQuest, the fun-spiked Provo, Utah festival devoted to all things genre, from sci-fi to fantasy to creature features to anxiety-ridden horror.
Led by founder and filmmaker Jonathan Martin, the festival packs filmmakers and film fanatics into Provo’s Velour, an all-ages venue that transforms, for the length of FilmQuest, into a church of genre. Almost around the clock, students of slashers, ghost stories and grisly comic allegory celebrate each other’s work from their chairs, cozy couches, settees or special spaces reserved for filmmakers as their works are unveiled.
Man of a thousand faces Doug Jones was on hand this year, just as he was at the first FilmQuest.
You can click on the following links to read more extensively about some of the winners, including Erin Brown Thomas’ “[subtext]”, Jillian Corsie’s “Tooth,” Mike Cheslik’s Hundreds of Beavers, and Sam Fox’s “Fck’n Nuts.”
The latter film was made with the proud support of MovieMaker Production Services after MovieMaker met the very talented Fox at the 2022 edition of FilmQuest.
FilmQuest is one of MovieMaker‘s 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World and one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, and if you make it to Provo next year you’ll have no trouble understanding why — it’s a near perfect mix of fun and inspiration, and it’s not at all uncommon for attendees to meet new creative partners with whom they can complete projects in time for the next edition. See you in 2024.
Here is the complete list of FilmQuest winners.
BEST FEATURE FILMThe Deep Dark
GRAND PRIZE BEST SHORT FILMEscape Attempt
BEST COMEDY SHORTMurder Camp
BEST FANTASTIC SHORT[subtext]
BEST FANTASY SHORTJuggernaut
BEST FOREIGN SHORTSincopat
BEST HORROR SHORTTerror**
BEST MICRO SHORTTooth
BEST MIDNIGHT SHORTFck’n Nuts
BEST SCI-FI SHORTEscape Attempt
BEST STUDENT SHORTVoyager**
BEST UTAH SHORTTo Err
BEST ANIMATED SHORTThe Voice of the Hollow
BEST MUSIC VIDEOAbandon**
BEST WEB SERIESHeadless: A Sleepy Hollow Story
BEST DOCUMENTARYCitizen Sleuth
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORTJustice for Batman
BEST FOUND FOOTAGE FEATUREFrogman
BEST FOUND FOOTAGE SHORTAngel Hare
THE MINERVA AWARDA.K. Espada for “I Could Just Die… and That Would Be All Right”
BEST DIRECTOR – FEATUREThe Wait – F. Javier Guiterrez
BEST SCREENPLAY – FEATUREAmerican Meltdown – Andrew Adams
BEST ACTOR – FEATUREHippo – Kimball Farley
BEST ACTRESS – FEATURENew Life – Sonya Walger
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – FEATUREThe Deep Dark – Amir El Kacem**
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – FEATURENew Life – Hayley Erin
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – FEATUREMe, Myself & The Void**
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – FEATUREThe Wait
BEST EDITING – FEATUREHundreds of Beavers
BEST SOUND – FEATUREDouble Blind
BEST SCORE – FEATUREIrati
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION – FEATUREIrati**
BEST COSTUMES – FEATUREIrati
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – FEATUREHundreds of Beavers
BEST MAKEUP – FEATUREHow to Kill Monsters
BEST DIRECTOR – SHORTCome Home – Mike Pecci
BEST SCREENPLAY – SHORTTo Err – Derek Romrell
BEST ACTOR – SHORTWhat Lies Within – Aiden Carere
BEST ACTRESS – SHORTPruning – Madeline Brewer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SHORTThe Sin-Eater – Jack Parry-Jones
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SHORTOddities – Ariela Barer
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – SHORTVolition
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SHORTAccidental Stars
BEST EDITING – SHORTEntrainment
BEST SOUND – SHORTHonk
BEST SCORE – SHORTLost in the Sky
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION – SHORTS P I D E R L I L Y**
BEST COSTUMES – SHORTVelma
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – SHORTEvenveil
BEST MAKEUP – SHORTOld Time Radio: Your Move
DIRECTOR’S PRIZEOverall Cinematic Achievement – Hundreds of BeaversOverall Cinematic Achievement – Lost in the SkyOverall Cinematic Achievement – The Last Movie Ever MadeOverall Cinematic Achievement – The ReclaimersArtistic Vision & Execution – The RingmasterCultural Impact & Achievement – My Scary Indian WeddingAtmosphere & Tone – MeadowvilleAtmosphere & Tone – Red VelvetPayoff & Execution – Too SlowDynamic Duo – Kill Your Lover
BEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – FEATURE1st Place – The Circuit Breaker by David Ethan Sanders2nd Place – The Memory Sphere by Kevin Sluder3rd Place – Borderline by Kieran Shea & David Osorio
BEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – SHORT1st Place – The Insatiable Pine by Kent Green2nd Place – The Weeping Willows by Amalie Lorentzen3rd Place (TIE) – Lashes by Jill Sachs3rd Place (TIE) – Honed by Jeffrey HoweBEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – FEATURE – TOP 20 (Updating)A Nice Place to Visit by John MunnBlood of the Mob by Johnny GiacaloneBorderline by Kieran Shea & David OsorioConsumed by Don StroudDeep Down by Dan SullivanFrankenstein in the Land of Oz by Mike MannHunter by Alan SanchezKrolik by Rose Ann-Marie NorbergMysteries of the Desert by Whitney Crowder & Adam HardmanNRG by Andreas PetersenRough Cut by Mitchell V. SlanSettlement by Jason SheedySheriff of Rottingham by Anthony FerraroThe Broken Fellowship by Sam T. WestonThe Circuit Breaker by David Ethan SandersThe Hat Man by Edward G. Lyons & Melissa P. LyonsThe Memory Sphere by Kevin SluderThe Prodigal by Thomas O’MalleyThe Third Wife by Barrett Burgin & Daniel Yen TuWicked Grin by Arran Crawley
BEST UN-PRODUCED SCREENPLAY – SHORT – TOP 10Blackout by Scott AkersDetective Palooka by Jason Lou BaldwinErosion by Tony HipwellFreeda by Lorenzo Colonna & Giada MazzoleniHoned by Jeffrey HoweLashes by Jill SachsMermaid by Jerry D. OchoaMouse by Michael CliftonThe Insatiable Pine by Kent GreenThe Weeping Willows by Amalie Lorentzen
Main image: FilmQuest founder Jonathan Martin (center) leads a panel discussion with FilmQuest filmmakers.