Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival handed its top Cheval Noir prize to the occult coming‑of‑age thriller “Mother of Flies” during a Saturday‑night ceremony at Cinéma du Musée. The film, directed by family trio John, Zelda and Toby Adams, is the first U.S. feature in the event’s 29‑year history to earn best film. It also secured the motion‑picture score award, a victory the filmmakers celebrated across Instagram and X within minutes of the announcement.
Indonesian filmmaker Hadrah Daeng Ratu claimed best director for “The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin,” while the screenplay honor went to Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson for Steve Pink’s sci‑fi satire “Terrestrial”. Alex Metcalfe earned the cinematography award for the Bolivia–U.K. drama “Cielo,” and jurors recognized Bakhytzhan Alpeis (“Stinker”) and Ui Mihara (“I Fell in Love with a Z‑Grade Director in Brooklyn”) for outstanding performances.
First‑feature laurels in the New Flesh competition went to Alexander Ullom’s road‑locked tragicomedy “It Ends,” which made a splash earlier in the week. China’s reality‑bending animation “The Girl Who Stole Time,” directed by Yu Ao and Zhou Tienan, captured the Satoshi Kon award for best animated feature. Festival artistic director Mitch Davis hosted the juried awards before a full house of filmmakers and fans.
The 29th edition opened on 16 July with Ari Aster’s “Eddington” and will wrap on 3 August with Genndy Tartakovsky’s adult animated comedy “Fixed.” Earlier press notices confirmed career honors this year for composer Danny Elfman and Tartakovsky, reflecting Fantasia’s focus on genre trailblazers.
Organizers said audience‑choice prizes will be revealed after closing night, but Saturday’s results already highlight the festival’s global reach, with winners spanning North America, Asia, Europe and South America. ScreenAnarchy’s preview of the nearly 130‑feature lineup noted record advance ticket demand, reinforcing the event’s status as a hub for cutting‑edge genre cinema. “Mother of Flies” heads next to horror streamer Shudder, positioning the micro‑budget feature for a wider audience this autumn.
