The Overlook Film Festival is a four-day celebration of all things horror held in haunted, historic & iconic venues throughout New Orleans. Presenting superior film programming with an expanded focus on experiential events, the festival showcases exciting work in new and classic horror cinema alongside the latest in interactive and live shows for a fully immersive weekend.
As a summer camp for genre fans, The Overlook is a community event bringing the best of horror storytelling to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience within an intimate and inspirational environment. Evoking the spirit of the Overlook hotel, horror’s most infamous fictional haunt, the 2025 Overlook Film Festival runs from April 3 – April 6, headquartered at the Prytania Theatres at Canal Place in Downtown New Orleans and Prytania Theatres Uptown.
The festival advisory board includes Joe Dante (Filmmaker – Gremlins, The Howling), Karyn Kusama (Filmmaker – Jennifer’s Body, The Invitation), Ryan Turek (VP of Feature Film Development, Blumhouse Productions), Leigh Whannell (Actor / Writer / Filmmaker – Saw, Insidious), Diana Williams (CEO & Co-Founder, Kinetic Energy Entertainment), Elijah Wood (Founding Partner, SpectreVision), and
The Ugly Stepsister, Touch Me, Best Wishes to All, The Traveler & the Troll and Los Muchacho Among the Awarded Films Festival Highlights Include Ernest Dickerson Receiving Master of Horror Award, Opening Night Screening of Drop, Flying Lotus As Inaugural Guest Curator and Shudder Second Line and 10th Anniversary Party
The Overlook Film Festival announced April 10, 2025, the winners of the audience and juried prizes, as well as some of the festival highlights, from the largest edition yet of the annual celebration of all things horror.
Feature film Audience Award, voted on by festival attendees, went to Emilie Blichfeldt’s The Ugly Stepsister: A warped, sinister spin on the Cinderella story. The honorable mention award went to director Alexander Ullom’s It Ends. For short films, the Audience Award was given to Adam Murray’s The Traveler & the Troll, which told the story of a traveler who encounters a monster in a haunted forest. Receiving the honorable mention in the shorts category was Last to Leave by Mary Elizabeth Ellis.
“It was an honor to be at the Overlook Film Festival,” said Emilie Blichfeldt. “This fest has such great audiences and I loved eavesdropping on their reactions. Thank you to those audiences for appreciating my film.”
“It’s an incredible honor to win the audience award,” Adam Murray was quoted as saying. “This film was made as a celebration of both horror-fantasy and practical FX filmmaking. It’s the work of a dozen artists coming together to handcraft a tangible world and to express love for the magic that movies have. We’re so thankful that the audiences at Overlook felt the same way!”
For the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film the jury awarded Touch Me from director Addison Heimann, stating “smart, hilarious, unpredictable, gory and emotionally authentic, Touch Me is a film that perfectly represents The Overlook Film Festival – and horror genre itself. Also, who knew Lou Taylor Pucci had that dawg in him?” Honorable mention went to Redux Redux from directors Kevin and Matthew McManus.
“I was over the moon to be invited back to the Overlook Film Festival this year and to receive this award is just the bees knees,” said Addison Heimann. “Thanks to Landon, Mike and the whole team for having me and thanks to the jury for recognizing this weird little tentacle movie. Make movies with friends! It’s just the best.”
The jury awarded the Scariest Feature Award to Yûta Shimotsu’s Best Wishes to All, declaring that “with its unrelenting dread in broad daylight, a tableau in which the familiar becomes terrifying, and a social theme that would make George Romero, Bong Joon Ho and Jordan Peele proud, Best Wishes To All gets under your skin and stays there.” Honorable mention went to Good Boy from director Ben Leonberg.
“I am honored to have been selected for the “scariest feature” amongst all the wonderful entries,” said Yûta Shimotsu. “The word “fear” can be defined in many ways as there are many different kinds of fear. With this award, I will continue to work hard so that you can feel a new sense of fear that you have never felt before. Thank you very much!”
The features jury consisted of film journalist Haleigh Foutch, editor-in chief of Fangoria Phil Nobile Jr. and filmmaker Alice Waddington.
In the shorts juried prizes, Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film was awarded to Los Muchachos by Alejandro Arties, with an Honorable Mention for Creature Design given to The Traveler & the Troll from Adam Murray. The award for Scariest Short went to Cruelty from director Sam Das, with an Honorable Mention for Production Design given to Easybake from director Sasha Duncan.
“From the moment we started work on Cruelty, our team’s goal was to terrify audiences, so being named The Scariest Short at The Overlook Film Festival is a deeply humbling honor,” said Sam Das. “I’m beyond grateful to The Overlook’s visionary team and my fellow filmmakers for making this year’s festival lineup truly unforgettable.”
“Thank you to the jury,” said Alejandro Arties. “It’s an honor to share our short film with you. I guess life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock!”
In awarding these films, the short film jury stated: “In a competitive slate of films, our winners impressed the judges with their accomplished and inspired work. Grand Jury winner Los Muchachos tells a heartbreaking and horrific story through writing and performance, while Scariest Short Cruelty combines righteous fury with propulsive storytelling. Meanwhile, our Honorable Mentions Easybake and The Traveler and the Troll both support their creators’ visions with exceptional filmmaking craft. We thank this year’s filmmakers for their passion and dedication.”
The 2025 Overlook Film Festival Short Film Jury was composed of filmmaker Brooke H. Cellars, film journalist Deirdre Crimmins and filmmaker Addison Heimann.
The 2025 festival welcomed 90 filmmaker guests to America’s most haunted city, New Orleans, LA, from April 3-6, for the ninth annual horror celebration. The record-breaking edition included 41 sold out screenings and events and approximately 7500 audience members in attendance — the festival’s highest number of attendees to date.
Among the highlights of this year’s festival was the Opening Night screening of Drop, the new movie from the acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Landon, which played at the historic Prytania Uptown theater on April 3. “Screening Drop at the Overlook Film Festival was a dream come true,” said Christopher Landon. “There’s no greater joy than being among other horror fans and feeling the excitement and love for a genre that has defined my career. The whole festival felt like coming home and I’m so grateful to everyone who welcomed me with open arms.”
Legendary filmmaker and cinematographer Ernest Dickerson was on hand to present a special 30th anniversary screening of his film Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, while also receiving the festival’s prestigious Master of Horror Award. Previous recipients of the award include Roger Corman, Mick Garris, Stuart Gordon, Mike Flanagan and Joe Dante.
“I love the Overlook Film Festival!” said Ernest Dickerson. “Its celebration of all things horror and cinefantastique just fills the air with a warm fearful excitement. An at once huge but intimate film festival for lovers of horror and a great place to catch up on the old and discover new genre classics.”
Iconic horror writer Joe Hill joined the festival for the world premiere of Abraham’s Boys, based on his short story. He also hosted a packed panel and book signing event.
“The Overlook Film Festival is like Woodstock for horror fans: a merry long weekend of can’t-miss scary films, lively panels and conversations and terrific people,” said Joe Hill. “I can’t remember the last time I came away from an event so excited about horror’s possibilities or so happy to be among the fright faithful. It’s the kind of experience that reminds you all over again of that great truism… you can’t spell ‘slaughter’ without ‘laughter’!”
Also in attendance was the festival’s inaugural Guest Curator, the acclaimed filmmaker and Grammy-winning musician Flying Lotus, who screened his film Ash as well as programmed and introduced a selection of his personal favorite films, including Death Becomes Her, The Descent and Lost Highway.
“Overlook Film Festival was next level,” said Flying Lotus. “Great films and great community. Definitely one of my favorite film festivals.”
Joining for the festivities were the incredible Boulet Brothers, performers and hosts of Shudder’s Dragula. They performed at the Opening Night Shudder 10th Anniversary Party, as well as hosted a panel.
“After a terrifying weekend at the Overlook Film Fest, we’re still basking in the haunting glow of indie horror,” said the Boulet Brothers. “It was a true celebration of creativity, where filmmakers and fans alike gathered to share their passion for the macabre. From spine-tingling screenings to our lively panel discussions, it was a joy to connect with fellow enthusiasts. Here’s to the daring storytellers who keep the spirit of horror alive and thriving—until we meet again in the shadows!”
Other highlights also included the Closing Night screening of Eli Craig’s Clown in a Cornfield; the Shudder second line leading to an incredible 10th anniversary party, a 40th anniversary screening of Re-Animator featuring a 4k restoration of the film and special guest Barbara Crampton; and a unique, 65th anniversary screening of William Castle’s 13 Ghosts, presented in its originally intended Illusion-O form, and accompanied by Phantom Follies, an ode to depression-era traveling live midnight horror shows performed by the magician Zabrecky and presented by the Academy of Magical Arts.
The festival is programmed by Co-Founders Landon Zakheim & Michael Lerman; Programming Manager Daniel Crooke; Short Film Programmer Katie Rife; and Festival Director Sheryl Santacruz.
The Overlook Film Festival is a 4-day celebration of all things horror held in haunted, historic & iconic venues throughout New Orleans. Presenting superior film programming with an expanded focus on experiential events, the festival showcases exciting work in new and classic horror cinema alongside the latest in interactive and live shows for a fully immersive weekend. As a summer camp for horror genre fans, The Overlook is a community event bringing the best of horror storytelling to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience within an intimate and inspirational environment.
Evoking the spirit of the Overlook hotel, horror’s most infamous fictional haunt, the 2025 Overlook Film Festival runs from April 3 – April 6, headquartered at the Prytania Theatres at Canal Place in Downtown New Orleans and Prytania Theatres Uptown. The festival advisory board includes Joe Dante (Filmmaker – Gremlins, The Howling), Karyn Kusama (Filmmaker – Jennifer’s Body, The Invitation), Ryan Turek (VP of Feature Film Development, Blumhouse Productions), Leigh Whannell (Actor / Writer / Filmmaker – Saw, Insidious), Diana Williams (CEO & Co-Founder, Kinetic Energy Entertainment), Elijah Wood (Founding Partner, SpectreVision), and more.
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the WORD Editor Gregg W. Morris