The 10th Anniversary of Portland Horror Film Festival was a banner year! Between June 11th – 15th, we screened 73 films from 13 countries at the Hollywood Theatre and Clinton Street Theater, and 70 films in our Streaming edition on the Eventive platform. Many of these films were written and directed by Black, Asian, Latine, and Women directors. Our founding mission was to present our audience with the most diverse and inclusive lineup of international independent Horror films, and after 10 years, that mission remains unchanged.
The 2025 Awards were presented at Dots Cafe with a crowd of visiting and local filmmakers and attendees! Every year, the bar for quality, creativity, and skill gets higher. And every year it is more difficult to make our film selections, let alone choose the winners. This year’s lineup was full of innovative, scary, emotional, and thought-provoking stories.
And the Winners Are…
Goule D’or Best Feature: It Needs Eyes – dir. by Zack Ogle & Aaron Pagniano
Suffering from a traumatic event, teenager Rowan drowns out the noise with increasingly bizarre, violent internet content. Soon, Rowan comes across videos of a missing woman known only as Fish Tooth, who she believes is calling out through the screen for help.
Co-writers/directors Zack Ogle and Aaron Pagniano deliver a coming of age story that transcends demographics to be relatable and terrifying for viewers of all ages. Their signature storytelling style incorporates strong elements of analog horror, familial relationship trauma, and mystery, topped off with supernatural overtones. Part arthouse horror, part mystery, and part supernatural thriller, It Needs Eyes is the complete package, supported by extremely strong performances, great production design, skillful sound design, and a sustained atmosphere of tension.
Written and Directed by Zack Ogle & Aaron Pagniano
Starring Raquel Lebish, Isadora Leiva, Lydia DeFiore
Goule D’Or Best Short: “Masks” – dir. by Andre LeBlanc
A husband slowly draws his wife from a long-standing catatonic state by having her wear a series of old Halloween masks. Driven by the hope of having her back, he pushes the experiment into dangerous territory, sending him towards a confrontation he’ll soon regret.
With its layered symbolism, “Masks” is a terrifying rumination on loss, identity, and truth, nestled in a horror narrative. The outstanding performances, production design, and general sense of unease and creepiness coalesce for a horrifying conclusion that will leave you breathless and anxious. A perfect storm.
Written and Directed by Andre LeBlanc
Starring Cindy Dolenc, Kenny Johnston, Livia Treviño
Main De Gloire: “Sundowning” – dir. by Faith Liu
The Main de Gloire award is reserved for the film that utilizes horror to deliver a message, whether it be a social justice one, or an emotional one.
Gerry – a long-time old-timer at La Luz Nursing Home – faces down nightfall, neglectful nurses, old regrets, and the thing lurking beneath the floorboards… armed with only a straw and a handful of peas.
Alongside it’s stellar production value and performances, “Sundowning” tackles the subject of our elder population that is generally overlooked, under-appreciated, and frequently seen as a nuisance. Director Faith Liu delivers the pill of commentary in the delicious wrapping of a monster movie.
Written and Directed by Faith Liu
Starring Ken Takemoto, Richard Follin, Cristen Barnes, Shu Lan Tuan
Horde Award (Audience Choice): “Banjo” – dir. by Cameron Poletti
Isaac is thrilled when his friend offers him the use of his family’s cabin in the woods to lose his virginity. But when his first time goes horribly wrong, he begins to believe it may be the work of a sinister circumcision cult!
Cameron Poletti’s impeccable comedic timing, perfectly paced dialogue, and viscerally funny visual gags created the perfect conditions for an audience pleasing, banger of a film!
Written by Alex Poletti
Directed by Cameron Poletti
Starring TJ Sullinger, Alex Poletti, Hunter Torr, Claire Rice
Funny Bone Award (Exceptional Horror Comedy): “Whitch” – dir by Hoku Uchiyama
After putting her daughter to bed, Aura finds that an elderly woman has broken into her house. The intruder, who acts strangely familiar, begins a ritual, summoning something dark into the living room. Aura tries to keep her daughter safe and grasp just what the hell is going on.
The winner of the Funny Bone Award for excellence in Horror Comedy, isn’t just the funniest film in the festival, it also has to be a HORROR film. Hoku Uchiyama delivers this in spades by weaving a very intense and disturbing horror narrative, followed up with a one two punch of humor that left our audience on the floor!
Written and Directed by Hoku Uchiyama
Starring Rosemary Hochschild, Alicia Blasingame, Nora Harriet
Abby Normal Award: for the exceptionally weird and disturbing – “The Blue Diamond” – dir. by Sam Fox
After the death of her toxic mother, a cultish 80s apres ski club is the setting of a grieving daughter trying to find closure, but as usual with 80s ski clubs, nothing is as it seems.
Sam Fox has crafted a perfectly disturbing and delightfully weird, candy-colored homage to the 1980s portrayal of ski culture. We don’t want to spoil anything about this film, but can say that things get even more weird and disturbing during the final act, and we are here for it!
Directed by Sam Fox
Written by Addison Heimann
Starring Desiree Staples, Barbara Crampton, Jadon Cal, Ethan Daniel Corbett, Emily Ashby
Masque Rouge Award for Best Performance: Bonnie Jean Tyer in Straight On Till Morning
Dani and Kaitlin’s whirlwind love affair is sideswiped by a twisted family with a terrifying agenda. A unique blend of horror and romance, the film weaves the beautiful and terrible things people do for love into an edge-of-your-seat journey into darkness.
Bonnie Jean Tyer portrays Kaitlin with a quiet (and then not so quiet) strength, warmth, and playfulness. We see, hear, and feel everything she is going through as it is conveyed with every fiber of her being. Whether she is running away with Dani or running away from her captors, she draws us in, makes us fall in love with her, and we root for both her and Dani to make it through a perfectly harrowing night.
Directed by Craig Ouellette
Written by Craig Ouellette and Neal McLaughlin
Starring Kelsey Christian, Bonnie Jean Tyer, Maria Olsen, Bill Hengstenberg, Michael Gmur, Travis Lincoln Cox
Trompe L’Oeil Award for best special effects: “Love and the All Night Horror Show” – dir. by Gregory Derasmo
After losing his partner, Roger is getting back into the gay dating scene. Sick of anonymous hookups, Roger looks for genuine connection, and finds it, with homicidal maniac, Abe. Blending humor, warmth, and blood drenched practical gore effects for a wild ride, this is the first date from hell!
Part dating horror, part torture horror, the practical visual effects are top notch and will make you squirm in your seat!
Written and Directed by Gregory Derasmo
Starring Brian Mange, Jeremy Urann, Davi Stefond
Devils Discord Award for best Sound Design: “Defile” – by Brian Sepanzyk
A couple’s secluded getaway is interrupted by a visit from a strange family who exposes them to the horrors that lie beyond the tree line.
We frequently say that a large part of what makes a horror film scary is the sound design. The soundtrack, droning motifs, and creepy-ass recorded voice add to the religious horror current running through the film. The carefully crafted, relentless sound design perfectly complements the tone and adds to the unsettling atmosphere.
Written and Directed by Brian Sepanzyk
Starring Tanaya Beatty, Sara Canning, Adam Lolacher, Fletcher Donovan, Ollie Kreeft
Best Bumper Award: “Somethin’ in the Pumpkin” – by Nolen Sternkopf
A strange sound comes from a jack o’ lantern.
Our annual Bumper Contest had more entries than ever before! Each year we challenge filmmakers to create a microshort to be used as a logo drop, and we play the qualifying entries before our shorts blocks and feature films. Out of the 8 qualifying entries, “Somethin’ in the Pumpkin” delivered the goods!
Written and Directed by Nolen Sternkopf
Starring Ricardo Luna, Drew Crosby