29th Fantasia International Film Festival

Compétition Cheval Noir

• Pascal Plante, Canadian film director and screenwriter – Jury President
• Ethan Eng, Canadian filmmaker
• Alison Foreman, Journalist, features writer at IndieWire
• Payton McCarty-Simas, freelance writer, artist, and editor based in New York City
• George Schmalz, Vice President, Theatrical Distribution and New Business Development at Kino Lorber

New Flesh Competition for Best First Feature

• Chris Nash, writer, director, and prosthetics effects artist from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – Jury President
• Jim Brunzell, director of festivals, Dark Star Pictures
• Louise Buckler, head of marketing Arrow Films
• Deirdre Crimmins, film critic and programmer
• Anelle Deghani, The Coven sales agent
• Jean-François Leblanc, filmmaker

International Short Film Competition

• Kaniehtiio Horn, Canadian actress and filmmaker – Jury President
• Rémi Fréchette, Director, Screenwriter, Editor
• Evan O’Brien, Junior Executive, NEON
• Carol Nguyen, Vietnamese Canadian filmmaker
• Wylie Rush, Director, Screenwriter

Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation

• Rachel Samson, an animation filmmaker and programmer from Quebec City – Jury President
• Sam Chou Animation Director and Showrunner
• Chimwemwe Miller, Voice Actor

Director's Guild of Canada Award for Best Feature Director

• Elza Kephart, Canadian filmmaker, from Montreal, Quebe – Jury President
• Cam Maitland, Film and Content Specialist, Hollywood Suite
• Alanna Thain, Professor of Cinema and Cultural Studies, McGill University
• Joe Lipsett, Freelance Film and Television Critic
• Olivia Norquay, Film Programmer, Dave Barber Cinematheque

Poulain Noir

• Ginette Petit, Producer – Jury President
• Bryan Perro, Québec author of the children's fantasy fiction series Amos Daragon
• Luc Chamberland, Director, Screenwriter and Teacher
• Alex Parkinson, Associate Director and Feature Animation VFX Supervisor at Cinesite

Jury AQCC – Camera Lucida

• Miguel de Plante, film critic, editor, director
• Louis-Paul Rioux, Mediafilm Senior Collaborator
• Elijah Baron, Film Critic, AQCC Vice-President

L'écran Fantastique Jury

• Yves Rivard, French-Canadian film critic

Jury of the Fantastic Weekends of Quebec Cinema

• JP Bergeron, Actor, Director
• Isabelle Giroux, Actress
• Hélène Théberge, Director of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue International Film Festival

Opening Film

The opening film Eddington is a 2025 American action comedy film by Ari Aster. It depicts the political and social turmoil in the fictional city of Eddington, New Mexico, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Closing Film

The closing film Fixed is a 2025 American adult animated romantic comedy film by Genndy Tartakovsky. It follows a dog who learns that he is going to be neutered in the morning.

Compétition Cheval Noir

Highlighted title and double-dagger (‡) indicates Cheval Noir Competition winner.

New Flesh Competition

Highlighted title and double-dagger (‡) indicates New Flesh Competition winner.

International Short Film 2025 Competition

Selection 2025

Animation Plus

Documentaries From The Edge

Fantasia Underground

The Fantastic Weekends of Quebec Cinema

This section highlights the talent of Quebec filmmakers, shown across their feature films.^[12]

Fantasia Retro

Sepentrion Shadows

Genre Du Pays

My First Fantasia

Cheval Noir competition

• Best Film: Mother of Flies by John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser
• Special Jury Mention (Best Film): New Group by Yuta Shimotsu
• Best Director: Hadrah Daeng Ratu for The Book of Sijjin And Illiyyin
• Best Screenplay: Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson for Terrestrial, by Steve Pink
• Best Cinematography: Alex Metcalfe for Cielo by Alberto Sciamma
• The Sandro Forte Award for Best Motion Picture Score: H6LLB6ND6R for Mother of Flies
• Outstanding Performance Award: Ui Mihara for I Fell in Love with a Z-Grade Director in Brooklyn by Kenichi Ugana

New Flesh competition

• Best First Feature — It Ends — Alexander Ullom
• Special Jury Mentions:
  • Fucktoys — Annapurna Sriram
  • Hellcat — Brock Bodell

International Short Film Competition

• Best Film: Barlebas by Malu Janssen
• Best Director: Jo Ba-reun for Floor
• Best Screenplay: Dylan Pun, for Shrimp Fried Rice by Dylan Pun)
• Best Cinematography: Barlebas by Sam Du Pon
• The Sandro Forte Award for Best Motion Picture Score: Proxy Christopher Lund
• Outstanding Performance Award: Ruby Zoom for The Collector and Agnieszka Rajda for Weird to Be Human
• Special Jury Mentions:
  • Weird to Be Human by Jan Grabowski
  • The Rebirth by Connie Shi

Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation

• Best Animated Feature: The Girl who Stole Time by Yu Ao and Zhou Tienan
• Special Jury Mention (Best Animated Feature): I Am Frankelda by Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz
• Best Animated Short, Gold: My Organs Lying on the Ground by Shinobu Soejima
• Best Animated Short, Silver: Éiru by Giovanna Ferrari
• Best Animated Short, Bronze: Off-Time by Nata Metlukh

Northern Excellence for Best Canadian Filmmaker

• Best Director (Feature Film): Chloé Cinq-Mars for Nesting (Peau à peau)
• Special Jury Mention: Simon Glassman for Buffet Infinity

Quebec Association of Film Critics, AQCC Award

• Best Film: The Virgin of the Quarry Lake by Laura Casabe
• Special Jury Mention: Burning by Radik Eshimov

Mon Poulain Noir Competition

• Best Film, Gold: The Sound of Raindrops by Max Banse, Julie Blanc, Alvaro Deolio, Elena Forlini, Estelle Jourdan, Gabriel Riera, and Lila Trouvé
• Best Film, Silver: Soap Box (Boîte À Savon) by Jimmy Pettigrew)
• Best Film, Bronze: Christopher & the Bug by Vanessa Lynn Esteves
• Special Jury Mentions: The Little One and the Giant by Isabela Costa and A Small Garden by the Window by Lee Jong-hoon

Les Fantastiques Week-Ends Du Cinéma Québécois Competition

• MELS Award for Best Short Film:
  • 1st Place: Mad Dog (Molosse) by Marc-Antoine Lemire
  • 2nd Place: Butter Knife by Théophile Mur
  • 3rd Place: Itty Bitty Betty by Laura Buchanan
  • Special Mention: Girasol by Dominic Couturier and Pierre Inglebert
• AQPM Award for Best Emerging Production in a Short Film: Iconic by April Daneau
  • Special Mention: Don’t Judge a Unicorn by Its Horn by Ellie Charette
• ARRQ Award for Best Direction in a Short Film: Guillaume Boivin and Steve Villeneuve, for The Screaming
  • Special Mention: Théophile Mur, for Butter Knife
• EVS Award for Best Emerging Direction in a Short Film: Andrew Cyr-Marcoux, for L’écho Perdu
• Royal Photo Award for Best Cinematography in a Short Film:
  • 1st place to Liane Paré for Dumpster Duchess by Raphë, Liana Paré
  • 2nd to Pierre Inglebert, for Girasol by Dominic Couturier and Pierre Inglebert)
  • 3rd to Martin Reisch, for Island of Forgetfulness by Erin Ross
  • Special Mention to Guillaume Langlois and Raphaël Ouellet, for Greluche by Daphnée Côté-Hallé
• Fantasia Award for Best Performance in a Short Film to Stéfanelle Auger, for Envolée by Renaud Ouimet
  • Special Mention to Marguerite Bouchard, for L’explosion, et puis le calme by William Tétreault and Maximilian Isaacs, for Here Comes Kermit Williams by Ryan Terk
• Canadian Cinema Editors (CCE) Award for Best Editing in a Short Film to John-Daniel Arauz, for Kitty the Viper by John-Daniel Arauz
  • Special Mention to Marc-Olivier Huard, for Interurbain by Marc-Olivier Huard
• Spira Award for Best Regional Short Film to Frères D’armes by François Lalonde
  • Special Mention to Rien Que Du Vent by PH Debiès
• Bam Music Award for Best Sound in a Short Film to Loud by Adam Azimov
• Toon Boom Award for Best 2D Short Film to Grain by Ilana Zackon
• Dragonframe Award for Best Stop Motion Short Film to Songes et étrangetés au jardin by Kimm D. and Caroline Hayeur
  • Special Mention to Exit the Red Room | A David Lynch Tribute by Corey Nikolaus
• Coup de Coeur SLA Location Award for a Short Film to A Better Day by Scott Cowan

Audience Awards

Audience awards were announced on August 5, 2025.^[6][15]

Special Prizes

Sources:^[16][17]

• Canadian Trailblazer Award:
  • George Mihalka
  • Sheila McCarthy

• Cheval Noir Lifetime Achievement Award:
  • Danny Elfman

• • Genndy Tartakovsky

• Indie Maverick Award: Lloyd Kaufman

• Denis-Héroux Award: Anne-Marie Gélinas