The horror genre’s most celebrated festival drew over 8,000 attendees to New Orleans for its 10th edition, with 25 screenings selling out completely.
The Overlook Film Festival has announced its award winners for its 10th annual edition, cementing its place as horror’s go-to festival destination. Held April 9–12, 2026, in New Orleans, the festival welcomed 96 filmmaker guests and packed 25 sold-out screenings with more than 8,000 fans in attendance.
The Feature Film Audience Award went to Focus Features’ “Obsession,” directed by Curry Barker and described as a “tale of wish-fulfillment gone wrong.” The film screened as the festival’s Opening Night selection. The Short Film Audience Award went to Hannah Alline’s “Scissors.”
The Grand Jury Prize for Feature Film was awarded to director Dave Boyle’s “Never After Dark.” The Scariest Feature Award went to Taratoa Stappard’s “Mārama,” while Midori Francis earned a Special Jury Mention for her performance in “Saccharine.” The features jury included filmmaker Vera Drew, film programmer Jongsuk Thomas Nam, and journalist Jen Yamato.
In the short film categories, the Grand Jury Prize went to Lee Lawson’s sci-fi horror “Man Eating Pussy.” The Scariest Short Award went to Alex Jacobs’ “Ghoststory,” and the Doomscroll Award for Most Harrowing Digital Nightmare was presented to Carter Amelia Davis’ “Homemade Gatorade.” The shorts jury included journalist and playwright Sharai Bohannon, author and film critic Payton McCarty-Simas, and filmmaker Jenn Wexler.
This year’s festival also debuted a new section, Side Shows, built for films that aren’t pure horror but feel right at home at Overlook. Kenji Tanigaki’s “The Furious” — centered on a crime-fighting father racing to save his daughter — took home the inaugural Audience Award in the category.
One of the year’s biggest moments came from legendary makeup artist Rick Baker, who presented a special 45th anniversary screening of “An American Werewolf in London” and was honored with the festival’s Master of Horror Award.
Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, and Travis Bacon showed up to debut “Family Movie,” a horror-comedy made entirely within the family. Kevin Bacon served as director and actor, Kyra Sedgwick appeared on screen, and Travis Bacon also acted in the film and handled its music.
Additional highlights included the Centerpiece screening of Neon’s “Leviticus” from director Adrian Chiarella; the Closing Night screening of Damian McCarthy’s “Hokum”; a 100th anniversary screening of “A Page of Madness,” considered the first Japanese horror film ever made; and the Boulet Brothers launching their new “Dragula: Titans Tour.”
Co-founder Landon Zakheim said, “Even after ten years, this festival keeps putting bold, daring stories in front of the audience they deserve. This isn’t just a festival — it’s a movement.”
The Overlook Film Festival is co-founded and programmed by Landon Zakheim and Michael Lerman, alongside programmer Daniel Crooke, short film programmer Katie Rife, and programming manager Cameron Asharian.
