SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2026 AWARDS WINNERS

Article Oct 16, 2026

Nick Kozakis’s ‘KICK ON’ Wins Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Make-Up at the 26th Annual Festival in Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, CA — The 26th annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival has officially unveiled its 2026 award winners, honoring the standout genre achievements of this year’s international slate. Nick Kozakis’s KICK ON took top honors of the night, securing three major awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Make-Up.

In the performance categories, acclaimed creature actor Javier Botet earned Best Actor for his performance in GUMMY, while Laura Im took home Best Actress for her turn in VALLEY VIEW MOTEL.

On the craft side, Santiago Otoya won Best Cinematography for POSTMORTEM, and editors Jeanne Signé and Edouard Alvado claimed Best Editing for psychological thriller NINE. Special honors also went to Rinrada The Influencer for Best Special Effects and composer Matthew Pusti for Best Musical Score on NERVOUS.

In the shorts program, J. Zachary Thurman’s IT HELPS claimed Best Short, while Sam Shapson won Best Student Short for Newcomer, and Arthur Bonneau won Best Animated Short for Avant de Rentrer. The festival audience cast their votes to award Sam Ripley’s TV DAD with the Short Film Audience Choice Award.

Official 2026 Screamfest Award Winners
Feature Film Categories

Best Picture: KICK ON

Best Director: Nick Kozakis (KICK ON)

Best Actor: Javier Botet (GUMMY)

Best Actress: Laura Im (VALLEY VIEW MOTEL)

Best Cinematography: Santiago Otoya (POSTMORTEM)

Best Editing: Jeanne Signé & Edouard Alvado (NINE)

Best Make-Up: KICK ON

Best Special Effects: Rinrada The Influencer

Best Musical Score: Matthew Pusti (NERVOUS)

Short Film Categories

Best Short: IT HELPS – Directed by J. Zachary Thurman