Fantasia International Film Festival Awards: Hanna Bergholm’s ‘Nightborn’ Wins Top Cheval Noir Prize

Hanna Bergholm’s psychological thriller Nightborn has won the top prize at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, according to Variety. The Finnish-Lithuanian-French-British co-production was awarded the prestigious Cheval Noir trophy for Best Film as part of the festival's juried competition. The win caps a strong showing for the film, which also earned an Outstanding Performance Award for its star, Seidi Haarla.

This year's festival marks its 30th anniversary, running from July 16 through August 2 in Montreal. Assistant director and programmer Tania Morissette noted high public demand has led to added screenings for several films, including the South Korean zombie feature Colony and Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex And Death at Camp Miasma.

Who Were the Major Award Winners?

The Cheval Noir awards, the festival's juried competition, spread honors across several international productions. Nightborn led the night with its dual wins.

• Best Film: Nightborn, directed by Hanna Bergholm.
• Best Director: Kasper Kalle for No Rest for the Wicked.
• Outstanding Performance Awards: Seidi Haarla for Nightborn and Pilou Asbæk for No Rest for the Wicked.
• Best Screenplay: Edwin, Eka Kurniawan, and Daishi Matsunaga for Sleep No More.
• Best Cinematography: Fabrizio La Palombara for Ferine.
• Best Score: Pino Donaggio for Ferine.
• Best Editing: Satoshi Ueno for Beasts Clutching at Straws.

The jury also gave a Special Mention to the full ensemble cast of Agnieszka Smoczyńska's Hot Spot.

What Is ‘Nightborn’ About?

Nightborn is a psychological thriller exploring the dark side of motherhood.

Seidi Haarla stars as the lead, with Rupert Grint in a supporting role.

How Did the Festival Celebrate Its 30th Year?

The 2026 edition is a milestone for Fantasia, a key event for genre cinema that aims to bridge avant-garde filmmaking and mainstream production. The programming includes feature films and shorts from Quebec, Canada, and around the world, with dedicated sections for animation and young audiences.

Opening night featured Nicolas Winding Refn's Her Private Hell, marking the Danish director's return to the festival two decades after his last visit. Refn was among several filmmakers leading master classes. An upcoming session with Quebec director Robert Lepage on August 1 is highly anticipated. Quebec cinema is also highlighted throughout the schedule, with features like Tight Lettuce, Someone’s Daughter, La Place, and Les regards parallèles drawing full houses.

What’s Next for the Festival and Winners?

The Fantasia International Film Festival continues in Montreal until August 2. The recognition at a major genre festival like Fantasia often serves as a key launchpad for wider international release and audience discovery.

The Jury's Statements on Key Winners

The jury provided detailed statements for several award winners, offering insight into their selections. For Best Director Kasper Kalle, they praised his "skillful helming of a beautifully dark period piece that reveals the discovery and acceptance of identity through a love story." They described him as the creative force uniting the crew.

Regarding the Best Screenplay for Sleep No More, the jury highlighted its "genuinely original storytelling vision that draws Asian folklore, humor, and workers rights, and extreme body horror into a story of family reunification." The award went to writers Edwin, Eka Kurniawan, and Daishi Matsunaga.

The jury also honored the new Best Editing award, citing a quote from Orson Welles that editing is "the last stop on the long road between the dream in the filmmaker’s head, and the public." They awarded Satoshi Ueno for Beasts Clutching at Straws, praising its dynamic pacing and masterful control of non-linear construction.

Sources

• CityNews Montreal