FRIGHTFILM 2023
The winners of the fifth annual Frightfilm Competition were announced in a ceremony hosted by Frightfilm co-founder Jeff Winkelman at the Saint Xavier High School Performance Center in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday October 28, 2023
The awards ceremony was held immediately following the premiere of all 26 of the submitted pictures. The audience was made up of the film-makers, cast & crew, family members and horror film devotees.
“Again this year we left the choosing of the nominees and winners to the judges. We had judges in fourteen categories.” Said Frightfilm co-founder Bill Anderson. Twenty-five industry professionals from across the country volunteered to serve as judges.
“Our audience also got to serve as judges”. James Timmerman, co-founder went on to say, “Everyone in attendance had the opportunity to select the Audience Favorite for each group of films. We had more than 240 people in attendance throughout the day."
Each year, filmmakers are required to incorporate three predetermined items in their films. This year the films needed to incorporate a glove as a hand prop(in celebration of our fifth year), a one-minute continuous camera shot and as always, a line of dialogue from a classic horror film.
The Skelly statuette is the award presented by Frightfilm Competition for outstanding achievement in horror short film-making.
New this year to the event was induction of two Frightfilm producers into the Frequent Frighters Club for five years of participation: Dan Konrad and Daniel McClaskey.
Jeff Winkelman, co-founder and host for the evening summed up the event saying, “We had more nominations this year than ever before. This was because our judges scored the films so closely. That tells we had very skilled crafts-people making some great films. But we knew that.”
The complete list of nominees and winners.
Best Picture
Team Rocket Films, “The Conduit”
Team Dry Fives, “Games”
Team El Duende, “Whose House is it?”
Team Brilliant Visionaries, “Never Alone”
Team Average Joe Films, “ONE”
Team The Freke Showe, “Wingblights”
Directing
Adam Gorman, “The Conduit”
Gabriel Kirk, “Whose House Is It?”
Celena Reese, “Never Alone”
Gavin Lloyd, “Magnetic Massacre”
B.J. Halsall, “Wingblights”
Editing
Jake Jolley, “Whose House Is It?”
Iabou Windimere, “Sous Le Lit”
Rob Bingham, “You See What I Deal With”
Joe Palmer and Claudia Carlsson, “Never Alone”
Gavin Lloyd, “Magnetic Massacre”
Cinematography
Joyce Bentle & Kent Meloy, “Games”
Simion Collins, “The Conduit”
Chris Maggard, “Whispers”
Jake Jolley, “Whose House is it?”
Joe Kidd, “Sous Le Lit”
Joe Palmer, “Never Alone”
Special Effects
Adam Gorman, “The Conduit”
Kent Meloy, “Games”
John Boyle, Ashley Miniard, “You See What I Deal With”
Gavin Lloyd, “Magnetic Massacre”
Sound Design
Daniel Hegedus & Jonas Soendberg, “Raid of the Living Dead - The Norse Awakens”
Kent Meloy, “Games”
Cole Durham, “First Night”
Tariq Stallings and Joe Palmer, “Never Alone”
Benjamin McClain, “ONE”
Alex Nixon, “Wingblights”
Original Music
Tariq Stallings, “Never Alone”
Daniel Hegedus, Brandon Jenkins, Joshua C Love & Jonas Soendberg, “Raid of the Living Dead - The Norse Awakens”
Gavin Lloyd, “Magnetic Massacre”
Mike Caral, “Dark Side of Dawn”
Jack McCarthy, “ONE”
David Bays, “Wingblights”
Make-Up
Sydney Lynn Hollinger, “Raid of the Living Dead-The Norse Awakens”
Jessica Buckley, “The Conduit”
Gabrielle Witherspoon, “First Night”
Jodi Byrne, “Retribution”
Joe Castro, “TIP”
Poster
Diane Jehn, “Raid of the Living Dead-The Norse Awakens”
Gavin Lloyd, “Magnetic Massacre”
Clayton L. Luce, “Datura”
Guilherme Martins, “TIP”
Screenplay
Jared Acker, “Friends Forever”
Matt Brennan, “Separated”
Tyler Becks & Allison Marie Rogers, “The Study”
J.W. Cox, “One”
Best Supporting Actor
Alex Pham, “You See What I Deal With”
Sam Banasek, “You See What I Deal With”
J. Seth Estes, “Magnetic Massacre”
Brian Michaux, “Datura”
Russell Coker, “TIP”
Best Supporting Actress
Paige Leigh Landers , “The Study”
Laura Jean Salerino, “Whispers”
Ava Inman, “Retribution”
Heidi Stephenson, “Dark Side of Dawn”
Kris Khyzoma, “TIP”
Best Actor
Xandy Schiefer, “You See What I Deal With”
Jeff Bentle, “Games”
Paul Morris, “Retribution”
Gavin Lloyd, “Magnetic Massacre”
David Bays, “Wingblights”
Best Actress
Brandi Botkin, “Games”
Colleen O'Morrow, “Retribution”
Brianna Starkey, “Trash Day”
Allison Marie Rogers, “The Study”
Best Use of One Minute
Team Diane/Diana Productions , “Raid of the Living Dead-The Norse Awakens"
Team Alysm Films , “Friends Forever"
Team Easygiggs Productions , “Meshuga"
Team El Duende , “Whose House Is It?"
Team Trippy Tran Films , “TIP"
Frequent Frighters Club: 5-Year Participation
Dan Konrad
Daniel McClaskey
Audience Favorite Group A: Trippy Tran Films, "TIP"
Audience Favorite Group B: Cinema 513, "You See What I Deal With"
Audience Favorite Group C: The Freke Show, "Wingblights"
Special Thanks to Saint Xavier High School, Zoftig Bakehouse, Bay Warren with CCM Prep Dance, Franklin DeWar with SOFA and Jill Segerman for making the day a success.
To find out more about Frightfilm and how you can be apart of Frightfilm visit www.frightfilmcompetition.com