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Fantasia Film Festival has crowned its latest champion, and for the first time in its 29-year history, a U.S. feature has taken home the coveted Cheval Noir Award for Best Film. Mother of Flies, an intimate and haunting indie from the Adams family filmmaking collective—John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser—claimed the top honor in a packed ceremony at Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée.
Acquired by Shudder ahead of its screening, Mother of Flies captivated the jury with its raw authenticity and no-frills craftsmanship. Jury president Pascal Plante praised the film for its sincerity, describing it as “a true indie that feels authentic, vital, and impeccably crafted,” and lauding its reminder of “why we even bother to make films in the first place.”
The film stars the Adams trio, along with daughter Lulu Adams, and continued its winning streak by also taking home the Sandro Forte Award for Best Motion Picture Score, credited to the family’s music project H6LLB6ND6R.
The Cheval Noir jury also gave a Special Mention to New Group, directed by Japan’s Yuta Shimotsu, and awarded Best Director to Indonesia’s Hadrah Daeng Ratu for The Book of Sijjin And Illiyyin. Best Screenplay went to Terrestrial by Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson, while Alex Metcalfe earned Best Cinematography for Cielo. Ui Mihara won the Outstanding Performance Award for her role in I Fell in Love with a Z-Grade Director in Brooklyn.
In the New Flesh Competition for Best First Feature, It Ends, directed by Alexander Ullom, emerged as a major winner. Described by Variety as “Jean-Paul Sartre with a Gen Z spin,” the film navigates existential dread through a hangout horror lens. The jury praised Ullom’s “grace and delicacy” in balancing genre conventions with emotional weight. Special Jury Mentions in this category went to Fucktoys by Annapurna Sriram and Hellcat by Brock Bodell.
Canadian filmmakers were also celebrated, with Quebec’s Chloé Cinq-Mars winning the Northern Excellence Award for Best Director for her feature Peau À Peau (Nesting). Simon Glassman received a Special Jury Mention for Buffet Infinity. The Quebec Association of Film Critics gave its top prize to Laura Casabe’s The Virgin of the Quarry Lake, citing its potent symbolism and strong performances.
Animation honors in the Satoshi Kon Competition went to The Girl Who Stole Time, with I Am Frankelda receiving a Special Jury Mention. In the shorts categories, Barlebas won Best International Short, while standout performances by Ruby Zoom and Agnieszka Rajda were recognized. The Mon Poulain Noir and Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois programs also handed out dozens of awards across emerging and regional talents.
With more than 50 awards presented across categories and genres, the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival confirmed its role as a vital platform for genre-defying storytelling and international filmmaking voices. And with Mother of Flies breaking new ground for U.S. indies, the bar has been raised for what’s possible at this genre institution.
