Barry Keoghan’s ‘Bring Them Down’ Wins Best Picture, Main Competition at Fantastic Fest | Exclusive

“Bring Them Down,” a dark Irish drama in the vein of “The Banshees of Inisherin” (which played the festival in 2021), has won Best Picture in the main competition at Fantastic Fest 2024, TheWrap can exclusively reveal.

The film, which stars Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan, is described in the official program as “beautifully crafted and assured character piece.” Best Director and Best Actor in the same category went to “The Rule of Jenny Pen’s” James Ashcroft and Geoffrey Rush. The film is described in the program as “a truly demented, shifty thriller that pits venerable character actors Rush and John Lithgow against one another with the gloves off.”

Other awards at arguably the country’s greatest genre film festival, held at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar in Austin, Texas, went to Karan Kandhari’s debut feature “Sister Midnight” (in the “Next Wave” category) and “Chainsaws Were Singing” (in the Horror Features category) which has the most Fantastic Fest-y title of the year and is described in the program as “a madcap quest full of blood, guts and toe-tapping showtunes.” (Of course.)

“Today, we celebrate the incredible diversity of talent showcased in this year’s films,” said Annick Mahnert, Director of Programming for Fantastic Fest. “Our jurors faced the formidable challenge of selecting winners from a remarkable array of stories, each representing different cultures and perspectives. Their task was not easy, but it truly reflects what Fantastic Fest is all about: embracing the richness of global cinema and the shared human experiences that unite us all.”

See all of the winners, including those in the various shorts programs, below.

“MAIN COMPETITION” FEATURES

Best Picture: BRING THEM DOWN, directed by Christopher Andrews

Best Director: James Ashcroft – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN

Best Actor: Geoffrey Rush – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN

“NEXT WAVE” FEATURES

Best Picture: SISTER MIDNIGHT, directed by Karan Kandhari

Best Director: Emma Benestan – ANIMALE

Honorable Mention: TOUCHED BY ETERNITY, directed by Mārcis Lācis

HORROR FEATURES

Best Picture: CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING, directed by Sander Maran

Best Director: John Hsu – DEAD TALENT SOCIETY

Honorable Mention: The Ensemble Cast of TRIZOMBIE, directed by Bob Colaers

SHORTS WITH LEGS

Best Picture: “She Stays,” directed by Marinthia Gutiérrez​

Honorable Mention: “Duck,” directed by Rachel Maclean

SHORT FUSE

Best Picture: “Be Right Back,” directed by Lucas Paulino & Gabe Ibañez

Honorable Mention: “The Night Practice,” directed by Bogdan Alecsandru

FANTASTIC SHORTS

Best Picture: “The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste,” directed by Pernell Marsden

Honorable Mention: “Atom & Void,” directed by Gonçalo Almeida

DRAWN AND QUARTERED

Best Picture: “Mira,” directed by Eva Louise Hall

Honorable Mention: “The Night Boots,” directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon

AUDIENCE AWARD

DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY, directed by John Hsu

For more information on the films listed above, visit https://www.fantasticfest.com/film-guide .

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