Hanna Bergholm's 'Nightborn' wins the prestigious Cheval Noir trophy for best film at the Fantasia International Film Festival, with Seidi Haarla awarded best actress.
New Delhi, India Jul 26, 2026 ALN: Hanna Bergholm’s “Nightborn” has won the top honor at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival juried awards.
“Nightborn” was awarded the prestigious Cheval Noir trophy for best film. Seidi Haarla, who stars opposite Rupert Grint in the film, was also awarded best actress. Kasper Kalle’s No Rest for the Wicked also took home two statues for best director and best actor for Pilou Asbæk.
Andrea Corsini’s “Ferine” also took home two top honors: best cinematography for Fabrizio La Palombara and best score for the legendary Pino Donaggio.
See the full winners list — along with jury statements — below.
Nightborn (Finland/Lithuania/France/U.K.), dir. Hanna Bergholm
“‘It sucks my body, it destroys my career.’ When the anticipated birth and the child who should be loved become the most threatening presence to a mother, she fails to accept the child into her world. To her, the child is not a ‘him,’ but an ‘it.’ This psychological thriller explores the destruction of a woman’s daily life- where everything around her could be reality, or merely an illusion. Ultimately, when she gives up everything and steps into the ‘child’s’ world, we finally discover the 'most adorable' child in the world. The suspense keeps you glued to the screen every single second, and the emotion in the ending is bittersweet — making you smile yet feel profoundly sad. This film will stay with us for a long time.”
Kasper Kalle, No Rest for the Wicked (Denmark/Faroe Islands/Iceland)
“Like the captain of a sailing vessel, the director is the creative force that unites the crew, bringing all the creative elements and storytelling emotion together on the screen, and one film did that big time for both audiences and the jury. For his skillful helming of a beautifully dark period piece that reveals the discovery and acceptance of identity through a love story, the jury awards Best Director to Kasper Kalle.”
Edwin, Eka Kurniawan, and Daishi Matsunaga, Sleep No More (Japan/Germany/Singapore/Indonesia), dir. Edwin
“For a genuinely original storytelling vision that draws Asian folklore, humor, and workers rights, and extreme body horror into a story of family reunification, the jury awards the Best Screenplay Award to Edwin, Eka Kurniawan, Daishi Matsunaga.”
Fabrizio La Palombara, CCS, Ferine (Italy), dir. Andrea Corsini
“For its technical and artistic skill, a carefully measured use of the anamorphic format, varied lighting and precise camera composition that wonderfully reflects the narrative and the amazing brutalist Production Design and radical swing character arcs that throttle the audience. For its look that pays homage to the greats of Italian horror while adding its own stamp to a modern genre film while constantly reinventing itself visually, the jury presents the Cheval Noir for Best Cinematography to Fabrizio La Palombara, CCS.”
Satoshi Ueno, Beasts Clutching at Straws (Japan), dir. Hideo Jojo
“We are honored to be the first Fantasia jury to present the new award for best film editing. My former boss and co-editor Orson Welles once said that editing is the last stop on the long road between the dream in the filmmaker’s head, and the public to whom that dream is addressed. The editor focuses that dream into reality. For its dynamic pacing, masterful control of non-linear construction, and clever use of imaginative transitions, while never losing track of the characters and story, the jury presents the award for outstanding editing to Satoshi Ueno.”
Pino Donaggio, Ferine (Italy), dir. Andrea Corsini
“Music has the power to soothe, shock and enchant the viewer as it accompanies the characters through the narrative. For the jury, the dramatic music of one colorful, ravenous film stood out, and it marks the return of a revered screen composer- one who might be familiar to fans of classic films like Don’t Look Now and Carrie. The musical artistry of this 84-year-old legend can be heard in two Fantasia films this year, and the jury is thrilled to present the award for outstanding score to Pino Donaggio.”
Seidi Haarla, Nightborn (Finland/Lithuania/France/U.K.), dir. Hanna Bergholm
“Genre film is built on risk-taking performances, and this year the jury was completely captivated by a transcendent portrayal of a very different kind of determined mother. With dark humor, astonishing physicality, and heart-wrenching body horror, this actor brings to life a woman struggling beneath the weight of her family’s expectations (and her own) as she unravels and transforms before our eyes.”
Pilou Asbæk, No Rest for the Wicked (Denmark/Faroe Islands/Iceland), dir. Kasper Kalle
“Genre cinema has always been drawn to mysterious strangers, but few arrivals have felt as quietly transformative as this one. Through effortless magnetism, and extraordinary emotional precision, this actor crafts a character who belongs as much to the sea as the shore. Every movement, every silence, every knot tied and glance exchanged reveals a soul shaped by freedom, isolation, and the courage to embrace his own identity.”
Hot Spot (Sweden/Greece/Norway/Poland), dir. Agnieszka Smoczyńska
“The jury wishes to recognize the achievement of an ensemble cast of individual performers and the monsters are pretty cool too. The story and world building of this film is conveyed by the core characters- a family that communicates without speaking and with intense physicality that transforms them all- and by the supporting performances of the extras- such as a group of religious refugees who move and breathe together in unison. For its exceptionally nuanced collective performance, the jury awards a Special Mention to the ensemble cast of Hot Spot.”
Jabrik Hellworker, Benedictus A.K., Rizal, and Issei Oda, Sleep No More (Japan/Germany/Singapore/Indonesia), dir. Edwin
“One film impressed the jury with its handmade practical effects and the VFX they engage with — an angry and ravenous hair monster, a character that grows back missing limbs — all beautifully integrated into the surreal nightmare of the story. For its amazingly original use of practical effects, a Cheval Noir Special Mention goes to Sleep No More.”
Jury President: Youngjoo Suh (founder and CEO of Finecut Co., Ltd. and producer).
Jury: Catherine Corcoran (actor, writer, producer, and festival programmer), Karim Hussain (cinematographer, director, and screenwriter), Bob Murawski (Oscar-winning film editor and co-founder of Grindhouse Releasing), and Junnie Punter (journalist with Toronto Film Critics Association, producer, and editor at Musicworks).
To learn more about the latest developments in Events & Award Shows, stay updated with our exclusive reports and analyses on AiLensNews.
