Great news from the US where David Freyne’s The Cured has won Best Horror Feature at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.
The Cured, which is written by Freyne, is set following the outbreak of an aggressive virus and sees a young woman wake in a hospital bed. As the horrifying events that led to her being there are revealed, it becomes clear that the cure is just the beginning. Society has divided into those who were once infected and committed terrible violent acts, and those who never contracted the virus. In the backdrop, the rise of a terrorist movement, fuelled by the deep divisions, threatens to plunge the region into chaos again.
Hollywood star Ellen Page stars in the lead role, alongside Sam Keeley (The Other Side of Sleep, Monsters: Dark Continent), Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Love/Hate, The Secret Scripture), Paula Malcolmson (Ray Donovan, The Hunger Games), and Stuart Graham (Hunger, The Fall).
Rachael O’Kane and Rory Dungan produce for Dublin-based Tilted Pictures, with Page producing also. The film is co-produced with French-based Bac Films, with the assistance of Savage Productions and in association with Shinawil. Financing for the film comes from the Irish Film Board (IFB), Northern Ireland Screen, and Bac Films. Principal photography took place with DoP Piers McGrail in Dublin and Wicklow last November and December.
We are really honoured to have received the Best Horror Feature at Fantastic Fest, which has become such a wonderful platform for the best of genre cinema. It’s a lovely nod for everyone who worked so hard to make The Cured and a great boost for the film so soon after its world premiere at TIFF. And we feel in incredibly good company, with past award winners including The Babadook, Demon and It Follows.
David Freyne, Director
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world.
AUDIENCE AWARD – Presented by Maxwell Locke & Ritter
Audience Award Winner: BODIED directed by Joseph Kahn
1st Runner-Up: GILBERT directed by Neil Berkeley
2nd Runner-Up: WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE TWO directed by Don Hertzfeldt
“NEXT WAVE” FEATURES
Best Picture: HAGAZUSSA – A HEATHEN’S CURSE directed by Lukas Feigelfeld
Best Director: Takahide Hori for JUNK HEAD
Special Mention for both FIVE FINGERS FOR MARSEILLES and MAUS
FANTASTIC FEATURES
Best Picture: MY FRIEND DAHMER directed by Marc Meyers
Best Director: Kornél Mundruczó for JUPITER’S MOON
Special Mention for both TIGER GIRL and GOOD MANNERS
HORROR FEATURES
Best Picture: THE CURED directed by David Freyne
Best Director: Issa López for TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID
Special Mention for Most Creative FX And Innovative Approach To Vampire Mythology to VAMPIRE CLAY
COMEDY FEATURES
Best Picture: THE SQUARE directed by Ruben Östlund
Best Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson for UNDER THE TREE
Special Mention for Sheer Ballsiness to RON GOOSMAN’S LOW BUDGET STUNT MAN
THRILLER FEATURES
Best Picture: BAD GENIUS directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya
Best Director: Park Hoon-jung for V.I.P.
Special Mention for Building A Cinematic Universe On A Budget to THE ENDLESS
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Best Picture and Best Director: BRIMSTONE & GLORY directed by Viktor Jakovleski
Special Mention to LOVE AND SAUCERS
SHORT FUSE: HORROR SHORTS
Best Picture: VOYEUR directed by Charlotte Lam, Claire Stradwick
Best Director : Gonçalo Almeida for THURSDAY NIGHT
Special Mention to CRESWICK
FANTASTIC SHORTS
Best Picture: THE BURDEN directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr
Special Mention for Biggest Face Melter to KAIJU BUNRAKU
SHORTS WITH LEGS
Best Picture and Best Director: THE TESLA WORLD LIGHT directed by Matthew Rankin
Special Mention to BEANS
FANTASTIC BUMPER COMPETITION – Presented by Shiner Beer
SNAP SNAP directed by Felicia Rein