Los Angeles, CA – The team behind SpookyFest is proud to announce the winners of its inaugural SpookyFest Film Festival, which celebrates celebrating both bold new voices and fear-forging veterans across the horror spectrum from psychological dread to creature features and midnight-movie mayhem. Selected from ten official selections out of nineteen submissions from the United States, Canada, and South Korea, this year’s honorees impressed with inventive storytelling, technical finesse, and genuine scares.
Top Honors
Best In Festival: Deadline
Dir. Alex Gardels
Synopsis: When a young woman is called into work on the weekend, it does more than just kill her plans.
The Best in Fest Award is chosen by the brave souls who survived each screening and honors the film that electrified festival-goers the most!
Spirit of the Season Award: Grayson’s Yard
Dir. Zack Hohenstein
Synopsis: Fresh off a breakup, Grayson hosts a celebratory barbecue on a beautiful, sunny day. But a final word of warning from his recently made ex-girlfriend has left him more paranoid than pleased.
The Spirit of the Season Award is a an honor decided by the festival judges and is given to a film that is not only technically excellent, but best embodies the hallmarks of the genre.
Screening Group Honors
- Screening Group 1 Audience’s Choice: Deadline, Dir. Alex Gardels
- Screening Group 1 Judges Selection: Grayson’s Yard, Dir. Zack Hohenstein
- Screening Group 2 Audience’s Choice: Calliope, Dir. Maya Tunasar
- Screening Group 2 Judges Selection: Ambush, Dir. Kenneth King
- Wild Card Award: Bathroom Spider, Dir. Christine Weatherup
“I have to say, for our first film festival, you couldn’t have asked for a better field.” said Festival Director Gregory Crafts. “Each and every film submitted delivered thrills and chills in one way or another. I’m glad we got to showcase each of them and celebrate the cream of the crop.”
SpookyFest ran October 23rd through November 2nd, 2025 at The Hobgoblin Playhouse in Hollywood, CA. The overall festival featured four live productions that ran throughout the ten-day experience, plus three nights of short film screenings.
About SpookyFest
Launched in 2025, SpookyFest is Los Angeles’ horror-themed performing arts festival, celebrating the spooky and supernatural stories in theatre and short film. SpookyFest welcomes everything from ghost stories and zombie musicals to sci-fi invasions and morgue-set solo shows. Learn more at SpookyFestLA.com
About The StageCrafts
The StageCrafts, better known as Jenn and Greg Crafts are LA-based theatre professionals and venue managers with a combined 50+ years of experience as award-winning, critically acclaimed actors, playwrights, designers, and producers. The StageCrafts began operating local performing arts venues in 2017. Today, their operations have expanded to include hosting their own brand of small theater and film festivals, and establishing their own touring circuit for shows throughout greater LA County. The pair will soon begin offering full freelance producing services for shows and artists seeking to perform at festivals around the world.
Press & Media
Contact
Gregory Crafts
Festival Director, SpookyFest and SpookyFest Film
[email protected] • (323) 591-4849 • TheStageCrafts.com • @TheStageCrafts
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