Festivals - PIFFF 2025 : Discover the Full Awards Lineup of a Bold and Uncompromising 14th Edition

By Mulder, Paris, Max Linder Panorama, 16 december 2025

On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the curtain officially fell on the 14th edition of the Paris International Fantastic Film Festival at the legendary Max Linder Panorama, a venue that has now become inseparable from the identity of the PIFFF itself. After seven dense and exhilarating days dedicated to genre cinema in all its forms, the closing ceremony felt both celebratory and emotional, as filmmakers, jurors, professionals, and an incredibly loyal audience gathered one last time in a packed theater. Year after year, the PIFFF has cultivated a unique bond with its spectators, and the public-voted Œil d’Or remains one of the most revealing indicators of that relationship, highlighting works that resonate deeply beyond trends or market expectations. Once again, the atmosphere inside the Max Linder Panorama made it clear that this festival is not merely a showcase, but a place where bold cinematic visions are actively embraced and defended.

The Œil d’Or for Best Feature Film, awarded by the audience, went to JUNK WORLD, directed and written by Takahide Hori, a striking Japanese science-fiction work produced by Yousuke Toba and set for French distribution by UFO Distribution. Running 104 minutes and rated for audiences aged 12 and up, the film plunges viewers into a distant future where humans, clones, and cyborgs explore a vast underground robotic empire, only to be ambushed by rebellious cyborg factions. During its screening, the film generated palpable excitement, with spectators visibly reacting to its astonishing handcrafted aesthetic, dense world-building, and unapologetically strange tone. JUNK WORLD embodies exactly what the PIFFF audience tends to champion: a radical, uncompromising vision that prioritizes imagination, atmosphere, and sheer cinematic ambition over narrative comfort.

The Jury Prize Ciné+ Frisson for Best Feature Film was awarded to THE HOLY BOY, directed by Paolo Strippoli, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Jacopo Del Giudice and Milo Tissone. Produced by Domenico Procacci, Laura Paolucci, Ines Vasiljevic, and Stefano Sardo, this Italian film runs 122 minutes and is rated for viewers aged 16 and up. The story follows a physical education teacher who moves to a seemingly peaceful mountain village, only to uncover a deeply unsettling secret that slowly unravels both his life and that of the community. The Ciné+ Frisson jury, represented this year by Myriam Hacène, General Director of Ciné+, praised the film’s slow-burning tension and psychological intensity. Beyond the trophy, the prize carries significant industry impact, offering the film a promotional campaign across Ciné+ channels upon release, as well as a potential acquisition, reinforcing the PIFFF’s role as a bridge between artistic recognition and concrete distribution opportunities.

In the French short film category, both the Œil d’Or and the Jury Prize Ciné+ Frisson were awarded to LA DERNIÈRE NEIGE, written and directed by Rodolphe Bouquet-Populus, produced by Basile Vincent, and starring Guillaume Pottier, Dinara Drukarova, and Philippe Résimont. This 20-minute short, rated 16 and up, takes place in a ski resort facing the disappearance of snow, where two characters find themselves stranded on a chairlift. The film left a strong impression thanks to its claustrophobic tension, its environmental undertones, and its ability to transform an everyday situation into an existential nightmare. The Jury Prize Humans was awarded to LICK TOO, a 6-minute French short entirely written, directed, and produced by Burhan Jafferjee, in which a woman’s growing anxiety over the sound of dripping water in her apartment escalates into pure terror, a reminder that the most effective horror often lies in minimalism and suggestion.

On the international side, the Œil d’Or for Best Short Film went to CLOWN SONG, a Canadian, British, and American production directed by Brady Dowad, written by Brady Dowad and Steven M. Robertson, produced by Sibella Dowad, and starring Steven M. Robertson. The film follows a donut shop employee whose life is disrupted by the arrival of a clown, blending absurdity and menace in a way that clearly struck a chord with audiences. The International Jury Prize was awarded to STEAK DINNER, written and directed by Nathan Mark Ginter, produced by Will Noyce and Chelsea Eisen, and featuring Ruby Cruz and Lucy Idella. This 8-minute American short transforms an awkward romantic dinner into a nightmarish scenario when a wounded, otherworldly creature enters the picture. The jury also gave a special mention to SPOOL by Mike Manning, while the Jury Prize Shadowz was awarded to MASKS, written and directed by Andre LeBlanc, produced by James M. Miller and Andre LeBlanc, and starring Cindy Dolenc, Kenny Johnston, and Livia Treviño, a deeply unsettling film in which a man attempts to cure his wife’s catatonic state by forcing her to wear increasingly disturbing masks, a work that will be acquired and broadcast on the Shadowz platform.

Beyond the competitions, the festival also celebrated genre writing with the 10th Grand Prix Climax for Best Genre Screenplay of 2025, awarded on Friday, December 12, to Margaux Boichard for LES PEINTURES NOIRES, while a special jury mention went to Laure-Elie Chénier-Moreau for L’ACCOMPAGNANTE. To close these seven days of cinematic celebration, the PIFFF presented the highly anticipated French premiere of SCARLET ET L’ÉTERNITÉ, the new animated feature by Mamoru Hosoda, renowned for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Wolf Children. The film will be released in French theaters on March 11, 2026, distributed by Sony Pictures France, offering a poetic and emotionally resonant final note to the festival.

The feature film programming was curated by Cyril Despontin, General Delegate of the PIFFF, alongside Xavier Colon, Virginie Tschang Puault, Zoe Rabayrol, Nacim Demiche, Paul Ferré, and Olivia Desenne, while French short films were selected by Sabrina Guintini and R-One Chaffiot, and international shorts by Véronique Davidson and Xavier Colon. Founded in 2011, the PIFFF has consistently aimed to spotlight fantastic cinema in all its diversity, championing daring, unconventional, and often overlooked works. Since 2016, the festival has firmly established itself each December at the Max Linder Panorama, continuing to expand its audience while reaffirming Paris as a vital hub for contemporary genre cinema, where discovery, risk-taking, and passion remain at the very heart of the experience.

You can discover our photos in our Flickr page

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville