AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR TORONTO AFTER DARK 2023! BIG WINNERS INCLUDE LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, THE DEEP DARK & UFO SWEDEN!
Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2023 is thrilled to announce the Award Winners of its 17th Annual Edition. As is tradition at the festival, Toronto After Dark’s Jury is the fans themselves with 200 festival passbuyers polled to determine the best new horror, sci-fi and action movies from the around the world!
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, the 1970s-set supernatural horror movie by Cameron and Colin Cairnes took Top Prize, the Audience Choice Award for BEST FEATURE FILM GOLD plus four other Specialty Awards including BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE for David Dastmalchian.
THE DEEP DARK, Mathieu Turi’s terrifying creature feature won BEST FEATURE FILM SILVER and also took five other Specialty Awards including BEST DIRECTOR and MOST SCARY FILM. UFO SWEDEN, the Scandinavian sci-fi thriller snagged BEST FEATURE FILM BRONZE as well as two other additional awards including BEST SCI-FI.
Additional Major Winners included murder mystery comedy DANIEL'S GOTTA DIE which won three awards including BEST COMEDY, dark crime thriller THE LAST EXIT which won two awards including BEST VILLAIN performed by Joely Richardson, LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP which won accolades for BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY and BEST SOUND DESIGN, and Joe Lynch’s Lovecraftian horror thriller SUITABLE FLESH which slayed the festival audience to win BEST FIGHT and BEST KILL.
Read on for the complete list of all the winners from Toronto After Dark 2023, including the Short Film Award winners. To find out more about all of this year’s films and watch trailers, see the festival’s 2023 Film Schedule.
2023 FEATURE FILM AWARD WINNERS
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
BEST FEATURE FILM - GOLD
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE (David Dastmalchian)
BEST SCREENPLAY
MOST ORIGINAL FILM
BEST EDITING
THE DEEP DARK
BEST FEATURE FILM - SILVER
BEST DIRECTOR (Mathieu Turi)
BEST HORROR FILM
MOST SCARY FILM
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
BEST MONSTER/CREATURE
UFO SWEDEN
BEST FEATURE FILM - BRONZE
BEST SCI-FI FILM
BEST MUSIC
DANIEL'S GOTTA DIE
BEST COMEDY FILM
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
BEST TITLE SEQUENCE
THE LAST EXIT
BEST VILLAIN (Joely Richardson as Mama)
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (Harry Cadby)
SUITABLE FLESH
BEST FIGHT (Heather Graham vs. Barbara Crampton)
BEST KILL (Death by repeated car reverse)
LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST SOUND DESIGN
RESTORE POINT
BEST ACTION FILM
IT'S A WONDERFUL KNIFE
BEST FILM TO WATCH WITH A CROWD
FOUNDERS DAY
FILM MOST WANT TO SEE A SEQUEL TO
2023 SHORT FILM AWARD WINNERS
BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
1. GOLD: BIRD HOSTAGE Directed by Lauren Andrews
2. SILVER: YOUR MONEY’S NO GOOD HERE Directed by Jakob Skrzypa
3. BRONZE: GAMESMANSHIP Directed by Doug Cook
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
1. GOLD: BUTTERSCOTCH (USA) Directed by Alexander Lee Deeds
2. SILVER: THE OLD YOUNG CROW (Japan) Directed by Liam LoPinto
3. BRONZE: THE HERITAGE (UK) Directed by Andrew Rutter
2023 HARVEY LALONDE VOLUNTEERS CHOICE AWARD WINNER*
UFO SWEDEN
*A special new award, polling the wonderful festival volunteers for their own pick for best feature film, named in the honour and memory of a legendary founding Toronto After Dark volunteer.
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ABOUT TORONTO AFTER DARK
Toronto After Dark Film Festival is one of the world’s leading showcases of New Horror, Sci-Fi and Action cinema. Each October, the critically acclaimed event screens thrilling new features and shorts from around the world in front of an audience of thousands. The 18th Annual festival returns October 16-20, 2024 at the Scotiabank Theatre, the biggest cinema in the heart of downtown Toronto, Canada.
Interested in submitting a film? Visit our Film Submissions Page. Get more info on the fest at our About Us Pages. Any questions or comments, please feel free to Contact Us.
Award Winners: Many Congratulations! If you would like an official TADFF Award Winner Laurel graphic or certificate for use in your marketing, please contact us.
