WINNERS

WINNERS 2026

With links to Trailers/Full films where they are publicly available. If we have missed any then please let us know. ((TRAILERS WILL BE ADDED LATER))

BEST HORROR/FANTASY SHORT
1) BRONZE SMUGGLER'S REST
Director: Steven Lancefield
2) SILVER CALAN MAI
Director: Alfie George
3) WINNER FAITHFUL
Director: Lucy Linger

BEST COMEDY SHORT
1) BRONZE TUNA AND TED
Director: Steven Lancefield
2) SILVER DAD?!
Director: Howard Smith
3) WINNER SECOND FROM THE END
Director: Howard Smith

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
1) SILVER PRAYER OF THE SEA
Director: Martin Gerigk
2) WINNER ARMADILLOTOWN
Director: Andrew Hook

BEST THRILLER SHORT
1) BRONZE THAT GREY AREA
Director: Howard Smith
2) SILVER PERDITION
Director: Kebe Iwara
3) WINNER THE GAME
Director: Aidan Moran 

BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL SHORT
1) BRONZE THE QUIET ROOM
Director: Kyle Brown
2) SILVER HI COBI
Director: Noah Wyss Le Brocq
3) WINNER DO IT, HARRY 
Director: Howard Smith

BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT FILM 
1) BRONZE HOWARD SMITH for That Grey Area
2) SILVER/ LUCY LINGER for Faithful & AIDAN MORAN for The Game
JOINT WINNERS
3) WINNER KEBE IWARA for Perdition

BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY 
1) BRONZE A SUPER FRIENDLY GUY
Mićo Ivanović
2) SILVER THE REDRESS OF VERELY AMBROSE
Stuart Mackie Ellis
3) WINNER THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
Archie Andrews

BEST THRILLER FEATURE
1) SILVER MOMMY, I DON'T WANT TO
Director: Asif Pervez
2) WINNER A MIND IN CHAOS
Director: Chris Rakotomamonjy

BEST DRAMA FEATURE SCREENPLAY
WINNER THE MIGHTY VARIANTS
Steven Blows

BEST HORROR/FANTASY FEATURE SCREENPLAY
1) BRONZE KISS ME, KILL HER
Sam Rose
2) SILVER HOW TO BECOME A SERIAL KILLER
Andrew M. Ward
3) WINNER MOOD SWINGS
Dave Jeffery

BEST DIRECTOR - FEATURE FILM
1) SILVER ROMAN ELPIDIO
B.R.I.
2) WINNER CHRIS RAKOTOMAMONJY
A Mind in Chaos

BEST SHORT FILM OF 2026
WINNER FAITHFUL 
Director: Lucy Linger

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
HOWARD SMITH
for his outstanding work in Independent Film

BEST NEWCOMER
LILY MCGUIRE
for her role as "Vaila Robertson" in Faithful

BEST COMEDY ARTIST
1) SILVER RITA JAGPAL-MOHAN & PETER MCMANUS
for Tuna and Ted
2) WINNER BEVERLEY RENDELLE & ALAN GROUCOTT
for Second From the End

BEST ACTION FEATURE 
B.R.I. 
Director: Roman Elpidio

THE SILKEN ROPE
1) BRONZE OLD SINS by Jared Cade
2) SILVER BEAUTY by Janet Silverwood
WINNER GIVE ME YOUR HANDS by Benjamin Adams

THE NOOSE BEST NOVEL 
1) BRONZE BORDERLINE by Graeme Cumming
2) SILVER THE EXPERT WITNESS by Julia Stone
WINNER THE HOUSE AT DEVIL'S NECK by Tom Mead

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 
1) BRONZE FRANCESCA LIA TREYMAINE
as "Mother" in Mommy, I Don't Want to
2) SILVER ALI CARROLL
as "Catherine" in The Game
3) WINNER SONIA SABADEIL
AS "Mrs Wagner" in A Mind in Chaos

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1) BRONZE GARY HOLLYWOOD
as "Campbell Robertson" in Faithful
2) SILVER MIKE KELSON
as "Mr Smith" in Perdition
3) WINNER CRISPIAN BELFRAGE
as "Dr Marco" in B.R.I. 

BEST ACTRESS - SHORT FILM
1) BRONZE EMILY ASKEW
as "Luna" in Luna
2) SILVER LIZ CARROLL
as "Rose" in The Game
3) WINNER OLGA SOLO
as "Nadia" in Perdition

BEST ACTOR - SHORT FILM
1) BRONZE CARL FOSTER
as "Harry" in Do It, Harry 
2) SILVER DREW ELSTON
as "Jon" in Perdition
3) WINNER PAUL ANTHONY KELLY
as  "DS Simon Carter" in That Grey Area

BEST ACTRESS - FEATURE FILM
1) SILVER JADEY DUFFIELD
as  "Jesse" in B.R.I.
2) WINNER LAVINIA MANESCU
as "Elena Rastrovitch" in A Mind in Chaos

BEST ACTOR - FEATURE FILM 
1) SILVER PETTER BERGE
as "Jason" in Mommy, I Don't Want To
2) WINNER DANNY DARREN
as "Kawa" in B.R.I


WINNERS 2025

With links to Trailers/Full films where they are publicly available. If we have missed any then please let us know.

BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY

Monster Within written by Emanuele Frusi WINNER (Acceptance Speech: https://youtu.be/80uTZg1VMuc?si=LSY72udMBvU60jRT)
Scream if You Need Me! written by Ian Anthony Senior HONORABLE MENTION
The Eighth Witch written by Mick Sims SILVER
Dark Sails on the Horizon written by Patrick K Gamble BRONZE

BEST SHORT SCRIPT

An Office in the Grays Inn Road Written by Mick Sims WINNER
Strangers written by Abie Ekenezar SILVER
Hypothesis  Written by Cesar Sanchis Romero BRONZE

BEST THRILLER (FEATURE) and BEST ACTION FEATURE

TAPPED Director: Teoman Sayin WINNER: BEST THRILLER & BEST ACTION (Trailer: https://youtu.be/yKiWYSktfRQ?si=p_4AGjqynRnkBxnc)
THE BLACK ROCK: A Kyle Brookes Film SILVER  (Trailer: https://youtu.be/NYTfsUGGB7E?si=D7OTmJJSsI5uLD7a Interview Q/A from the Festival: https://youtu.be/uoO7pQ279fE?si=v-XBWR_MyvQaxNYt)
THE REFLECTED SELF: Kelvin Richards BRONZE (Trailer: https://youtu.be/yI5e3L2Fgg4?si=FVv1bQIIURfjVbEv)

BEST DIRECTOR (SHORT)

Piero Cannata - VISITING - WINNER: BEST DIRECTOR (SHORT) (Trailer: https://youtu.be/wWbf91QYyDI?si=iaTw5aBmEw2GsrEi)
Rob Speranza - POOR TOM - HONORABLE MENTION (https://youtu.be/qA123jU-M-Y?si=gXMbCq178niW78GM)
Kate Horlor - LAURA LIVING BACKWARDS - SILVER 
Fraser Jordan - KIDDA - BRONZE (Trailer: https://youtu.be/9OOyfXvMMp0?si=BzeteriSkIZ0SV5l)

BEST DIRECTOR (FEATURE)
Teoman Sayin - TAPPED - WINNER

BEST ACTOR

Elijah Baker (Nuro-Ross) TAPPED - WINNER
Kyle Brookes (Heinrich Gustav Wolf) THE BLACK ROCK - HONORABLE MENTION
Zongsheng Liu (Jing) THE LAND OF NOWHERE - SILVER 

JUDGES HONORARY AWARDS

BEST YOUNG ACTOR - Jude Hoyland (Jude) KIDDA
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS - Emily Askew (Bridie) BRIDIE! (https://youtu.be/xpHTbG64yeA?si=Cm2sAnRV0kBeDZWW)
FILMMAKER LEGEND - Rob Speranza (For Services to the filmmaking industry in Yorkshire)

BEST ACTRESS
Vianne Furey (Clara) TAPPED - WINNER
Sarah Feltman (Laura) LAURA LIVING BACKWARDS - HONORABLE MENTION

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Joe Zalias (Mr Andrews) KIDDA - WINNER
Alfie William Gosnay (Liam) BRIDIE! - SILVER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Beverley Rendelle (DC Rose Taylor) BRIDIE! - WINNER
Rita Jagpal (Pavi Shah) TWIN LEAPS - SILVER

BEST COMEDY SHORT
WHEEL GONE KID: 4 - CRASH COURSE (Director: Wayne Kelly) - WINNER (Trailer: https://youtu.be/sQ9rYPtJqmk?si=_QI5yUXSiFRTT0Eh)
FIDDLE AND FLUSH (Director: Wayne Kelly) - SILVER (https://youtu.be/GtA7AmnBOKY?si=onNEpXHuInDZVRpy)

BEST PILOT 
TWIN LEAPS - WINNER (Trailer: https://youtu.be/BBJBTGkrXwQ?si=Ydl-rWgBVUU4RBWP)

THE INAUGRAL NOOSE AWARDS:

THE NOOSE: BEST THRILLER NOVEL

COLIN MARDELL - Wolf in the Henhouse - WINNER (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Hen-House-Saffron-Price/dp/1789969913)

THE SILKEN ROPE: BEST SHORT STORY

VICTORIA DOWD - Catacomb - WINNER
JARED CADE - Blue Mountain Tragedy - SILVER



2024 WINNERS

With links to Trailers where they are publicly available. If we have missed any then please let us know.

All pictures thanks to Karen Woodham/Blazing Minds

HONORARY AWARD – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Presented by David J Howe
To FRAZER HINES for 70 Years in Showbusiness

Frazer Hines

SHORT FILM AWARD 
Presented by Blazing Minds sponsor, Karen Woodham
• Chrysaline 
• La Belle Dans Sans Merci: Hate
• Press Conference 
• Script

SILVER: LA BELLE DANS SANS MERCI: HATE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QErcpMe5Mew)
GOLD/WINNER: CHRYSALINE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GJmPjK8pSs)

Taunya Gren

BEST DIRECTOR AWARD
Sponsored by Alex Shewan. Presented by Wendy Turner Webster
• Piero Cannata – For Script 
• Taunya Gren – For Chrysaline
• Arniko Kumar Singh – For Dakini
• Montgomery David Taylor – For In the Bag

BRONZE: PIERO CANNATA for SCRIPT 
SILVER: MONTGOMERY DAVID TAYLOR for IN THE BAG
GOLD/WINNER: TAUNYA GREN for CHRYSALINE

BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Presented By Keith Mason
• Cold Comfort by Mick Sims
• The Estate by Rachel D Griffiths
• Relic by Russell Bryant 
• The Scheme by Diego Trovarelli

BRONZE: THE ESTATE by RACHEL D GRIFFITHS
SILVER: THE SCHEME by DIEGO TROVARELLI 
GOLD/WINNER: COLD COMFORT by MICK SIMS

Mick Sims

HONORARY AWARD – POP LEGEND
Presented by Frazer Hines and Linzi Gold

To AYSHEA BROUGH

Frazer Hines and Linzi Gold present Ayshea Brough with her Award.

BEST THRILLER FEATURE
Presented by Danielle Broadbent

To MERCY OF OTHERS directed by DAMIEN GIGLIETTA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5dF9k14clM)

BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY 
Presented by The Old George Inn sponsor, Rosie Nagaty
• Being Gone John by Walter Mecham 
• Department 18 by Mick Sims
• Drag Me All the Way Down by Adam Holloway
• Marah from Eilat by Leiter S Daniellson

BRONZE: DEPARTMENT 18 by MICK SIMS
SILVER: BEING GONE JOHN by WALTER MECHAM 
GOLD/WINNER: DRAG ME ALL THE WAY DOWN by ADAM HOLLOWAY

Adam Holloway with Rosie Nagaty

BEST NEWCOMER AWARD
Presented by judge, Adele Maddison

To MONTGOMERY DAVID TAYLOR

Montgomery David Taylor

BEST HORROR FEATURE
Presented by Telos Publishing sponsor, David J Howe

To BLOOD CORRAL directed by SCOTT NEW (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UDdOV1VSXA)

Taunya Gren receives the Award from Samantha Lee Howe

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Presented by Gary Webster
• Jimmy Hanks – Blood Corral
• Simon Messingham – Ostrich Suit
• Christina Robinson – Chrysaline 
• Yana Shevchenko – Press Conference

BRONZE: SIMON MESSINGHAM for OSTRICH SUIT
SILVER: CHRISTINA ROBINSON for CHRYSALINE
GOLD/WINNER: JIMMY HANKS for BLOOD CORRAL

BEST ACTRESS
Presented by Ayshea Brough
• Michelle Jeram – The Programme 
• Seanna Ladd – Chrysaline
• Malika Mahat – Dakini
• Monica Zanforlin – Script

BRONZE: MICHELLE JERAM for THE PROGRAMME (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu5X_jqNlbg)
SILVER: MONICA ZANFORLIN for SCRIPT
GOLD/WINNER: SEANNA LADD for CHRYSALINE

Seanna Ladd

BEST ACTOR
Presented by Nina Wadia OBE
• Ray Calleja – Press Conference
• Alistair Lock – Ostrich Suit
• Daniele Marotta – Script 
• Matt Shaw – The Stillness in the Air

BRONZE: ALISTAIR LOCK for OSTRICH SUIT
SILVER: MATT SHAW for THE STILLNESS IN THE AIR 
GOLD/WINNER: RAY CALLEJA for PRESS CONFERENCE

Nina Wadia presents the Award.


CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS!

Taunya Gren receives the Award for Best Director from Wendy Turner.

Rachel D Griffiths receives the Best Short Screenplay award from Keith Mason

Danielle Broadbent announces the winner of the Best Thriller Feature

Michelle Jeram receives the Bronze Award for Best Actress

Alistair Lock receives the Bronze Award for Best Actor


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