Overlook Film Festival 2026 award winners announced, including Obsession, Never After Dark, and more

Obsession - Courtesy of Focus Features

The 2026 Overlook Film Festival concluded earlier this month. The festival recently announced its award winners, which include the buzzy Obsession, written and directed by Curry Barker, Never After Dark, directed by Dave Boyle, and more.

Obsession won the Audience Award for Feature Film. The tale of wish fulfillment gone horribly wrong was the opening night film, and it will release in theaters on May 15. In a press release, Barker said, "They say ‘be careful what you wish for’, but Obsession winning the Audience Award is beyond anything we could have wished for,” before adding, “We are truly grateful to everyone at the Overlook Film Festival for embracing our movie and are thrilled that audiences had as much fun watching the film as we had making it.”

The Grand Jury Prize for Feature Film was awarded to Never After Dark. The movie follows a traveling psychic who helps lost souls cross over but encounters a powerful entity at a remote house. While investigating its origins, she uncovers dark secrets and faces a deadly threat from an unexpected source. The jury said of the film, "with fantastic performances, an eerie command of atmosphere and unexpected twists, this tautly-constructed ghost story burns slow before exploding into a uniquely chilling nightmare. It's the best J-horror film of the last decade – and it's made by an American." 

The jury awarded the Scariest Feature Award to Taratoa Stappard's Marama, declaring that "the cruelty and violence of colonialism, its brutality seen through the eyes of Indigenous women, bring terrifying power and haunting imagery to Taratoa Stappard's chilling Māori Gothic tale of reclamation, repatriation and retribution." 

Set in 1859 England, the movie follows May Stevens (Ariana Osborne), a young Maori woman who travels to North Yorkshire to uncover her ancestry. Once there, she becomes governess at a sinister mansion, only to discover her employer harbors dark secrets. This leads her to seek vengeance against colonial violence.

Additionally, the features jury awarded a Special Jury Mention for Midori Francis' performance in Saccharine, stating, "the effectiveness of body horror films and supernatural thrillers like Saccharine hinge on the lead, and here Midori Francis brings an unraveling yet grounded mania and warmth to the material." Directed by Natalie Erika James, Saccharine will see a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on May 22, before it streams on Shudder at a later date.

The features jury was composed of filmmaker Vera Drew, film programmer Jonsuk Thomas Nam, and journalist Jen Yamato.

Meanwhile, the Grand Jury Prize for Short Film was awarded to Lee Lawson's Man Eating Pussy. The award for Scariest Short went to director Alex Jacobs' Ghoststory, while an Honorable Mention for Best Kitty went to House Cat's star Katy Wicker "for her intense commitment to an emotionally and physically challenging performance." Additionally, the shorts jury presented Homemade Gatorade, from director Carter Amelia Davis, with a Doomscroll Award for Most Harrowing Digital Nightmare.

The 2026 short film jury was composed of journalist and playwright Sharai Bohannon, author and film critic Payton McCarty-Simas, and filmmaker Jenn Wexler.