Scare Campaign, writers-directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ follow-up to 100 Bloody Acres, was named best film at Monster Fest.
The frightfest produced by Julie Ryan, which stars Ian Meadows, Meegan Warner, Olivia de Jonge and Sigrid Thornton, also collected the prizes for best direction, feature screenplay and sound (Chris Goodes and Steve Burgess).
The plot follows a reality TV prank show, Scare Campaign, which had entertained audiences for five years with a mix of old school scares and hidden camera fun.
Faced with dwindling ratings and competition from a new hard-edged web series, the producers decide to up the ante, taking desperate measures in an abandoned asylum.
The prizes: a crystal monster for best film, green monster for the directors and a Miss Universe-style sash for the script. Monster Fest's Neil Foley hailed a "brilliant new Aussie horror film from two of Australia's most exciting cinema talents, totally deserving of every bit of success coming its way."
Jonathan Page’s Bonsai Films will handle theatrical distribution in Australia with event screenings in the first half of next year, Ryan tells IF. Madman Entertainment will release on home entertainment, which Ryan is aiming to have concurrent with the US release to combat piracy.
Paris-based Films Distribution is handling international sales. The film was funded by Screen Australia, Film Victoria, the producer offset and private investors.
Monster Fest ran from November 26-29 at Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn. Among the other films in official selection were Bullets for the Dead, Atomic Eden, Pod, Bunny the Killer Thing, Australiens, Haunt, Hangman, Hellions and Sensoria.
Best Australian feature film was David Jackson's Cat Sick Blues, which tells of the twisted romance between a serial killer and a young woman who lost her cat in a horrifying incident.
Goran Spoljaric's The Priest, the saga of an unfaithful woman who finds herself on the train ride from hell, was named best short.
The full list of winners:
Best Short Screenplay
Izzy Lee – INNSMOUTH
Best International Short Film
BEYOND FEROX – Thomas Yagodinski
Best Short Film Director
Shant Hamassian – NIGHT OF THE SLASHER
Best Victorian Short
THE PRIEST – Goran Spoljaric
Best Feature Screenplay
Colin and Cameron Cairnes – SCARE CAMPAIGN
Best Feature Film Special Effects
BITE
Best Sound in a Feature
SCARE CAMPAIGN
Best Female Lead
Elma Begovic – BITE
Best Male Lead
Sterling Knight – LANDMINE GOES CLICK
Monster Jury Award
VELVET VIXEN'S ZOMBIE MASSACRE
Best Feature Film Director
Colin and Cameron Cairnes – SCARE CAMPAIGN
Best Australian Feature Film
CAT SICK BLUES – Dir. David Jackson Prod. Harley Hoshi, David Jackson, Matthew C. Vaughan
Crystal Monster for Best Film
SCARE CAMPAIGN – Dir. Colin and Cameron Cairnes, Prod. Julie Ryan