Run by filmmakers, for filmmakers.
Purgatory Pictures Ltd has been up and running for a couple of years now and, having travelled the world - taking our products to film festivals, we launched our own festival. This has been running for a couple of years now with a team of six judges watching, reading and rating all of the submissions received!
It might seem strange; filmmakers launching their own festival but, for us, we believe it is the most natural thing to do given our passion for films of all genres.
The online festival
Originally the Festival ran on a yearly basis during the second to last weekend of October. Close enough to Halloween that people are craving their horror but not on Halloween, ruining people's parties. However, recognising the need for "urgent" laurels and awards for independent film-makers, the decision was made to make it a monthly online event from 2024 onwards, with awards being issued every month. Not only does this keep the cost down for people looking to submit but it also ensures entrants are not waiting months on end to find out if their film has been selected.
The in-person festival
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!
Once a year, the festival will have a full, in-person day event. On this day, we will be showcasing the winning short films from throughout the year. There is no need to resubmit your work. If you're a winner from that year, your film will automatically be shown to our audience (up to 300 people). The top three feature films from the year (chosen by a judging panel of 8 people) will also be shown. The audience will be asked to write the name of their favourite short and feature film. Once the cards have been counted (within the following week) the audience's choice award will be presented and the winner of each category will win yet another award.
What to expect at the festival? Films, networking possibilities and fun! Whilst we are filmmakers, we're also film fans! So we love nothing more than getting together with like-minded people and hanging out. Who knows, maybe you'll find the director for your next film there? Or maybe you'll find your next leading actor? Come down and get networking!
The event runs October of every year, close to Southampton (UK).
The next event is OCTOBER 26th, 2024.
It will be hosted at the Holiday Inn, Eastleigh, United Kingdom
Tickets can be found on Eventbrite.
The fees
The entry fees will always be kept modest to ensure costs are covered. There will be an option for winners to purchase their physical trophies, should they wish one be added to their collection. Otherwise, all winners (and selected films) will receive a laurel.
There is no need to enter your film twice to be in with a chance of winning the online or in-person festival. All entries which win the monthly festival will automatically be shown at the in-person festival and be in with another chance of winning.
For transparency, the Film Festival will be run through filmfreeway.
RULES & TERMS
Judges' decisions are final
Due to the amount of submissions we receive, we do not give out waiver codes
Filmmakers agree that their film is okay to be shown at the festival
Multiple entries are welcome
Only submissions via FilmFreeway are accepted
Winners will be uploaded to the Purgatory Pictures website
For winners wishing to come to the in-person festival, we can only offer two free tickets but further tickets are available to purchase. We do not cover travelling or accommodation expenses
In the unlikely event of the film festival being cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, tickets will be transferred to an alternative date and the film line-up will remain the same
PREVIOUS WINNERS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2026
BEST TRAILER:
Father K.O
Directed by
D.J. Higgins
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Astro Noise - Caballeros De La Muerte / Musikclip by Frank Kollbi
Directed by
Frank Kollbi
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Video Dreams: A VHS Massacre
Directed by
Thomas Seymour
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Morning Angel
Directed by
Elora Ellis
Best Actor
THE HARDER THEY FALL
Tiarnan Doherty
Best Female Actor
Skins: A Devil’s Dancers Story
August Kyss
Best Feature Film script
Amelia Rude
Written by Rain Story
Best Short Screenplay
Nothing to Write Home About
Written by
PHIL Ginsburg
Best Short Film
Morning Angel
Directed by
Elora Ellis
Best Feature Film
Best Goon Brenn
Directed by
David Jarvis
JANUARY 2026
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Synnoia
Written by
Javier Hinojosa Allely
BEST FEATURE FILM
Van Life
Directed by
Thor Moreno
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
My Boyfriend, a mannequin
Directed by
DMITRY NIKOLENKO
BEST ACTOR
Contrition
Ben Keenan
BEST ACTRESS
The Mirror that Consumes You
GABRIELLA LEONARDI
Best Feature screenplay
A Noble Legacy
Written by
Chris Donald Griffin
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025
Due to November and December being notoriously quiet, we ran the festival for two months. If not more than 3 entries were in a category, the entries will be judged alongside the following month.
BEST TRAILER
Family Secrets
Directed by
Marc D Lotus, M.D. Singleton
BEST FEATURE LENGTH SCREENPLAY
Trust Me
Writer AEG Guaaker
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Eat the Rich
Writer Sergio Hödar
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Budapest Cops
Directed by
Árpád Vikárius
Best Cinematography
Denial
Sebastian Vošvrda
Best Short film
Sun Sets South
Directed by
Roman Pfeiffer
OCTOBER 2025
Best Trailer:
Shadows
Dir: Christos Nektarios Mavromatis
Best Music Video
Angel
Dir: Octavian Uta
Best Short Film (we have a tie)
Smoke Signal
Dir: Hyunkoo (Justin) Kang
The Boy and the Pitaya
Dir: Da Yu Hong
Best Feature Film
Florence
Dir: Skip Shea, Luigi Cozzi
Best Documentary
W: A Return to Oz
Dir: Daniel Howard-Baker
Best Cinematography
Eggsecution
Bao Le Cheok
Best feature screenplay
Sanguis Septem
Written by: Caprice Castano
Best Actor
Tony
Philippe Ambrosini
Best Actor (female)
Pest of the mind
Eva Lopez
Best Short screenplay
Hell to Pay: The Legend of Robert Johnson
Written by Giancarlo Fusi
SEPTEMBER 2025
September
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Walk With Me Through The Fire - The Curse of KK Hammond
BEST TRAILER
Voorhees - Underground Pictures Entertainment
BEST SHORT FILM
Matrescence
Directed by
Harvey Albury
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Matrescence
Maddie Bye
Director of Photography
BEST FEATURE FILM
Don’t Look in the Dark
Directed by
Samuel Freeman
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
The Elders
Written by
Cait Leigh
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Waiting Room
Written by
Stanislav Kacar
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Borderlines
Directed by
Hayoung Jung
BEST ACTOR / ACTRESS
Face to Face
Emmanuel Farinre
Lydia Banjo
JULY 2025
BEST TRAILER:
Temple of Thesus
Directed by
Qiu Cheng
BEST FEATURE FILM
Jimmy (Director’s cut)
Directed by
David-Jan Bronsgeest
BEST SHORT FILM
Mary Jane’s Last Dance
Directed by
Kieran Andrino
BEST ACTOR (FEMALE)
Mary Jane’s Last Dance
Lydia Fitzwilliams
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Victoria: We don’t get along
Directed by
Victoria Karakoleva
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Point Washington Outlaws
Directed by
Kirby Clements
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Raze
Written by
Griffin MacConnell
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Sincerely Departed
Written by
Rebecca Leigh
MAY 2025
BEST MUSIC. VIDEO
Small City: Rise The Wicked
Directed by
Aaron Christiansen
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Redefining Impossible
Directed by
Matthew John Biggar
BEST SHORT FILM
Directed by
Oliver Medina
BEST ACTOR (FEMALE)
A Void
Beata Jutila
BEST ACTOR (MALE)
I Feel Pretty
Christopher Prinsloo
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
I Feel Pretty
Jeffrey Martes
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Lamb to the Slaughter
Written by
Gabriella Niles-Ewen
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Written by
Russell Jenkins
APRIL 2025
BEST TRAILER:
CORONA
Directed by
Lolo Martín
BEST MUSIC. VIDEO
Scared To Live
Directed by
Khaled Sahour
BEST DOCUMENTARY
She walks a line
Directed by
TIMOTHY STUART LOVELL
BEST SHORT FILM
COELESTIS
Directed by
Stephen Edward Reid
BEST ACTOR (FEMALE)
COELESTIS
Jemima Jane
BEST ACTOR (MALE)
CORONA
Lolo Martin
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Bad Girls
Written by
Kevin Machate
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Would Smith?
Written by
Matty Mahoney
NO FEATURE FLMS WERE SUBMITTED THIS MONTH
MARCH 2025
Best Music Video
Anxious
Dir. Alex Hanson
Best actor (female)
Who’s Next?
Diana Afisa
Best Short film
Looker
Dir. Max Kaplan
Best Cinematography
The Worm of the Earth
Cinematography by Chris Stevens
Best screenplay (feature)
WAR TITLE
Written by PH Silva
Best screenplay (short)
The Last Scene
Written by Guilherme Vozeniak Martins
In order to make fair judgement, each category needs a minimum of 3 entries. On this occasion BEST TRAILER, BEST FEATURE FILM, BEST DOCUMENTARY, BEST ACTOR did not have enough submissions. Those who submitted this month will automatically roll over to April.
FEBRUARY 2025
Best Music Video
You Are Alive - Jaymz Manuel
Best actor (female)
La Bonita - Alba Fontecha
Best Actor (male)
Rubiks - Joshua Ford
Best Short film
La Bonita - Dir. Miguel Córcoles
Best Cinematography
White Crow - Sam Wain
Best screenplay (feature)
Stella - Novella Bex
Best screenplay (short)
Them Bowls - PHIL Ginsburg
Best Feature film
Bawla (English title: Batty)- Vishesh Mankal
In order to make fair judgement, each category needs a minimum of 3 entries. On this occasion BEST TRAILER, BEST DOCUMENTARY did not have enough submissions. Those who submitted this month will automatically roll over to March.
JANUARY 2025
Best Short Screenplay
Under the Midnight Sun
Written by Lisa Hammer
Best Feature Screenplay
Berwick Tower
Written by Marcella H Smith
Best Short Film
You!
Dir: Ashish Chaitanya
Best Actor (Male)
You!
Chanduvayu
Best Actor (Female)
Maaya Prapanch
Suhani Vyas
Unfortunately, in order to be better judged, categories need at least 3 entries for fair competition. The following listings have been automatically moved to the following month.
BEST TRAILER, BEST MUSIC VIDEO, BEST DOCUMENTARY, BEST FEATURE, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
AUGUST 2024
Best Trailer
“Until Tomorrow”
Dir: Kade Kelly
Best Music Video
Mama Doom - Bleeding Garden
Dir: Anne Hickey, David Mayer
Best Short Screenplay
Hellfire and Popcorn
Written by Matt Beale
Best Documentary
Amazon, Brazil - Harmony
Dir: Louis Lam
Best Cinematography
On the Corner of Nowhere
Cinematography by Lyo Yuson
Best Feature Screenplay
Abort
Written by Karmin Mosley
Best Short Film
One Last Choice
Dir: Eugene Stuckless
Best Feature film
Fear Movie
Dir: Haritha Gogineni
Best Actor (Male)
On of the corner of nowhere
Anthony J Abraham
Best Actor (Female)
Félice
Kalina Davis
JULY 2024
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Fade
Directed by Vugar Tahirov
Best Short screenplay
The Kiss of the Jellyfish Girl
Written by Jerzy P. Suchocki
Best feature screenplay
Smart Seed
Written by Pawel Grajnert
Best Documentary
The Mirror Parajanov
Directed by Jérôme AMIMER
Best Cinematography
Burning Olives
Directed by Amy Watt-Pringle
Best Actor (male)
Yan Lau
“Level 1 - episode 1”
Best Actor (female)
Tara Sumner
The Lost Legend
Best Short Film
The Evil Three
Directed by CJ Vecchio
May 2024
Best Cinematography
Rabbit Season
Directed by
Spooky Madison
Best Feature Film
Nights
Directed by
Omid Farkhondeh
Best Short script
Drystone Written by
Chloe Banks
Best Feature script
Familiar Realm
Written by
Jose Montalvo
Best Trailer
A Vampire’s Kiss
Directed by
Mark Francis
Best Short Film
Darkpill
Directed by Callum Henderson
Best Actor
Marius MacTalovvich
Mimic
Best Actress
Robertina Bonano
Mimic
APRIL 2024
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Moon Palace, a Stargazer’s Journey
Ashley Karrell
BEST TRAILER
F’d: Tales from the End Times
Ash Hamilton, Ben Harl, Josh Brucker, Michael Gregory, Dillon Brown
BEST SHORT FILM
The Job
Abner Maximus
Fernando Armstrong
BEST FEMALE ACTOR
The Job
Amanda Pajus
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Mama Doom - Man Parts
Anne Hickey, David Mayer, Krystal Ancon
BEST FEATURE
F’d: Tales from the End Times
Ash Hamilton, Ben Harl, Josh Brucker, Michael Gregory, Dillon Brown
BEST ACTOR
Blue Snakes
Paul Sultana
BEST SHORT SCRIPT
Inevitably alone
Joe Brooks
BEST FEATURE SCRIPT
His Blood
Jourdan Prince
Also, unfortunately a listing was previously missed off the announcements due to a mistake on our end.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Trobar de Morte - Bathory
Directed by
Gabriel Alcón AKA visualnoisebarcelona
MARCH 2024
Best Cinematography
Hello Again, Nice To Meet you
Dir: Fin O’Toole
Best Actor
Samuel Jenshøj
Hello Again, Nice To Meet You
Best Actress
Indigo Pippa Collecott -
Hello Again, Nice To Meet You
Best Documentary
Tulsa Terrors
Dir: Bryan Crain
Best Short Film
The Skin
Dir: José Casas
Best Short Screenplay
The Estate
Written by Rachel D Griffiths
Best Feature Screenplay
Fright Games -
Steven Paul McCarthy
FEBRUARY 2024
CARETAKER took home:
BEST TRAILER
ACTOR
CINEMATOGRAPHY
SHORT FILM
BEHOLD THE CLAW took home:
BEST FEATURE FILM
RUN AWAY took home:
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
THE UFOS OF SOESTERBERG took home:
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST SHORT SCRIPT took home:
CREATURE, BEGONE!
JANUARY 2024
BEST TRAILER - THE D WORD BY JAMES WATJEN
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - VEIL BY PETER HARDY
BEST DOCUMENTARY - BLACK, QUEER & DONE BY NYASHA DALEY
BEST SHORT FILM - SIMULACRUM BY DHANUSH PARAMESH
BEST ACTRESS - LILLIAN BORNSTEIN / SIMULACRUM
BEST ACTOR - MINH-ANH DAY / SIMULACRUM
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - BLACK SUNDAY BY ANDREA R CIOBANU
BEST FEATURE SCRIPT - SUBLIME BY GUY MAYFIELD
In December of 2023, it was decided to run the event as a monthly feature with one "in-person" event at the end of each year, celebrating the previous months' winners.
OCTOBER 2023
BEST SHORT FILM
The Devil's Trick
Gabriele Iannascoli, Valerio Giancola
BEST WEB-SERIES or WEBISODE
Lost & Found
D. K. Renée
BEST TRAILER
Ghost of Hiroshima
Brandon Walker
OCTOBER 2022
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Voice of Thaïs
David Casals Roma
BEST SHORT FILM
Doghouse
Anabel kutay
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Belphegor
Thomas Keplinger
BEST WEB-SERIES or WEBISODE
Good Morning RIP
Luke Jacunski
BEST FEATURE
The Ugly Truth
Krishna Ashu Bhati
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Fragments
Lucas Vossoughi, Artur Golczewski
BEST ACTOR
MOVE
Alexander De Rita
BEST ACTRESS
MOVE
Rebecca Tarabocchia
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Old Friends
Sian Walker
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Terror London
Terry Clark
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS! If you haven't already passed your address to us, for your trophy, please do get in touch: info@purgatorypictures.co.uk
OCTOBER 2021
BEST DOCUMENTARY FINALISTS
Social Media Monster *
Dir: Peter John Ross
BEST SHORT FILM FINALISTS
Faces *
Dir: Iván Sainz-Pardo
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
KLAÜD *
Dir: Aurélia Mengin
BEST WEB-SERIES or WEBISODE
Halos, Horns, & Tacos *
Dir: Christopher Sheffield
BEST FEATURE (winners marked with *)
Tales of the creeping death *
Dir: John Williams
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Perturbado (Disturbed)
Dir: Fernando A. Fisher
BEST ACTOR
Perturbado (Disturbed)
Dir: Fernando A. Fisher
BEST ACTRESS
I am the new Adjani
Dir: Khady N'Diaye
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
Room Service
Written by Nieves Garcia Perchin
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
The Minefield
Written by Quinn Redeker, Jason Skorski