New York Monsters Film Festival — First Edition Wrap-Up
February 14, 2026 | Greenpoint, New York
The first edition of the New York Monsters Film Festival erupted onto the New York underground film scene on February 14th at Film Noir Cinema, delivering a brutally memorable Valentine’s night dedicated to disturbing, transgressive, and fearless cinema.
Hosted in the heart of Greenpoint, the inaugural edition was an overwhelming success, featuring a razor-sharp international lineup, an engaged and enthusiastic audience, electric post-screening reactions, and striking photography that perfectly captured the raw spirit of the event. The packed cinema and visceral audience responses confirmed what we hoped for: New York is hungry for monsters.
From body horror and apocalyptic visions to pitch-black humor and experimental animation, the program showcased bold voices pushing genre cinema into uncomfortable, thrilling territory. The festival proudly celebrated the following award winners:
Official Winners:
Most Disturbing Short
Dead tooth (France) — Romane Eilahtan
A nightmarish descent from a routine dental visit into pure existential horror.
Best Screamplay
Your Call (United States) — Alora Thompson
A chilling psychological investigation of loneliness and obsession, unfolding through the eerie intimacy of a phone booth.
Cursed Cinematography
Pluto in Aquarius (Belgium) — Hippolyte Laveix
An unsettling, poetic vision of transformation and cosmic change.
Best Apocalyptic Film
The Harvest (Spain) — David Barrera & Manuel Carballo
A dystopian sci-fi nightmare in which humanity itself becomes a resource.
Rotten Heart Award
Kevin Must Dance (United States) — Walker Higgins
A dark fairy tale of hospitality, dread, and compulsory movement.
Best Short Pain
TICK (Australia) — Tallulah Eden
A short, vicious body-horror experience that left audiences squirming.
Unholy Performance (Best Actor/Actress)
Tara Lindström in Dead tooth — Romane Eilahtan
Best Underground Film
Dinner (United States) — Carrie Alicia Hawks
A micro-burst of savage underground energy.
Best Animated Film
Happy Anniversary (United States) — Natalie C. Post
An animated fever dream blending crash-test dummies, corn mazes, and hellish romance.
Dark Attic Award
Painted Devil (Czech Republic) — Bruno Pimentel
A claustrophobic attic showdown where art becomes a weapon.
Best Mockumentary
The Missing Segment (United States) — Sam Lavy
A fragment of forbidden television history found on an unlabeled VHS tape.
Looking Ahead
After this explosive debut, the New York Monsters Film Festival is officially here to stay.
The second edition will return to Film Noir Cinema in Greenpoint, New York, expanding into a three-day event on:
February 12th, 13th, and 14th
Once again: a bloody Valentine.
We extend our deepest thanks to the filmmakers, the audience, and our venue for making this first edition unforgettable. The monsters have found their home — and they will be back, bigger, darker, and louder.
Long live underground cinema.
