The Rule of Jenny Pen, which picked up two awards at the Fantastic Fest 2024 awards, including best actor for Geoffrey Rush, shown here with costar John Lithgow Credit: Image Courtesy of IFC Films/Shudder

A big showing for The Rule of Jenny Pen in the Fantastic Fest awards, as the upcoming psychological thriller took two prizes, while Irish drama Bring Them Down took the main competition award for best picture.

The debut feature from director Christopher Andrews, Bring Them Down stars FF veteran Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) in a story of inherited trauma and conflict within an Irish farming community. The film has been acquired by Mubi.

While it picked up the big prize, opening night film The Rule of Jenny Pen earned both best director for James Ashcroft and best actor for star Geoffrey Rush. He was lauded for his performance as a judge who, after a stroke, finds himself in a war of wills with another resident of his nursing home (John Lithgow). The film is scheduled to debut on streaming platform Shudder in 2025.

However, Jenny Pen wasn’t the only film to pick up two prizes at the festival (which runs through Thursday). With its charming tale of ghosts desperate to become urban legends, Taiwanese horror comedy Dead Talents Society won both the audience award and best horror director for the work of John Hsu.

Now, here’s the full list of winners. Congratulations to all.

Barry Keoghan (left) and Christopher Abbott in Bring Them Down Credit: Image Courtesy of Mubi

MAIN COMPETITION FEATURES

Best Picture: Bring Them Down directed by Christopher Andrews
Best Director: James Ashcroft for The Rule of Jenny Pen
Best Actor: Geoffrey Rush for The Rule of Jenny Pen

NEXT WAVE FEATURES

Best Picture: Sister Midnight directed by Karan Kandhari
Best Director: Emma Benestan for Animale
Honorable Mention: Touched by Eternity directed by Mārcis Lācis

HORROR FEATURES

Best Picture: Chainsaws Were Singing directed by Sander Maran
Best Director: John Hsu for Dead Talents Society
Honorable Mention: The ensemble cast of Trizombie directed by Bob Colaers

SHORTS WITH LEGS

Best Picture: “She Stays” directed by Marinthia Gutiérrez​
Honorable Mention: “Duck” directed by Rachel Maclean

SHORT FUSE

Best Picture: “Be Right Back” directed by Lucas Paulino & Gabe Ibañez
Honorable Mention: “The Night Practice” directed by Bogdan Alecsandru

FANTASTIC SHORTS

Best Picture: “The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste” directed by Pernell Marsden
Honorable Mention: “Atom & Void” directed by Gonçalo Almeida

DRAWN AND QUARTERED

Best Picture: “Mira” directed by Eva Louise Hall
Honorable Mention: “The Night Boots” directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon

AUDIENCE AWARD

Winner: Dead Talents Society directed by John Hsu

Follow all the Chronicle’s 2024 Fantastic Fest coverage.

This article appears in September 20 • 2024.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.