By JESSICA BUCK
Five years into bringing independent horror to the masses, Newfoundland’s FOGFEST has settled into a successful framework. Carrying the Halloween vibes into November, this St John’s–based horror film festival reliably delivers innovative shorts, films and television shows that showcase the beauty of Newfoundland, sexy and bizarre live performances and classic Canadian horror films dug up from the archives to be shown on the big screen.
Like so many creative endeavors, this year’s fest faced funding cuts. However, festival director Shane Mills prefers to see budgetary limitations as an opportunity to regroup, allowing the event to surge two steps forward next year. Favoring quality over quantity, Mills and company forged ahead with three 
full days of film programming, down from last year’s five. And yet, the crowds still came – selling out a record number of screenings.
The festival kickoff included a challenging bout of horror trivia (won by a team of Ontarians, NBD), followed by a return to the stage by metal band The Order of the Precious Blood, and last year’s fearsome favorites, HӒG. Spooky newcomers Dance Coven wrapped up the evening and sent attendees home with cheeks aflame after their witchy burlesque and pole performances. And while the Phlegm Fatales didn’t grace the main stage this year with their drag spectacular, they did strut the aisles of the Embassy Pub during Saturday night’s official afterparty and treated the “Come From Aways” (i.e., people not from Newfoundland) to a “Shriek–In.” A twist on the island’s “Screech–In” ritual, participants were led through a rigorous exercise of reciting a Newfoundland phrase, kissing a frozen cod on the lips and taking a shot of Screech.
Deepening their commitment to homegrown talent, this year’s fest included a wealth of submissions from Newfoundland, PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. While other festivals celebrate Canadian horror, there are none like FOGFEST that focus on Atlantic Canada. Full–length feature Hangashore (a term meaning “one who stays on land because they’re too lazy or cowardly to go to sea”) stunned audiences with its depiction of Newfoundland’s beautiful but harsh environment, winning more awards than any other entry to this festival thus far.
HӒG takes the stage at FOGFEST 2025
The shorts programs also packed a punch, effectively showing how easy it can be to scare people in just a few minutes. The Man in the House was a simple but nightmarish manifestation of the fear that someone might be hiding out in your house. Drawing on more realistic worries, A Place to Wait and Watch is a poignant snapshot of what happens when a lover doesn’t come back from being at sea. Oliver sees a fuckboy chef get his comeuppance when he unknowingly takes home a girl with fangs, while Technophobic plays with the idea of a society so resistant to technology that it’s willing to do anything to keep it down. Leaning more into the raw and bizarre, Chemical Egg follows a guy who trips out after eating, well… a chemical egg.
While a lot of amazing work came from the Atlantic region, some mainland material shone as well. VHX stole hearts with a stop–motion piece featuring sentient VHS tapes and an impending zombie takeover. The Girl in the Street questions the kindness of man; Endzgiving portrays a (hilarious) last meal between friends in an apocalypse setting; and Living in Hanna shows a lifestyle influencer taken over by unseen forces in real time. Time Eater touches on the fears of mental health decline; Bronze demonstrates the very real threat of stalking, while In The Details plays tongue–in–cheek with a self–help podcast listener.
It wouldn’t be a FOGFEST without a bonkers entry from Steven Kostanski, and this year was no exception. His remake of sword–swinging silliness Deathstalker delighted audiences and was a much–needed palate cleanser after the Adams Family’s deep and dark Mother of Flies, now streaming on Shudder.
This year’s Bell Fibe TV1 spooky showcase included a sneak peek episode of Terror Nova’s Downtown’s Old Haunts, in which FOGFEST affiliates Mike Hickey and Justin “Buddha” Wiseman explore a case of murder (and possible vampirism), as well as a haunting in Cantwell House BnB, which is, fittingly, the festival crew’s headquarters and a presenting sponsor.
Last year, audiences were graced with an extended screening of My Bloody Valentine, followed by a live Q&A with director George Mihalka. Raising the stakes ever higher, this year, the Canadian werewolf classic Ginger Snaps closed the festival, with writer Karen Walton in attendance. Speaking with RUE MORGUE’s own Andrea Subissati after the screening, Walton gushed about making a film for girls who love horror, for the weirdos and the difficulty of transitional periods.
Want to be part of the festivities next year? Film submissions are open now. And now, without further ado, here are this year’s winners:
Best Feature – Hangashore
Best Short – The Girl in the Street
Audience Choice Best Feature – Hangashore
Audience Choice Best Short – Oliver
Best Director (Feature) – Justin Oakey (Hangashore)
Best Director (Short) – Ryan Couldrey (Time Eater)
Best Acting (Feature) – Rose Dehgan (Foreigner)
Best Acting (Short) – Jane Moffat (Time Eater)
Best Atlantic Canadian Short Film – Technophobic
Best Writing – Ava Maria Safai (Foreigner)
Best Score & Sound Design – Andrew Nolan (Hangashore)
Best Cinematography – James Klopko (Hangashore)
Best Production Design – Joshua Turpin (Deathstalker)
Best Special Effects – Action Pants FX (Deathstalker)
