Panic Fest Announces 2026 Award Winners: ‘Obsession,’ ‘Frogman Returns,’ ‘Big Baby,’ and More! [Exclusive]
EXCLUSIVE: Panic Fest has closed out its 2026 edition after a killer week of groundbreaking and must-see genre films. Now, Dread Central is honored to help announce the official list of winners from this year’s festival! From frightening feature films to shocking shorts, you can check out all of the Best of the Fest below.
Winners should be especially proud, as the 2026 Panic Fest edition showcased over 150 films and welcomed more than 100 filmmakers to Kansas City, offering audiences a diverse slate ranging from chilling features to innovative short-form storytelling.
Dread Central also had the privilege of covering this year’s premieres, and we can absolutely confirm that the selection was a reliably insane, boundary-pushing collection of horror movies that fans will be talking about for years to come.
Check out the winners of Panic Fest 2026 right here:
Feature Film Awards
Best of Fest – Feature Film: Obsession
Best Director – Feature Film: Curry Barker, Obsession
Best Actor – Feature Film: Brandon Scott, Big Baby
Best Actress – Feature Film: Dina Silva, Frankie Maniac Woman
Best FX – Feature Film: Frogman Returns
Long Form Showcase Awards
Best of Fest – Long Form Short: Forever Liam
- Best Director – Long Form Short: Alan Sanchez, Total Party Kill
- Best Actor – Long Form Short: Mark Sodoukh, The Man Upstairs
- Best Actress – Long Form Short: Paula Marquez, Forever Liam
- Best FX – Long Form Short: Total Party Kill
Short Film Showcase Awards
Best of Fest – Short Film: My Severed Arm
- Best Director – Short Film: Ben Montgomery-Pierson, Ekelbrode
- Best Actress – Short Film: Siri Olsen, Ekelbrode
- Best Actor – Short Film: Brian Huskey, UN-DEAD
About Downright Creepy
Downright Creepy was established in 2009 and lives under the parent company of Fable, an experience-based agency. As a genre site, it covers all things creepy from news, games, toys and editorial reviews. In 2013, Downright Creepy co-founded Panic Fest in Kansas City, Mo., and has since been named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the best genre fests in the world in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Covering events such as SXSW, Comic Con, and Fantastic Fest allowed DRC to network and create a small community of fans.
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