On December 15, the annual WorldFilmGeek Awards were held on YouTube. The competition this year was one of the toughest. However, one thing can be said: despite another film getting the top crown, Italian giallo-inspired horror film That’s a Wrap dominated the show, winning five of its awards.

The Marcel Walz-directed film, about a film wrap party that becomes the grounds for a murderer dressed up as the film’s serial killer, would win Best Director for Walz. In addition, Sarah French would edge out the likes of Jamie Bernadette, Natalie Denise Sperl, Bobbi Salvor Menuez, and Lulu Wilson to win the Best Lead Female performance. As for French, she was also nominated for Best Supporting Female for Space Wars: Quest for the Deepstar, but was edged out by her co-star of ‘Wrap’, Monique T. Parent. Finally, Marcus Friedlander would win Best Cinematography for the film. The film would also win the Best Horror Film.

While That’s a Wrap was the crown of this year’s awards, the Best Overall Film award was slightly edged by the cartoon-inspired insanity that is Mike Cheslik‘s Hundreds of Beavers. The hilarious absurdist comedy inspired by classic Looney Tunes, silent films, and Adult Swim, would not only win the Best Overall Film, but Cheslik would also win the Best New Director award for the film.

Dutch LGBTQ film El Houb (The Love) would win Best Drama with Fahd Larhzaoui winning the Best Lead Male performance for his role of a gay man whose attempt to come out to his family leads to him using drastic measures to make sure they will talk to him and understand him. John Wick Chapter 4 would dominate the action categories of Best Action Film and Best Action/Stunts.

In addition to the awards, Natalie Denise Sperl was honored with the Breakout Star Award. Actor and filmmaker Joe Cornet and actor/producer Brooke Lewis Bellas were named as the first two inductees of the 2024 WorldFilmGeek Hall of Fame with more to be announced throughout the year.

Here’s a full recap of the WorldFilmGeek Awards winners:

Acting & Technical Awards
Best Lead Male Actor: Fahd Larhzaoui (El Houb)
Best Lead Female Actor: Sarah French (That’s a Wrap)
Best Supporting Male: Casper Van Dien (Mad Heidi)
Best Supporting Female: Monique T. Parent (That’s a Wrap)
Best Director: Marcel Walz (That’s a Wrap)
Best New Director: Mike Cheslik (Hundreds of Beavers)
Best Special FX: Maria Abreu (Night of the Caregiver)
Best Cinematography: Marcus Friedlander (That’s a Wrap)
Best Editing: Alex Kahaum (Failure!)
Best Action/Stunts: Jeremy Marinas, Koji Kawamoto, and Laurent Demianoff (John Wick: Chapter 4)

Film Awards
Best Horror Film: That’s a Wrap
Best Short Film: Fckn Nuts
Best Documentary Film: Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story
Best Sci-Fi Film: Space Wars: Quest for the Deepstar
Best Western Film: Gunfight at Rio Bravo
Best Family Film: Man and Witch: Dance of a Thousand Steps
Best Drama Film: El Houb (The Love)
Best Comedy Film: Michele Traina: Divorce Diaries
Best Action Film: John Wick Chapter 4
Best WTF Film: Caddy Hack
Best Foreign Film: The Whirlpool (Russia)
Best LGBTQ Film: Exteriors
Best Overall Film: Hundreds of Beavers

Breakout Star of 2023: Natalie Denise Sperl

First 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees: Joe Cornet and Brooke Lewis Bellas.

Check out the video for the awards and after a few more reviews and an end-of-year recap on December 20, I will be taking a break to recharge and prepare for 2024!