Western Australian indie feature film Skeleton Girls. A Kidnapped Society has become the first Australian film to receive the Special Jury Award in the Fantastic Cinema competition at the prestigious Fantasporto International Film Festival held in Porto, Portugal.
Since its founding in 1981, Fantasporto – Porto International Film Festival has developed a distinguished reputation as a discovery festival for emerging talents and daring cinematic voices. This year’s edition featured dozens of first films, 31 Premieres, and 2 Australian features in competition. The festival announced the winners of their top awards at their closing ceremony held on 7th March 2026.
Judged by an international jury, Skeleton Girls. A Kidnapped Society became the first Australian film in the festival’s 46 year history to receive the Special Jury Award, the festival’s 2nd top prize, a major achievement for an indie feature. It also makes it the first Australian film to win one of the top prizes at the festival since John Polson’s Siam Sunset won Best Film in 2000.
Written and directed by WA filmmaker Richard Eames and co-produced by Eames and Helena Tay, Skeleton Girls is a mind melting mix of bold animations, dark satire, provocative punk thriller narrative, starring a massive all-WA cast and shot by rising local cinematographer Meredith Lindsay (Proclivitas).
The filmmakers had planned to attend the festival for their film’s International Premiere on 5th March 2026, but those plans fell through with the outbreak of war in the Middle East leading to their flights being cancelled just days before the trip.
“To receive this level of recognition from such a pioneering festival as Fantasporto is beyond anything we could have ever expected. It’s been a week of such mixed emotions so to receive this honour of the Special Jury Award is validation for the years of hard work and risks we took to make this film a reality. The calibre of films to have been recognised with this award over the decades are truly incredible and include works by filmmakers who have been a massive inspiration for me like Shinya Tsukamoto. To be put in their company is surreal and an unbelievable honour. We thank the jury and the festival for their support, it motives us to continue forging forward with more bold and provocative work.”
– Richard Eames, Director.
Skeleton Girls was one of two Australian features selected for Fantasporto’s main competition – Fantastic Cinema. The other Australian film Lenore by David Ward also found success taking home the Audience Award. The major prize for Best Film – Fantastic Cinema went to Argentinian film The Dollmaker.
Other notable Australian films to have found success at the festival over the years include the Aussie cult classic Two Hands (Director’s Week Screenplay Special Mention, 2000), Siam Sunset (Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress, 2000) and Living Space (Best Actress, 2019).
Skeleton Girl’s pulsating original electronic score by Steven Alyian was also released to coincide with the film’s international premiere on 5th March and is available to stream or buy now from www.skeletongirls.com or Bandcamp.
ABOUT FANTASPORTO
Founded in 1981 the festival is one of Portugal’s cultural landmarks and considered one of the top genre film festivals in the world. Each year the festival brings together films from over 70 countries with a focus on fantasy, horror, science fiction, psychological thrillers and more experimental genres. Over the decades it has developed a distinguished reputation as a discovery festival for emerging talents and daring cinematic voices by screening the early works of filmmakers such as Guillermo del Toro, Bong Joon-ho, Peter Jackson, Danny Boyle, Darren Aronofsky, Lars von Trier, David Cronenberg, and Park Chan-wook.
ABOUT RICHARD EAMES
Richard Eames is an award winning writer, director and editor who’s work combines elements of satire, the surreal and the experimental with a strong punk ethos. His early work was praised for its experimentation and new media aesthetic, particularly Violent Blue Light Ghosts (2004), his surreal nightmare short Happy In Our Grave. Ten Years Deep (2006) which won the Australian Animation Award at the Sydney Underground Film Festival 2007, and his political satire Flushed (2016) which won 3 WA Screen Awards for writing, editing and audience choice. Based in Perth, Australia Richard is a post production professional and Skeleton Girls. A Kidnapped Society (2025) is his debut feature film.
MEDIA LINKS AND CONTACTS
Full List of Fantasporto Award Winners
Official Website: www.skeletongirls.com
Media Contact: Contact Form