Another successful year for the horror film festival, plus a list of this year’s Shriekfest Awards winners.

Shriekfest percolated through the past weekend with large audiences lining up to see the latest in indie horror, sci-fi and fantasy films. Raleigh Studios’ Chaplin Theater was the focal point, with most of the movies screening there. Denise Gossett and Todd Beeson, the festival directors were in high gear, meeting, greeting and catching up with filmmakers and festival attendees.

Gossett, who in addition to presenting Shriekfest is a steadily working actor, was aglow over her latest project, her and husband Todd’s new baby daughter, Riley. When asked if she was going to take a breather after Shriekfest said, “I start shooting a western film next week. It’s called A Chestful of Blood. I get to shoot a lot of guns so I’ve been training for that.”

I caught a program of shorts on Sunday that spanned the gamut, from a good natured, gently scary film even young children could enjoy (How My Dad Killed Dracula) to blood-splattered, limb-severing, Grand Guignol-esque, lunatics-have-taken-over-the- asylum horror (Kirksdale.)

Sunday evening, after the last film screened, brought the Shriekfest 2008 Awards ceremony. (List of winners  after the jump.)

Best Under 18 Film: The Perfect Victim, directed by Eric Badger

Best Under 18 Screenplay: Big Kids Play Manslaughter, written by Kelsey Bollig

Best Acting Performance: Rhoda Jordan in Rule of Three

Audience Choice Award: The Open Door, directed by Doc Duhame

Pretty/Scary Award:  Side Effect, directed by Liz Adams

Best Short Screenplay: Making the List, written by Jesse Kyle Reisman

Best Fantasy Feature Screenplay: The Hercynian Orchid, written by Melisa Ford

Best SciFi Feature Screenplay: Scavengers, written by Diana Kemp Jones

Best Horror Feature Screenplay: The Great American Nightmare, written by Tom Manning

Best Supershort Film: Eel Girl, directed by Paul Campion

Best Short Film: Kirksdale, directed by Ryan Spindell

Best Thriller Feature Film: Alien Raiders, directed by Ben Rock

The next monthly Shriekfest networking meeting for horror/sci-fi/fantasy filmmakers and their fans is on October 28th and it will be a costume event. You can think of it as a dress rehearsal for Halloween.

Shriekfest Networking Meeting, October 28th, 7 PM; at Hollywood Billiards, 5750 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028