George R.R. Martin receives the Midwest Weirdfest Award in Best Sci-Fi Short category for Night Of The Cooters

George R. R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones, is one of today’s most talented authors, having penned multiple best-selling novels. Martin has earned several accolades for his books, movies, and television programs. One such triumph was Night of the Cooters, which took home the title of “Best Science Fiction Short” at the LA Shorts International Film Festival. This year, the movie was also screened at the MidWest WeirdFest, where it took up the Best Short Film prize.

The MidWest WeirdFest: What is it?

A celebration of everything frightful, subterranean, spooky, off-kilter, and just plain odd in film, MidWest WeirdFest takes place every year. In its seventh year, the festival maintains a continuous ranking among the top 100 global film festivals on the world’s most popular film festival website, FilmFreeway.

Here’s what George R. R. Martin said on receiving the award

Martin took to his blog Not A Blog to thank the organizers, “Back in March, we showed our short film NIGHT OF THE COOTERS at the Midwest Weirdfest festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and won the award for Best Science Fiction Short.

The trophy was not ready at the time, but it is now, and the good folks in Eau Claire were kind enough to send it to us. It’s very cool, and we’re pleased to add it to the awards shelf.”

What’s the story behind The Night of the Cooters?

The narrative of the day the Martians invaded Pachuco, Texas, is told in NIGHT OF THE COOTERS, a film based on the classic short story by Howard Waldrop. Starring as Sheriff Lindley, Vincent d’Onofrio also directed the short film. Watch the official teaser below:

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