Back in November 2024, the Sinister Horror Film Festival crowned its first-ever Best Feature Film. The honor went to Chainsaws Were Singing, a delirious blend of grindhouse horror, absurdist comedy, and musical chaos that refused to play by any conventional rules.

Behind this one-of-a-kind splatter musical is Estonian filmmaker Sander Maran, who spent over a decade bringing his vision to life. Shot in 2013 and completed more than ten years later, the film’s path to completion was as outrageous as its plot. When traditional post-production routes failed, Maran took on nearly every role himself—editing the footage, designing the sound, creating over 350 VFX shots, learning orchestration from scratch for nearly 20 original musical numbers, and manually color grading 3,500 cuts to give the film its retro grindhouse aesthetic.

The result is a self-described “splatstick” feature that channels the chaotic spirit of Evil Dead 2, Cannibal! The Musical, and Hobo with a Shotgun, but with its own absurd tone and no interest in restraint. As Maran jokes, it’s a musical with “absolutely no dancing”, but plenty of machetes, catchy tunes, and over-the-top gore.

Since its completion, Chainsaws Were Singing has screened at over 80 international festivals and picked up more than 20 awards. But here at Sinister, it holds a special place in our history—as the first feature film to take the crown, and a blazing reminder that true horror innovation doesn’t come from playing it safe.

It comes from blood, sweat, absurdity… and a chainsaw solo.