Bryan Mittelstadt Wins Best Actor for "Quiet After Supper" at the 2026 Durango Independent Film Festival

DURANGO, Colo., March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bryan Mittelstadt's chilling turn as Tristan Weathers in Quiet After Supper (Lonely Rider Productions) was honored with the Jury Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Narrative Feature at the Durango Independent Film Festival (DIFF) last week.

Set in Los Angeles, psychological thriller Quiet After Supper follows Tristan, a calculating serial killer whose carefully controlled life is upended when his childhood friend Abby suddenly reenters his world. What begins as a seemingly sentimental reunion escalates into a tense standoff as Abby uncovers a disturbing collection of artifacts, each revealing the fate of Tristan's victims and drawing her toward a shocking, unforgettable truth.

Written, directed, and edited by Francis Tejada, Quiet After Supper was produced by Aris Katsoulis, Francis Tejada, and Rachel Mullins, bringing together a tight-knit creative team behind and in front of the camera. Tejada's precise vision and meticulous craftsmanship ground the film's elevated genre elements in an intimate, character-driven realism, heightening both the suspense and emotional impact of Tristan and Abby's unraveling relationship. The film stars Bryan Mittelstadt as Tristan Weathers and Laura Cantwell as Abby, alongside Emma Reinagel, Alan Del Murphy, and Selena Lantry in pivotal supporting roles that deepen the film's suspenseful, character-driven narrative. Quiet After Supper was produced by Lonely Rider Productions in Association with Nectar Inc.

"This honor from DIFF means the world to our team and is a testament to Bryan's fearless, layered work in a demanding role," said Executive Producer Aris Katsoulis. "Quiet After Supper asks audiences to sit with unsettling questions about who we trust and how well we really know the people we love, and Bryan's performance is the dark heart that makes those questions impossible to shake."

"I'm incredibly grateful to the Durango Film Festival for this recognition and to our entire cast and crew for creating such a bold, collaborative space to explore Tristan," said Bryan Mittelstadt. "Playing a character who is both disturbingly calculating and deeply human was a rare challenge, and sharing Quiet After Supper with such engaged audiences in Durango has been an unforgettable experience. Frankie (Tejada) built something remarkable through a fiercely independent process and a hybrid storytelling style that blended narrative with an improvised documentary, which made the work thrilling and unpredictable as an actor."

Bryan's portrayal and the film have been gathering recognition and reaching audiences with these recent wins and recognition at:

Dark Matter Film Festival – 2025 Official Selection

Fear Fest at the Farm – 2025 Best Actor, Bryan Mittelstadt

Days of the Dead International Film Festival – 2026 Official Selection

Durango Independent Film Festival - 2026 Best Actor, Bryan Mittelstadt

Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema - 2026 Best Feature Film, Best Editing

Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival – 2026 Official Selection

Indie Horror Junkie Film Fest – 2026 Official Selection

Panic Fest – 2026 Official Selection

Following its festival success, Quiet After Supper will continue its festival run and explore distribution opportunities later this year.  

Watch the trailer for Quiet After Supper at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDuvjcj4zFI

SOURCE Lonely Rider Productions