A Guide To IndependentFilmmaker's Horror Film Festivals
Names, Dates And URLs of Horror Indy Film Festivals, FilmFreeway link with dates and descriptions as well as other resources to help market your independent horror film. Your film poster is the first thing potential viewers will see.
9/5/20252 min read
To the Independent horror film community, here is a list of Horror Film Festivals with upcoming deadlines (late 2025–2026) Remember: Film Freeways is typically the best way to deliver assets.
Fall 2025 deadlines
Chicago Horror Film Festival: One of the longest-running horror festivals, it accepts features and shorts and is on FilmFreeway. Their final submission deadline is September 7, 2025.
Another Hole in the Head Film Festival: Held in San Francisco, this genre festival includes a wide selection of horror films. The next deadline is September 10, 2025.
HORROR Underground Film & Screenplay Festival: This Montreal-based festival accepts films and screenplays. The final deadline is September 14, 2025.
Buried Alive Film Festival: Based in Atlanta, Georgia, this festival's final submission deadline is September 22, 2025.
Popcorn Frights Film Festival: This festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has a deadline of September 30, 2025.
LA International Horror Film Festival: Accepts all horror subgenres and has an upcoming final deadline of October 2, 2025.
All Horror Short Film Festival: This festival runs on a rolling deadline schedule with multiple submission periods throughout the year. Deadlines in September include September 5th and 27th.
Winter 2025/2026 deadlines
Horror Hotel Film Festival: Accepting features, shorts, and screenplays, with a special "Room 237" competition. The early bird deadline for the 2026 festival is November 30, 2025.
Bite Night Presents...: Based in Portland, Maine, this festival's final deadline is December 21, 2025.
Ongoing and future deadlines
Screamfest® Horror Film Festival: Based in Hollywood, Screamfest accepts film and screenplay submissions from independent filmmakers worldwide. Submissions for 2026 are currently open.
Overlook Film Festival: This New Orleans-based festival is now accepting submissions for 2026 for features, shorts, and immersive projects. They do not offer fee waivers.
Atlanta Horror Film Festival: Submissions for the 2025 festival are open and welcome independent filmmakers globally for features and shorts in a wide array of horror subgenres.
International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival: This Phoenix-based festival opens screenplay submissions on July 1, 2025, for its 2026 event.
Please let me know if you need any help in creating posters for your independent film! I love to collaborate with indie filmmakers in creating key art for their movie posters.
Visit https://filmfreeway.com for a list of film festivals with dates and descriptions. Chat with us to help create your film poster!