A Look at Robin Kasparik's Short Film, "Seance"

Okay, this came across my inbox and I definitely wanted to share.

I received an email from Robin Kasparik and he was hoping that I would check out his short film, "Seance", and give it a bit of a mention on the site. Well, I'm going to do that and more. The film is fantastic... it's shot well, it's well acted, it's very creepy and it works on a lot of levels. Plain and simple, it's top notch work. Lucky for you, he's uploaded the award winning short to Vimeo and I have it embedded below.

To be honest, I would've loved to do an interview with him, but he's Czech and I thought there would be a bit of a language barrier. And I mean no offense to the Czech people... in fact, I'm of Czech decent myself. Anyhow, I watched the film and he had attached a lot of information, I got quite excited about it and... I wanted to share sooner than later. Why? Because if you're looking into making a short film for the festivals, this film is what you should aspire to. "Seance" screened at more than 20 fests, including Screamfest, Rue Morgue Festival of Fear, NYC Horror Film Fest and won Best Short Film at the Dark Carnival Film Fest and the South African Horrorfest. Not only that, it's been seen by numerous master of horror, including Tony Randel, William Malone and Jack Ketchum, and they've all given it great reviews.

So, what about Kasparik? Well, he's 24 years old and currently attending the Film Director's course at the Tomas Bata University in the Czech Republic. Because of that, I'm assuming that he had the resources to give the film the rich look and feel that he did. Lord knows that I would murder innocent people to have the resources I had when I was back in film school, but I digress... Kasparik is hoping to continue working in the horror field and is now preparing his next short film, "I Am the Doorway", which is an adaptation of the Stephen King's short story.

I, for one, am very anxious to see what Kasparik comes up with next! The film is embedded below and for more information, you can go to Seance.cz

Seance from Robin Kasparik on Vimeo.

Is It Happy Hour Yet? Well, until it is, here's some info on some film festivals...

Summer must be right around the corner... I really want to sit on a patio and drink cold beers imported from Mexico that are served in icy buckets, all the marketing campaigns for all the Hollywood tent pole films are gearing up and my inbox is filled with emails about upcoming indie film festivals. It's a good time to be alive. Then again... I guess it's always a good time to be alive and I'm not really willing to entertain the alternative. Anyhow, as you know, I think that the indie film festival scene is one of the most important facets of the indie horror industry and we all need to submit our films, submit our screenplays, attend the festivals and, generally, do whatever we can to support them. There are major shifts coming in the industry, but the festivals will always be the backbone. So, if you're involved with a festival and I'm not already signed up, please sign me up for your newsletter or send me an email and I'll keep pushing your information out to our readers. I used to dedicate every Friday to talking about the festivals and I'll do it again, as long as the emails keep coming in. So, here's some information on some of our favorites, click on the links to be taken to their homepages...

The FrightNight Film Fest is coming up this July 30 - August 1st and the deadline for submissions is June 21st, still plenty of time! It takes place in Louisville, KY and they give you a full meal deal. You can submit feature length films, short films, screenplays and even trailers. They also do piles of events and have lots of guests. This year, they have the living legend, Roger Corman, plus a "Night of the Creeps" and "Fright Night" reunion and a lot more. Frightnight is a staple in the festival scene and they accept a LOT of films, so... this is definitely one of the festivals to take a closer look at.

Shriekfest is now open for submissions, deadline is May 22 and late deadline is July 10th... hmmm, I wonder if I can have my script done for it? I'll keep you posted on that. Anyhow, they've added two new categories, so check this out... you can submit features, shorts, documentaries, music videos, screenplays and now webisodes and original songs. How about that? This is their 10th year and they do a real bang-up job. It takes place in L.A. and it's one of the ones that you want to be involved with, for sure.

Dark Carnival is also now open for submissions and they accept shorts, features, trailers and NOW, screenplays. To be honest, their festival isn't for a while, it's in November, but they've just passed on that they're now accepting screenplays, so I thought I'd mention them. From what I hear, they're a helluva lot of fun and do a week-long celebration of all things horror, including art exhibits, live entertainment, merchandise vendors, special guests and, of course, the festival itself. It's held in Bloomington, Indiana.

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy a few buckets of beer!

Interview with Asif Ahmed, Festival Director of The Vampire Film Festival

I believe the future of entertainment will be niche. It will be specific and cater to your individual tastes. I mean, you can be a general horror fan, but you can also be a fan of 'zombie survival horror' or 'teen slasher flicks'. Where as we used to have only a handful of genres and categories, say... drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi and documentaries, the categories will be endless. Just think about how you can break out your choices on Amazon now... I think we'll get even more precise.

The way I look at it, as the people who sell, rent and stream content and films continue to categorize and specify genres, it's only a matter of time before the festivals do, too. It almost seems archaic to have a genre neutral festival, doesn't it? Like, "Hi, we're the ABC Film Festival and we accept ALL genre's and they'll ALL be competing for the same prizes." (I mean no offense to any existing festival that may or may not be called the ABC Film Festival) Right now, we have hundreds of horror festivals every year, but even those are becoming a bit too general. So, when I heard about The Vampire Film Festival, I really thought they were on to something...

The Vampire Film Festival takes place in New Orleans this Fall and it's not open to JUST vampire films, but all vampire related films... which can incorporate lots of things, such as goth, werewolves, zombies, etc. If you're working on something that could be considered vampire related, you're into vampires or the goth scene, this is something for you. Hey, even if you're just interested in how the festivals work, you'll want to give this a read, as we had the opportunity to discuss it all with the festival director, Asif Ahmed...

Tell us about yourself, how’d you get into the indie horror scene?

I’ve been working on small horror films since I was in grade school. My first film was about a killer bunny rabbit that sucked blood. We created a monster bunny from a stuffed toy, added fangs and the engine from a remote control car. It was great! One day I want to remake this film. Growing up I made vampire shorts, gothic films, and more.

Some purists might consider horror the “easy” way to make a film, just mix some corn syrup with red food coloring but I don’t. You learn the essentials of character, plotting and story from horror.

Tell us about the Vampire Film Festival. When and why did it get started?

We had our first in Los Angeles in 2003 at the Los Angeles Film School. Short Vampire Films and video of the event are on our site. The Red Cross blood mobile was parked on Sunset Blvd in front of the theatre. We had a gothic music performance artist in the theatre performing live between films and a red-carpet Vampire costume ball. Our plan was to always bring the festival to New Orleans but Katrina got in the way. We are looking forward to bringing the festival there this year and making it a permanent fixture of the city and we plan to travel with this festival to many other cities around the world – the touring Vampire Festival.

There’s a lot more to the festival than just films, tell us a bit about what you have going on.

First we want the festival to be part of the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. It’s very difficult to go back to the city and see the parts that are still devastated. The Lower 9th is an open field with a scattering of homes and it’s depressing.

Our mission with the festival, beyond the films, is to showcase vampire art, screenplays, novels and theater as well as have some great parties! We also plan to use some of the local bands and hope we can attract some New Orleans vampire writers. The event will include panel discussions, meetings with filmmakers, parties, fashion shows, music and some surprises.

Why vampires? Talk a bit about vampire films and what they mean to the horror genre.

Vampires are an enduring cultural phenomenon and are found in every culture. The literary genre, and it truly is a separate genre, can encompass horror, romance, humor and the erotic, really whatever you want. Regarding films, Nosferatu and Dracula actively engaged the world audience to the joys of being scared to death and they are still enjoying it. Regarding horror, the classic Hammer vampire films with Christopher Lee, some of the lesser know films like Near Dark and the newest classic, Let the Right One In show what the vampire film genre can be. I’m also looking forward to Johnny Depp’s Dark Shadows.

From the perspective of the filmmaker, what can I expect to get out of attending and/or having my film screen at the Vampire Film Festival?

Attendees are going to have fun. This is going to be an international film festival in one of the greatest cities in America. Attendees will be meeting filmmakers from around the world- we already have submissions from 4 continents. Filmmakers will get a chance to showcase their works in the vampire, gothic, supernatural genres. We want ghost films, werewolves, witches, mythic creatures, films that span these genres will all be considered. We are talking to some distributors who want to see what films get selected.

As a horror fan, what can I expect to get out of attending the festival?

The audience gets a chance to let their hair down, wear costumes, drink some booze and have a truly visceral experience. We will have panels, filmmakers, live music and more and of course you are going to see some trendsetting, genre defining films about Vampires, ghosts, werewolves from filmmakers around the world and might get a sneak peak of some of Hollywood’s latest offerings as well.

When you’re accepting films, what are you looking for?

Submissions are now OPEN. You can submit from our site or on Without A Box. We want creativity above anything else, a coherent plot and story, good photography and acting. Audiences are tired of stupid horror films and I’m wondering about the future of slasher films and remakes of Asian horror films too… unless the filmmakers start using more creativity. A good story is a good story….

Does budget come into play when you’re considering films?

No, absolutely not - a big budget is just that, more splash but it sure can’t guarantee a good film. We’re looking for artistry, a good story, creativity, not bucks splashed across a screen.

So, in general, why should indie horror filmmakers try to get their films into festivals?

It’s very difficult for indie filmmakers of any genre to get their films seen. There are more and more films being made and less outlets for them. The Internet has been a game changer but how can one distinguish their work from thousands if not millions of other films online. The majority of films end up as a dusty dvd. Filming in the horror genre makes it even harder as a lot of critics come out with their fangs out without knowing anything about the film.

Festivals give filmmakers a forum, more options for distribution, a chance to build a fan base, and more exposure for their film. The more a film is seen, discussed and critiqued the better.

Festivals are also the way to get the kinks out of a film especially with digital editing being the norm now. Once a film goes before an audience, all those little flaws you never noticed suddenly pop out. Festivals allow you to erase them before they are distributed.

As a filmmaker, what can I do to make my film more festival friendly? Should I even be thinking of that?

Make a great film and be willing to submit to festivals. Some filmmakers are hesitant to get their film out there or worse don’t know what to do once they complete their film. Filmmakers need to believe in their film and push it every chance they get.

At what point in the filmmaking process should I be thinking about the festivals?

From day one. As a filmmaker you need to understand your film and which festivals match its style, genre, and tone. A filmmaker should never rush their film to meet a festival deadline.

What advice can you give to an up and coming filmmaker in the indie horror genre?

Study the great films of horror including ones from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Read about film and see everything. Who would have thought the one of the classics in vampire cinema would come from Sweden in 2008. There are new films coming out everyday and it’s important to see them. A lot of people don’t want to hear this, but it’s also very important to learn the nuts of bolts of filmmaking, including marketing. Some don’t think it’s creative but you can’t have show business without the business.

Where do you think the indie horror scene is now and where do you see it going?

With the new digital cameras, editing equipment, power computers, the sky is the limit. Also a lot of noted directors and actors who were initially put off by the idea of horror are looking at it with kinder eyes. I think a new wave of horror classics is just on the horizon

What’s next for you and Vampire Film Festival?

We’ll continue expanding our site and make the Vampire News Network a reality on the web. We also want to have on-going Vampire Fests in other cities – Las Vegas, San Francisco, Boston and maybe go to Europe. We also want to look for scripts and novels too. It’s hard to believe it but American vampire lore is still untapped. There are legends with historical roots that haven’t even been touched yet.

Where can people find out more about the festival and how can they go about entering their film?

Vampirefilmfestival.com - Look at our articles on film and television and expect a lot of surprises in the future – We’re trying to expand our content on a daily basis. And if you are interested in being a contributing writer, please contact us!

NY City Horror Film Festival Indie-fest

Well, here we are... another Friday. Thank baby Jebus, I've actually got jack shit to do this weekend, except for watching football on Sunday. Can't get out of that. Must do. So, basically, that means that over the next 48 hours or so, I'll be doing a bunch of drinking, catching up on some horror flicks and working on the site. However, I've still gotta get through today.

I kinda blew my load talking about the festivals last Friday, when I mentioned every festival that's coming up for the rest of October. Kinda leaves me high and dry when it comes to talking about the festivals today. Lucky for me, Indieflix, a company that I just discovered and covered around a week ago, is doing something really f'ing cool over the next few weeks that starts today AND involves horror film festivals.

First off, a litte reminder about who Indieflix is... they're a forum for indie filmmakers and their audiences and they "promise to build a fair and open market to empower filmmakers to be the engine of their own achievement". You can find their site here and if you've just finished a film, there's no reason to not check them out and get involved.

Now, here's where things get pretty cool... for over half a year now, they've been running something called indie-fest, which started at The Seattle International Film Festival and now has around 40 festivals signed on. Indie-fest is sort of like American Idol for indie-film, done online. It's completely free for the audience to watch and vote, choosing the winning filmmaker to receive cash awards, theatrical screenings and preferred distribution deals. Now, I'm not asking you to watch a bunch of artsy shit... I would never do that. I promise. Today, on indie-fest, is the first day you can watch and vote on 8 short horror films from the New York City Independent Film Festival, it runs from now until November 3rd.

It's really easy to log-in and watch and vote on them for free... in fact, I'm watching "Redskins Revenge" as I type this. It took me less than a minute to set it all up. Your votes will pick the winner and the winner will get a theatrical screening at the NYCHFF and a 90/10 distribution deal with IndieFlix. So, to go to the indie-fest @ NYCHFF page and start watching and voting, click here.

Check 'em out, it don't cost nothing.

Film Fest Updates: Chicago Horror Fest, Zero Film Festival and Schlocktober

Well, thank F'ing God it's Friday. I deserve every drink that I'm going to have today... and tonight, and for the rest of the weekend, including Sunday, which will revolve around watching lots of NFL. Anyhow, let's go into the weekend with some film fest updates. There's some to attend, plus some new one's to look into... and by the way, that's a pic of Tiffany Shepis from her film, "Home Sick", and she'll be at the Chicago Horror Fest this weekend...

So, if you're in the Chicago area and a reader of the site, I'm pretty sure you know about the Chicago Horror Fest, which is this weekend. This is a festival that's all about the three B's - Babes, Blood and Booze, and we know that because it says so right on their website. They're screening a few killer indie horror films, including: "Dark Reel", "Squeal", "Spine Tingler", "Midnight Movie" and "Evilution". They also have appearances by Tiffany Shepis, Svemgoolie and Ron Fitzgerald and, well... a whole lot more. For more information, you can go to their website here.

I was just recently informed about the all new Zero Film Festival, which is going to take place in L.A. this Dec 1 - 6. I'm hoping to get some more information out of them, but for now... it's basically a film festival designed to showcase zero budget films. They're hoping to "bring those in the Los Angeles cinematic community who are tired of big-budget, paint by numbers 'independent' movies together for a week of original visions, great films and good parties. They are currently accepting submissions, so go check out their website here.

Lastly, I'd like to mention the largest single screen horror and cult film festival in NYC history, called Schlocktober. It's taking place every night in October at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater and you can expect world premieres, retro-shclock classics, special guests, free screenings and, of course, more. You can't submit your film, as they're hand-picked, but there's at least one film that they're screening that is a MUST SEE FILM and I'll get to that in a second, but first... They're having the world premiere of "Trailer Park of Terror", which is based on the Imperium Comics series; they're screening "Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie", which was in a few festivals; there's a Saturday Splatter Show and "The Tooth and Nail Terror Show" from our buddies at Wild Eye, the guys who brought you "Blitzkrieg: Escape from Stalag 69"...AND, the must see film that they're screening is "Tokyo Gore Police", which is, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece. To quote THEIR quote, "This gleeful sci-fi destructo party mixes STARSHIP TROOPERS with ROBOCOP, then grafts the love child of Shinya Tsukamoto and David Cronenberg to its back, screaming with body horror, and douses itself in a waterfall of thick, bubbling gore". I'll reiterate... MUST SEE - see for yourself, click here for the trailer. For more information and an up-to-date calendar, click here.

Anyhow, hope that's enough to get you through the weekend...

Film Fest Updates: The Toofy Film Fest, Rotten Jack's Creep Show and The Echo Park Film Center

For once in my life, the fact that you can search your browser history turned out to be a good thing. As I scrolled past all the porn, sports and social networking sites I was on last night, I came across the links you see below... which were all in a post that I wrote last night, but it didn't save for some reason. So, yeah... this is the second time I've written this. And it better work this time...

Let's take a look at three distinctly different events going on, one's a festival, one's a convention and the last is a film center.

The Toofy Film Fest, founded by Jeff and Mark Siebert in 2004, takes place in Boulder, Colorado in the Boulder Theater every September. As it's mid to late September right now, they're obviously closed for submissions, but keep an eye out for when they re-open for 2009. It's a more laid-back festival than most and it plays out more like a big party... for example, one of their tag lines was "Relax... they're just movies." Be careful when submitting, though, as they're not genre specific. They probably wouldn't be into anything that's too hardcore. Having said that, you never know. One of the cool things about them is that they're partnered with Current TV, whose chairman is former Vice President Al Gore, and their producers meet with filmmakers and will entertain pitches. I can just see how the meeting would go between a Dead Harvey reader and Al Gore... "Yeah, so... the main characters are a family of super-rich, psychotic midgets who live like royalty during the day, but dress up as chimps and kill the 'regular folk' at night... what do you mean, 'No'?, that's bullshit."

Rotten Jack's Creep Show takes place this weekend, September 20, in Buffalo, NY. Now, Rotten Jack's is actually a store, they're "America's premiere horror & halloween boo-tique", in fact. However, this weekend is their second annual "Creep Show" and it's a big convention, where you can buy movie apparel, props, horror collectibles, etc. There's also tattoo artists, paranormal groups, musical acts and celebrity guests. If you're a regular reader, you know my stance on conventions. I think they're equally as important as the film festivals. If you've made a few films or if you could band together with other filmmakers, you should become a vendor and sell DVD's, talk with the people and, hell, get everyone's name, number and email address, so you can keep in touch with them. Great places to sell merchandise and network, as it's all like-minded people there... who've come to a convention to spend money.

Lastly, let's look at The Echo Park Film Center. The only reason I found them is because if you look at the last post, Fewdio is screening their short "Laundromat" at the 62nd Film Festival in L.A. So, I just assumed that was it was the 62nd time that an event called "Film Festival" was occuring in L.A., but when my crack google skills couldn't come up with anything close to that, I dug deeper. Then I found The Echo Park Film Center, which is is doing an event called "62nd CINEMA", as in "Sixty-Second Cinema". Quite witty, but it does make it hard to search for. Anyhow, when I went to the Echo Park Film Center, I found that they do tons of screenings, events and shows. Just go to their site, it's crazy. Anyhow, if you're in the L.A. area, you should check it out and get involved.

"DOOR 17", Another New Short From FEWDIO

The short horror films from Fewdio come fast and furious... and I had to post this one, as it's officially my favorite to date. Damn, they do good work.




Oh, and I should mention that Fewdio's films have been accepted into a whole bunch of festivals... here's a list of the films and which festival they'll be playing in. If in you're in the area, make sure you go support them!

THE TAP - Fantastic Fest in Austin

BREACH - Fantastic Fest in Austin

CURSE - Sacramento Horror Fest

THE LAUNDROMAT - Toronto After Dark

BEDFELLOWS - HP Lovecraft Fest in Portland

CONVICTION - HP Lovecraft Fest in Portland

LAUNDROMAT - 62nd Film Festival in Los Angeles

THE TALE OF HAUNTED MIKE - Screamfest L.A.

ALL THE FEWDIO FILMS - The Scare Fest in Nashville

For more information on Fewdio, go check out their homepage here.

Film Fest Updates - Shockfest, Shock It To Me, Arizona Underground Film Festival, Festivus Film Festival and the Amberg Horror Fest

I feel that I'm always mentioning festivals that are closed for submissions, so I made a point of finding some that are currently open for submissions. Granted, not ALL of these are open for submissions, but I tried... either way, check these out.

It sounds SO familiar, but I don't think I've ever covered Shockfest (or Shock Film Festival, as it's been called). This is their first year and they are currently looking for documentaries, narratives, music videos that are horrifying, absurd, disturbing and/or controversial. Well, that covers almost everything I've seen in 2008, so far. It takes place in Hollywood this October 24 - 26. Click here to find out how to submit your film (try right click and "save as", it's a pdf) or click here to go to their homepage.

Shock It To Me! grabbed my attention, I had to look into it just because of the title... Now that I have, I can tell you that they're not a competition festival, they just screen old movies. However, they do have a massive dealers and vendors area, which is something I should comment on... Now, take note: just because you can't screen your film at one of these things doesn't mean you can't get involved. Take this festival, for example... you can't screen your film, but you can get a small booth at the festival where you can network, but, more importantly, promote your upcoming films and try to sell your existing films and merchandise (by the way, people at these things are in the mood to buy - you'll probably make more than your money back with a stack of DVD's). Also, who says you can't show people what you're doing? Bring in a little LCD TV and a DVD player and play your films, trailers and other promo footage. Not only that, you also get festival passes to all the films, you get your name on the dealers page (remember, it's about marketing - get your name out there) and you get a link on their webpage, so everyone that checks it out can find you. So, really, if you're in the area of one of these shows, they're worth going to and getting involved with. This one's in San Fran and it runs October 17-18.

That last fest may not be accepting submissions, but Arizona Underground Film Festival IS, although they're only accepting them until September 15th. The festival runs October 17th - 19th in Tucson and they showcase the work of filmmakers with "defiantly independent visions"... and, yes, that includes horror. In fact, they give out a 'best horror feature' and a 'best horror short' award. The entry form can be found here and the homepage can be found here.

Festivus Film Festival takes place in Denver during the second week of January and it truly is the festival for the rest of us! It's really not a horror festival, but I liked the name, they're accepting submissions right now and they're looking for "awesomely badass, truly independent film". So, it kinda fits the bill. I went through last years films and there's not a lot of horror in there, but that doesn't mean they won't accept it. Further to that, they seem like pretty cool guys, you could probably email them and tell them about your film to see if it's something they're interested in. Click here for information on submissions.

Through my unrivaled google skills, I dug up some info on the Amberg Horror Fest, a fest that I've never heard about. However, only ONE page on the web told me something about the Amberg Horror Fest and it certainly wasn't their homepage. Their homepage can be found here, click on that and tell me if it EVER loads. Otherwise, here's the criptic information that I uncovered... It's an international horror film festival that takes place in... well, I'm assuming in Amberg, but I don't really know where that is, so excuse my stupidity. I refuse to look on a map and figure it out. However, it does take place at the Amberg Park Theatre & Ring Theatre and it takes place this October 30th through Nov 2nd.

*a brief correction/update - the site DOES load, it just wasn't working from the computer I was on at the time... it's a very information heavy site, so it may take a while to load, but it's actually a really cool site. Also, Amberg's in Germany, if you were wondering.

Film Fest Updates - Madison Horror Film Festival, Horror Society Film Festival and The Sacremento Horror Festival

I'm gearing up for the long weekend, which means stocking up on booze and not working tomorrow. So, I've got a quick post here on some horror film festival stuff, plus I'll be posting another interview we did some time this afternoon... and, I know this picture has nothing to do with anything that I've written below. I just like the picture. If you're interested, it's Natasha Talonz, who talked with Horror Society about a film she acted in, "The Horror Convention Massacre 2". I found the pic on their site...

I know we just mentioned the The Madison Horror Film Festival last week, but they already have a pretty cool update that I thought was worth mentioning. They've partnered with Apprehensive Films and are offering a distribution deal to the winners of the Best Short film and Best Feature film categories. I think it's a bit of a no brainer to distribute the winners, as it's a win/win for everyone and I think you're going to see more people stepping up and doing stuff like this... so, click on that link there and get your film in the festival.

Here's a new one, I think... I don't remember mentioning the Horror Society OR the fact that their having their 1st ever film festival this October - October 11th in Chicago, to be exact. According to them, they're "bringing you the most brutal, blood filled, and extreme horror ever seen on the big screen." Plus, it's all low-budget, underground horror and their goal is to provide "a platform for aspiring independent film directors and talent to debut their work and skills to Chicago." They've already filled the slate of films, so you can't submit or anything, but if you're in the Chicago area, do check it out.

So, here's another good festival that's done accepting films for the year... The Sacremento Horror Festival is October 17th - 19th this year and they "exist to deliver high-quality independent and popular studio-release horror films, sci-fi features and short films to the horror movie fan." They're also doing something pretty cool this year, called their "2008 Film Challenge - The Final Minutes of a Slasher/Zombie Film." It's a great idea and I'd love to see the submissions. It's too long to explain here, but it's worth reading about, just because it's a great idea. Check out the details of the challenge here.

Film Fest Updates - Eerie Horror Fest, Festival of Fear, Madison Horror Film Festival and Scriptapalooza

Well, alright then... let's finish off the week with some news on the festival and convention fronts.

The Eerie Horror Fest is one of the favorites of the indie-horror scene and, guess what? They're now taking submissions! This fest has been around since 2004 and has really grown to be one of the big indie horror festivals. Not only that, they have a screenwriting competition, as well as a video game developers section to go along with the films. Last year Fuji Film was a sponsor and gave away $2,500 to the winner of best cinematography, I'm not sure if they're doing that again this year... regardless, this year there's $10,000 in cash and prizes. They're a pretty cool festival, as one of their mandates is to try to play an active role in connecting their filmmakers and screenwriters directly with those in the industry. All that AND there's a convention, this years guests include: Sig Haig, a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Reunion, Kane Hodder, Tony Moran... the list goes on. Conclusion - for low-budget indie horror filmmakers, this is one of the festivals to go to or to enter. Click HERE for info on submitting your film, screenplay or video game or just click HERE for more info on the festival.

I have to mention The Rue Morgue Festival of Fear, which is this weekend - Aug 22-24. If you're in the Toronto area, you're going to want to stop by this one. There's tons of awesome films screening, lots indie stuff and there's lots of guests, including Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and others... AND then there's the off site events, which means parties. If you're not in the area and aren't planning on going, it's one you should definitely look into attending next year.

Now, a festival that just came to my attention and is just getting going... On Saturday October 25th, Icon Entertainment will be presenting the 1st annual Madison Horror Film Festival. You can submit right now, but you have a small window to get your film there. Late entry is on Sept. 19. For more info on submitting your film, go here. The event will take place at the Orpheum Theatre Stage Door in Madison, WI. Besides presenting some of the best independent short and feature films in the horror genre, they are pleased to announce Kenneth J. Hall as a guest speaker at the event. It looks like they'll have awards, although they don't mention any cash prizes. Full Moon is all over their website, so they may be a sponsor or involved somehow. Anyhow, I don't know any more than what the website says. I'll try to get in touch with them and dig up more info. You can find the website here.

Lastly, one reader was asking about a screenwriting competition called Scriptapalooza. To be honest, I had no prior knowledge of it, but I did look into it. However, before I talk about the competition, this gives me a good opportunity to mention a few things that I think people should know ...and this rule of thumb goes for almost everything, too. You have to remember that most of these festivals and competitions, regardless if they're good or bad, are looking to make money. Now, that's not a bad thing, by any means. You just have to look at HOW they make their money... and Scriptapalooza not only looks legit, it looks pretty good. (1) there's a lot of industry professionals involved. That means they're looking for scripts, don't kid yourself. Studios and indie producers are asking to read what these guys have and the festival's taking a fee from them. That's good for you, it's kinda like having an agent... in a round about way. (2) They're in the press quite a bit. This means they're putting themselves out there. A lot of competitions are just lurking around in the back of horror mags or online, asking for $50 from you and that's how THOSE guys make their money. These guys are in lots of industry papers and that's not necessarily to get your attention, either. They want the industry to know they exist. (3) There's good success stories. Always a bonus to see. Long and short, these guys look legit and they look like a good competition. The only thing I don't like is that they don't have categories. So, it's horror vs. drama vs. comedy, etc. I always find that horror can get lost in competitions like this. However, there are judges from After Dark Films, Lionsgate, Asylum and a few other companies that have been involved in horror. So, if your script has anything to do with monsters, slashers, aliens or mutants, you're better off entering The Eerie Horror Screenplay Competition, Shriekfest, Slamdance or even PAGE. If you've got a dark, brooding, psychological thriller-type script, you might do alright.

Interview with Michael Simon, writer/director of "Gay Zombie"

Not too long ago, if you scoured the internet looking into horror festivals, looking for new horror films or were just trying to find out what's going on out there in the world of indie horror, the name of one short film was popping up everywhere... "Gay Zombie". Michael Simon's "Gay Zombie" played in over 60 festivals, has garnered him various awards and accolades and, aside from that, it's a great film. When it comes to short form film, it's spot on. It's got a great, concise, story and it doesn't shy away from the gore or the humor. We talked with Simon and, on top of being a really down to earth, nice guy, he had some great insight for other indie horror filmmakers looking to do the festival circuit. If you're making a horror short, thinking of making a horror short or want to do the festival circuit, this is a great read. Check it out...

Just when I thought the zombie genre was getting tired, I saw “Gay Zombie”. Where did the idea come from?

I kept seeing all these awesome zombie movies on the festival circuit the last few years – I got jealous – I’ve always loved the genre (especially Return of the Living Dead). I was sort of obligated to make a gay movie cuz I’d made all these connections with festival directors and distributors, thus Gay Zombie was born. The more I developed it the more he became a closeted zombie.

How did you go about securing financing and what was the approx. budget?

Gay Zombie cost WAY too much! I was very fortunate to have a backer who footed about 2/3’s of the budget. My backer was actually a friend who wanted to do the project and had the spare dough. We spent approx three grand on just the zombie make-up and gore FX, so do the math from there. Gay Zombie had a full paid crew and hired locations etc. One day I had 40 people on set – as writer/director/producer I just about shit myself.

Tell us about the make-up and effects. I thought Brad Bilanin’s make-up was particularly good… Very zombie-like, without looking too grotesque. Who did the effects and how were they achieved.

We met with a Makeup FX artist named Frank Ippolito. My producer Maria Montgomery and I needed to decide if we were going for the “high production level” look and if we were willing to pay for it. The answer was “yes”. People are a taken aback that the zombie makeup is so professional – Frank had the whole system down – it really added to the film not to mention photos, pr, etc.

What did you shoot on and how long was the shoot?

We shot on HD, Panasonic HVX200. We also used a 35mm adapter to get the film look.

We shot 18 pages in three days – tons and tons and tons of set ups.

The acting was great, another high point. How did you cast the film? Was there any difficulty there? I can only imagine that you got some strange looks when you were telling potential actors what the film was about.

I hate casting. I usually use friends and actors I’ve met over the years in acting class – I usually write with specific actors in mind. I actually had a tough time casting the leads in this one – I opened up the casting and had official auditions – as an actor, I really hate seeing people pour their guts out when I know they’re not right. It makes me feel icky and then they email wanting an explanation why they weren’t cast. I was thrilled with Brad and Ryan.

BTW – I pride myself that actors have turned down my movies. I love it! I have had many actors pass on my projects only to see them play worldwide – too gay – too this – too that.

After it was all said and done, what would you have done differently?

Well, the 35 adapter was a pain in the ass – very tricky and difficult to focus – caused some big headaches in post. It also had a spec of dust (bad luck) on the lens which plagued us in post as well. My shot list was SO HUGE it was near impossible to shoot it in 3 days, but we had no choice. I was nearly lynched by the crew the day we shot all the house stuff when everyone realized we weren’t near done and it had already been 6am-11pm – oops. We had to cut a scene of the actor whose house we were using – he wasn’t too pleased.

One of the most impressive things about the film, to me, is the fact that it screened in over 60 festivals. What kind of advice can you pass on to a filmmaker who’s hoping to make a film that gets into festivals?

Well, you have to use the With-out-a-Box website to do multiple submissions. It’s the only way – unfortunately, the fees range from $10/$15 up to $65 a pop – however, the horror fests generally keep them pretty low. I played so many festivals because it was gay. When your movie gets into Outfest or one of the big gay fests, you start getting multiple invitations and requests to screen at gay fests all over the world. That’s how Gay Zombie has played in 15 countries – almost all without submission fees – and some even paid me!

What did you get out of the festival experience? How beneficial would you say it is to a career?

The festival experience is a fun ride, BUT, at the end of the day you’re left standing in the lobby with your friends and the other directors. Again, with gay genre, you’re much more likely to be approached by a distributor. I’m telling you – go gay! If you’re straight – go gay anyway – good story – good production value and you’ll get distribution and exposure. Also, the gay horror genre is GROWING

What about distribution? How’s that going? Are there any lessons that you would pass on to other indie filmmakers who’ve just finished a film?

Again, I’m not really savvy on the straight or horror compilations – they are much tougher to find. 2 out of my first 3 shorts got worldwide DVD distribution deals. Gay Zombie got a 3 year broadcast deal with the LOGO network – so it’s been playing on TV for real! I also signed nice DVD deals with Germany, France and the UK – at this point I don’t have a U.S deal, which is curious.

There is a company out of Canada called Ouat! They seem to be a very reputable distributor of shorts – but go for the exposure – you won’t see much money.

Where can people find out more about “Gay Zombie” or, better yet, buy a copy?

People can go to my website gayzombie.net for all that is zombie and to buy a copy for $14.95 including shipping.

What’s next? Do you have any projects in the works?

I just finished the feature length script Gay Frankenstein – it’s a real winner and will hopefully get made. I don’t think my friend with the extra dough will cough up half a million.

What kind of advice can you pass on to other indie horror filmmakers?

ADVICE from me? I’d say this – Story is the most important thing – an audience will forgive production glitches as long as the story/concept is entertaining – you don’t need to spend a ton with a great idea. Also, PACE!!!!! It’s a short – keep it moving – don’t let the audience lose focus for a second or ask, ”What is this about?”

Film Fest Updates - Fright Night Film Fest, The Fantasy Film Fest, Film4 Fright Fest, Fargo Fanatastic Film Fest and LA Shorts Fest

It's a long weekend up here, so I've been boozing for three days... thus the late post. Here's some info on some new film fests and some others with updates. I'll be adding them / updating the horror film fest section soon... I swear.

We've covered Fright Night Film Fest in the past, but it's coming up here pretty quick. It's August 15 - 17 in Louisville, KY. So, obviously, you can't submit your film to THIS years festival, but you can submit to next years. You can see their film schedule here, so take a look. By the way, if you think your film is in line with what they're accepting, get yours in for next year. They accept a LOT of films, so this is a great one to look into if you want to get one of those little logos that say "official selection of..." on your DVD cover.

The Fantasy Film Festival takes place in various cities in Germany. They screen a lot of big budget indie films, such as "My Name Is Bruce", "Mother Of Tears" and "The Rage". That's not to say that's not awesome, all three of those films are... it's just to say that they probably aren't accepting too many 'shot of DV' films, especially non-German ones. In any case, the festival runs August 12th - September 10th and there are screenings in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dortmund, Frankfurt... and a bunch of other German cities. Go to the site if you're interested (and look for the button that says 'english' on the left side) to make navigating the website a bit easier.

Sticking to overseas festivals, the Film4 Fright Fest, which takes place in London, England, is going on August 21st - 25th. Obviously, once again, you can't submit your film now, but make note that submissions for the 2009 festival open on Jan 1, 2009. Once again, they screen more of the higher budget indie-fare, such as: "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer", "Midnight Meat Train" and "Bad Biology", but they do have a few lower-budget films in there. It's a little more open than that last one.

Now, quickly, a few domestic festivals... First, the Fargo Fantastic Film Festival is still accepting submissions. The deadline is September 15th, the late deadline is October 1st. The fest takes place October 31st - November 2 this year. They show both professional and amateur productions, "as both can learn from the other". Any lengths, formats and styles accepted. Here's a link to the entry form.

I just found out about LA Shorts Fest when they sent me a message... can't remember if I got by Myspace or through email, but whatever. They screen all genres of films, so they're not exclusively horror, but they do have a horror section. Their jurors are all pro's, such as Sandra Oh - actress from Grey's Anatomy, Andrew Reimer - Sr. VP of Acquisitions and Productions for HBO, etc. When I clicked on 'horror', nothing seemed to come up. Further, I have no idea how submissions work... or even how the festival works period. WTF? Maybe someone can go on there and enlighten me? Are you supposed to just upload your film and hope for the best? Why are there films (most that don't work) just playing randomly? Wow... for a fest that boasts high-end judges and being "Academy accredited", they sure don't make it easy to figure out what the F is going on.

Film Fest Updates... A Night of Horror and Halloween Horror Nights

More updates from the world of indie horror film festivals...

Australia's biggest genre festival, A Night of Horror International Film Festival, would like you to know that the earlybird deadline for entries is August 1, 2008 (postmarked). ...and if you'd like me to do the math for you, that's less than a week away. If you don't get your film in by then, you're just going to have to pay full price. They're calling for: features, shorts, music videos, H.P. Lovecraft films and, of course, screenplays. If you do have a finished screenplay to submit, check this out... A representative from Lionsgate, the world's leading distributor of horror cinema, will be reading the festival's three finalist feature length screenplays. So, it's a good opportunity to have your script recommended to the industry. Also, there are categories for both feature length and short screenplays.

For more details visit their site here or enter online at http://www.withoutabox.com/.

This isn't really a festival, but it is a pretty cool deal that you can submit your film to... Universal Studios Hollywood is inviting filmmakers to imagine "Where Nightmares Come Alive" for a short film competition that will invade the Entertainment Capital of L.A. Selected films will be judged based on suspense, relevance to theme and overall chill factor. People will then go to their site, which is just below this paragraph, and vote for their favorite of the top 10 selected film shorts. Entry deadline is September 3, 2008 and the winning film will be announced on September 25. Further, the winner will be invited to come to the Halloween Horror Nights opening night "Eyegore Awards" ceremony in the company of celebrities, studio executives and media. The winner will also receive four tickets to Halloween Horror Nights and $1,000.

For more details visit their site here.

FEWDIO - A bunch of horror guys that you should be keeping an eye on...

There's a distinct possibility that you haven't heard of Fewdio or "Nightmare House" yet, but starting August 6th, I think you're going to start hearing a lot more. Actually, if you're a regular reader, you may have heard us talk about them or their first short film, "The Easter Bunny is Eating my Candy", already. Either way, these guys are really on to something big, they're definitely a group to keep an eye on and, over here at Dead Harvey, we're already big fans.

What I really appreciate and love about the five guys that make up Fewdio is that they have all cut their chops in the industry successfully, having established themselves as screenwriters, directors, actors and producers. Then, one day, they woke up and decided to say "F it" and started Fewdio... and what Fewdio's doing, as far as I'm concerned, is trail-blazing. They're making a collection of horror shorts and are trying new ways of distribution by throwing stuff out there using the web, festivals and networking...

Brad and I had a chance to sit down with three of the five Fewdio members a few weeks ago, have a bunch of beers and shoot the shit... they're an extremely talented bunch of guys and they're really on to something with what they're doing. We'll be sure to keep you posted on all Fewdio activity, but until then... take a listen to what they had to say.

Clip 1 - Introducing Fewdio
Clip 2 - The website
Clip 3 - What we're trying to do
Clip 4 - The movies
Clip 5 - Gore
Clip 6 - Budgets
Clip 7 - How long was the shoot?
Clip 8 - Achieving the look
Clip 9 - Distribution
Clip 10 - Tips for indie filmmakers

Fewdio's site can be found here and to check out their first short film, "The Easter Bunny is Eating my Candy", click here. Their site now has a 'go live' date, by the way. Make sure you check it out August 6th!

"Conjurer" Screenings

Clint Hutchison, the director of, "Conjurer" sent us info. on his upcoming screenings. Dead Harvey says, check it out!

World Premiere Screening

Dances With Films

Tuesday, July 29 @ 2:45pm

Laemmle Sunset 5 Theatre

8000 W. Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90046

Tickets & info: www.danceswithfilms.com

Action on Film International Film Festival

Wednesday, July 30 @ 8:00 pm

Laemmle One Colorado Theatre

42 Miller Alley

Pasadena, CA 91103

Tickets & info: www.aoffest.com

Tickets can be purchased through the festivals' websites, or at the box office.

Also, check out our new CONJURER website: www.conjurer-movie.com

Film Fest Updates... Phoenix Fear Fest, Horrorfind Weekend and Scare Fest Horror & Paranormal Convention

We've got a good mix of updates and news from the world of horror film festivals and conventions today...

Phoenix Fear Festival - which is sponsored by Trash City Entertainment and Brain Damage Films, takes place on August 30th this year. The winners get a distribution contract from Brain Damage, by the way, and awards are given in all categories. This year they have the world premiere of 'Death Factory: Bloodletting', from the director of 'Great American Snuff Film', and the Arizona premiere of 'Shut-Eye Hotel', a short by Oscar-winning animator Bill Plympton. You'll find full details on the site, where you can also see the trailer for 'Death Factory'.

Horrorfind Weekend 10 in Maryland, Aug 15 - 17 at UMUC Marriott Inn & Conference Center in Adelphi, MD could be the spookiest show on earth. Well, that's what the site says. It's coming up and it looks pretty damn cool. There's no films, so to speak, it's basically a giant horror convention that features horror movie celebrities, horror writers, halloween seminars and supernatural speakers as well as a giant dealers room , horror movies and many special events. Go check out their site, though... they're getting some great guests, including: Sex Machine himself, Tom Savini; The one and only Kyle Reese, Michael Biehn; Dawn of the Dead's Ken Foree; owner of best fight scene if film history in "They Live", Roddy Pipper; "House of 1,000 Corpses'" Otis Driftwood, Bill Moseley and The Candy Man hiself, Tony Todd... who's at every horror convention... ever.

Scare Fest Horror & Paranormal Convention takes place September 12-14 in Lexington, Kentucky and it's the largest horror and paranormal convention in the southeast, where you'll be able to experience three horror- filled- days at the Lexington Center in Lexington, Kentucky. You can still submit your film to be in the festival, but they've announced some of the films that they'll be screening already. First off, they're showing some of the FEWDIO films, including the kick-f'ing-ass "The Easter Bunny is Eating My Candy". (We met up with the FEWDIO guys a while back and we have a great inteview with them coming up soon!) If you'd like to submit your film, send them an email at thescarefest@hotmail.com and get the mailing instructions.

Horror Film Fest Updates... More Fantasia, Fangoria's Weekend of Horror and Hollywood Film Fest

Here's a few updates from the world of horror film festivals and conferences... a few big ones this week...

Fantasia is going on as I type this, running from July 3rd until July 21st and I just decided to head over to their site to see which horror films they're screening this year... and they're screening some pretty kick-ass ones. There's a few that I haven't really heard much about, such as "Babysitter Wanted", "Pig Hunt" and "The Objective", but there also screening some of the most anticipated horrors of the year, including "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane", Frank Henenlotter's "Bad Biology", "From Within", "Midnight Meat Train" and "Repo! The Genetic Opera". If you go to the site, then click on "Films + Schedule", you can get lots of information on all the films...

HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL AND FILM THREAT NEED YOUR GENRE FILMS! - This is a big festival and they just announced their call for entries. That link is to an article that was on Film Threat's website, who happens to be a sponsor. They're also sponsored by STARZ!, as well... so you've got some pretty good names behind it and one of them is a distributor. Whether or not you want to enter your film or just attend it, it's worth checking out. Here's a blurb from the article that describes it: "The Hollywood Film Festival, presented by STARZ, will mark its return on October 22, 2008, to the state-of-the-art ArcLight Theatres in Hollywood for a twelfth annual, weeklong series of screenings, seminars, competitions, awards and a special presentation of "Genre Cinema". Together with Film Threat and Chris Gore, the festival announces the "Call for Entries" for this year's Hollywood Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival."

Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors Lastly, Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors 2009 site just went live, you can go check it out at that link there. It travels around to a few cities and you can catch it in Chicago March 6-8, L.A. April 17-19 and New York June 5-7. They promise gruesome guests, vendors, film room, creepy contests, eerie exhibitors... and more.

Horror Film Fest Updates... Blobfest & Comic-Con

Let's look at a couple more festivals that are coming up here this month... well, one's a very small, niche festival, the other really isn't a festival at all. The first is Blobfest, which I just came across, and the other is the world famous Comic-Con. Which, if you're a genre fan, is one of the conventions that you'll want to attend at least once in your lifetime and completely nerd out at, then deny you ever went to.

Blobfest - Personally, I haven't seen too many 'blob' related films of late, but, hey, if that's your thing, you've always got Blobfest, which takes place in Phoenix, PA this July 11 - 13. If 'blob' movies really are your thing, check this out. After reading about Blobfest, I started to think... would the world be ready for another 'blob' movie? Is the concept still believable and/or scary? Was the 1988 version, starring Kevin Dillon, any good? I can't remember, but I remember liking it. Anyhow, I found out that there's a film 'in production' right now called "B.L.O.B.", which stands, of course, for 'binary large object'. So, is there another Blob movie in the works? Hmmm... We may find out if the world is ready for more 'blobs', soon enough. Anyhow, Blobfest does a short film contest, where films have to be no longer than 5 minutes, are family-friendly, are somehow Blob-related, and submitted on DVD. They also do a few other events and things, plus have a Steve McQueen look-alike contest. This is, of course, because he had his first staring role in the original "Blob" film.

It takes place in the historic Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA, which can be found at 227 Bridge Street. You can find more information on it here, at their website.

Comic-Con International: San Diego - Comic-Con isn't really a film festival, you can't enter your film and there's no awards, but it's definitely of note. It's an annual 'multigenre fan convention' that's held every summer in San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center and it's pilgrimage for every nerd, geek and genre freak. It was orginally for comic books, sci-fi film and television and related pop arts, but it's expanded to include lots of horror. It's the largest of its kind in the world, getting over 125,000 attendees each year. There's lots of panels, seminars, workshops with professionals and there are plenty of previews of upcoming films. There's a huge floorspace for exhibitors, where you'll be able to mingle with movie studios, TV networks and comic-book dealers. Long and short, it's a genre nerd-fest and you can go see lots of girls in spandex, dressed up like X-Men and Wonder Woman.

It takes place in the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA, which can be found at 111 W. Harbor Drive. You can find more information on it here, at their website.

Horror Film Fest Updates... Zompire & TIFF: Midnight Madness

I used to call this Film Fest Friday, but I'm just going to call it Film Fest Updates from now on... mainly due to the fact that I never post it on Fridays anymore. So, here's a few updates from the world of Horror Film Festivals. One of them is one of the biggest horror festivals of the year, the other is a little more 'niche'.

Zompire: The Undead Film Festival - We just missed Zompire, as it was in May. However, they've already announced their 2009 dates, May 15, 16 & 17. It takes place in Portland, Oregon in The Hollywood Theatre and it's run by the same guy, Andrew Miguore, who does the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. It's dedicated to all things undead, namely zombies and vampires... thus Zompire. They highlight various filmmakers creative attempts to show the undead in new and unexpected ways. All film entries must be submitted online using Withoutabox.com. Here's a link to the submissions page on their site.

Toronto International Film Festival: Midnight Madness - This festival is actually coming up here pretty soon, it's Sept 4-13. Generally, it begins the Thursday night after Labour Day, which is the first Monday in September in Canada. It lasts for 10 days and hundreds of films are screened. It's a launch pad for lots of Oscar-type films and that's why it has notoriety. However, they do have the Midnight Madness program, which "highlights the weird and the wonderful, including thrillers, chillers and rockumentaries from directors who prefer to work in genres not usually seen in a festival context." They're not showing the full film list until July 23, but you should be able to go here after then... Last years Midnight Madness had "Diary of the Dead", "Mother of Tears" and "Stuck", to name a few...

Horror Film Festivals

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

February 22 - 24/2008
The NEVERMORE FILM FESTIVAL is produced by the historic non-profit Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. and was created in 1999. They showcase and solicit new films from various distributors, as well as independent genre films which have yet to secure a theatrical distributor. The festival is a mixture of quality features and shorts from major and independent distributors, as well as low-budget and underground filmmakers. Further to that, they also sometimes have special anniversary screenings, remastered prints and artists in attendance. It always takes place on the second to last weekend of February. Submissions are accepted as early as the previous September and the deadline is always early December. Nevermore has grown to become one of the largest genre festivals in the Southeastern United States, draws a big crowd from a wide age-range and is definitely worth attending. Here's a link to the latest Dead Harvey post on NEVERMORE.

Submitting your film: It costs nothing, contact Jim or just send it to him at:

NEVERMORE Film Festival
The Carolina Theatre
309 West Morgan Street
Durham, NC 27701
Attn: Jim Carl

February 29 - March 8, 2008
FantasPorto
Porto, Portugal
http://www.fantasporto.online.pt/

MARCH

March 7-15, 2008
The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival is essentially two events in one. By day, it is an industry-oriented film conference with panels, workshops, mentor sessions and a Trade Show. It has been described as a five day crash course on guerilla filmmaking and marketing. Day and night the SXSW Film Festival screens about 150 - 200 of the best independent films produced during the previous year as well as works from established directors who have inspired the latest generation of filmmakers. Aspiring novices and seasoned professionals alike can immerse themselves in film and the business of film by registering for SXSW. They have a 'Round Midnight category which will screen horror films.

Submitting your film: SXSW receives close to three thousand submissions. There's usually a link to their submission form, but it's closed at the time that I'm writing this. You'll have to include a VHS tape/DVD, 50 word synopsis, director's bio, cast and crew lists, and list of previous and planned screenings.

With all the panels, workshops, mentor sessions, hands on demos, the trade show and the festival itself, SXSW is a great opportunity to network with people who can help move your career to the next level and educate you on how the industry works.

March 27 - April 8
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
Brussels, Belgium
http://www.bifff.org/

March 6-8, 2009
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors takes place in Chicago. They promise gruesome guests, vendors, film room, creepy contests, eerie exhibitors... and more.


APRIL

Apri, 2009 (dates to be announced)
Sci-Fi-London, takes place in April of 2009 and I just missed the last one, so there's not much info on the 2009 edition yet... this festival is more exclusively sci-fi than it is horror, if you couldn't tell from it's name. However, sci-fi and horror are pretty closely linked, so we'll give it it's due. The festival started primarily because there wasn't anywhere for low-budget, interesting or foreign science fiction films. Its purpose is to show films that you're not likely to see in the UK at all, or that are going to be difficult to get hold of. They're not accepting submissions now, you've gotta wait until October...

March 25 - April 3/2009
A NIGHT OF HORROR is Sydney, Australia's premier genre film event. It's March 25 - April 3 this year and accepts features, shorts, animations, music video's and, new this year, a screenplay competition. They'll be accepting submissions until October 3, 2008. Kodak is the official sponsor of the festival's "Best of Fest Award" and the winner will receive 5 X 400ft of 16 mm film, valued at $1,250.00, as well as negative processing from another sponsor, Atlab. People magazine (not the popular North American version, I'm assuming) has another prize, $3,000 for the "Best Scream Queen Award" and Starz Entertainment donated some other cash and prizes for other winners.

Submitting your film: there's a link on their website or you can submit through Without A Box. It'll cost you $25 - $55, depending on your film.

With Starz Entertainment as a sponsor, as well as various other media companies, you could expect to get some great exposure by getting into the festival... especially if you're based in Australia. If not, you could get some good stuff for a press kit. It looks like they're affiliated or partnered up with the It Came from Lake Michigan! Festival in Wisconsin, as well.

April 24 - 27, 2008
DEAD BY DAWN takes place in Edinbourgh, Scotland, usually around mid-April, and was established in 1993 by Adele Hartley. They show mostly independent films and both shorts and features are accepted... there's a bunch of good films screening and it looks like various films that were screened got picked up.

Submitting your film: There's various forms you can download off their site: general submissions, shorts submissions and features submissions.

Awards: They do have audience choice awards, not sure if there's any cash value to winning, but it looks like you'll get some good exposure if you get in.

April 17-19, 2009
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors takes place in L.A. They promise gruesome guests, vendors, film room, creepy contests, eerie exhibitors... and more.


MAY

May 15-17, 2009
ZOMPIRE: THE UNDEAD FILM FESTIVAL takes place in Portland, Oregon in The Hollywood Theatre and it's run by the same guy, Andrew Miguore, who does the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. It's dedicated to all things undead, namely zombies and vampires... thus Zompire. They highlight various filmmakers creative attempts to show the undead in new and unexpected ways. All film entries must be submitted online using Withoutabox.com. Here's a link to the submissions page on their site.


JUNE

June 13 - 15, 2008
Fantastic Films Weekend is the UK's fastest growing festival dedicated to horror, fantasy and sci-fi cinema and television. Taking place in Bradford, UK, The Fantastic Films Weekend is a dynamic annual celebration of old, new, bloody and obscure, hosted by Britain's National Museum of Photography, Film & Television - a unique £60 million site operated by the UK government which boasts some of the finest projection facilities in the world.

Submitting your film: Filmmakers with new short and feature films are encouraged to submit their work for consideration. Screeners (preferably on Pal format DVD) should be sent to: 7th Fantastic Films Weekend, Film Department, National Media Museum, Pictureville, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 1NQ, England.

They accept live action, animation and documentary films - All submissions should be accompanied by a full Press pack including contact details, an English language synopsis, cast/crew credits, images and a portrait of the director. Selection will begin towards the end of the year.

June 5-7, 2009
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors takes place in New York. They promise gruesome guests, vendors, film room, creepy contests, eerie exhibitors... and more.


JULY

July 1 - 6, 2008
Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival was founded in 2000 and continually gains in importance to the point of becoming one of the main cinematographic events in Switzerland. Indeed, thanks to its innovative programming (where else can you see Polish Sci-Fi and Takashi Miike's latest delirium on the same day?) and prestigious guests (Terry Gilliam, Roger Corman, Ray Harryhausen...), the NIFFF has seduced both the public (more than 17,000 spectators in 2007) and the critics. The first characteristic of the festival is a rich and diversified programming constructed around one central axis: Fantastic Cinema.

Submitting your film: Here's a link to the section on their site.

Awards: There's actually lots of awards. No prizes, though... I think. Here's a link.

July 3 - 21/2008
FANTASIA FEST takes place in Montreal, Canada from July 3 - 21, 2008 this year and they call themselves "North America's Premier Genre Film Festival". They showcase diversified programming, ranging from repertory movies to entertaining, commercially-oriented genre films. They screen an average of 130 long and 250 short features.

Submitting your film: they have an online entry form here. You must get it in by May 5th, 2008.
Prizes: Any film produced in the past 18 months is eligible for both their official jury competition and their Public's Prize.

July 11-13, 2008
BLOBFEST takes place in the historic Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA, which can be found at 227 Bridge Street. They do a short film contest, where films have to be no longer than 5 minutes, are family-friendly, as somehow Blob-related, and submitted on DVD. They also do a few other events and things.

Visit their site for more information on submissions.

July 30 - August 1st, 2010
THE FRIGHT NIGHT FILM FEST, which takes place in Louisville, KY, is the largest genre show in the Mid South. They accept a LOT of films, so this is a great festival to look into if you want to get one of those little logos that says "official selection of..." The festival has risen to prominence and has attracted worldwide attention. The films come from Spain, Sweden, Canada, England, LA, New York and of course all over the Country. Not only are they a Film Festival and Convention, they are an industry show providing educational forums for actors, producers, investors, directors and others wanting to break into the industry. They support the independent community by providing a forum for their film and a voice of support to help them get distribution. As a direct result of the show they have helped launch the careers of many filmmakers.

Submitting your film: There's full guidelines and information on their site here.

AUGUST

August 21 - 25/2008
FRIGHTFEST takes place in London, England and is the UK's premiere fantasy and horror film festival. It takes place over four days in August, with premieres, personal appearances, signings and surprises. They've launched the careers of a few UK directors, including Christopher Smith (Creep, Severance) and Simon Hunter (Mutant Chronicles), plus having hosted many first UK screenings, including Shaun of the Dead and Hostel.

Submitting your film: It's currently closed, so I can't tell any of the guidelines. Here's the link, though.

Awards: I can't see any specific awards, but this festival gets a lot of coverage from different media in London and the UK.

September 4 - 7, 2009
DRAGON*CON INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL is held in Atlanta, Georgia around the end of August. It's a combination of film oriented panels, celebrity guests, new and classic independent feature and short film screenings, discussions, and a short film competition.

Submitting your Film: They're just looking for short horror films, but there's no information on how to submit right now, as they just finished up the '08 festival. I'll update this as soon as they post new information.

Awards: They do give away a few awards, such as the "Futura Award", the "Georgia Fandom Award", as well as fan awards.

August 30th, 2008
THE PHOENIX FEAR FILM FESTIVAL takes place in Phoenix, AZ. Their scheduled 2007 venue closed down, so they had a few setbacks after the success of their first event in 2006. Either way, they're back for 2008. The two winners used to get a distribution deal, but I'm not sure what they're doing now. You'll have to go to their site to find out. As of the time of this writing, it's not fully updated.

Submitting your film: Send in a DVD, all the submission rules are here.

Awards: The two winners get a distribution deal (or at least they did in 2006, I'll double check what's going on this year, then update this)

August 12 - September 10, 2008
The Fantasy Film Festival takes place in various cities in Germany. They screen a lot of big budget indie films, such as "My Name Is Bruce", "Mother Of Tears" and "The Rage". That's not to say that's not awesome, all three of those films are... it's just to say that they probably aren't accepting too many 'shot of DV' films, especially non-German ones. In any case, the festival runs August 12th - September 10th and there are screenings in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dortmund, Frankfurt... and a bunch of other German cities. Go to the site if you're interested (and look for the button that says 'english' on the left side) to make navigating the website a bit easier.

August 22 - 24, 2008
The Rue Morgue Festival of Fear takes place in Toronto every year and, although you can't submit your film, it's a festival to go to. There's lots of good screening, lots of guests, panels and off site events.

SEPTEMBER

September 26 - 28, 2008
THE "B" MOVIE CELEBRATION is having its second annual celebration this year. They will feature screenings of over 50 classic B movies, 20 educational seminars and the world's largest beach party, featuring the music of The Moon-Rays. The film line-up is huge, well... it's over 50 films. You can see the whole list when you click on the link.

You can't submit your film, therefore there's no awards.

September 26 - 28, 2008
THE CHICAGO HORROR FILM FESTIVAL had it's first festival in 2003 and is still running strong. It tooks place Sept 26 - 28 this year and it mainly showcases shorts, but does have a few features. They have a whole bunch of guests, vendors, bands and more... They do give away awards and some of the films that have played at the festival went on to get picked up.

Submitting your film: CHFF uses Without a Box, but you can also download a paper entry form here

and mail it in. If you get it in early, it's $20 per short and $20 per feature.

Awards: They don't go into much detail, but they do have various awards, a good crowd and lots of networking opportunities.


September 4 - 13
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: MIDNIGHT MADNESS takes place, obviously, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Generally, it begins the Thursday night after Labour Day, which is the first Monday in September in Canada. It lasts for 10 days and hundreds of films are screened. It's a launch pad for lots of Oscar-type films and that's why it has notoriety. However, they do have the Midnight Madness program, which "highlights the weird and the wonderful, including thrillers, chillers and rockumentaries from directors who prefer to work in genres not usually seen in a festival context." They're not showing the full film list until July 23, but you should be able to go here after then... Last years Midnight Madness had "Diary of the Dead", "Mother of Tears" and "Stuck", to name a few...

I'm not sure how you go about submitting your film. However, do note that it's all top films from around the world being screened...

September 16 - 20
Dark Carnival Film Festival
Bloomington, Indiana
http://www.darkcarnivalfilmfest.com/

September 20 - 27 (2007 dates)
FANTASTIC FEST is an annual event, held in Austin, TX, USA this year on September 20 - 27. It's sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse and Ain't It Cool News. The Alamo Drafthouse is an old-school theatre down in Austin and Ain't It Cool News is, of course, the website.

Submitting your film: Approximately 35% of the films at Fantastic Fest are selected through the submission process. For 2007, we are exclusively using Without a Box for submissions. Submissions for the 2007 Festival begin on January 1.

It doesn't look like there's prizes, so to speak, but... "shorts and features in our jury and audience competitions will get extensive coverage on Ain't It Cool News, the nation's most popular movie fan site as well as coverage in numerous local, regional and national news outlets" AND "expose your film to a wide audience of video and film acquisition professionals, members of the media and a die-hard dedicated audience of genre film fanatics."

Sept 30 - Oct 3, 2010
SHRIEKFEST takes place in L.A. and it's a festival and screenplay competition dedicated to getting horror/thriller/sci-fi/fantasy filmmakers and screenwriters the recognition they deserve. What makes Shriekfest unique is that they poractively help the filmmakers and screenwriters by promoting their work to the industry. They're dedicated to celebrating the art of independent filmmaking without all the politics! There's plenty of success stories, too. Check them out here.

Submitting your film: There's a downloadable submission form here. It'll cost you between $25 and $55... but there's lots of options, you'll have to read through the form.

Awards: There's a long list of awards, accolades and that sort of thing.


OCTOBER

October 4 - 7 (2007 dates)
ATLANTA HORROR FEST is part of, or affiliated some way with the ATLANTA UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL which takes place, obviously, in Atlanta, Georgia. It looks like the Underground Film Festival is in August, while the Horror Fest is in October. The Horror Fest will showcase independent horror films, bands and special events and goes from October 4th to 8th, 2007.

Submitting your film: I couldn't find their entry form on their general site, but it is on their myspace page here. It costs $20 for shorts, $30 for features...

Awards: I don't think there's any prizes, so to speak, but there's some pretty cool films in it this year. Also, they have what looks like a bunch of low-low-low budget horror shorts, which is good. You don't have to be that experienced or put that much budget into your film and you might get accepted... then you can go meet some people, network, etc. That's what it's all about!

October 5 - 7 (2007 dates)
THE H.P. LOVECRAFT FILM FESTIVAL takes place in early October in Portland, Oregon. They aim to promote the works of H.P. Lovecraft, literary horror and weird tales through cinematic adaptations by professional and amateur filmmakers. The festival was founded in 1995 by Andrew Migliore in the hope that H.P. Lovecraft would be rightly recognized as a master of gothic horror and his work more faithfully adapted to film and television.

Submitting your film: Films should deal with cosmic horror, weird tales, and/or the works of H.P. Lovecraft. You can submit your film through Without a Box.

Awards: There are various awards with no monetary value given for different categories.

October 3-5, 2008
SHOCKERFEST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL takes place at the Galaxy 12 Theater in Riverbank, CA and was one of the first festivals of its type in the world. Sponsored by the Fireside Foundation, Inc., a California nonprofit corporation dedicated to the promotion and perpetuation of independent film. Proceeds from the festival provide funding and scholarships, and assist the development of independent films.

Submitting your film: You can use Without a Box or there's a downloadable version here. It'll cost you between $25 and $65.

Awards: There are lots of awards, and various award winners have been picked up for distribution.

October 9 - 12, 2008 - THE EERIE HORROR FILM FESTIVAL takes place in Erie, Pennsylvania in October and is for filmmakers, game developers and screenwriters. It was established in order to provide more opportunities and exposure for filmmakers, screenwriters and video game developers working within the horror, science fiction and suspense genres, as well as draw more attention to the Northwestern Pennsylvania region via their film festival and other year round special events. Each year they attract thousands of fans, filmmakers, screenwriters and game developers to Erie for five days of indie cinema, featuring special celebrity guests, screenings and workshops.

This year, so far, Kane Hodder (Jason Vorhees) and Tony Moran (Michael Myers) will be in attendence. Fuji Film has come on as a sponsor and will give away $2,500 to the winner of the best cinematography award.

Submitting your film: Here's the link. It costs between $70 - $80 to enter.

Awards: There's over $10,000 in cash and prizes. More importantly, with their current and ever expanding contacts, they hope to play an active role in connecting their filmmakers and screenwriters directly with those within the industry.

October 15 - 17, 2010
The Telluride Horror Show, new for 2010, is now accepting horror, thriller, dark fantasy, and dark sci-fi film submissions. The festival is a 3-Day Horror Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado. As of this writing, their website isn't up yet, so you'll have to keep checking in for more info.

October 12 - 21 (2007 dates)
THE SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL is the largest horror film festival in the United States, it's been called "the Sundance of Horror". It's held at the prestigious Grauman's mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood. They premiere and showcase new work from American and International independent horror filmmakers and there are plenty of different categories to get accepted in. The majority of the films that get showcased do get picked up and distributed.

Submitting your film: There's a link to a downloadable submission form here. You can enter features, shorts, student films and scripts. It'll cost you between $25 and $60.

Awards: There's plenty of awards, plenty of networking and plenty of exposure available.

October 17 - 22 (2007 dates)
THE HOLLYWOOD HORROR, SCI-FI and FANTASY FESTIVAL has an alliance with FILM THREAT and Chris Gore. It features both films from emerging filmmakers and film masters, and special events and parties that will celebrate and honor genre filmmaking. The festival gets lots of movie-goers and gets huge coverage in all the major local and national publications. It's part of the HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL, so there will plenty of opportunities to network, as well as mingle with celebrities. They're also sponsored by STARZ!, for what that's worth.

Submitting your film: you can either submit through Without a Box or there an online form here.
Awards: There's plenty of awards, but they meld them all together with the Hollywood Film Festival. Check out the whole list here.

October 17 - 18
Scary Brains Film Festival
Cobleskill, New York
http://www.scarybrains.com/

October 19 - 21 (2007 dates)
SPOOKY EMPIRE presents SCREAMFEST HORROR CONVENTION and FREAKSHOW HORROR FILM FESTIVAL, Florida's largest Horror convention. It takes place at the Wyndham Resort in Orlando, Florida and it'll be filled with some of the biggest celebrities in horror, the best in horror writers and artists. There's unique seminars, live music throughout the weekend, tattoing, some of the greatest independent filmmakers and their films, a large dealer room, special fx artists, classic movies and much more.

Submitting your film: They accept shorts and features. It'll cost $25 - $35 to enter your short film, $40 - $50 to enter your feature. It looks like they removed the link to the submission form, but I'll put it up as soon as it's there for next year.

Awards: They give out awards for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Florida Horror Film, Best Actor/Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup FX and an Audience Choice Award.

October 17 - 19, 2008
The SACREMENTO HORROR FILM FESTIVAL takes place in Sacremento, CA in October. They exist to deliver high-quality independent and popular studio-release horror films, sci-fi features and short films to the horror movie fan. They promote the genres of horror and science fiction within the Sacramento art community by hosting semi-annual art shows, projectionist events and horror and science-fiction film festivals. It looks like they also have art shows, special guests, musical performances, special FX guests and a few premiers.

Submitting your film: You can either use Without a Box or download an entry form here. Entry fees vary from $10 all the way to $50 depending on how long your film is and when you submit it.

Awards: I can't find anything about awards on the site.

October 23 - 26, 2008
Thriller! Chiller! takes place at the Wealthy Street Theatre in Grand Rapids, MI. They are currently accepting submission, you can register through Withoutabox here.

They give out awards such as: best feature, best short, best fx, best one-liner, best student film, best "thrill" and best "chill".

October 25
Day of the Undead Film Festival
Leicester, UK
http://www.terror4fun.com/

October 19 - 21 (2007 dates)
The INTERNATIONAL HORROR & SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL takes place in late October in Tempe, Arizona. The festival, now it's third year, is a way to enlighten and educate folks about horror and sci-fi films - new ones, classics and retro classics. It's also an opportunity for people who love horror and sci-fi to get together. They attract plenty of guests, and showcase more than 50 films, including special screenings of popular movies, feature films and competition shorts. They also have a screenplay competition.

Submitting your film: The current deadline has passed, they'll start accepting entries for 2008 in May.

Awards: There are various awards available in different categories.

October 19 - 25 (2007 dates)
THE TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL is an annual showcase of international sci-fi, horror and fantasy cinema. It features a diverse selection of feature-length premieres from Asia, Europe and North America. The festival also supports homegrown filmmakers with a showcase of Canadian short films. Last years festival was attended by over 4,000 fans and 60 members of the press and the industry. There's also a hugely popular zombie walk, plus a few parties and plenty of prizes.

Submitting your film: They just closed entries for the last festival, so there's no information on submitting right now.

Awards: There are various awards, none of which I can find on the site.

October 24 - 28 (2007 dates)
THE NEW YORK CITY HORROR FILM FESTIVAL takes place in New York for a week in October each year. It's a competitive festival, drawing a lot of special guests and decent films. Looking over the list of who's screened there, a lot of them go on to get picked up. They show around 60 films and accept features, shorts and screenplays.

Submitting your film: I'll have to update this later, as the festival is taking place as I write this and they don't have info on how to submit right now.

Awards: There's various awards, including: Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Audience Choice

October 25 - 29 (2007 dates)
The annual HORRORTHON festival takes place in Dublin, Ireland and it showcases the best in the genre in late October.

Submitting your film: As far as I can tell, you can't submit your film. Everything's booked or "showcased".

Awards: See above, I don't think there's any awards.

October 26 - 28 (2007 dates)
THE B-MOVIE FILM FESTIVAL takes place annually in Syracuse, New York. It was founded in 1999 by indie filmmaker Ron Bonk and it's a fairly established festival and does get some good coverage by the indie film circuit. The 8th annual festival takes place Friday Oct 26th through till Sunday Oct 28th, 2007. They'll be showing 12 features, 20 shorts and 5 documentaries.

Submitting your film: There's nothing on their site now, but I'm assuming that's because it's past their deadline. I'll update this once they put out the new submission form for 2008.

Awards: There are "Killer B" awards giving away in Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Foreign Film and other categories.

October 21 - November 2, 2008
The FARGO FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL is part of The Fargo Entertainment Expo that takes place in Fargo, ND. They exist to showcase the ambitious and creative independent filmmaker.

Submitting your film: Any length, format and style is accepted. There's an online entry form here. It'll cost you either $10 or $15, depending on when you enter.

Prizes: As far as I can tell, there's no prizes... but you never know.

October 26 - 28 (2007 dates)
IT CAME FROM LAKE MICHIGAN FILM FESTIVAL takes place in Racine, Wisconsin in late October. They're dedicated to promoting independent horror, sci-fi and fantasy films in the midwestern United States. The festival includes both short and feature films and unproduced scripts. They have special guests, plus give classes and workshops on things like Special FX and screenwriting.

Submitting your film: They accept shorts, features and screenplays in the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres. It'll cost you $25 to submit a film and $20 to submit a script. There's an online submission form here.

Awards: An award of $250 will be given to the winning entry in each of the genre categories, as well as for the best original script.

October 27 - November 3 (2007 dates)
The DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIAN HORROR and FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL takes place in San Sebastian, Spain near the end of October. I can't say much more than that because it doesn't say much more than that on the site. There's lots of nice pictures, though...

Submitting your film: I couldn't find it, look through the site. Let me know if you can figure it out.

Awards: It looks like there's awards for the Best Spanish Short Film, various other short film awards, a Golden Melies for the Best European Fantastic Short Film and there's also a cash reward for the audience award for best feature film.

October 31/2008
The TABLOID WITCH AWARDS takes place in Santa Moncia, CA and they're looking for short and feature length horror films. They were founded by the Hollywood Investigator and winners are profiled in the publication.

Submitting your film: There's no entry fee and you simply send your film in to them, attn: Thomas M. Sipos, PO Box 1903, Santa Monica, CA 90406-1903

Awards: They will award trophies, that's about it.

October (various dates)
The BACKSEAT FILM FESTIVAL is a "rock 'n roll film fest devoted to the best in edgy, upretentious movies from all over the cinematic globe". The festival takes place in late January in Philadelphia, then takes the award winners and crowd favorites on the road to other cities, including Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Austin.

Submitting your film: Here's a link to their submission form, here. It costs $5 for a music video, $10 for a short, $15 for a featurette (31 - 60mins) and $20 for a feature (61mins+)

Awards: There must be some sort of awards, but they don't really list anything that I can find. Pabst Blue Ribbon is a sponsor, though... so, there's gotta be free beer. Good enough

October (no date set for 2008)
FEARLESS TALES takes place in San Francisco, CA and, as of this writing, has been postponed. It's an annual film festival that aims to provide the best in independent cinema. They find unique films, developed and produced by the truly independent artists and connect them with distributors and venues. Fearless Tales actively supports and promotes these films year round.

Submitting your film: I'm not really sure how you submit your film, but these guys seem pretty open to being contacted. All of their contact info is on this page.

Prizes: It doesn't look like there's any prizes, but it does look like a great networking opportunity and they truly seem to want to help...

October (no date set for 2008)
THE RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL HORROR FILM FESTIVAL takes place in October in Newport, Rhode Island and is part of the bigger "Rhode Island International Film Festival" which happens to be the largest and only Academy Awards-qualifying festival in New England and takes place in August or something. The Festival will also consist of various other events, such as a costume contest and awards for Best Feature and Best Short and more... Fangoria and Rue Morgue are sponsors, so you know you're going to get exposure there and it's going to be a great networking opportunity. It looks like you can also enter a screenplay or attend camps or workshops, as well.

Submitting your film: You can either submit through Without a Box or download an application form here. You get $5 off your entry fee if you use Without a Box, which is $45 regardless of length.

Awards: There's all sorts of awards, plus you get lots of exposure. It looks like a great festival to be a part of.

October (no date set for 2008)
THE NEW ENGLAND SHRIEKS HORROR FILM FESTIVAL takes place in Somerville, MA and is a celebration of regional independent & amateur horror filmmaking. It was established to bring together horror filmmakers and fans in the blossoming New England film community. All films have to have a New England connection, check out the rules and regulations here.

Submitting your film: It's free and you can download the submission form here.

Awards: I think it's a fairly small little festival and it doesn't say anything about awards.

October (no date set for 2008)
The SALEM INDEPENDENT HORROR FILM FESTIVAL was cancelled in '07, but is currently planning to be back in '08. The festival showcases the talents of independent filmmakers in the horror genre.

Submitting your film: There's a form you can print out and send in here. $25 for shorts, $35 for features.

Awards: There are first, second and third prize awards and they are included in the festival for viewing by "film industry professionals".

October/November TBA
South African Horror Film Fest
Cape Town, South Africa
http://www.horrorfest.info/

October 16 - 19, 2008
Spooky Movie Film Festival takes place in Fairfax, Virginia October 16 - 19 and they'll be showing 50 films from 11 countries over 7 days in 3 theatres. They accept shorts to features - slasher, monster, zombies, ghosts, ghouls, terror, chiller, suspense, comedy - music videos, cartoons, documentaries, experimental, foreign language, trailers - fat, skinny, tall or short - they want to present a festival that is as diverse as Washington, D.C. itself. (From their site) You can currently submit your film, however they are currently a non-competitive festival, but they're partnered with FCC-TV, Artomatic and others, so you'll get a lot of exposure. Here's a link to their site.

October 25, 2008
The Madison Horror Film Festival's in its inaugural year and you can submit your film. (Late submission deadline is Sept 19th this year) For more info on submitting your film, go here. The event will take place at the Orpheum Theatre Stage Door in Madison, WI. Besides presenting some of the best independent short and feature films in the horror genre, they are pleased to announce Kenneth J. Hall as a guest speaker at the event. It looks like they'll have awards, although they don't mention any cash prizes. Full Moon is all over their website, so they may be a sponsor or involved somehow. Anyhow, I don't know any more than what the website says.

October 11, 2008
The Horror Society presents their first ever film festival and they'll be bringing you the most brutal, blood filled, and extreme horror ever seen on the big screen. Plus, it's all low-budget, underground horror and their goal is to provide a platform for aspiring independent film directors and talent to debut their work and skills to Chicago. They've already filled the slate of films, so you can't submit or anything, but if you're in the Chicago area, do check it out.


NOVEMBER

November 1 - 7 (2007 dates)
RED BLOOD BUENOS AIRES is Argentina's only festival that specializes in fantastic, horror and bizarre films. They tend to only showcase local independent and low-budget films, but have shown some international ones, as well. They show films in all formats and all lengths. The bulk of the site is Spanish, so I can't report much more than that.

Submitting your film: There's a word document that you can print off and mail in, you can find the link here.

Awards: There's various awards, including: Best Feature, Best Feature Director, Best Feature Actress, Best Feature Screenplay, Best FX, Audience Award for Best Feature, Best Short Film, Best Short Film Director and Audience Award for Best Short Film.

November TBA
Sitges Fantastic Film Festival
Catalonia, Spain
http://www.sitges.com/

November 9 - 18 (2007 dates)
HORRORFEST'S 8 FILMS TO DIE FOR runs, this year, from November 9 to 18 in over 500 theatres in 35 American cities. It's an annual celebration of the horror genre and showcases eight films that run the spectrum of horror to thriller to gore to supernatural. It's a unique festival, as it's nation-wide. It's put on by After Dark Films, who distributes all the films.

Submitting your film: No chance, they're all films that have been picked up by After Dark.

Awards: Not really applicable.

DECEMBER