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ABOUT ACCESS:HORROR FILM FESTIVAL & INDUSTRY SUMMIT

Access:Horror is a film festival and industry summit that celebrates the history, impact and future of disability in genre cinema. Access:Horror was recently rated as one of the top 5 Most Accessible Film Festivals in the World, according to the 2023 Accessibility Scorecard Impact Report. At our inaugural edition, we included talks with noted filmmakers Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Brea Grant, Mattie Do, Jill Gevargizian, Addison Heimann, and many more, while also sharing blocks of short films curated by Fantastic Fest, Final Girls Berlin, and Superfest Disability Film Festival.

UPCOMING ACCESS:HORROR 2025 FILM FESTIVAL & INDUSTRY SUMMIT
Access:Horror will return in July 2025 with live, in-person experiences in three major cities (New York City, San Francisco, and Washington DC) and also a virtual experience. We will provide screening fees for selected films that meet all eligibility requirements.

ACCESS:HORROR'S MISSION
Access:Horror was created as a space to explore and celebrate the history, impact, and future of disability in the horror genre, through conversations, connections, and various artistic forms, including film. We acknowledge the interwoven nature of identity and media representation, and celebrate the many intersectional identities that have been at the heart of horror cinema since the beginning. We believe in horror as an agent of change, and seek to elevate discourse that uplifts marginalized creators and gives them space to create new work that imagines new worlds.

ACCESSIBILITY
Access:Horror strives to offer accessibility in both the online and in-person space to create a space that welcomes everyone. All films screen with open captions and include options for audio description. All live events include live captioning (CART), ASL interpretation, and visual descriptions. More accessibility information will be forthcoming as the event approaches.

OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNER
Ride the Omnibus is a media non-profit that exists to uplift and promote the voices of historically underrepresented groups, including (but not limited to) people with disabilities, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, immigrants, women, and those who don't conform to traditional gender roles. We seek to diversify representation of authentic stories through media projects on the radio, on film, and through cultural exchange of ideas in live and broadcast events.

Awards & Prizes

AWARDS
Each film submitted is automatically considered for all eligible awards.

SPECIALIZED CATEGORIES
-Accessibility Star Award
The film that uses the most inventive accessibility features to tell a story.
-At the Intersections Award
The film with the best intersectional representation of disability.
-Tropetastic Award
The film that most successfully upends a common trope/s in disability and genre.
-FX Artistry Award
The film with the best use of SFX or VFX in a disability genre story.
-Best Innovation in Craft
The most innovative use of narrative, cinematography, or other filmmaking techniques.

GENERAL CATEGORIES
Best Feature Film (over 40 min)
Best Short Film (up to 40 min)
Best Documentary
Best Experimental Film
Best Music Video

Rules & Terms

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

-We accept Feature films (over 40 min), shorts (up to 40 min), music videos, and experimental films, both narrative and documentary.
-We accept submissions from all countries, completed after July 2022 and that haven’t had an official theatrical release outside of festivals.
-Films must be related to genre (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and the fantastic) and disability.
-We prioritize films by disabled creators and/or featuring actors and characters with disabilities.
-Films that have been (or plan to be) widely/commercially released theatrically or on VOD/stream prior to July 2025 are not eligible for submission. You may contact us for out-of-festival screening / collaboration.
-Films that are advertisements commissioned by a commercial company or a promotional video for an organization (PSAs) are not eligible for submission.
-Films must be submitted with open English captions to be eligible. Filmmakers who can provide audio description files before the festival will qualify for a screening fee. Any other assets that contribute to screenings’ accessibility are highly encouraged. If you need support in creating these assets, please see our website or contact us for helpful resources.
-Non-English language works must include English captions.
-By submitting to Access:Horror, filmmakers are confirming that they own the screening rights of their films, and are granting permission to show their film at the festival (virtual and in-person) and to portions of their film as promotional assets leading up to the festival.

A NOTE ABOUT SCREENING FEES
Each film accepted as an Access:Horror official selection that complies with the FULL eligibility requirements will receive screening fees of $75/short and $150/feature (USD).