The Astrophobia Film Festival is an International science fiction and horror film and screenwriting festival that takes place in the Comox Valley on beautiful Vancouver Island. The fourth season will take place in October, 2024. It will run for two days (Oct. 19 and 20), and will screen some of the best genre films made in the last few years (see submission rules for more details). There are no restrictions on who can submit and we invite people from any nationality and ethnicity to submit their work. We have four film categories: Feature Film (Sci Fi or Horror), Short Film (Sci Fi). Short Film (Horror), and BC Short Film (filmmakers from the province of BC). Additionally, we have two screenwriting categories: Best Feature Script (Sci Fi or Horror) and Best Short Script (Sci Fi or Horror).
As we are only in our fourth year and we have no external funding, the festival can award only screenings, laurels, and shout-outs to the winners in the various categories, and laurels and shot-outs to the screenwriting winners. There are no financial awards or screening fees for selected films, but we intend to institute some in the future. This policy may change if the festival receives external funding before the festival dates. Entrance to festival events will be free for those submitters whose films are chosen as official selections, and screenwriters who place in the top three of each category.
2023 Winners!
Feature Film: "Once Upon a Time in the Future: 2121" - Serpil Altin - (Turkiye)
Short Film (Horror): "The Weaver" - Øyvind Willumsen (Norway)
Short Film (Science Fiction): "Dark Odyssey II: Ice Nexus" - Michael Lavine (USA)
BC Short Film: "Dragon Fruit" - Jeremy Brown (Vancouver, BC)
Audience Choice Award 1: "The Weaver" - Øyvind Willumsen (Norway)
Audience Choice Award 2: "Bufflehead" - Steve Brett (UK)
Feature Script:
1. "Morituriosus" - Jesse Dorian (USA)
2. "L.O.B.E." - David Hunter Fein (USA)
3. "Splashdown" - Don Stroud (USA)
HM: "Black is the Color of Mourning" - Michael Cantu (USA)
HM: "Star Riders" - James Rodriguez (USA)
Short Script:
1. "Inferno I: Guilt" - Brandon Saumer (Canada)
2. "Pictures of You" - Heather Horner (USA)
3. "The Avon Lady" - Guillermo Ortiz, Geena Karsama (USA)
HM: "Sight Specific" - David Hardy (USA)
HM: "The Last Beckoning" - Catarina De Cèzanne, Loïc Bagnoud (Portugal)