Blood Sick is dedicated to screening the best movies in the underground scene. Transgressive genre films, shot-on-video, metal / punk made, outsider art, backyard horror, and movies made outside the studio system on a DIY ethos speak to us.

This festival comes from the curators of Blood Sick Underground Cinema, a monthly screening series in Philadelphia that has hosted a wide variety of guest filmmakers like Joe Swanberg, Eugene Kotlyarenko, Adam Green, David "The Rock" Nelson, Janice.Click, Kasper Meltedhair, Rock Savage, JR Bookwalter, Todd Sheets, Hayden Hall, Dylan Mars Greenberg and many more.

Blood Sick Underground Film Fest is an all day festival that will run from noon to midnight with a brief intermission and short film between each feature. It is primarily focused on screening new or undiscovered movies but we may also include an anniversary screening of a beloved underground classic.

The festival will take place April 18th 2026 at PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia's only theatre devoted strictly to independent film and music. We recently added a 2nd day to the festival April 19th at Ortliebs.

Any submissions not accepted to the festival due to lack of time we have available may be considered for future screenings as part of Blood Sick Underground Cinema's monthly screening series.

Rules & Terms

All movies to be considered must be made independently without the backing of a major studio. If selected you agree to let us publicly screen your film at PhilaMOCA and use poster art, trailers or screen grabs from the submitted film to promote the film and festival on social media and our website. If accepted each filmmaker is encouraged to attend the festival. Entry is free if your film is selected. Precedence goes to filmmakers that wish to attend and to new movies made within the last two years that have not had a Philadelphia premiere however other titles will also be considered.
7 Reviews
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  • Marko Plejić

    Really meant a lot to have our film "Forms of Flesh" hav its US premiere at the Blood Sick Underground Film Festival. I especially thank the organizers for creating a space for underground, indie, weird and unusual films which would otherwise never be shown on the big screen.

    Thank you once more and kindest regards from Croatia :)

    May 2026
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  • Rives Elliot

    It's everything you hope for when you hear the name Blood Sick. Not only did they show all the weirdo, trash, SOV, out there stuff you want, but the hardcore blood n' guts too. What other festival has Nekromantik AND David Rock Nelson on the bill?

    Thanks to Brewce Longo and team for putting together the sickest festival in Philly, Corinne and I were honored for our SOV gore short to be part of it. Cannot wait for next year!

    April 2026
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  • Jim Zounis

    It was such a great honor to have our short selected to participate in the 'Blood Sick Underground Film Fest'. Thank you all

    April 2026
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  • Scott Bekisz

    We weren’t able to make it out this year, but Brewce and the festival team were amazing to communicate with throughout. Friends who attended Blood Sick said it was an absolute blast. It’s always great to see a festival that genuinely supports DIY filmmaking and independent film. Hope to be there in person next time! Thanks again for showing our short, Blood Rail.

    April 2026
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  • Matt Minter

    I knew this was THE festival I wanted to premiere my short at, and Blood Sick did not disappoint. I didn't anticipate that I would get to screen alongside Jörg Buttgereit's Nekromantik, nor that I would get to meet cult legend David "The Rock" Nelson. Fest organizer Brewce Longo did a great job creating a versatile lineup of original filmmakers--Andy Heck Boyd & Erica Schreiner being huge highlights. Overall a great experience, can't recommend future installments enough.

    April 2026
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