Welcome to the CFL Studios Halloween Film Festival 2025, the ultimate celebration of horror, thriller, and all things spooky! Hosted at CFL Studios in the heart of Central Florida, our festival brings together filmmakers and audiences for a night of chills, screams, and unforgettable cinema.

We welcome submissions from around the globe. Whether you’re an indie filmmaker crafting eerie short films, a seasoned director delivering pulse-pounding features, or a visionary experimenting with dark comedy and supernatural tales. If it makes hearts race and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats, we want to see it.

Our festival is designed to support and showcase filmmakers, providing a platform to share their creative visions with a live audience of horror enthusiasts, film lovers, and industry professionals. Throughout the event, attendees can enjoy screenings, networking opportunities, and awards recognizing excellence across categories such as Best Film, Best Director, Scariest Film, Best Cinematography, Audience Choice, and more.

Whether your project is terrifyingly suspenseful, hilariously dark, or filled with supernatural thrills, this is your chance to showcase it on the big screen this Halloween season.

Any submissions that were shot in part at our studio can be submitted free of charge on our website or via email/in person.

Awards & Prizes

Awards & Prizes
Awards may include
(adjustments to prizes/awards will depend on amount of submissions):

Best Film – Overall standout production.
Best Director – Most creative and impactful directing.
Best Cinematography – Outstanding visual storytelling.
Best Screenplay – Most original and well written script.
Best Editing – Most seamless and effective editing.
Best Sound Design – Best use of sound effects, foley, and mixing.
Best Visual Effects – Most impressive use of VFX.
Best Production Design – Strongest sets, props, and overall world-building.
Best Practical Effects – Exceptional character and Halloween styling.
Best Acting Performance – Strongest lead or ensemble acting.

Scariest Film - The film that scared or creeped us out the most.
Best Kill - The film that contains the best/most creative kill.
Audience Favorite - The film that the audience votes as their favorite.
Best Student Film - The best film that is submitted by a student production.

Prizes will include free use of our studio space and potentially more.

Rules & Terms

Eligibility
The festival is open to filmmakers worldwide.

Films must fit within the horror, thriller, supernatural, dark comedy, or Halloween-related genres.

Both short films and feature films are accepted.

Submissions in a language other than English must include English subtitles.

Submission Guidelines

Only completed films will be considered; rough cuts will not be accepted.

Multiple entries are allowed, but each entry must be submitted separately with its own entry fee.

The festival accepts digital submissions only; we do not accept physical media.

Screening Format
Accepted films must provide a high-quality digital file (MP4, MOV, or DCP if available) for screening. Ideally in the Rec709 color space.

It is the filmmaker’s responsibility to ensure the submitted file is free of technical issues.

Selection Process
Films will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the festival organizers.

Selected films will be notified by email and listed on the official festival website.

Submission does not guarantee selection. All decisions by the selection committee are final.

Rights & Permissions
By submitting, you affirm you own all necessary rights to exhibit the film, including music and footage rights.

You grant the festival permission to use stills, excerpts, and promotional materials for marketing and press purposes.

The festival does not claim any ownership of your film.

General Rules
Entry fees are non-refundable.

The festival reserves the right to make adjustments to programming or awards as necessary.

The festival is not responsible for any technical issues during submission or screening that are beyond its control.

Participation in the festival implies acceptance of all rules and terms.