Carnival of Darkness: The Haunted Pamlico Film Festival was founded by independent horror filmmakers for independent sci-fi, horror, and suspense filmmakers and their fans. Our festival runs Sept. 22-23, 2023.
Live events, including craft vendors, music, dancing, the "Horror Show III" production by the Haunted Pamlico family, and concessions, will run from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Sept. 22 at Raised in a Barn Farm, 2100 N.C. Highway 33, Chocowinity, N.C. Admission to this segment of the event costs $5 per ticket for the general public, payable at the gate.
Our screenings, awards ceremony, and meetings with film-industry professionals will be held from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Turnage Theater, 150 W. Main St., Washington, N.C. Admission to our screenings costs $10 in advance on FilmFreeway or at the door.
This year's event is scheduled to include artisans, a music festival, a filmmaking conference, a paranormal-experience tour, and much more. Our partners include the Turnage Theater, Rock the Pamlico, Raised in a Barn Farm, and the Pamlico Writers Group.
The purchase of one $15 ticket via FilmFreeway gives the bearer an all-access pass to our events at the farm and the theater.
We're building the schedule for the festival now. Please keep checking this page and hauntedpamlico.com, and follow us on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, for updates.
The festival organizers wish to honor the most artful sci-fi, horror, and suspense films and the people who make them. Our festival is sponsored by many entities, including Haunted Pamlico/Alternative Stage, a developing nonprofit based in Washington, N.C.; Nights of Fright, a haunted attraction in Chocowinity, N.C.; and Raised in a Barn Farm, the property on which Nights of Fright is located; and is supported through marketing by Arts of the Pamlico, our local arts council. The Haunted Pamlico team behind this event has made dozens of short films, some of which have enjoyed viral success online, and have been featured at festivals from Canada to North Carolina.
Our panel of judges includes artists with skills in sound design, special effects, cinematography, screenwriting, film and stage direction, and many more areas of interest. For more information, email hauntedpamlico1@gmail.com or see our festival page at hauntedpamlico.com. Be sure to look for us on TikTok, Vimeo, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Monument Award
• Frightful Feature-Length
• Bloodiest Good Short
• Slasher Award
• Top Effects
• Seething Suspense
• Sci-Fi
• North Carolina Horror
• Outstanding Horror Actor
• The Director Award
Awards will be presented in the form of digital certificates, which will be emailed after the festival. The makers of winning entries, finalist films, and official selections will be granted permission to include our 2023 festival logo on promotional materials for their selected films.