This town is bewitched.

Fables of the Demons have taken deep root in the dark hearts of our followers both near and far, they come in droves to take in the horrors upon the silver screen.

Desmond District Demons is an annual independent film festival that takes place every October. We look to celebrate the dedication and passion of genre filmmakers from across the globe and especially in our locally grown talent in Michigan.

Our journey began with a shared vision among fellow filmmakers, a desire to create a platform where exceptional films could be showcased and appreciated for the artistry and dedication they embody.

Throughout our many seasons, we've been fortunate to witness the dark, twisted imaginations of filmmakers from every corner of the world to share with our audiences. Our communities shared devotion to genre cinema humbles us year after year.

Films from around the globe participate in a competition to win judged awards, as well as audience choice awards. (non-cash) We also like to bestow an award on our favorite Michigan filmmaker as well.

Michigan filmmakers submitting to the festival also have access to a special discount to encourage and help our local talent get their films on the silver screen in front of a live audience.

Awards will be given for Best Short, Best Feature, Audience Choice (Short and Feature Categories), Most Original Short, Scariest and Best Michigan Made Short.
(Non Cash awards)

Film must be of the Horror Genre and Films must be in English or include English Subtitles

Films must be delivered via Vimeo, Youtube, or FilmFreeway Online Screener for submission. If selected, you must provide a downloadable file in .mov format for exhibition

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Dion Cavallaro

    This is a festival with heart, well organised and communicated by a passionate team that share a love for genre filmmaking. The style and aesthetic the festival upholds is first rate. We couldn't be happier to be included in this year's selection and debut our short film, THE TRAVELLER, to an international audience. Whilst we were unable to attend in person, we'd love to attend in the future and recommend submitting and supporting DDD!

    October 2025
  • Lovely festival in MI with some incredible films! I participated in what was probably the best Q+A I’ve ever done as a filmmaker at this festival. Thanks for the fun time!

    October 2025
  • Nathan Koranda

    A hidden gem, truly! It was my first time attending a DDD screening and I could tell immediately there's a lot of love that goes into this festival. I was so honored to have my film screened among so many outstanding & well-curated films. I especially loved the graphics and commitment to the demon theme that created an atmosphere perfect for horror lovers and enthusiasts, haha. The Q&As after some of the screenings were also very interesting and well moderated, allowing filmmakers space to talk about their films and their passions. Thank you for including Pas de Deux! this year!! I hope to return again in the future!

    October 2025
  • Paul Belloni

    I can’t say enough good stuff about the Desmond District Demons Film Festival. I could not see the entire run of films selected but the ones I saw were fabulous, fit well together, and I was honored to be a part of it. The atmosphere of the location was cozy and spooky; the festival organizers clearly took a lot of care setting up the space. The sound system and screen were of above average quality. I also loved the film showing format; the films were shown in one-hour blocks with brief Q&As after each set, if a filmmaker was present, followed by an intermission. Running a film festival is a lot of work and the DDD organizers were prepared, attentive and kind.

    October 2025
  • Rubi Rock

    The DDD Film Festival is made by and for lovers of the genre. The organization pays great attention to communication. Thank you so much for including our film HADO!!!

    October 2024