When FrankenCon kicked off in 2022, we thought it would be fun to add a short film fest to the mix. We had no idea the FrankenFilmFest would grow into the heart and soul of the entire event! Both the convention and the film fest have always highlighted independent horror, along with exploitation and Grindhouse cinema. Over the past four years, the quality of submissions has blown us away, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

The FrankenFilmFest 2026 is set for Saturday, June 27th, as part of the FrankenCon Horror Convention, which runs June 26th–28th at the Hilton Knoxville Airport, right next to McGee Tyson Airport.

For more details on FrankenCon and the FrankenFilmFest, visit www.frankencontn.com.

Awards & Prizes

Prizes at FrankenFilmFest 2026 will be awarded in the form of trophies in the following categories:

- Best of the Fest - overall best short
- Best Director - short with tightest direction, interesting visuals, "well-made" flick
- Best performance - awarding the best singular performance among all the shorts
- Greatest Gore - short with best gore effects
- Funniest Flick - awarded to the short that our judges find the most humorous
- Cory's Grimy Grindhouse Award - awarded to the short we feel best carries on the legacy of grindhouse/exploitation cinema
- Mystery award - our festival team will choose the criteria and not reveal the award until the awards ceremony at the show, it could be anything (scariest, best action, etc...)

Rules & Terms

- Entries must have been filmed after 01/01/2025.
- Entries must not have been submitted to a prior FrankenFilmFest.
- Shorts must be 12 minutes or less (including credits).
- Fake trailers are allowed as submissions.
- The top 8 entries will be shown at the FrankenFilmFest on 06/27/2026.
- In the event that the top 8 entries have a total runtime of less than 90 minutes combined, more entries will be shown at the festival.
- After preliminary judging, the selected entrants will be contacted and will each receive 2 general admission tickets for FrankenCon to attend the film fest.
- Selection for screening does not guarantee that an award will be given to your short.
- Submission does not guarantee that your film will be shown.
6 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Adrian Abbott

    Absolutely lovely team, extremely communicative and encouraging towards filmmakers. Highly recommend.

    May 2025
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  • Michael Dorfman

    My sons and I are incredibly honored to be a small part of your epic festival! Thank you so much for selecting and screening our short film!!

    May 2025
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  • John T. Hill

    I was so excited to screen at FrankenFilmFest (FrankenCon) and was so disappointed I could not attend in person. It just didn't time out. But the communications, social media coverage and promotion and general vibes from afar were excellent. Hopefully next time!

    May 2025
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  • Michael George

    Probably one of my favorite festivals so far. This one's for true lovers of old school cinema.

    May 2025
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  • Dixie Gers

    This was my 3rd year taking part in the film fest! I can not recommend it enough to any filmmaker out there. They truly support indie film and there is always a crowd watching every fest! Already planning for next year!

    May 2025
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