The 100 mile stretch to the west of the Mississippi has been a place of interest in horror film history. Unforgettable films such as Escape from NY, White Palace, and Up in the Air all have been filmed in this great midwestern state - Missouri. To honor a burning ember tradition of horror film's place in our community, the guys from the Haunted Garage Podcast will be hosting Saint Louis's longest running "Horror Genre Specific Film Festival" Haunted Garage Horror Film Festival this October 4th & 5th at the Hi-Pointe Theatre!!!

The goal of the first year of our fest was to create a place where filmmakers of all levels can merge in a mutual love of the art of horror. We accomplished that goal and are ready for more experts to join our DEAD TALK PANEL. Including Lloyd Kaufman, Kane Hodder, Brian Hillard and so many more on the opening night! This is a Feedback Festival, if you are in attendance you get to take the stage and light up the audience with you own horror stories on set and take Q&A from the audience. Tell the story of how your film, came to be.

Lastly, we are devoted to promoting diversity in filmmaking. We have selected trained judges from various parts of the country to provide a selection process that is fair and consistent for all film submissions. It will be our pleasure to welcome filmmakers of all races and genders so that we may all gain insight into horror filmmaking from all perspectives of human life. Our Certified Film Critics and will give you the necessary feedback to improve upon your films.

We desire to turn Saint Louis and its surrounding counties into a safe, scary space where a diverse pool of horror content creators can meet, network, and learn - together.

May the best horror story win!

If you are interested in speaking at our horror film festival, please reach out to AskUs@hauntedgarage.net

Awards & Prizes

BEST OF FEST
GOLD PISTON *

BEST HORROR FEATURE FILM
GOLD PISTON *
All categories are eligible for this Award

Best Student Film
GOLD PISTON *

Best Horror Short
GOLD PISTON

Best Horror Micro Short
GOLD PISTON

Individual Awards:
Best Director: GOLD PISTON
Best Actor (Male & Female Role): Certificate
Best Editing: Certificate
Best Sound Design: Certificate
Best Practical Effects: Certificate
Best Special Effects: Certificate
Best Original Music: Certificate
Best Cinematography: GOLD PISTON
Best Writer/Screenplay (Jason C. Klefisch Award) GOLD PISTON

ROAD PISTON AWARD: THE BLACK MATTE PISTON is for outstanding grit in storytelling and cinematography! (not always given out)

*Trophies will be sent at shipping cost to winners if they are not in attendance.

Rules & Terms

• Short Films must be shorter than 50 minutes and longer than 10 minutes.
• Feature films must be 50 minutes or longer
• Selected films will be screened in front of a Live audience
• CASH AWARDS, The Filmmaker Must be in attendance to receive a Cash Prize
• We are not responsible for copyright infringement on your materials
• All submitters agree to the terms and conditions and to receive marketing emails and
discounts about film festivals. We will never sell your information to 3rd parties.

WE ARE OFFERING 15 WAIVERS: (Waivers must meet the criteria listed below, submissions of films must be sent via private link from Vimeo or YouTube, and have english subtitles if applicable. Please state your name, a paragraph of why you think your film should be waived, your phone number and your email. (All categories are Eligible)

Persons of Color Waivers (Total 5)
LGBTQIA (Total 5)
ADA Filmmakers (Total 5)

!!!! FILMS CAN ONLY BE ENTERED ONCE, IN ONE CATEGORY, PLEASE BE MINDFUL AS YOUR ENTRY WILL GET DISQUALIFIED !!!!
38 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jay Kay

    From what I heard; it was a great screening. I wish I could have attended because the FB photos and videos had a range of impressive projects and filmmakers that attended in a cool venue! Ty for programming No Good Deed!

    October 2023
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  • Paul Hibbard

    Great festival. Very well organized and filmmaker-friendly. I met some great people here and it's set up to encourage interaction and networking

    October 2023
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  • Harry Waldman

    Thanks for selecting "Enter the Room" into your festival as a Nominee for Best Short Film. Everything about this festival was awesome, including the fantastic venue, the quality lineup of films, the friendly organizers and filmmakers, etc. This is one of the most accommodating festivals that I have been a part of and overall, is one of the 3 best experiences that I have had with a film festival. I will definitely be submitting future projects to Haunted Garage's Horror Fest.

    October 2023
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  • Michael Rich

    This was my 2nd year with a film in Haunted Garage. I wasn't able to make it the first year, but my producers did and they told me how awesome it is. They were 100% right.

    You aren't a number at this festival. Franki and crew know you and your movie. Host Lilly asked me a question in the q&a that really surprised me and showed that she took the time to understand my project.

    The fest feels intimate, but is run like an event twice as big with a food promotion at the nearby drive-in, well-oiled schedule, and slick marketing materials. Plus, the Hi-Pointe theater is an awesome venue.

    I commend Haunted Garage for not stuffing the screenings and leaving time to hang out with other filmmakers. Many festivals pack block after block with hours worth of material and it's exhausting. It really helped this fest stand out from others that there weren't 100 other movies all one after the other.

    I can't wait to be back!

    October 2023
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  • Andrew Adams

    This fest was so fun and smooth and rad - I was shocked when I realized how young it is. Doesn’t feel that way at all. This is a badass fest WORTH THE ENTRY FEE 2024 - c’mon MovieMaker, GET ON IT. We’re out here scoopin ya. Also, they embrace all genre movies. So dark comedies, sci-fi, etc - you have a good shot here.

    This fest is run by an AMAZING team of hilarious and kind movie-lovers. As hosts, they make the whole fest feel like a weekend watching movies with your besties. The main venue in 2023 was an amazing old-school theater in St Louis called the Hi-Pointe, and it’s an amazing independent theater with a huge screen and great sound and ideal seating. You will feel like an absolute champ watching your movie play here. The fest makes sure its filmmakers are well taken care of, too. And the DEAD TALKS are super fun and inspiring. It’s honestly amazing what this team is pulling off. Don’t let the “young fest” thing fool ya - these are absolute pros and this fest is gonna get huge. You’d be a dummy not to submit.

    October 2023
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