Hysteria Film Festival

Hysteria Fest 2026: July 8-12, 2026

"One of the most eagerly anticipated film festivals" – Horror Movies Uncut

"A festival made for filmmakers and fans" – Bloody Flicks

"One of the coolest up and coming genre fests featuring great films from filmmakers across the world" – Devanny Pinn, director of THE BLACK MASS

Hysteria Fest 2026 marks our 5-year anniversary—and we’re going bigger and better than ever. Taking place at Arkadin Cinema and The Heavy Anchor, two intimate venues in the Bevo Mill section of St. Louis, MO, the festival has become known for feeling less like a conventional fest and more like a nonstop party for horror fans and filmmakers. Take a look at the reviews: whether you’re here in person or sending your film from across the world, your work will screen for an electrifying crowd in an unforgettable atmosphere.

Leading up to the main festival, we’ll continue to host several seasonal events—Hysteria Halloween in October, Hysteria Cabin Fever in February, and our Hysteria Charity Screenings in spring—providing even more opportunities for filmmakers and fans to connect.

Films already released online (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) are not eligible for the main festival. However, they can still be considered for our seasonal events if the online release date is after the seasonal screening, as long as you note this in your cover letter. All other films will automatically be considered for the main festival.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Our agreement with Black Mandala continues, giving us the ability to recommend films for distribution at any time during the submission process—not just after the festival.

We are also thrilled to announce our new partnership with EncoreNow, a streaming channel dedicated to showcasing the very best films from St. Louis–based festivals. This expands opportunities for Hysteria Fest filmmakers to find audiences well beyond our physical event.

2026: A Year of International Horror with a Japanese Focus

Every year, Hysteria Fest highlights a country or region of the world. For our 5-year anniversary, we’re proud to spotlight Japanese horror—from cult classics to boundary-pushing modern films. Alongside this focus, we’ll continue to showcase the most exciting horror from across the globe, staying true to our mission of bringing diverse, challenging, and unforgettable genre cinema to St. Louis.

Music Videos!

Back by popular demand, we’re once again accepting music videos, with a chance for your video to play during one of our main event screenings or at one of the legendary Hysteria parties.

Reviews for Accepted Films

All accepted features will be reviewed by one of our partner review sites: ZekeFilm, Horror Movies Uncut, or Destroy the Brain. All shorts will be either reviewed or highlighted.

About Hysteria Fest

Hysteria Fest began in 2022 at Arkadin Cinema in the heart of the historic Bevo Mill area of St. Louis, MO. We dubbed our first year "Year Zero"—a test run to gauge the market for a horror festival in the area. The response was overwhelming: the event sold out months in advance, and the atmosphere was electric, with a "punk rock" vibe that made it clear we had something special on our hands.

Encouraged by this success, we turned Hysteria Fest into a permanent fixture. 2023 was our first year accepting submissions, and we expanded the festival beyond a two-day event. The success of 2024 and 2025 cemented our reputation as one of the fastest-growing film festivals in the world. Now, as we celebrate our 5th year, Hysteria Fest has become a can’t-miss event on the horror festival circuit.

Run by horror lovers, Hysteria Fest is known for its supportive audience and dedication to filmmakers. We accept horror films from all subgenres—from slashers to horror-comedies to anything that even remotely touches on horror. If there’s one thing that defines this festival, it’s our commitment to showcasing films that challenge the norm and push boundaries. If your film fits that description, we want to see it.

We’re also running a screenwriting contest, with winners to be announced during the festival.