Welcome to 3rd KORK International Horror Film Festival!

Horror, thriller, mystery, gore from all over the world!
31 Oct - 1 Nov 2026 | İstanbul, Türkiye.

KORK International Horror Film Festival takes place every year at the end of October and aims to support high-quality horror cinema from around the world while contributing to the development of genre filmmaking in Turkey.

The festival brings together renowned international directors, producers, and leading figures in genre cinema, offering audiences a unique gathering each year. The films featured in the program explore various forms and possibilities of horror, providing viewers with powerful and original experiences.

KORK is not just a screening platform; it also serves as a meeting point that fosters international collaborations with organizations such as Morbido Fest, Wench Film Fest, Yellow Veil Pictures, and Rue Morgue Magazine, discovers emerging talent, and seeks to give genre cinema broader visibility. The festival continues to contribute to the growth of horror cinema both locally and globally.

KORK International Horror Film Festival has been awarded the EFFE Quality Label 2026–2027 by the European Festivals Association (EFA), recognizing its artistic excellence, cultural impact, and international presence. This distinction places KORK among Europe’s leading cultural platforms for horror cinema.

EFFE — Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe is an initiative led by the EFA that honors festivals distinguished by their artistic quality, community engagement, and international impact. It serves as Europe’s quality mark for outstanding arts festivals that build bridges through creativity, bring people together, and enrich cultural life beyond the stage or screen.

To receive the EFFE Label, a festival must meet at least 7 out of 10 quality criteria defined by the EFA, an EU-supported platform dedicated to ensuring broad access to culture and the arts. KIHFF meets 9 of these 10 criteria.

www.korkfilmfest.com

The 90 Best Genre Film Festivals on Earth 2025 - Dread Central
https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/531260/best-genre-film-festivals-sidebars-2025-2026/

You can reach our official Letterboxd HQ Festival account via this link: https://letterboxd.com/KorkHorrorFest/

You can reach our official YouTube account from this link:
https://www.youtube.com/@KORKHorrorFilmFest

Best Horror Short Film
Best Horror Feature Film
Best Director (Short or Feature)
Best Actor (Short or Feature)
Best Actress (Short or Feature)
Best Cinematography (Short or Feature)
Best Script (Short or Feature)
Best Sound Design (Short or Feature)
Best Music (Short or Feature)
Best Special Fx & Make-up (Short or Feature)
Best Editing (Short or Feature)
Best Turkish Horror Film (Short or Feature)
Audience Award

TERMS & RULES YOU ARE AGREEING TO BY SUBMITTING
* Only one title per entry.
* You agree your film is available for selection and exhibition during our festival dates.
* If your film becomes unavailable for selection and exhibition, you agree to withdraw your submission PRIOR to our final submission deadline.
* If your film has not been withdrawn and remains in consideration after our final submission deadline, you agree that your film may be selected and exhibited regardless of other arrangements, including distribution deals or other festival premieres.
* Films must be genre Horror, Thriller, Mystery. Please do not submit off-genre films.
* Film submissions must be made available as streaming screeners through FilmFreeway.
* Productions not previously screened at or submitted to the Festival may be submitted. Please do not submit films that have been submitted in previous years, unless they have been substantially modified so as to warrant additional consideration. Re-submitted films should include a FilmFreeway cover letter detailing changes.
* KIHFF does not pay screening fees.
* KIHFF does not provide transportation or lodging for filmmakers, but if selected filmmakers will receive a free pass to the in-person show.

By submitting, you represent and warrant that you have full legal right and authority to submit the film/video/screenplay project for consideration by KIHFF, and that all necessary consents, licensing and approvals have been obtained with respect thereto. You agree the work is original and owned by the submitter, and is not the subject of any disputes regarding ownership, and that there is no invasion of privacy, defamation, violation of rights, intellectual property infringement, or similar violation of law. You agree to hold KIHFF and its sponsors harmless in any and all matters pertaining to the consents, licenses, and approvals of heretofore film/video/screenplay project.

You understand that your submission is in no way a guarantee of acceptance into KIHFF. No one from KIHFF or its sponsors has guaranteed you selection into the festival.

Should your film be selected for KIHFF, you retain all rights to ownership of the film, but grant KIHFF the right to exhibit the film at the festival. You also grant the KIHFF the right to use any materials pertaining to the submission, publicity photos, still frames from the film, and to advertise and display the work in whole or in part for promotional purposes without limitations.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Cleo Handler

    Kork was so fantastic! We absolutely loved being involved. Chatting with the organizers and answering their excellent podcast questions was so much fun and a real highlight, but the communication and experience all around were amazing (even from a distance!) and we were so thrilled to be included. Highly recommend!!!

    January 2026
  • Taking part in the KORK International Horror Film Festival was an incredible experience.
    The team is passionate, welcoming, and the programming is truly impressive.
    Receiving the Best editing Award for Puzzle was a huge honor.
    I warmly recommend this festival to any filmmaker who’s looking for genuine love for the genre.

    December 2025
  • Marcos Muñoz Flores

    Agradezco que existan mas festivales como de la categoría de Kork, sabes que un festival sera de buena calidad cuando desde la organización manejan una buena imagen, buena comunicación, respuesta a tus comentarios, que te den seguimiento. Recomiéndo sin duda KORK. Saludos desde México.

    December 2025
  • Guillermo Ribbeck

    An excellent festival. Although I couldn’t attend in person, my short film “Empty Jars” gained remarkable visibility through two nominations and a video review by an affiliated media outlet. You can truly feel the dedication and passion the festival puts into celebrating horror and fantastic cinema.

    December 2025
  • I screened my short film at Kork and the reception was magnificent. The film gained a lot of attention on social media thanks to the screening.

    November 2025