Welcome to the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival, nestled in the notoriously haunted and picturesque town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Named by The New York Times as one of the top 5 Halloween Horror Film Festivals worth traveling for, Nightmare in the Ozarks is a grand celebration of the horror genre in all its forms, including classic horror, thrillers, and horror-themed sci-fi.

The film festival is hosted in the historic City Auditorium of Eureka Springs. Films are screened on a 26ft screen in front of nearly 1000 seats.

Take a break from the silver screen on Saturday evening to catch the famous Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl. Join undead horde and apocalyptic vehicles as they crawl through the winding downtown streets of Eureka Springs in one of the nation’s largest Halloween spectacles!

The Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival invites horror enthusiasts and filmmakers to converge in the haunted town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas for a celebration of spookiness, mystery, and the macabre.

Awards & Prizes

The festival will close with an awards ceremony honoring outstanding achievements in horror filmmaking. The coveted Golden Howler trophies are custom-made by Bloodwither Studios. Trophies are awarded in five categories: Best Feature, Best Short, Best Actor/Actress, Best Kill, and Audience Favorite.

Rules & Terms

Nightmare in the Ozarks is open to short and feature films that fall under the horror genre broadly, including dark thrillers, horror-themed sci-fi, slashers, dark comedies, and spooky fantasy. The horror genre is flexible, but submissions must include some form of horror and/or dark themes. Please let us know if the screening will be a premiere.

Short Films - 45 Minutes or less

Feature Films - Over 45 Minutes

SUBMISSIONS.

Films must be submitted in a digital format. Submissions can ONLY be made through the FilmFreeway website. You may submit as many films and shorts as you want, but each submission is subject to a non-refundable fee. Foreign language films are welcomed, but must be subtitled in English.

The main contact submitting must be authorized to do so and must have permission from any sales agents or distributors involved. When completing the submission process you agree to have the necessary rights for screening the film at The Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival.

NOTIFICATION 

All applicants will receive an email shortly after the closing date notifying them whether their submission has been selected.

SELECTION PROCEDURE 


Each film submitted will be viewed by at least two members of The Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival selection committee. All decisions on are final .

SELECTION 


If selected, the screening copy of the film must be sent to us no later than 1st October and once selected you guarantee that the film cannot be withdrawn from the festival .

PUBLICITY AND PRESS 


By submitting to Nightmare in the Ozarks, you agree to the use of stills in press and publicity for the festival. These may be included in our official programme, press releases, on our website, and on all social media platforms.
4 Reviews
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  • Brittney Greer

    Such a wonderful festival and experience! We were so excited to have Happy Halloween as an official selection! Such great people running it and an amazing atmosphere!

    November 2024
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  • Chris McInroy

    I wasn’t able to attend but man the programmers were fantastic at communication and promotion of their selections and screenings. Everyone was super friendly and seemed genuinely excited for the festival.

    November 2024
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  • Nora Novak

    Can't believe 2024 was the inaugural year! Super organized, communicative, and friendly. Absolutely fantastic location and the perfect time of year for it. Highly recommend!

    November 2024
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  • Tyler Savage

    Love this festival and the programmers are the best! We were honored to be included in their inaugural year and hope to return soon.

    November 2024
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