Poconos Horror Fest

The Poconos Horror Fest is an international festival that focuses on short horror films (under 30 minutes runtime) with an annual live screening held in Historic East Stroudsburg, PA in the Pocono Cinema (opened in 1887).
Our goal is to recognize, reward and champion the efforts & hardwork required to make horror films that often times goes unappreciated by mainstream cinema. Pushing further with this goal to celebrate uniquely made horror shorts, we aim to keep submission fees low and affordable while aiming to give back more for those selected as festival winners.
We understand the frustration of putting resources, time and people power to get your films completed & then being limited in the festival circuit due to high submission fees. This is counterintuitive because as a festival community, we should embrace filmmakers & not place obstacles (like high entry fees) in their path toward showcasing their work.
THE ANNUAL EVENT

The Annual event will take place in a single day in mid April 2025. The event location is at the historic theatre known as the Pocono Cinema (built in 1887). Three finalist from each award category (General, Student and Local Talent) will be screened at the event. Three winners will emerge on that day (per category) and receive monetary & other prizes. Finalists will be notified a month prior to the event.

The Poconos Horror Fest is beyond just a one day event, it is the opportunity to uncover the talents of the next generation of filmmakers with stories (on screen) that frighten, engage, entertain and provoke us to think, reflect on our society.