"The World's 50 Best Genre Festivals"
- Moviemaker Magazine

"The Best Horror Festivals in the World 2021"
- Dread Central

"Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals"
- FilmFreeway

"Brilliantly showcases the breadth and quality of genre work being produced worldwide"
- Entertainment Weekly

"One of the most exciting festivals emerging in the US"
- Daily Dead

"Brings the latest and greatest in genre cinema from around the globe"
- Bloody Disgusting

"A natural gateway for the best in genre films from around the world"
- Screen Anarchy

Popcorn Frights Film Festival, the Southeast United States largest international genre film festival, will celebrate its eighth year on August 11-18, 2022. In 2021, Popcorn Frights was declared one of "The World's 50 Best Genre Festivals" by Moviemaker Magazine, recognized as one of the "The Best Horror Festivals in the World" by Dread Central, and noted as one of the "Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals" by FilmFreeway.

In 2021, Popcorn Frights hosted a hybrid festival that attracted more than 10,000 filmgoers, as well as filmmakers, producers, talent, and industry professionals to its week long summer event of inspiring films, panels, and parties.

Popcorn Frights showcases features and shorts by filmmakers from around the world to an audience of horror lovers and filmmakers, industry, and journalists. Amongst others, Adam Egypt Mortimer, Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, Nia DaCosta, Travis Stevens, Graham Skipper, Joe Lynch, Ruby Rose, Timo Tjahjanto, Colin Minihan, Lucky McKee, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Mickey Keating, Darren Lynn Bousman, and horror legends Alex Proyas, Mick Garris, Chuck Russell, Barbara Crampton, Mary Harron, and Larry Fessenden have attended, participated, and premiered their films at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival.

We revel in discovering new talent. We don’t discriminate: shorts, features, documentaries, animation, film, and video — all are welcome submissions.

Awards & Prizes

Jury Prize for Best Feature Film
Jury Prize for Scariest Feature Film
Jury Prize for Best Short Film
Jury Prize for Scariest Short Film
Jury Prize for Best Florida Film
Jury Prize for Best New Nightmare
Audience Award for Feature Film
Audience Award for Short Film

Rules & Terms

The 8th annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival will take place August 11-18, 2022

1. Submission Deadlines
Submissions will be accepted from September 6th 2021. The final deadline is July 15, 2022. Early entry is encouraged but in no way guarantees acceptance.

2. Submission Eligibility
- All submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2021.
- Popcorn Frights requires at least a Florida Premiere for any feature or short film.
- Works-in-progress are accepted.

3. Premiere Status
Feature Films and Short Films must be at least Florida Premieres: they must not have been released in the state of Florida on any format, nor screened publicly online.

4. Selection of Films
Submissions are reviewed and selected under the following criteria:
- Quality of narrative and production values
- Independent nature of the production

5. Festival Screenings
Popcorn Frights has the capability to screen Digital Cinema Package (DCP). Blu-ray may be used as well.

6. Scheduling
No film may be withdrawn from the festival program after its selection nor add screening fees.
41 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • nathan crooker

    This festival is an absolute must. The team behind it are fantastic and really care about the Filmmakers! Not to mention that the films they program are top notch. I look forward to this festival every year!!

    September 2021
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  • Michael Anthony Kratochvil

    Awesome to have both my new short films 'Sweet Mary, Where Did You Go?' and 'I Call Upon Thee' have their world premieres at Popcorn Frights Film Festival this year. Marc and Igor are great people, with a passion for the genre and run a great festival.

    September 2021
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  • Devin Das

    Popcorn Frights is such an awesome genre festival! They have great communication and are truly filmmaker focused. We played during the virtual portion this past year but cannot wait to attend in person in the near future. Thanks Popcorn Frights!

    September 2021
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  • Juan Alonso

    This film festival is truly amazing. Communication is great and they are very helpful. They take the time to value all the films and acknowledge the hard work all the filmmakers do. A must for every Horror fan and networking is incredible. Top recommendation for sure, also as a bonus it was nice to see an article talking about the the films in the film festival in Fangoria which the do every year.

    August 2021
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  • Ruediger W. Kuemmerle

    To describe Popcorn Frights Film Festival with one word would be "AMAZING", but this would not do justice to it. One of the best Festivals we have ever participated, professional from the first contact to the festival, genuinely nice people and an audience that just tops all of it of like the icing on the cake. For sure we will submit our future works again and can only highly recommend to all other independent film makers out there.

    Thank you very much again to the great team of Popcorn Frights Film Festival - you guys just rock!!!

    August 2021
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