Welcome to The Spooktacular Film Fest for Horror & Sci-Fi, brought to you by Red Tower Entertainment. Presented annually in partnership with Block of Horror – a live, immersive environment that brings the thrill of horror and interactive gaming to one community-driven experience – we strive to test the boundaries of storytelling through high-quality prestige short films, while delivering scaled media distribution on behalf of filmmakers and content creators.

SFF was created FOR ARTISTS, BY ARTISTS, as a way for filmmakers to share audiences globally and engage with them through the power of YouTube.

All Official Selections chosen for the festival will receive an exclusive YouTube premiere on one of our curated channels, along with a tailored distribution strategy and a level of exposure you won’t receive from the larger festivals. With a focus on original Horror on our Red Tower channel, and a focus on Sci-Fi and speculative fiction on our Lunar42 channel, we love stories that are universal in scope with broad appeal for a wide audience – and always with a big juicy twist at the end.

Our founders are veterans of the film industry, passionate about genre films and unique modes of storytelling, and we specialize in connecting you with engaged audiences, hungry to discover your work across our network of channels. So check us out on YouTube.com/@redtowerent and @Lunar.42, join the REDvolution, and let's have a bloody-good time!

Good Luck!

Awards & Prizes

All Official Selections will receive:
* A release on the Red Tower Horror or Lunar42 YouTube channel with a personalized distribution strategy, and an ongoing presence within our entire network of content.
* Free entry into every future Spooktacular Film Fest
* Festival Laurels
* Festival graphics formatted for social media, to help promote the film to your own fans, friends, and followers (don't forget, THEY determine the winner of the Audience Choice Award!)
* Ongoing marketing support from Red Tower/Lunar42, to help drive views from audience and industry professionals.

Official Selections will be eligible for the following awards for SFF 2026. The winners in each category will be announced at the festival in October. Attendance is not required to be eligible to win.
~ Best Original Story ($250)
~ Outstanding Direction ($250)
~ Coolest Practical Effects / Monster (Horror only - $250)
~ Outstanding Visual Effects ($250)
~ Best Twist ($200)
~ Audience Choice Award -- chosen by our YouTube viewing audience! ($400)
~ “Absolutely Spooktacular” Best of Fest ($400)

Honorable mentions may be awarded, at the discretion of the judging panel.

Winning Films/Filmmakers will receive:
* Up to $2,000.00 in prize money!
* A unique trophy, designed exclusively for The Spooktacular Film Fest
* A Merch item of your choice, branded with Red Tower, Lunar42, or Spooktacular logos/laurels.
* A meeting with our Development department, where you can pitch your next big idea.
* Ongoing marketing dollars invested into your film, access to YouTube analytics upon request, and guidance from the RTE team as we facilitate subsequent licensing opportunities for your film in other markets.

FINE PRINT:
- We reserve the right to omit awarding honors in any category if the submissions do not meet the judging standards.
- We reserve the right to award any additional specialty honors not outlined above, should the panel of judges determine additional honors are deserved.
- We reserve the right to change/update Official Selections at any time for any reason.
- Not every film selected as an Official Selection will be screened during the live event.

Rules & Terms

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS WILL BE CHOSEN, ANNOUNCED, AND RELEASED PUBLICLY ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS ON A ROLLING BASIS IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO THE FESTIVAL.

By submitting, you acknowledge and accept the rules & conditions of The Spooktacular Film Fest:

1) If chosen as an Official Selection, filmmakers authorize distribution of their film on one of our YouTube channels, for a limited period of exclusivity.
2) Film must not have a public YouTube presence, OR filmmaker must be able/willing to privatize the film for at least 6 months during the required period of exclusivity.
3) Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work.
4) Submitted films should either be in English or include English subtitles. If selected, a text file in English will be required for closed captioning purposes.
5) All materials, including but not limited to the submitted film, excerpts, stills, artist biographies, and promotional materials, will be retained by Red Tower Entertainment and may be used in perpetuity for promotional purposes, including local, national, and international press and electronic media in any form.
6) Submitter must have full legal rights to submit the film. It is the sole responsibility of the submitter to attain all permissions required from artists, studios, or production companies prior to submitting. Submitter must secure all authorization, releases, and licenses for copyrighted materials used within the film, including music.
7) Music licenses must be provided upon request, prior to the announcement of Official Selections.
8) We reserve the right to change the screening venue, streaming platform, or festival date(s) for any reason. All filmmakers will be notified of any changes to the program.
9) Entry fees are non-refundable.

Projects that do not follow the rules & terms above can be automatically disqualified at our sole discretion.

By submitting your film to this festival:
~ You represent and warrant that you have full legal right and authority to submit the mentioned film for consideration by Red Tower and/or Lunar42, and that all necessary consents, licensing, and approvals have been obtained.
~ You understand that your submission is in no way a guarantee of acceptance into The Spooktacular Film Fest.