Welcome to SICK Fest – Northern Ontario’s Indie Genre Short Film Festival!

Now taking place exclusively during Creature Kon each September! Celebrating bold, independent horror, sci-fi, and fantasy filmmaking in the heart of Sudbury, Ontario.

Starting in 2025, SICK Fest will introduce themed programming each year to keep things fresh and immersive. This year’s theme? Campfire Tales — featuring special guest Felissa Rose (subject to filming schedule) and a late-night horror storytelling session with Rue Morgue writer and horror film historian James Burrell. These signature moments will evolve annually to bring fans a new layer of excitement every season.

Though we’ve evolved, our mission remains the same: to spotlight the strange, the terrifying, and the visionary creators pushing independent film into new territory.

At SICK, we don’t just screen films—we champion them. From blood-pumping indie premieres to Q&As with rising genre voices and industry legends, SICK Fest offers fans and filmmakers a unique platform to experience the future of independent genre filmmaking!

🎬 And don’t miss the SICK Social Lounge on Saturday at Creature Kon—our signature networking event where industry professionals, filmmakers, and creators connect. Access is included with your Creature Kon Industry Pass!

Whether you're an emerging filmmaker, a lifelong fan of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or just love a good scare, SICK Fest is your portal into unique independent cinema—right here in Sudbury. Only at Creature Kon!

Awards & Prizes

SICK Fest is a genre festival all about Indie Films! We celebrate Indie Filmmakers and their works of ART! That's why we take great pride in our SICKos, and the greatest honor is to be inducted into our SICK Insane Asylum.

All winners will be inducted into our SICK Insane Asylum and given a signature SICK Straight Jacket Trophy. Also, cash prizes! $$$$

Cash Prizes for first-place winners;
SICKest Short ~ $200 (Best overall short film)
SICKest Screenplay ~ $200 (Best overall screenplay)
SCREAMERS Choice ~ $50 (Audience Choice)
SICKest Creature/Special Effects ~ $50 (Selected by our group of judges)

Rules & Terms

Submission Guidelines for SICK Fest:
SICK Fest invites filmmakers from around the globe to showcase their work with a chance to win big! We are seeking films in the genres of Horror, Sci-fi, and Fantasy.

Please note the following requirements:
For Our Short Film Submissions:
- Premiere Status: Submissions must be Northern Ontario premieres.
- International Submissions: International projects are welcome, provided they meet the premiere status requirements.
- Project Completion: Only completed projects are accepted, with no restrictions on the completion date.
- Film Length: Films must be between 2 and 20 minutes in length.
- Film Production: Films must have been made within the last 18 months.
- Language Requirements: Non-English films must include English subtitles
- Content Guidelines: We do not accept films that contain hate speech or discriminatory content against any culture or community.

For our Screenplay Submissions:
- All submissions must be in English
- All submissions are accepted via electronic submission only
- All submissions must include a title page, a synopsis of the screenplay, and the contact
information of it’s creator and page numbers.
- All submissions must be a maximum of 110 pages.
- No revisions or missing pages will be accepted once an entry has been received.
- All submissions must be the original work of the applicant(s), it is on the onus of the
applicant(s) to secure the necessary rights if making adaptations based on another
persons life, on a book, or other underlying work.
- We do not accept screenplays that contain hate speech, or discriminatory content that is against any one culture or community.

Awards: All submitted short film nominees will be eligible for the SCREAMERS Choice award, determined by audience reaction and announced during the event.

Join us to celebrate the art of indie filmmaking in a competitive yet inclusive environment at SICK Fest only at Creature Kon.

Submit your film today!
4 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Ho-seung Son

    Great film festival!!! Thank you for the official selection. I wish you endless development.

    January 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you! Your work is absolutely phenomenal and thank you for your support!

  • Zeddy Chevron

    Awesome event that gets better and better each year. We've been able to attend and show films twice now at this convention and it truly is a special one. This year the guests and networking were a huge standout - lots of people from different corners of film love, appreciation, and making as a whole. The event itself being not only film festival, but an entire convention meant that we could go from film screenings, to the market, to panel discussions, to networking events all at the same event. Highly recommend - this is a festival to keep eyes on.

    October 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Zeddy! Your films were among the highlights of the evening and you are a phenomenal mind. Absolutely loved having you there and look forward to seeing more of you in the future!

  • Jonathan Zarantonello

    Crazy festival, love it! Thank you so much for having me! Long live horror!

    October 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Jonathan! Thank you for coming! It was incredible getting to meet everyone and seeing all the great films! Thank you so much for coming and hopefully see you next year!

  • Dustin Moore

    Fantastic festival! Great events, screenings, and networking opportunities. The love and passion for film and filmmakers is on full display here. I will make sure to come back next year. If you love horror films (or are a horror filmmaker), this festival is absolutely worth checking out.

    October 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Dustin! What an incredible screenplay you wrote. We feel like we should be paying you a submission for just being able to read it! 2025 is going to be huge! Looking forward to seeing you again.