La Samain du Cinéma Fantastique is a four-night celebration of bold, visionary genre cinema from around the world. Founded to champion films often overlooked by traditional festivals, La Samain provides a dedicated platform for unique voices in fantasy, horror, and the fantastic.

Our mission is to connect undistributed films with audiences, buyers, and the press, while also spotlighting upcoming theatrical releases and offering rare big-screen experiences of cult and classic genre titles.

The next edition will take place October 28–31, 2025, in Nice, on the beautiful French Riviera.

Awards & Prizes

Feature Film Competition
Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Best Feature Film – Honoring the most accomplished and impactful film across all artistic and technical elements.
• Best Director – For outstanding vision, execution, and storytelling.
• Best Screenplay – Recognizing excellence in narrative structure, originality, and dialogue.
• Best Score – Awarded for exceptional original music that enhances the mood and emotion of the film.
• Best Visual Effects – Celebrating the craft and innovation behind the film’s practical or digital effects.

Short Film Competition
• Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film – Voted by festival attendees for their favorite short film of the year.

Each winner will receive an award laurel graphic from La Samain du Cinéma Fantastique, an official award certificate, and a FilmFreeway waiver for their next submission to the festival. The Best Feature Film and Audience Award for Best Short Film will also receive our coveted headstone statuette!

Rules & Terms

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES – La Samain du Cinéma Fantastique

The clock is ticking. La Samain du Cinéma Fantastique is calling for your bold and visionary genre films — but beware: deadlines evolve with each full moon. Keep an eye on the sky… or on our FilmFreeway page, and make sure to submit before time runs out.

Eligibility Requirements:
• Feature films must have a running time of 70 minutes or more.
• Short films must not exceed 25 minutes in length.
• All films must be completed on or after January 1, 2024.
• Non-French language films must include English subtitles.
• Accepted screening formats are DCP, Blu-ray, or high-quality digital file (ProRes / H.264).
• Preview screeners must be submitted online via FilmFreeway. We do not accept DVD screeners.
• Films previously available publicly online (outside a limited geo-blocked virtual festival) are not eligible.
• There is no premiere status requirement for submission.
• A separate submission is required for each title.

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Entry Fees, Deadlines & Notification:
• An entry fee must accompany all submissions.
• Submissions must be completed before the official deadlines posted on our FilmFreeway page.
• All selected and non-selected films will be notified via the contact information provided on FilmFreeway. Submitters are responsible for keeping their contact details up to date and checking their inbox for any communication from the programming team.
• Screening dates, times, and venues are scheduled at the sole discretion of the festival team. Selected films may be screened more than once.