San Francisco’s ‘Another Hole in the Head’ Film Festival is a three-week-plus cinematic excursion into the realms of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and assorted other genres. Another Hole in the Head pulls together a diverse collection of films representing all varieties and budgetary considerations, providING a unique vehicle for independent cinema.

With this festival, we seek broader horizons than the common interpretation of "genre film" allows--including Westerns, Art/Experimental films, and other unconventional fare right along with our Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction offerings. All styles of independent film are welcome to compete: whether it's a major production from a professional company, a student film, or a micro-budget labor of love, we are committed to giving each film due consideration.

This year’s festival will take place December 1st - 25, 2024 at venues including the Balboa and 4 Star theatres in San Francisco, CA. It will also take place on demand via Eventive and during special live screenings with Filmmaker Q&A during private sessions on Zoom.

Please be advised: selection does not automatically equal a theatrical screening. We receive far more truly excellent films than we can fit into our limited theater schedule. The rise of Eventive, Zoom, and other virtual outlets has allowed us to offer more films the chance to compete for our Awards. Theatrical and Virtual screenings compete equally in our festival, and we do our utmost to promote our selections equally.
We've built a passionate following over the years, both in theaters and online. 2024 will mark our 21st year among the most highly rated genre festivals in the world, and we're still growing!

San Francisco is the second largest film market in the country, and a great promotional platform for Indie filmmakers who are trying to get their film out into the world. Many films that screen at our festival spark the attention of other film festivals and film distributors. In addition, the films and the festival are reviewed by some of the top players in the industry, such as Variety, the San Francisco Chronicle, Dread Central, and Fangoria.

We do not have Judges or Jury Prizes. The audience will rate the films for the Audience Awards at the theater (with paper ballots), on Eventive (online after each virtual on-demand screening) and on Zoom (after each live Zoom screening, attendees rate the film via Zoom’s polling function).
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Audience Awards (Feature, Featurette, and Short):

Top Films
Best US Films
Best Foreign Films
Best Local Films
Best Student Films
Best Action/Adventure Films
Best Animated Films
Best Art/Experimental Films
Best Creature Films
Best Crime Films
Best Dark Comedy Films
Best Documentary Films (entries limited to films with subjects related or adjacent to Genre entertainment)
Best Drama Films
Best Fan Films
Best Fantasy Films
Best Horror Films
Best Musical/Music Video
Best Mystery/Noir Films
Best Off-Beat Comedy Films
Best Science Fiction Films
Best Slasher/Splatter Films
Best Supernatural Films
Best Thriller/Suspense Films
Best Western Films

Staff Awards:

Favorite Feature
Favorite Featurette
Favorite Short
Best Trailer (entries limited to films screening in the festival)

Upon submitting to this festival, the submitter must add Filmmaker Info (filmmakers@ahith.com) to their contacts. There are specific film assets that we will require long before Notification Day. It is recommended that all submitters check their inbox and spam at least once a week, and if possible, include a phone number in their FilmFreeway contact info. Films with representatives who cannot be reached may be dropped from consideration.

Any questions or other correspondence regarding non-feature film submissions should be addressed to Filmmaker Info (filmmakers@ahith.com).

LEGAL STUFF: Submitters understand that submission of their work authorizes the Festival to use the work and all materials provided through FilmFreeway for exhibition, education and/or publicity purposes related to the festival; that the Festival will handle any prints, discs, and drives with a maximum of care but cannot be held liable for any damage or loss during shipping, preview, or screening, and also that the Festival is not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, or royalty infringement related to the work. Submitters may receive future correspondence from the Festival. The festival will never publish your film online under any circumstances.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kenny Foo

    Honoured to have my short “Slash” selected for this festival! I couldn’t attend the live screening in person but they were great with communications and even held a live Zoom broadcast with Q&A. Hope to make it in person one day!

    February 2024
  • Josh Park

    Fantastic. They were enthusiastic about the film, and had a wonderful experience at the screening and Q&A. If you have a genre film ready to screen, would highly recommend "Another Hole in the Head." And thank you for the "Best Student Film" award!

    January 2024
  • I had a fantastic experience! Great support for indie filmmakers. I highly recommend this awesome film fest!

    January 2024
  • AHITH is a really great festival! We are grateful and honored to have had two short films screened. There are a ton of events and a well curated selection of films. I wish I had more time and energy to see more of the films, but glad there is also a great online venue. My only wish is that they had a party or get-together for filmmakers to meet and network. Hopefully in the future!

    January 2024
  • James Morris

    Was so happy to hear we got into this festival. Great communication, and absolutely no complaints.

    January 2024