Welcome filmmakers,

Screamfest® had a physical indoor festival in New Orleans in 2021-2023. Our goal is to promote your stories for fans and industry alike.

Screamfest® Film Festival New Orleans supports independent filmmakers and creative writers. We provided a safe physical NOLA Drive-In festival in 2020 to ensure our filmmakers and attendees were able to have an in-person experience.

Our film competition is open and we will continue to accept your work.

Best,
Screamfest® team
info@screamfestla.com

About Screamfest®:
Some of the largest horror online publications have called it the "Sundance of Horror." Moviemaker Magazine's 25 Film Festival's Worth the Entry Fee & 13 Film Festivals to Die For and 30 Bloody Best Genre Fests in the World 2019 and Moviemaker's 50 Best Genre Festivals 2021.

Screamfest® Horror Film Festival is the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States. Paranormal Activity was discovered and premiered at the festival in 2007.

The festival showcases new genre films from around the world. Other premieres have included Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, Paranormal Activity, Dead Ant, Trick 'r' Treat, 30 Days of Night, The Human Centipede, American Mary, Diary of the Dead

To view past Screamfest® short films visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/screamfestla

Awards & Prizes

ALL submitters receive one year digital subscription to Videomaker magazine.

PRIZES:

Best Feature
Best Director
Best Horror Short Film
Best Student Short
Best Louisiana Film
Best Actor
Best Actress
Full Festival Pass to Screamfest Los Angeles 2025
Movie Magic Screenwriter

Rules & Terms

Thank you for your interest in submitting your film to the 2024 SCREAMFEST® Horror Film Festival - New Orleans. The 2024 film competition is open for all new features and short films from around the world. We will accept submissions until Sept. 4 2024.

Films must have been completed after January 1, 2023.
-Feature films and short films must not have had any commercial theatrical, television, or internet play in the US.
-Feature films and short films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English for festival presentation.

The following are the film length that should determine your film submission type:

Feature-length fiction and documentary films — 60 minutes or more
Super Short films — Less than 10 minutes
Short films — between 10-25 minutes
Extended-length short films — between 26 and 35 minutes

Films that have been submitted for consideration in previous years are eligible for re-submission only if significant changes have been made to the film. A detailed list of the changes must be included in the submission packet.

Please do not email us links to new versions of your film after you have completed your submission. We are only able to judge ONE version of each film.

For submission purposes, online screeners may be works-in-progress, films with temporary soundtracks or digital outputs. Rough cuts and works-in-progress can only be submitted in the FINAL deadline and if the completed film will be available by September 15th, 2024.

We will accept films completed after January 2023. If your film has been released it is not eligible for this competition.

You will be notified of acceptance via phone or email.

Complete press kits for films will be requested only after acceptance.

Acceptable screening formats are: DVD or digital files.

All entries selected into Screamfest® grant Screamfest® the right to use any footage from the preview screener and all submitted publicity photos and any other materials sent to us pertaining to this entry for Screamfest's® promotional purposes, without limitations.

All prints must be picked up after the screening and signed for by the filmmaker.

7 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Steven Schloss

    Lives up to its reputation of Screamfest being one of the top genre fests of the states. Although newer and smaller than the LA festival, what they are building out here is special and well curated. Grateful to have my film selected and looking forward to submitting more in the future.

    October 2023
    Helpful
  • Tony Reames

    Incredible Fest, so stoked to have been a part of it for Lethalogica. One of the best, and communication and hospitality was FANTASTIC!

    October 2022
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  • Andreas Resch

    Coming from Germany, we weren’t able to attend the festival in person because of the pandemic. Still we felt incredibly proud that MARLENE had been chosen to screen at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge and later even won „Best Picture“ 2021.
    The selection of films at Screamfest NOLA is multi-faceted and well-crafted, communication with the festival team always friendly and to the point - all in all a really great festival experience. We are already looking forward to attend Screamfest NOLA in person ASAP.

    October 2022
    Helpful
  • Jacob Ewing

    I've been fortunate enough to be a part of many film festivals and I can honestly say that this is, without question, the best festival I have ever been a part of! Not only that, but attending this fest was one of the best events/experiences, period, I've had in my life. It's an incredible celebration of horror and the community with the added bonus of being able to visit New Orleans (the perfect city to have a horror festival). The event organizers are wonderful, caring, and fun while maintaining strong communication throughout. Very well organized and a total blast throughout the weekend! Plenty of other events, parties, and restaurants to be a part of, too. Of course, the most important aspect of a film festival is the films themselves and I am honored to have been included amongst some absolutely horrifying, exceptionally crafted horror films. I can't say enough good things about this festival!!!

    November 2021
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  • Michael Squid

    A wonderful time! The Krew of Boo second line, incredible brunch, and the parade were amazing. Rachel was the coolest host, and it was great to meet a few filmmakers there. Amazing selection of shorts in a great little theater, would love to go again.

    October 2021
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    Response from festival:

    So great meeting you Michael!! Glad you had a fabulous time! Hope to see you in the future!