🎬 SCREENNOW HORROR FEST

Where horror films find their audience… and their fate.

ScreenNow Horror Fest is an international film festival entirely dedicated to horror cinema in all its forms. We welcome films of any year and any length, including shorts, features, trailers, screenplays, and micro-shorts. From experimental to classic, from found footage to cursed animation — if it screams, it belongs here.

But ScreenNow Horror Fest is not just a festival.
It is a curated platform built to discover, support, and amplify new voices in horror.

🔥 ONE FESTIVAL – TWO LEVELS OF IMPACT
All submitted films compete for the official awards of the festival. Additionally, some works may be selected by our jury or editorial team to be exhibited on the curated ScreenNow Horror YouTube Channel — a tool for global visibility and real audience growth.

Participation on the channel is optional and free of charge, and it grants access to exclusive benefits without restricting entry into other competitive categories.

🏆 OFFICIAL AWARDS
Best Feature Film
Best Short Film
Best Horror Screenplay
Best Scream (Outstanding Acting)
Best Trailer
Best Film of the Year (open to all categories)
Audience Award
Special Jury Award: Best of the ScreenNow Channel

🧠 SPECIAL YOUTUBE AWARDS
Films selected for the YouTube Channel will also be eligible for exclusive recognition and rewards:

🏆 Best Short Film – YouTube Selection
🏆 Best Feature Film – YouTube Selection
🏆 Audience Award
🏆 Special Jury Award – Best of the Channel
📜 No entry fee for these categories
🤝 Non-exclusive distribution contract
💰 50% revenue share from YouTube exhibition
🔓 Option to remove the film from the channel after the festival, upon request
Selection for the YouTube channel does not limit a film’s eligibility for other categories — as long as it is submitted accordingly.

🎥 BEST TRAILER OF THE MONTH
Each month, one trailer will be chosen as Best Trailer of the Month, based on YouTube performance (views, likes, watch time). The winner receives:

🎖️ Official certificate + online promotion
🎯 Entry into the Annual Best Trailer Award
🗳️ AUDIENCE AWARD – HOW IT WORKS

The Audience Award is given to the film that generates the strongest impact among viewers on our YouTube channel, based on real interaction and engagement.

To ensure a fair competition regardless of upload timing, we apply a weighted average system that considers:

Total views
Number of likes
Total watch time
Duration of online exhibition

This allows films uploaded later to compete fairly against earlier entries.
In case of a tie, priority will be given to the film that has been published on our channel the longest, as a gesture of recognition for early and sustained engagement.

🌍 OUR MISSION

Promote new independent horror cinema across borders

Build community between creators, audiences, and distributors

Turn YouTube into a curated platform for real impact

Offer mentorship and concrete monetization opportunities

Connect Latin America, Europe, and the U.S. through horror

🎭 AWARDS CEREMONY – JUNE 2026
Winners and selected filmmakers will be invited to attend the official festival gala in Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico).

📌 GENERAL TERMS
Submitting a film implies full acceptance of these terms

Films of any year or premiere status are welcome

Participants may enter as many categories as they wish

YouTube exhibition is optional and by invitation only

Films published on YouTube may be removed after the festival upon request

All rights remain with the filmmakers

Awards & Prizes

🎖️ AWARDS & PRIZES – ScreenNow Horror Fest

🏆 OFFICIAL ANNUAL AWARDS
(Announced during the in-person gala in Guadalajara, Jalisco – June 2026)

Best Horror Feature Film
Best Horror Short Film
Best ScreenNow Horror Feature (YouTube category)
Best ScreenNow Horror Short (YouTube category)
Best Trailer of the Year
Best Screenplay (awarded to the most original or terrifying story)
Golden Scream – Best Actor or Actress in a Horror Role
Special Jury Mentions

📣 MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS
(Honorary selections – announced the 3rd of each month)
Every month we spotlight outstanding films from each category (feature, short, experimental, etc.) on our social media and festival channels. These mentions are unofficial but designed to support and promote talent.

🎥 BEST TRAILER OF THE MONTH, BEST SHORT FILM OF THE MONTH, BEST FEATURE FILM OF THE MONTH
(oficial award – monthly)

Evaluated based on:

Number of views
Number of likes
Total watch time on our YouTube channel @ScreenNowHorrorFilms

The official monthly winner receives:

A digital diploma of recognition
Featured promotion across our social media and partner networks
Automatically enters the running for "Best of the Year"

💀 NOTES ON ELIGIBILITY

Monthly highlights are honorary and promotional
Only "Best Trailer of the Month" is considered an official monthly award
All annual awards are determined by the festival jury and announced during the official ceremony

Rules & Terms

RULES & TERMS – ScreenNow Horror Fest

1. Genre Requirement: Only horror films are accepted. All subgenres are welcome, including psychological, supernatural, slasher, thriller, gore, found footage, experimental, animation, etc.

2. Length & Production Year: Films of any length and from any year of production are eligible.

3.Multiple Category Submissions: Each film may be submitted to as many categories as desired, with no limit.

4. Trailer Submission Recommended: Including a trailer is strongly encouraged, as all trailers are automatically entered into the official Best Trailer of the Month competition, announced on the 3rd of each month.

5. ScreenNow Horror YouTube Category:
Selected films for our ScreenNow Horror YouTube channel:
Do not pay a submission fee.
Receive a distribution agreement.
Earn 50% of the revenue generated from YouTube or related monetization.
Compete for: Best ScreenNow Horror Short and Best ScreenNow Horror Feature.

🔒 Streaming Commitment:
Films selected for YouTube categories may not be withdrawn from the channel until the official conclusion of the festival, which ends with the annual awards ceremony in June 2026. This is a binding part of the distribution agreement and festival terms.

6. Unofficial Monthly Highlights:
Each month we highlight selected films across categories on our social media platforms. These are promotional and non-binding.
The only official monthly award is Best Trailer of the Month, which includes a digital diploma and featured promotion.

7. Jury & Decisions:
All annual awards are decided by an official jury composed of filmmakers, programmers, and distributors. All jury decisions are final and non-negotiable.

8. Awards Gala:
The official winners will be announced during our in-person ceremony in Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico) in November 2026.

9. Rights & Responsibility:
By submitting, participants confirm that:
They hold all necessary exhibition rights.
They authorize public screenings and/or online exhibition as per category.
They accept all rules and conditions listed here.
Language:

10. Films in any language are accepted. If not in English or Spanish, subtitles in one of these two languages are required.

11. Third-Party Interest Management: by submitting a film to the festival, the filmmaker expressly authorizes the festival to act as a provisional representative of the work exclusively in the event that, during the duration of the festival, any third party (such as a platform, distributor, or channel) contacts the festival directly with interest in acquiring, licensing, or distributing the film. In such cases, the festival will immediately inform the filmmaker and any revenues derived will be shared under the same terms previously agreed for YouTube exploitation. This authorization is strictly limited to the period of the festival and will automatically expire upon its conclusion, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the filmmaker and the festival.

12. Legal Acceptance:
Submitting a film to ScreenNow Horror Fest constitutes full and unconditional acceptance of these Rules & Terms.