SpookyFest Film is a short horror film festival

Curation is light. The only rules: keep it Spooky, and keep it under 20 minutes. That's it. Randy would be proud.

But let's be clear about what "spooky" means to us — because we're not just talking ghosts and ghouls. We want stories as wild and varied as the countless ways humans celebrate the season. And trust us, there are a lot of ways.

- A short about a haunted moon? Lock and load.
- Psychological horror? You don't have to gaslight us into it.
- An intimate suspense thriller set in a morgue, where you really find out what goes bump in the night? We're already checking over our shoulder.
- A zombie musical? Thrilling.

Or bring us something completely your own. Original, unexpected, off the beaten path. As long as it fits the season, it fits the Fest.

One genre. Endless ghost stories to tell and dark places to explore.

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SpookyFest Film is the Randy Meeks to SpookyFest's Sidney Prescott - a film-based Trusted Companion event running alongside Hollywood's Horror Theatre Festival.

SpookyFest Film will screen one night only: Tuesday, November 3rd at The Hobgoblin Playhouse in Hollywood.

Our judges will hand-pick ten standout films from our pool of submissions. Doors open at 6:30. Screening begins at 7pm.

Voting for the Audience Choice award and the announcement of the Judge's Selection award happen live immediately after the screening.

Want the full picture? The live performance lineup and everything else festival-related lives at SpookyFestLA.com.

Awards & Prizes

Audience Choice
Judge's Selection

Rules & Terms

- SpookyFest is open to entries from the United States and internationally.

- Entries must fit within the greater Horror genre.

- Our judges will select ten films for screening.

- Multiple entries are accepted.

- Entry fees are non-refundable.

- Films must be under 20 minutes in runtime. Entries exceeding this limit will be disqualified without refund.

- Non-English language entries must include English subtitles.

- All entries must include submitter contact information, including an email address and, where possible, a phone number.

- No physical submissions. Digital only, please.

- Selected films must be delivered in MP4 or MOV format at 1920x1080 resolution, with audio between stereo and 7.1 surround. Films should be delivered via direct download through FilmFreeway. Files that do not meet these specifications may be excluded from screening.

- The submitter warrants that they own or have obtained all necessary rights, licenses, and clearances (including music, footage, and performance rights) to submit and exhibit the film, and agrees to indemnify SpookyFest Film against any third-party claims arising from the screening.

- SpookyFest reserves the right to screen any film or project submitted to the festival.

- SpookyFest reserves the right to decline or remove any submission that includes content it deems inappropriate, unlawful, or in violation of these guidelines, at its sole discretion.

- Officially selected films are the responsibility of the submitter to deliver in digital format, per the festival's specifications, by the requested deadline.

- Selected films must be delivered in MP4 or MOV format at 1920x1080 resolution, with audio between stereo and 7.1 surround. Films should be delivered via direct download through FilmFreeway. Files that do not meet these specifications may be excluded from screening.

- By submitting, entrants grant SpookyFest the right to use film stills, trailers, and promotional excerpts of up to 60 seconds for festival marketing, press, and social media purposes.

- All decisions made by the festival are final.