"20 Coolest Film Festivals" | MovieMaker Magazine

The Telluride Horror Show, Colorado's first-ever horror film festival, returns for its 15th edition October 11-13, 2024. One of the highest-attended genre film fests in the world, the Horror Show attracts the latest & best genre films from around the globe and attendees from all over the country for an incredible gathering of diehard horror fans in the world-famous mountain resort town of Telluride, Colorado. For three packed days, experience an exciting mix of horror, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy & sci-fi and dark comedy in Telluride’s unique theaters, with most of the films having one of their first U.S. showings. The festival showcases feature films & short films from new and established talent, in theaters ranging from 165 to 587 seats. Special programs and events take place throughout the historic town of Telluride.

We appreciate your interest in the Telluride Horror Show and we hope to share your film with our audiences!

SHORT FILMS (Please Read):

In addition to being considered for this year’s festival, short films submitted to the Telluride Horror Show are also eligible for review by Aengus McLoone of Antihero Entertainment and Nick Romano of 18Hz:

Aengus McLoone, producer at Antihero Entertainment, is the former director of development at Vertigo Entertainment (IT, Barbarian, Lego Movie). He’s packaged and sold in both film and television and is currently producing projects at Amazon, Freevee, Sony TV, NBC/Peacock, CJ Entertainment, and Limelight, along with several other projects in active development. His focus is horror, grounded sci-fi, and thrillers, both live-action and adult-animation.

Nick Romano is a creative executive at 18Hz, Walter Hamada's production company which has an exclusive, multiyear production deal with Paramount to lead the studio's mainstream horror movies and release several low-to-mid budget films per year across theatrical and streaming. The company draws on Walter's extensive experience including overseeing The Conjuring and IT franchises while at New Line Cinema as well as multiple tentpole titles while running DC Films. Nick came over to the company after working in development at New Line and before that at ICM Partners. While an assistant, he notably identified first-time filmmaker Ruwan Heggelman's short horror film GNOMES out of the festival scene and helped get it set up at Sony Pictures. An avid scout of the next generation of horror filmmakers, he has also served on the jury for the Fantasia International Film Festival and Palm Springs ShortsFest.

While there is no guarantee that short filmmakers will land a development deal or be considered for one, Antihero Entertainment, 18Hz, and the Telluride Horror Show are excited to provide this opportunity for short films to truly serve as calling cards for genre filmmakers.

TECHNICAL PRESENTATION:

If a film is selected to screen at the Telluride Horror Show, it is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide the festival with DCP as the exhibition format. The Telluride Horror Show has a deep understanding of how the presentation of a film can affect the way the audience connects with the film. Our technical staff has many years of experience at festivals such as Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, AFI Fest, and many more. We go to great lengths to ensure all our theaters are DCI compliant with meticulous color calibration, audio calibration, and highly trained projectionists.

TESTIMONIALS:

"Such a wonderfully unique festival" - Joe Bob Briggs

"The Telluride Horror Show is paradise for horror fans. You get to watch an incredible slate of short and feature films and hang out with horror filmmakers and writers all while in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, one of the most beautiful places on earth. Every horror fan should book this trip.” -Paul Tremblay, Guest Author (A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World)

"Telluride Horror Show is by far my favorite film festival. The scenery is awe-inspiring, the crowds are bursting with energy and the films are handpicked by some of the most genuine fans of the genre. I couldn't recommend it enough!" - Damien Leone, Director (Terrifier)

"Telluride Horror Show is one of the most exciting fests operating today. The scenery is unmatched and the passion of the programmers is obvious with the killer lineup each year.” - Mickey Keating, Director (Offseason, Psychopaths, Darling)

"I had a fantastic time! The films were great, the location was fabulous, and the people were the best." - Stephen Chiodo, Director, (Killer Klowns from Outer Space)

"Those are people who know what they're doing running a film festival." - Phil Tippett

“The festival was very well organized, and the response from the audiences at the screenings was a wonderful experience. Telluride itself was absolutely beautiful, and the organizers treated us extremely well.” -Tom Holland, Director (Fright Night, Child's Play)

PRESS:

"20 Coolest Film Festivals"
"50 Best Genre Festivals"
-MovieMaker Magazine

"A smorgasbord of horror goodness" -Bloody Disgusting

"Mixes its unique small-town setting with some of the most highly anticipated horror" -Fangoria

"Dedicated to scouting out the next generation of horror talent" -WestWord

"One of the most prestigious and anticipated horror film festivals of the year" -Modern Horrors

"Want a killer time at a film festival? Then we recommend you check out this year’s Telluride Horror Show.” -Entertainment Weekly

"...Telluride Horror Show was an absolute blast in a gorgeous location that is ideally suited for a horror festival. If you have the chance to go, make it happen. I promise you that you won’t regret it." -Dread Central

"...the Telluride Horror Show was one of the best film festival experiences I’ve had in my life. The films the team at this festival were able to pull together made for one of the most satisfying film lineups around.” -Horror Society

"Telluride Horror Show is one of the best damn weekends of the year and one of the best niche community events in Colorado. It’s worshiped like a holiday.” -303 Magazine

"Kinky thrills are provided knowing that nestled deep within the humbling, operatic grandeur that is Telluride, horrific, taboo-smashing entertainments of every sort are unspooling across screens in front of the wide eyes of bolder cinema fans seeking to be scared. There's no other dichotomy like this at work in any other horror festival I've attended or am aware of. It's a thing of twisted beauty.” -Chris Alexander, Fangoria

Rules & Terms

Thank you for your interest in submitting your film to the 15th Telluride Horror Show in Telluride, Colorado, October 11-13, 2024. We consider horror, thriller, suspense, as well as dark sci-fi & fantasy and off-the-wall films (on the darker side). Documentaries and comedies are also considered if they fall under the above genres. We prefer films completed in 2023 and 2024, but will consider earlier works.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Submissions may be of any length, from any country. Submitted films should be in English or include English subtitles. If the film is chosen as an official selection at the Telluride Horror Show, it is the responsibility of the submitter to provide the festival with DCP as the exhibition format.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS (Please Read Carefully):
I represent and warrant that I have full legal right and authority to submit the mentioned film for consideration by the Telluride Horror Show (THS), and that all necessary consents, licensing, and approvals have been obtained. I understand that my submission is in no way a guarantee of acceptance into THS, nor has any employee from THS guaranteed my acceptance into THS prior to submission.

Excerpts of accepted films and all promotional materials may be used for various THS promotional purposes, including but not limited to local, national and international press and electronic media. For films selected in the festival, THS reserves the right to screen the entry at the festival. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The submitter(s) shall indemnify and hold harmless THS from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the exhibition formats entered.

TELLURIDE HORROR SHOW DOES NOT PAY SCREENING FEES FOR FILMS.
ENTRY FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS:
info@telluridehorrorshow.com
http://www.telluridehorrorshow.com
38 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • DW Medoff

    Incredible experience. The team who runs it are all amazing. It was like being welcomed into a group of friends. And the people who pack the town are all hardcore horror fans. It's an awesome break from reality.

    February 2024
    Helpful
  • Kyle Perritt

    What an incredible and unique festival. This is the first one we've been to that seems like it was designed with horror fans in mind. Which is amazing for the filmmakers.
    If you want your film to play in a packed house to a majority non-filmmaker audience under the care of a professional technical staff in a picturesque mountain town full of horror fans, do yourself a favor and submit to this one.
    If we don't get something in next year we'll probably still go back just to hang out with the wonderful people who run this thing and see the awesome films they program.
    Don't skip this one.

    November 2023
    Helpful
  • Phillip McLaughlin

    I absolutely love Ted and THS! I was so disappointed when I wasn't able to attend in person and see Toad Boy play for the incredible audiences the festival is known for, but nonetheless I felt very included and am grateful for Ted's personal approach and communication throughout. Even virtually I've made new friends and contacts thanks to THS. It's my personal goal to make it back into the Telluride Horror program and hang out with these fine horror folks in person!

    October 2023
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  • Justin Martell

    Communicate, enthusiastic and helpful programmers and staff! It is no wonder that THS has distinguished itself as one of the country's genre festivals.

    October 2023
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  • Jason Sheedy

    We had such a wonderful time premiering our short film at the 2023 fest. It was a weekend full of awesome films, great networking, and breathtaking scenery. The staff does an incredible job putting it all together and the venues are all excellent. All in all, it was a really great experience!

    October 2023
    Helpful