UNDER WORLDS: We Want your EVIL!
Not every ‘other world’ is far away or in the future. UNDER WORLDS has played as part of OTHER WORLDS SCIFI FILM FESTIVAL since its second year, and in 2021 it emerged from the shadows as its own festival. At Under Worlds, we bring the best in indie horror to Austin, TX using the same curatorial eye that has earned our festival rave reviews from fans and press alike at Other Worlds, with much of the same team.
SciFi and Horror share the same heritage- they put voice to mankind facing the unknown. If SciFi reflects the piercing light of imagination and research, Horror sinks into the darkness of fear and doubt. If SciFi can transport you to other worlds of possibility, Horror often reveals the darkness just under the world we know.
We're looking for the freshest new voices in Horror & SciFi filmmaking.
Horror films aim to create a sense of distress, panic, alarm, and dread for the audience. They can be unsettling either through what is portrayed on screen, or the thoughts they provoke inside the viewer, preying on our worst fears and nightmares.
Playing UW allows you to tap into the loyal, engaged, genre-crazy fanbase we've spent the last eight years building. With affordable submission fees, we make sure the best new Horror projects have a platform here in Austin, the Geek Capital of the World!
YEAH. WE KNOW. THERE ARE A TON OF FILM FESTIVALS IN THE AUSTIN AREA. (AND THE COUNTRY. AND THE WORLD.) SO…WHY SEND US YOUR FILM? WELL:
Filmmakers have a blast here! We firmly believe in framing our festival around you - the filmmaker. At UW, you can count on a full theater of genre fans eager to watch your film (and ask you questions after - we hold a Q&A after every screening!) Network with other artists at our Filmmaker Happy Hour and throughout the fest.
We get the word out about your film! We want our programs to have the biggest reach possible – we pick the films we do for a reason, after all (hint: they’re awesome and everyone should see them). UW prides itself with awesome marketing efforts, both on our own website/blog and coverage from taste-maker publications like The Austin Chronicle and Austin360. And those full audiences we mentioned earlier? They’re ready to spread the word too by telling their friends and sharing on social media. Word-of-mouth for the win!
We f-ing love genre! Lots of festivals only have so many slots reserved for “genre” films. That’s where we come in.
How about reasonable fees & transparency? We know how rough it is out there money-wise for artists (many of us on the team are filmmakers ourselves.) UW prices its submissions accordingly and of course rewards thinking ahead with cheaper Early Bird rates! Another thing we offer: transparency to submitters. Even if you aren’t accepted to the festival, feel free to request feedback from our programmers. You paid us money – the least we can do is offer some constructive notes on your project and why it didn’t make the cut this time.
Selected by a jury of awesome industry people and the programming team.
Best Feature
Best Short
Best Director (for short/feature)
Best Acting (for short/feature)
Best Screenplay (for short/feature)
Best Cinematographer (for short/feature)
Best Production Design (for short/feature)
Best Editor (for short/feature)
Best VFX (for short/feature)
Best Score (for short/feature)