The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival

Since 2018 VHS has grown to become an internationally recognized festival, known for incredibly curated programs, and welcoming and inclusive environment that celebrates and supports both genre film fans and the participating filmmakers. In 2025, VHS was listed on Dread Central's Top 90 Genre Film Festivals, and is consistently in the top 50 Horror Festivals on FilmFreeway.

VHS is known for celebrating independent films in the horror and horror-adjacent genres -- highlighting excellence in storytelling that spans the full breadth and depth of the genre.

VHS is unmatched in its hands-on management and promotion. The festival works hard to get press, not only for the festival itself, but for the films and filmmakers that are selected to be a part of their lineup. The festival's ethos is one of supporting and bolstering the filmmakers who work so hard to make great films. VHS wants the world to know just how great these films are, and just how phenomenal the folks who work on them are.

What you can expect from being part of VHS:
1) Excellent communication and promotion of your work.
2) All selected filmmakers receive full festival passes to attend VHS which invites you to all screenings, panels, industry parties and networking events.
3) See your film screened in a Cineplex Entertainment theatre!
4) Opportunity for industry meet and greets and industry-focused panel discussions- Vancouver is Hollywood North after all!
5) A festival team that truly exists to celebrate your work
6) Our social media game is ON POINT.

Submissions for 2026 are now open!

About VHS 2025

The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival (VHS) came back with a vengence in 2025, taking over downtown Vancouver for a jam-packed lineup of independent horror films, immersive events, industry insight and visiting filmmakers from all over the world.
Vancouver’s premier celebration of all things eerie and unsettling, VHS 2025 expanded beyond the screen with costume parties, horror trivia, a film tour, live table reads, special effects makeup tutorials and exclusive industry panel discussions. The festival’s cutting edge programming once again brought together filmmakers, fans and horror-lovers alike for five days of fear and fun.

A major highlight of the 2025 festival was a special 30th anniversary screening of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, presented in partnership with MastersFX Monster Museum. The screening featured special guest appearances from William Sadler (Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, The Mist), Sherrie Rose (Me and Will); producers Gil Adler (House on Haunted Hill, Superman Returns, Thirteen Ghosts) and Alan Katz (Bordello of Blood, The Outer Limits); and local VFX legend Todd Masters.

VHS 2025 included 8 feature films, 44 shorts films, 2 industry panel discussions, Table Reads, and the VHS Golden Tapes Awards across 21 categories.

VHS 2025 screened 8 feature films and 44 short films, with most screenings ending with a Q&A session from the films' creators. Filmmakers.

Feature films included Foreigner Directed by Ava Maria Safai in her feature debut, The film blended teen drama, body horror and social commentary in a coming‑of‑age story like no other. Set in 2004, the film follows Yasamin (Rose Dehgan), a teenage Iranian immigrant trying to belong in her new Canadian high school. She bleaches her hair, mimics her peers – and unintentionally unleashes a demon tied to her cultural identity. Winner of the Silver Audience Award for Best Canadian Film at Fantasia 2025, Foreigner is Mean Girls meets The Exorcist – a fresh, fearless horror about the cost of assimilation and what happens when you forsake your roots. Director Ava Maria Safai joined for a Q&A following the screening.

VHS presented the Canadian premiere of Woody Bess’s horror-comedy Portal to Hell, where a down-and-out debt collector (Trey Holland) discovers a literal gateway to Hell in his neighborhood laundromat. With standout performances from Keith David and Richard Kind, this sharp, stylish film mixes demon deals, dark humor, and unexpected heart.

Celebrated occult coming‑of‑age thriller Mother of Flies, from the filmmaking family trio John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser (the “Adams Family”), made its VHS appearance hot off its win of the prestigious Cheval Noir Award for Best Film at the 29th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. The film also snagged the Best Motion Picture Score award. Part horror, part elegy, it follows young Mickey (Zelda Adams) as she turns to necromancy after a cancer diagnosis, journeying with her father into the woods to meet a witch whose dark magic offers hope – at a chilling price. Director, writer and actor John Adams joined is om Vancouver for an exclusive Q&A following the screening.

VHS was thrilled to host a special advanced screening of the latest from genre-maven Karen Lam with her latest feature - Armageddon Road, a darkly comic supernatural road trip set in 1976 Las Vegas. What begins as a simple job – an ex‑con is hired to chauffeur a mob boss’s girlfriend for one night – quickly spirals into the apocalypse when she overdoses… only to return possessed by one of the Four Horsemen of Revelation. Filled with retro vibes, psychedelic horror and miniatures projected onto LED volume walls, Armageddon Road blends absurdity, dread and spectacle in equal measure. Director and writer Karen Lam joined alongside stars Brian McCaig and Natalie Grace for a Q&A and after-party after the screening.

VHS partnered with Elevation Pictures to host a special advanced screening and Vancouver premiere of Shelby Oaks, a supernatural horror mystery from YouTube creator turned filmmaker Chris Stuckmann and starring local legend Camille Sullivan as the leading "Mia". In his feature directorial debut, Festival Director David Taylor hosted a Q&A with Camille after the screening.

VHS also hosted a special Secret Screening of the now-released Night of The Reaper, with special guests and stars of the film Savannah Miller and Ben Cockell.

The VHS 2025 lineup showcased 44 short films across five days of programming. The shorts programs featured films from 12 different countries –18 coming from Canada and 11 from BC – and highlighted the depth and diversity the horror genre has to offer.

Audiences experienced four curated programs of notable indie horror films including:
Spool by filmmaker Mike Manning (Executive Producer of HBO's The Studio), which took home the awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Writing.

Two films were selected from DGC BC's 2025 Greenlight Program: The Doukhabhor by Ken Kabatoff, and Mrs. Chang's Perfect Teeth by Karen Lam. Both told stories of abuse in hyper-specific, incredibly local ways.

The propulsive and horrifying post apocalyptic Pariah by AJ Lutsky took home the award for Best Twist.
Each shorts program began with an Indigenous film – 'Wats'a by Dustin McGladrey, an emerging "IndigiQueer" filmmaker from the Grizzly Clan of the Nisga'a Nation; Ancestral Beasts by Tim Riedel, a Métis filmmaker from the Red River region of Manitoba; Inkwo For When The Starving Return by Amanda Strong, a filmmakers of Cree, Metis and European heritage, (won for "Best Animated FIlm," and the inaugural "Horror is Queer Award"); and Taumanu by Taratoa Stappard, a London-based, New Zealand born Maori filmmaker.

Six short films made World Premiers at VHS 2025 including Monster Medicine by Veronica Johnson, The Girl in the Street by Chris Paicely and Miles August, Cringe by Lisa Ovies, The Stanley House by Stephanie Izsak, Breach by Ross Langill, and Fever Dreams by Nils Kimmel.

The festival showcased stories about loss, grief, the epidemic of loneliness, inherited cultural or family trauma, female rage, the appeal of cults in an isolating world. The festival showcased some great horror comedies to round out each block including Endzgiving, a film from Tina Carbone about a group of friends trying to have one last nice Thanksgiving while the world outside their doors is being ravaged by Zombies, or Ouija Go Out With Me? from James Kennedy, about a young woman recovering from a toxic ex through unorthodox measures. What's In Your Bag? Was an electrifying.and hilarious take on social media and fashion blogs, a film that goes dark quickly and leaves you laughing, cringing and thinking.

The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival returned to Cineplex International Village on October 19, packing the house for its 2025 Golden Tape Awards – a high-energy celebration of indie horror, craft excellence and the filmmakers who make the genre so singular. Hosted by festival founders Meghan Hemingway and David Taylor, the evening blended irreverent humour, heartfelt gratitude, and a deep appreciation for the artistry that defines contemporary horror.
The night opened with sponsor acknowledgements and a warm tribute to Creative BC, whose support has fueled VHS’s growth and its expanding filmmaker programs. BC Film Commissioner Marnie Gee delivered thoughtful remarks on the province’s booming creative sector before Hemingway and Taylor launched into one of the festival’s most beloved traditions: their annual rundown of the year’s defining themes. In 2025, those themes ranged from grief, trauma and occult mayhem to – memorably – holes, cannibal cults, iPhone-shot nightmares and enough special effects to cement a place in werewolf cinema history.

From there, the awards rolled out with momentum. Corey Liu from the Writers Guild of Canada BC helped kick off the first block with categories honouring writing across shorts, features, horror-comedy, and twist construction. The festival also spotlighted its fast-growing Screenwriting Competition, which drew hundreds of submissions internationally, alongside the inaugural BC Screenwriters Development Program highlighting local talent – All For Baby, by Helene Taylor, Cryptic by Alex Vance and Play It Back by Jesse Lipscomb.

The craft categories underscored the festival’s devotion to the technical backbone of horror. Legendary FX artist Todd Masters of MastersFX presented the practical effects awards, while the Vancouver Post Alliance recognized standout achievements in VFX, editing and sound design – each accompanied by insights into the essential role these crafts play in shaping fear. Lindsay George from ICG 669 presented the cinematography awards celebrating visual storytelling that heightens dread through lighting, composition and movement.

UBCP/ACTRA oversaw acting honours, acknowledging the heightened emotional precision horror performers must deliver. Ensembles, supporting actors and leads in both shorts and features were recognized across a strong slate of contenders. The Directors Guild of Canada BC continued the momentum by presenting directing awards for BC-based and international shorts, as well as features.
As the evening built toward its top categories, Vancouver Film Studios presented Best BC Short, followed by the CMPA’s awards for Best Animated Film, Best Short Film, and Best Feature Film – a grouping that capped the night’s competitive recognitions.

A major highlight was the presentation of the inaugural VHS Rising Star Award, delivered by Creative BC’s Bob Wong to director, writer and composer Ava Maria Safai, celebrated for her bold vision and international impact.

The festival closed with three special honours: the Horror Is Queer Award, celebrating excellence in queer horror storytelling; the Blair Witch Award, recognizing boundary-pushing creativity; and the Most Diabolical Award, honouring films that deliver unforgettable scares. Finally, in a moving tribute, the community presented the first-ever Kel Salerno Award for Best Scare, commemorating a beloved member of Vancouver’s horror scene.Hemingway and Taylor wrapped the night with thanks – and a surprise screening of the as-of-then unreleased Night of the Reaper – marking another unforgettable year for VHS.

On October 18th, VHS welcomed guests to the How to Make a Horror Panel at Vancouver Film School. Featuring acclaimed filmmakers: Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Clown in a Cornfield) and Zach Lipovsky (Final Destination: Bloodlines, Freaks), Sabrina Pitre (Clown in a Cornfield, Final Destination: Bloodlines) and Jordan Waunch (Terror/Forming, Sisters of Sorrow). The panel, moderated by VHS Artistic Director Meghan Hemingway, brought the audience inside the creative minds of the four panelists to understand how they craft effective horror through writing, building and releasing tension, sound and visuals. Each panelist played clips from films they were either inspired by, or created themselves to help tell this story of How To Make a Horror.

On October 19th, VHS welcomed guests to the Horror So Hot Right Now at Vancouver Film School. Dennis Heaton moderated three panelists who shared their vast insider insight to a sold-out audience of indie filmmakers, horror fans, writers and other members of BC’s Film and Television Sector. The panel brought together Kirk Cooper from Raven Banner, distribution, Anelle Dehghani, head of sales for The Coven, and Shawn Angelski from Pink Buffalo Films to demystify the road from production to global release and everything in between. Catering was provided by Social Crust Cafe, a Social Enterprise supporting at-risk youth with mental health challenges.

The BC Screenwriter Development Program kicked off on Thursday October 16 at Vancouver Film School with The Table Read Series. The series featured the work of BC screenwriters: Helene Taylor – All for Baby; Alex Vance – CRYPTID; and Jesse Miles Lipscombe – Play It Back. The event was moderated by VHS Artistic Director, Meghan Hemingway, with event coordination support from Arianna McGregor.

Nearly one hundred short scripts were submitted and reviewed by a team of VHS script-readers and judged by a rubric. The top three selected BC written short screenplays were read in front of a panel of professional screenwriters – Rachel Langer (The Order), Karen Lam (Armagaddeon Road, Mrs. Chang’s Perfect Teeth) and Dennis Heaton (The Order, Murder In a Small Town). The writers were able to hear their scripts performed live before receiving real-time feedback from industry insiders.