UPDATE:

The Wicked Garden is moving to Brookdale Community College in Lincroft New Jersey, home of the NJ Film Academy. Makes sense right? The official dates will be confirmed and announced for October or November this year... but that's all that's changing.

Get ready for thrills, chills, and cinematic magic! In partnership with horror scream queen, writer, and director Tina Krause

This immersive experience brings together indie horror and sci-fi filmmakers, SFX artists, cinematographers, production crews, audio engineers, musicians, and fans for a weekend of creativity, collaboration, and unforgettable entertainment against the stunning backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean, beach, and boardwalk.

We'll be looking for those next indie sensations, starting with our student films. Get your pencils sharpened, your scripts drafted and recruit your friends, selected student films will open the screening portion of our event. Then all you die hard masters of cinematic quick bites will have the arena as we screen our winning short horror and scifi epics. One feature film selection will cap off the screening session before we present our feature presentation, followed by a Q&A with writer and director (To Be Announced) hosted by the NY Queen of the indie scene, the unstoppable Tina Krause.

Survive the crucible with our most critical team of judges: (JUDGES UPDATED - Nov 7, 2025)

Eric Vincent, founder of Black Ink Creative Partners and the producer of this event, has more than 30 years in the creative industry working on projects ranging from brand development to broadcast advertising. Overly self critical, accountable to a fault, and brutally honest. He's the gate keeper to Hell when it comes to creativity and original thinking.

Tina Krause has been dominating the indie film circuit for more than 30 years. IMDB stopped counting the number of appearances. She has been a vital part to more than 150 films ranging from shorts to feature length and has been both behind the camera and in front of it. A spitfire of energy, a testament to unique thinking, and the lead experimentalist in all things batshit crazy. Tina is the enforcer of the 9th ring.

Allie Iilina Herrara. world class. award winning poet, blogger. critic and all around sweet gal. But don't let that fool you, she is critical of a good story.Disbelief has to suspend Allie in order to make sure it can weather her scrutiny.

Max Breacher, lovable, sweet and kind, genuinely human. He probably doesn't belong here but Max is a horror aficionado and an influential voice in the genre, one you don't often hear, but he's there (not in a creepy way, more like a super secret agent kinda way).

Guest Judge - The one and only Uncle Creepy himself, Steve Barton. Producer of Terrifier 2, Quantum Supremacy, 7 From Etheria, Monsterworld, and All Hallow's Eve; Inferno. Also you might have caught him in Hatchet II, Romero's Survival of The Dead, and as a guest on Donna Jean's Coffee House of Horror. Make no mistake, as nice a guy as he is (and he'd give you the shirt off his back) he is a true professional and a creativity seeking juggernaut.

Awards & Prizes

Based on the final run time of each film, 6-8 Selected student and 4-6 short films will be featured at the screening event.

Two feature films will be selected with a run time of up to 90 minutes each, the second place film and the overall winner.

All selected winners will be given the opportunity to have their own table/exhibition space in our expo hall.

Rules & Terms

General Rules
Films must fit into the following genres: Horror, Sci-Fi and any of the sub-genres: Psychological, Gore, Suspense, Paranormal, Serial Killer, Demonic, Creature Feature, Apocalypse, Survival, Found Footage - If it’s got a category on Tubi, Netflix, Prime or any other platform, then it fits, but the judges get to make the final decision on if it qualifies.

Run times will include both opening and closing sequences.

No film can contain any blatant advertisements for products, services, streaming, events, or other clear and deliberate attempts to market and advertise. Product placements are not included and smart use of storytelling incorporating an advertisement that does not detract from the story is acceptable. Examples such as: Commercial on a radio in the background, posters placed in the set, soft drinks, location can all be considered as part of the story.

No direct pornographic imagery of any type is allowed, pornographic is defined as: Sexually Explicit Content: Depicts nudity, sexual acts, or other erotic behavior in a way that is designed to be sexually suggestive and Intended for Sexual Arousal: The primary purpose of the material is to stimulate or arouse the viewer or user.

Submission must fall under one of the following media descriptions: Film: Live Action or Animation - Motion graphics do not qualify as animation for this festival

Filmmakers cannot be represented by an agent or publisher.

Student Films
Students must currently be enrolled in a trade program, college, or university film studies or media program - you will be required to provide an instructor or professor’s contact information or a letter from your counselor verifying your enrollment.

Copyright, Trademark, Ownership and Licensing
All filmmakers are responsible for all licenses and rights used in their films. Black Ink Creative Partners LLC, Black Ink Events, Fracture Films, and Art Lords Productions is not responsible for any aspects of filmmakers submission and will not be held responsible for any content delivered by filmmaker.

Submissions
Submissions must be delivered to the appropriate folder as an MP4, the submission application must be completed, and the appropriate submission fee must be paid in full for your submission to be fully qualified as a “Completed Submission”.

Submission dates will be from January 1st 2026 to May 31, 2026. Submissions will not be accepted before or after the closing date.

Submissions will go through two rounds of review and judging. The first round will be the initial selection for review. The second round will be reviewed and judged by our guest judges:

Eric Vincent - Founder/CEO Black Ink Creative Partners/Art Lords Production
Tina Krause - Actor, Director, Founder Fracture Films, Partner Art Lords Productions
Additional Judges To Be Announced
Hazel Hauser - Journalist, Content Coodinator, Black Ink Creative Partners

Films will be based on 0 to 10 point system in each of the following categories for up to a total score of 100 points.

1) Creativity: Creativity is based on a combination of storytelling, originality, visual elements, & unique characteristics

2) Storytelling: Is how you deliver the setup through to the end of the story. The dialog, character development, settings, tension and elements to deliver the age old ‘suspension of disbelief’.

3) Cinematography: Use of the camera to deliver establishing shots, tension, action, transitions and visual characteristics.

4) Editing: Effective delivery of a well paced, smooth transitioned piece of work that enhances the cinematography and story.

5) Effects: The use of practical, digital and editing techniques to create the visual elements that enhance the story. There is no scoring for minimal or maximum effects usage provided the use or lack there of, enhances the final product.

6) Sound: Sound is not only the quality of the audio track of the film, but how is ambient noise used? Does music tell the story and identify the characters? Does it create tension? Is the sound adding to the film? Was the foley work done in such a way that it seems like authentic environmental sound.

7) Direction: Your guidance to your actors and crew that helps deliver the story, this is in combination with all the above to create the entire cinematic experience.

8) Color: How are you using color, lights, shadows, grading to create feelings, enhance environments or impact the visual experience.

9) Environment: Does your sets, environments fit the story? Did you take the time to dress your apartment to fit the narrative? Did you find an old man bar to shoot the bar scene or are you in a TGIF, do these choices fit the story? Do the elements and objects in the environment make sense to the scene and story?

10) Wow Factor: This is our emotional reaction to your film on a scale of 0 - 10. It’s purely arbitrary and personal to us and can include one or more of the above. It’s kind of like the bonus level.

In the event of a tie, the tied films will be reviewed again on a point system of .25 to 1.25 points for the categories 1-9.

Points:
0 being the worst score, 10 being the best.
Tie breaker: .25 being the worst, 1.25 being the best

Selected winners will be notified if their film has been selected to screen at the Wicked Garden Horror, SciFi Film Festival and Expo.

The screenings will be in the entry categories: Student, Shorts and Features. Films are not separated into Horror and Sci-Fi for screenings. Student films will be shown first, shorts will screen next and features will be delivered before the screening of our guest director feature film.

Rules subject to change and to be finalized before entry opening. Final judges to be announced before entry opening date. Final number of selected entries to be announced prior to event opening date.