The Atlanta Horror Film Festival is back for its 20th anniversary, and this year will be the biggest and best yet.
For 20 years, we’ve been Atlanta’s home for real horror. As the first horror film festival in the Southeast, we’ve built a legacy of showcasing bloody, unsettling, and imaginative indie horror from around the world.
We welcome it all -psychological thrillers, supernatural scares, dark comedies, and the strange stuff that’s hard to define. Whether your film is a big-budget nightmare or a five-minute shocker, we want to see it.
Why submit:
Show your film to packed crowds of horror fans and filmmakers
Compete for awards like Best Feature, Best Short, Best Director, and Audience Choice
Meet other creators at mixers, panels, and late-night parties
Join a festival that’s been celebrating indie horror for two decades
This isn’t just a festival. It’s a milestone celebration of horror in all its forms.
Submit your film and be part of the 20th anniversary everyone will be talking about.
Winners in each category will receive a crystal trophy to mark their achievement.
Award Categories:
Best Feature Film
Presented to the standout feature-length horror film, recognized for storytelling, craft, and overall impact.
Best Short Film
Awarded to a short horror film that shows originality, tension, and the ability to scare, disturb, or surprise in a compact format.
Best Director – Feature
Recognizes outstanding direction in a feature film, with special attention to pacing, mood, and vision.
Best Director – Short
Recognizes outstanding direction in a short film, highlighting creativity, atmosphere, and storytelling within a limited runtime.
Best Local Feature
Celebrates a Georgia-made feature film or filmmaker, showcasing local talent and creativity.
Best Local Short
Celebrates a Georgia-made short film or filmmaker, honoring the strength of the local horror community.
Best Blood & Gore
Recognizes outstanding use of practical or digital effects to deliver unforgettable moments of carnage, horror makeup, and gruesome visuals that embody the spirit of horror.
Twisted Vision Award
Given to the film with a dark, unsettling, and wildly original idea that pushes horror into bold new territory.
Nightmare Fuel Award
For the film that gets under your skin and lingers long after the credits roll.
Best Horror Comedy
Presented to a film that masterfully blends horror and humor, delivering scares and laughs in equal measure.
Breakout Filmmaker
Recognizes an emerging filmmaker whose vision, creativity, and execution mark them as a rising force in horror.
Audience Choice - Feature
Chosen by festival audiences, this award highlights the feature film that connected most strongly with viewers.
Audience Choice - Short
Chosen by festival audiences, this award highlights the short film that connected most strongly with viewers.
Jury Award - Feature
Special recognition from the festival jury for a feature film that demonstrates exceptional quality or innovation.
Jury Award - Short
Special recognition from the festival jury for a short film that demonstrates exceptional quality or innovation.
