This is the inaugural year of Blood Over Texas Film Fest! It will be held, and part of, our biggest event, Horror For The Holidays Expo. HFTH has been running for 11 years and we are transitioning it into a horror convention. Adding a Film Festival experience is what our guests have been asking us for so we are making it happen!

About Blood Over Texas:
We have been producing horror events in Austin for over 13 years. Our events are known for being high-quality and unique. We pride ourselves in serving our horror community and we are the biggest and longest running horror specific promoter in Austin.

Details on HFTH:
Horror For The Holidays (HFTH) is a horror-themed holiday expo featuring dark and horror vendors and horror-themed holiday attractions. Attractions include Horror Celebrities, Evil Santa, a large Krampus Parade, Performers, Elf Races and more. 2025 marks the first year we will be showcasing horror films and Guest Q&As/panels. We currently get over 2k attendees and we expect this year to be even more. It's a wildly fun and unique event that has become a holiday tradition.

We are specifically looking for horror shorts (under 40 min) for this first year.

Awards & Prizes

We will be awarding the following awards:
1) Best Film
2) Best Director
3) Best Actress
4) Best Actor
5) Best SFX Makeup

We are currently working on making a physical award. We will update this info when we get something in the works.

Rules & Terms

Our emphasis will be featuring horror shorts for this first year. Films should be in the horror genre and should not exceed 40 min.

NC17, pornographic material and overly extreme horror will not be chosen. We will be rating the room as Rated R so families visiting the event will be aware of the content.

All horror sub-genres are welcome (slasher, found footage, comedy, etc.). Of course, Christmas horror is welcome, but this is an ALL HORROR film festival!

BOT Film Fest will not be able to offer any kind of payment or reimbursement for travel or lodging.

If applicable, all films should be in English or have English subtitles.

Fill submission fees are non-refundable. Waivers are not accepted to keep things fair for all submissions.

By submitting, you agree that you have ownership and/or permission to submit the film for festival consideration and must be the original work of the applicant. You represent that you have secured all necessary rights and permissions including actor releases, music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights. Blood Over Texas Film Fest/Horror For The Holidays (DarkWckd Collective LLC) expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations.

You also give Blood Over Texas Film Fest/Horror For The Holidays (DarkWckd Collective LLC) permission to screen your film at the event and utilize any submitted posters and/or images from the film in our advertising.
1 Review
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  • Chava Méndez

    What an unforgettable experience. BLOOD OVER TEXAS isn’t just a film festival — it’s a full-on celebration of horror culture. The moment you walk in, you’re hit with the energy: the incredible vendor booths, the killer displays, the insanely pro-level costumes… it all creates this atmosphere that feels handcrafted by people who genuinely love the genre.

    As for the film festival itself, I’m truly honored to have been part of one of the strongest short-film blocks I’ve seen throughout this entire festival circuit. The curation was tight, the audience was fully engaged, and it was a real privilege to screen alongside such talented artists. Taking home an Honorable Mention from the team was the cherry on top.

    Huge congratulations to Bunny Voodoo and the entire BLOOD OVER TEXAS FILM FEST crew great communication throughout the process, and it's obvious real horror-lovers are in charge. If this was the first edition, I can only imagine what the next ones will become. Here’s to many, many more.

    December 2025
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