Dark Nights Film Fest is a spellbinding and pulse-pounding horror & dark genre film festival in Sydney, Australia, created by former festival director & programmer of A Night of Horror International Film Festival, Bryn Tilly.

In 2024, after fifteen years involvement with ANOH including several years programming short films and four years as its director & curator, Bryn Tilly launched his own film festival at Sydney’s legendary and iconic Ritz Cinemas.

Dark Nights Film Fest is a bold and thrilling showcase championing independent, emerging and established filmmakers from Australia and around the world, whilst also seeking to present, on occasion, select cult films from the past. International short films accompany the feature screenings, there is a dedicated Australian short film showcase, Q&As with featured filmmakers, a filmmakers' discussion panel, and a physical media Movie Boutique, all within the perfect environment - the spacious, stylish, and well-appointed Ritz - for patrons and guests to hang out with budding and experienced creatives, pop culture enthusiasts, genre aficionados, and cult movie freaks and geeks.

The festival program reserves 90% of its short film slots and over 50% of its feature film slots for films submitted through the festival’s open call for entries. This commitment to the cold submission process is important to the festival and to the local and international community, providing a platform for talented, emerging, independent filmmakers, further enabling the discovery and much-needed exposure of bold and exciting new blood.

For the festival's highly-anticipated 2025 event – Volume 2 – the festival is calling for films and unproduced screenplays in the following dark genres: horror, thriller, fantasy, noir, science fiction, action, western, war. Be it high-brow, low-brow, elevated, underground, arthouse, exploitation, animated, or maybe a hybrid!

A new experimental short film component, Nightmare Shards, is aimed at talented, emerging short content creators to encourage and inspire the next generation of filmmakers. See festival website's "SUBMIT" page for complete content criteria before submitting to this category.

The festival includes a screenplay competition for unproduced feature and short film scripts to nurture and support the dark genre storytellers of tomorrow.

Submissions can be: features, documentaries, short films, webisodes, narrative music videos, unproduced feature film screenplays, unproduced short film screenplays.

Praise for Bryn Tilly's prior experience as ANOH's film festival director and curator:

“Bryn is amazing. His meticulous programming, dedication and enthusiasm is infectious and helps create a distinctive and buzzing atmosphere.”
Steven Mihaljevich (director – VIOLETT)

“Bryn Tilly is an accomplished film festival director who possesses an exceptional talent for curating unparalleled gatherings that bring together visionary filmmakers and audiences eager for new voices and innovative perspectives within the realm of independent horror films.”
Ursula Dabrowsky (director – THE DEVIL’S WORK)

“Bryn Tilly and his team were great to work with. They communicated well with me, and I felt like were working as a team to deliver the best screening we could for the audience.”
Nicholas Tomnay (director – WHAT YOU WISH FOR)

“We were very honoured to have been selected to play amongst so many strong films. Bryn also had impeccable communication … We will definitely be submitting our future films.”
Sarah Tice (director – DID I?)

“Bryn is such a warm and welcoming festival director and is so passionate about the genre. He, Rob and the team select phenomenal films, create a friendly environment.”
Sylvia Caminer (director – FOLLOW US)

“The communication was wonderful start to finish. Loved being part.”
Elise Finnerty (director – THE ONES YOU DIDN’T BURN)

“Bryn, Rob, and the team are passionate film lovers and created the perfect environment to screen our film … The whole experience was exceptional, would highly recommend it.”
Luke J.S. (co-director – YOUR LOVE IS MINE)

“Curated by thoughtful, film-savvy people who make you feel like family instead of a cog in some big machine."
Paul Schuyler (director – RED RIVER ROAD)

“Great curation. Great communication. Many thumbs up!”
Johannes Grenzfurthner (director – MASKING THRESHOLD)

“Bryn and the team were absolutely amazing and truly support indie filmmakers. Can’t wait to submit my next project.”
Chris Sun (director – THE POSSESSED)

“Expertly run and would recommend filmmakers to submit their work.”
Philip Trow (director – UPSTAIRS)

“Amazing … Bryn did an incredible job!! It was an honor to be part of it!”
Nicole Ihasz (director – BECKY)

“What a pleasure! From programmers who are true cinéastes of the tenebrous, to a bold selection of fresh and wicked filmmaking on display.”
Glenn Fraser (director – MOTHER TONGUE)

“Honestly our favourite experience ever … The care they show for the films/filmmakers is above and beyond.”
Addison Heath (co-director – MY CHERRY PIE)

“Wow! Highly recommended.”
Adam Ethan Crow (director – LAIR)

“It was a great honour and privilege to be part of this family.”
Catarina De Cézanne (screenwriter – KNITTING OUT)

“Bryn was so excellent throughout the whole process and kept us updated on everything that was happening. I’m so happy to be involved!”
Grace Presse (director – MY EX IS A MONSTER)

“The selection of films is great, the knowledge of genre cinema outstanding, communication always uncomplicated and to the point. The people really support genre filmmakers in getting their work seen!!”
Andreas Resch (director – MARLENE)

“A fantastic experience … Could not recommend more highly.”
Josh Reed (director – WE’RE NOT HERE TO FUCK SPIDERS)

“These guys were the best! There was a real love of genre and film.”
Cooper Savva (director - BEAKS)

“Clear, consistent communication, and innovative formatting and scheduling. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to attend in person, because everything about our interaction was great. Well done to Bryn and everyone.”
Jamie Gower (director - WALLA)

“Though I wasn’t able to attend in person, Bryn reached out personally multiple times to include me in the process. It was a great experience and I can’t wait to submit more films (and hopefully attend!) in the future.”
Erik Odom (director - BOX ON THE HILL)

“Great attitude from Bryn. You can feel that they care about your film … Amazing experience.”
Stepan Chernetskiy (director - IN MY HOUSE)

“Had a chat with Bryn about all the latest horror films and it’s just a passion of his and the whole team.”
James Mantle (director - DON’T COME CLOSER)

“The personal relationship with the filmmakers, very close and friendly. Unbeatable.”
Ivan Villamel (director - THE NEWCOMER)

“Bryn and the whole team were wonderful. Great communication throughout the whole experience. They champion all of their films and got press coverage for shorts which is always tough to come by. I hope to go in person one day because this programming team is charismatic about their filmmakers, films, and everything horror!”
Dan Repp (co-director - CUTTER)

“Fantastic lineup of films. Highly recommended.”
Harry Owens (director - THE UNSETTLING)

“Bryn, and the rest of the team were all extremely welcoming, the communication was great at all times and they were able to keep the quality at top notch throughout the duration of the event.”
O.B. De Alessi (director - MUDMONSTER)

“We wish we had been able to be there in person, but was really impressed how Bryn and his team were able to put on a tremendous event in spite of lockdown.”
Alex Galvin (director - THE TURN OF THE SCREW)

“Run by hardcore horror enthusiasts … Impressive selection of features and shorts.”
Kenny Foo (director - SLASH)

“Ran by great minds with great tastes covering all corners of the horror spectrum … Keep it coming, team!”
Noel Vinson (director - JANE)

“A fantastic opportunity to share your flick with genre fans.”
Margaret M. MacDonald (director - THE WRITER)

“Great communication and a great experience!”
Conall Pendergast (director - SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF THE WEREWOLF WOMAN)

”Really well run … with a great lineup of movies, really good communication, and a really effective online presence. Highly recommend.”
April Phillips (screenwriter/producer - THE ODDS)

“I cannot thank the organisers enough for their support, communication and for throwing a professional event.”
Matthew Barker (screenwriter - THEY WILL COME FOR YOU)

The festival selects a jury of leading film and media professionals to judge the official selection films and all screenplay submissions. TBA.

Past jurors include: Gigi Saul Guerrero (dir: BINGO HELL), Andrew Traucki (dir: BLACK WATER, THE REEF), Sylvia Caminer (dir: FOLLOW HER), Natalie Richards (dir: Bloodfest), Adam Lovett (podcast: FilmFrak), Dr. Tara Lomax (AFTRS tutor & dark genre academic), Anthony Egan (script guru), Emma Westwood (author: Monster Movies), Dr. Adam Daniel (filmmaker & horror academic).

The winners of the Unproduced Screenplay Competition will be offered a mentorship with industry luminary, Robbie Miles, a highly successful producer, development executive, and notable AFTRS alumnus.

Award trophies for Volume 2 - 2025:

- Best Feature Film
- Best Feature Film Director
- Best Feature Film Screenplay
- Best Feature Film Performance
- Best Short Film
- Best Short Film Director
- Best Short Film Screenplay
- Best Short Film Performance
- Best Australian Short Film Audience Award
- Best Nightmare Shards Short Film
- Midnight Spotlight Award (awarded to one of the following: Cinematography, Score or Sound Design, Special Makeup or Visual Effects, Production Design)
- Best Unproduced Feature Film Screenplay (with 1st and 2nd Runner-Up also announced)
- Best Unproduced Short Film Screenplay (with 1st and 2nd Runner-Up also announced)

GENERAL RULES AND TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS

The festival requires film entries be submitted via online screeners, ie private YouTube or Vimeo links.

The festival does not accept physical media, ie DVDs or Blu-rays.

In submitting your film to Dark Nights Film Fest, you guarantee that you have all relevant permissions, licenses, and releases for your film to be screened in a public exhibition. You must have in your possession the permissions, licenses, and releases for the submitted film’s music, actors, script, etc.

Entrants in the Unproduced Feature Screenplay and Unproduced Short Film Screenplay Competition must read and agree to the terms & conditions specific to those categories (see below).

There is no restriction as to the year the submitted film was made. However, any film submitted must not be already available to the general public via physical media, streaming service, VOD, or any other online platform.

VERY IMPORTANT: If your film is selected to screen at the festival please adhere to the strict instructions you will receive in an official selection notification email. This includes what format your film must be supplied to the festival for its cinema screening. Do not send the festival a master copy or the only copy of your film.

VERY IMPORTANT: All selected films must be received by the festival no later than two (2) weeks after selection notification, unless specific arrangements have been made with the festival.

If your film is selected to screen it is necessary that you provide the festival with a selection of stills. It is highly encouraged that you provide the festival with poster art, especially for features.

Please select the relevant category for your submission:

FEATURES: 45-minutes or over, live action or animated. May include documentaries.

SHORTS: 30-minutes or under, live action or animated.

NIGHTMARE SHARDS: 5-minutes or under, live action, strictly horror.

UNPRODUCED FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAYS: 45-120 pages.

UNPRODUCED SHORT FILM SCREENPLAYS: 30-pages or less.

A jury selected by the festival director will judge and decide winners in respective categories. The winners of each category will be announced publicly at the festival’s awards ceremony on closing night. In all cases the judges’ decision is final. Unproduced Screenplay Finalists may be announced in the weeks prior to the festival. The Best Australian Short Film Audience Award is decided by audience vote and announced at awards ceremony. No proxy votes are accepted for this award.

Entrants whose films are selected for screening at the festival will be notified no later than August 10th. Entrants whose films are selected will be provided with one (1) complimentary ticket to the screening session of their film.

If you decide to attend the festival, we are unable to cover any travel or accommodation costs, however, we will provide accommodation recommendations (AirB&B, hotel, motel) wherever possible.

By submitting to Dark Nights Film Fest, you agree to abide by and commit to the following statement: “I authorise Dark Nights Film Fest to screen the film or video I have submitted, upon the film or video’s acceptance into Dark Nights Film Fest. For the purpose of the festival screenings, I authorise Dark Nights Film Fest to market the film or video in whatever manner they see fit to promote the festival. I acknowledge that Dark Nights Film Fest holds the screening rights of the film or video I have submitted for Dark Nights Film Fest. I confirm that all other rights remain the sole property of myself and/or my nominated production company. I hereby confirm that all material used in the production of the film or video is the original work of myself or my nominated production company, or is a work for which I or my nominated production company have obtained with releases, including, but not limited to, actors, performances, and the score or ‘needle-drop’ sourced music. I guarantee that I have obtained all the necessary permissions, licenses, and clearances to enter this film or video into Dark Nights Film Fest, and that the screening of the film or video does not infringe the moral and ethical rights, including copyright of any third party. I understand that my submission is in no way a guarantee of acceptance into Dark Nights Film Fest, and that nobody representing Dark Nights Film Fest has guaranteed my acceptance into the festival prior to this submission. I have read and agree to the terms & conditions of Dark Nights Film Fest. I have also read and agree to any specific rules relating to the category that I am entering my film, video, or screenplay.”

TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

There is no restriction on the year that the screenplay was written.

Screenplays should be formatted in accordance with industry standards.

Screenplays must be submitted in PDF format. We will not accept scripts in Word Document, TXT, or any other format.

Screenplays must be submitted online. We will not accept mailed hardcopies.

Please include a paragraph synopsis with your submission.

No rewritten or corrected pages will be accepted once the entry has been received.

Screenplay must be written in English.

Screenplay must not have been previously produced, optioned, purchased, or in production (either pre, principal, or post).

Screenplays written as adaptations of other works must have secured rights before being submitted.

Finalists in both feature and short film categories may be publicly announced prior to the festival.

If a winning screenplay is the work of more than one screenwriter, only a single award will be given.

With the announcement of the award-winning screenplay at the festival’s awards ceremony, 1st and 2nd runners-up will also be announced in both feature and short film categories.

The entrant agrees that they will never assert against Dark Nights Film Fest any claim or action based on plagiarism, infringement, confidential or fiduciary relationship, implied contract, idea theft, unfair competition, or any other theory arising in connection with their submission to Dark Nights Film Fest. In this regard, the entrant hereby absolutely releases and forever discharges Dark Nights Film Fest and its officers, employees, volunteers, judges, readers, affiliates, and associates, individually and collectively, of or from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, legal fees, expenses, debts, actions, and causes of action against Dark Nights Film Fest of every kind whatsoever, now and in the future, in connection with the entrant’s submission.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Although I was unable to attend (despite how much I'd love a trip to Australia!) I had an amazing experience with Dark Nights Film Festival. It was only its first year, but I tell you, this fest has its act together. I've entered a lot of fests, but this one ranks at the top when it comes to communication. How often do we have to snoop around on social media to see if we've won or not? Or wait a week to find out? Dark Nights doesn't make you wait, and posts results right away. (Very appreciated!) Also, often times, the entrants who cannot attend in person feel left out (especially the ones where you have to show up to receive your trophy), but not only did they mail the trophy (I had to pay postage--totally understandable), but they asked for an acceptance video, making me feel like I was still part of the festivities. I'm jealous of those who got to attend, because it looks like it was an amazing time. Thanks to Bryn for making this such a good experience. This new fest it off to a great start!

    November 2024
  • Roy Weiland

    It was great to be a part of the Dark Nights Film Festival. Awesome films, welcoming team, good vibes and the Ritz is the best theatre in town.

    November 2024
  • Matt Holmes

    This is a festival to watch. They are programming great films and are well connected to their fan base. I can see this festival growing quickly over the next few years.

    November 2024
  • Michael O'Rourke

    Great festival from Bryn and the Team! Everything ran smoothly and looked fantastic! Bravo

    October 2024
  • While not able to attend in person, I'm thrilled that my short Cardinal Virtues premiered here. The festival director is a true horror aficionado and communication with him was always clear and effective. I look forward to big things from Dark Nights.

    October 2024