Come celebrate our 16th birthday — ONE HOTEL. ENDLESS HORROR.

The International Horror Hotel Film Festival and Convention takes place every June in Northeast Ohio. We accept film and script submissions in the following genres: fantasy, horror/slasher, horror-comedy, horror suspense/thriller, action, sci-fi, and fantasy. We also accept trailers, music videos, TV pilots, and web episodes in both film and script form for projects within the listed genres.

We are also introducing new categories for first-time filmmakers and student filmmakers.

Competition is open for our Horror Film Scoring Competition, with submissions accepted through our website. During the event, we also host live Scream King/Queen competitions, FX makeup competitions, monologue competitions, and the annual Spooky Sunday Costume Competition. Please visit our website for full details.

The Fourth Annual Room 237 Film Competition challenges filmmakers to create a film in 30 days using a murder weapon assigned during a Zoom kickoff meeting. More information will be available on the festival website.

The festival features four days of film screenings, two days of panel discussions and lectures, a convention beginning Friday afternoon, special guests, networking events, karaoke parties, live competitions, and more.

PLEASE READ ALL RULES/TERMS BEFORE SUBMITTING*

Attending filmmakers and scriptwriters will receive a festival badge, swag bag, a Q&A opportunity after their screening, access to panel discussions and lectures, networking events, the after-party cookout, karaoke, and more.

Awards & Prizes

Please make sure to select the correct genre and category when submitting.

Each film or script is evaluated by three judges. Projects with an average score of 7.0 or higher will be selected for screening. Nominated projects with an average score above 8.0 may be considered for awards. Judges will view each film in full or read each script in its entirety before submitting scores.

Genre Awards: In each category, qualifying projects may receive 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place awards.

Awards for Attending Winners: Physical awards may include medals, plaques, and certificates. Non-attending winners will receive e-certificates.

Special HH Trophies: Best Overall Film and Best Overall Script. Physical trophies must be accepted in person.

Additional Awards: Additional nominations and awards may include acting, cinematography, directing, editing, and Ohio film awards.

Rules & Terms

PLEASE READ ALL RULES/TERMS BEFORE SUBMITTING*

AI Policy: Submissions must be primarily human-created. Fully AI-generated or AI-only films are not eligible.

Availability: Your film should not be available on streaming platforms such as Tubi, YouTube, or similar services.

Fees: We do not grant submission fee waivers or refunds under any circumstance.

Submission Accuracy: Please select the correct genre/category when submitting. If your film is a student project or a non-English/subtitled film, please indicate that in your submission, as separate categories apply.

Competition Entries: For the Room 237 Competition and Scoring Competition, please submit through our website.

Eligibility: There are no restrictions on when your film or script was completed or released. Anyone may enter the competition, provided the work is not currently available on a streaming platform.

Judging: All entries must receive an average score of 7 to be selected. Scores above 8.5 may qualify for award placement.

Screening Format: All accepted films must be delivered digitally as an MP4 file in 1080p or 4K through our transfer partner, MyAirBridge.com. We will provide the upload link upon acceptance. You may also mail two copies on flash drives. Please test all drives before mailing. We no longer accept Blu-ray or DVD submissions.

Delivery Deadline: If your film is selected to screen, you must submit the final high-quality MP4 by the stated deadline. Any selected film not received by the deadline may be replaced in the lineup, with no exceptions.

Screening Fees: We do not pay screening fees.

Awards Attendance: If your project qualifies for an award, you or a direct representative must attend the festival to receive physical awards. Non-attending winners will receive electronic award certificates after the event.

Festival Passes: All accepted submissions include two complimentary 4-day event passes. No additional passes will be comped. Additional passes must be purchased in advance or at the door.

Withdrawals: You may withdraw your submission at any time, but submission fees are non-refundable.
132 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Craig Renfroe

    Excellent communication! Thank you for including our short film "Public Speaking 101"! I'm sad that we couldn't make the festival this year, especially considering all the networking events and panels. But I hope to in the future.

    June 2026
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  • J-WAT Productions

    Submit your film but attend for the people you meet. So nice and welcoming and just excited to talk about your film and work. Attend the panels, competitions, karaoke, and just enjoy the ride.

    June 2026
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  • Ryan Jackson

    I had a blast at Horror Hotel! It is an awesome festival with a great community atmosphere. It was honor to not only attend but to win both best horror / slasher screenplay and best feature screenplay this year. I can't say enough about how cool this fest is.

    June 2026
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  • Amanda R. Woomer

    What a great intimate film festival! Unfortunately, I was only able to make it out for one block on Thursday night, but everyone was so warm and welcoming. The response from the audience (and fellow filmmakers!) for my short Cupcake was amazing. Being able to connect with fellow horror filmmakers (even if it was just for a short time) made the trip from Buffalo and back again in a single night well worth it. I’m hoping to be able to get my next film into this festival and be able to stay the entire weekend next year! Thank you everyone involved!

    June 2026
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  • Nathaniel Davis

    Really cool setup, friendly atmosphere, great festival

    June 2026
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