Come celebrate with us our 15th birthday!

The International Horror Hotel Film Festival and Convention is held every June in Northeast Ohio. We have open competitions for films and scripts 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 (film or script), and web episodes (film or script) for projects in the listed genres. Now we created new categories for first time as well as student filmmakers!

Competition is also open for our horror film scoring competition (submissions through our website). At the event, we have live Scream King/Queen Competition, FX Makeup competitions, Monologue Competitions, and new for 2026 : 1st annual Spooky Sunday Costume Competition! (Please check our website for more information.)

The third annual Room 237 Film Competition where film makers will compete to create a film in 30 days making use of a murder weapon assigned during a zoom kick off meeting. Further information about the Room 237 Film Competition will be available on the Horror Hotel Film Festival Web Site by January 2026. Start building your team and get ready to compete!

The event features four days of film screenings, two days of panel discussions and lectures, a convention starting on Friday afternoon, special guests, networking Karaoke parties, live competitions and more.

***PLEASE READ ALL RULES/TERMS BEFORE SUBMITTING***

Filmmakers and Scriptwriters attending the festival will have receive a badge, swag bag, Q&A opportunity at end of your film screening, be part of many panel lectures, networking, attending after party cook-out and Karaoke, and many more

Awards & Prizes

Make sure to select the right genre and category to compete.

Each film or script are being judged by 3 people, the average score of 7 or more will be selected for screening. Those nominated will be averaged score of over 8. All judges must watch through the films or read the entire script prior to judging.

Genre awards in each category - 1st through 3rd place, for qualifying projects.
For attending winners, awards include trophies, plaques and certificates. Non-attending winners receive e-certificates.

Special HH trophies: Best Overall Film, Best Overall Script, and Viewer's Choice Award. (Must be in attendance to receive the physical award.)

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

Rules & Terms

***PLEASE READ ALL RULES/TERMS BEFORE SUBMITTING***

Make sure to select the right genre/category when submitting. This is NOT a virtual screening, there will be people attending. This is a public screening, if your film can’t be part of it, please withdraw immediately.

Filmmakers, please also note if your film is a student project or non-English/subtitled film, as we have separate categories.

For Room 237 Competition and Scoring Competition, please use our website to submit.

There are NO restrictions as to when your film or script was completed or where it has been released. Anyone may enter the competition. All entries must receive an average score of 7 or above in the judging process to qualify for award placement.

Filmmakers – all accepted submissions will be digital (1080 or 4k MP4 format) via our transfer partner MyAirBridge.com (we will provide you the link to upload). You can also mail us two copies on flash drives, please test before mailing. All live showings will be digital files, we no longer doing Blu-Ray's or DVD/s.

IF YOU SUBMIT VIA SECURE ONLINE SCREENER AND YOUR FILM IS SELECTED TO SCREEN, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SEND A FINAL HIGH QUALITY MP4 (DIGITAL, EITHER 1080 OR 4K VIA OUR TRANSFER PARTNER - link to be provided when accepted). ANY SELECTED FILM NOT RECEIVED BY A GIVEN DEADLINE WILL BE REPLACED IN THE LINEUP - NO EXCEPTIONS.

We do not grant submission fee waivers under any circumstance.

We do not pay screening fees.

Please note, if your project qualifies for an award, you or a direct representative from your project must be in attendance at the festival in order to receive any physical awards. Non-attending winners will be e-mailed award e-certificates after the event.

All accepted submissions come with TWO complimentary 4-day event pass to the festival. No additional passes will be comped. Any additional passes must be purchased in advance or at the door.

You may withdraw your submission at any time, but there are no refunds on submissions.

127 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Networking
  • Adam Gorman

    It was my first year and first time going to a film festival outside of my hometown and The International Horror Hotel Film Festival was a lot of fun and didn't disappoint. I'm usually a introvert and let my partner handle these events but the people here were so kind and helped me not feel like a outsider. The venue was nice and it's right off the highway which is very convenient. So many great films! It was a lot of fun talking films and being on a panel! Hope to come back again!

    July 2025
    Helpful
  • Matthew Diulus

    Great Festival. Happy to be apart of it

    July 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for the support!!

  • Gordon Phillips

    The festival team was great and the festival was super fun. We were so grateful for all the nominations and wins!

    July 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your support. Hope to see you next year!

  • Anthony Del Negro

    A wonderful group of passionate horror fans. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share Ladybug with Horror Hotel Fest and their community. Thank you for screening our film!

    June 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your support! What a great film btw.

  • Ho-seung Son

    I’m truly honored that both of my scripts — *MSG: Eumbok Restaurant* and *DOG EAT MAN* — have been recognized with double awards at the 2025 Horror Hotel International Film Festival.

    Thank you to the jury and the festival team for celebrating stories that blend psychological darkness with cultural and social themes.

    Your recognition is not only an encouragement but also a powerful reminder that genre storytelling still has the power to disturb, provoke, and resonate.

    From Korea to Cleveland — thank you for this unforgettable moment.

    – Hoseung Son, Writer/Director

    June 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your support and congrats.