One of MovieMaker magazine's "Bloody Best Genre Fests in the World."

Previously participating studios: Neon, Shudder, Chroma, Gunpowder & Sky, Magnolia, IFC, American Genre Film Archive.

"The Cannes of horror"
- iHorror

"Highly recommend submitting ... maybe more than any other festival"
- HorrorHound Magazine

"One of the best fests in the world ... a wonderful, welcoming home for fans of independent horror and genre cinema"
- Dread Central

"One of the most highly regarded horror film fests in the United States"
-Gruesome Magazine

"One of the best-curated shorts programs on the planet"
- The Film Coterie

"Mindblowing"
- We Are Indie Horror

"Immediately in the class of the best genre festivals anywhere"
- Bloody Disgusting

"Quite possibly the best four days of film programming ever put together, EVER"
- Days of the Dead

"Among the premier horror film festivals in the country, if not the world."
- Horror Hound

"A must for genre filmmakers and fans"
- From Dusk Till Con

Cheer! Shudder! Never sleep again! Audiences and filmmakers discover their new favorite genre films at the world’s premier program of horrific, dreadful and weird movies – Nightmares Film Festival.

Nightmares Film Festival is a destination horror and genre fest conveniently held in the heart of the Midwest: easily reached, easily navigated and inclusive Columbus, Ohio. NFF sets itself apart from other genre fests by its deep year-round connection to the horror filmmaking community, which gives it the first line on the rarest, scariest, most daring and most unsettling films being created around the world.

Festival screenings are held at the world-renowned Gateway Film Center, named one of the 20 best art houses on the continent by Sundance. The film center’s dedicated team of expert projectionists – maybe the last such team in the country – oversees all presentation, to ensure every film looks and sounds its very best.

Nightmares Film Festival celebrates writers with a screenplay contest for horror feature and short scripts, overseen by a Script Pipeline grand champion and Screenwriter of the Year. Support for screenwriters includes the FinaLIST: an opt-in internal listing service before the festival, which allows all selected filmmakers the option to read finalist screenplays and meet with the writers at NFF.

NFF also rewards fandom with surprise gifts and giveaways for its most faithful screening attendees, lovingly known as The Sleepless. So don’t skip that midnight block!

World-class screening facilities. Top-notch films. Filmmakers and fans being shocked and celebrated together. Nightmare Film Festival is a prestige festival and part of advancing horror filmmaking around the world.

Awards & Prizes

Short and feature filmmakers and screenwriters selected for NFF compete for the coveted Night Mare, the festival’s beautiful hand-sculpted award honoring the dark horses of horror and genre filmmaking. The Nightmares Film Festival Night Mare is designed and sculpted by toy and figure artist Tony Simione (Star Wars, Walking Dead, Aliens, Marvel Superheroes, Nightmare Before Christmas).

When qualifying submissions are screened, awards and Night Mare statuettes are given for:

The Film from Hell – best of the festival
Overall feature/short
Horror feature/short
Thriller feature/short
Midnight feature/short
Horror-comedy feature/short
Director feature/short
Cinematography feature/short
Writing feature/short
Lead performance feature/short
Supporting performance feature/short
Recurring Nightmare

Screenwriting: best screenplay feature/short

Esprit de Gore

Rules & Terms

Out of fairness to paying submitters, Nightmares Film Festival does not grant waivers or otherwise consider films outside the official submission process.

The only exception is premiere program, through which we evaluate films and may extend a selection upon commitment of a major (world, North American, U.S.) premiere screening.

NFF does not pay screening fees.

Submission Eligibility:
The festival welcomes for consideration short films of 59 minutes or less and feature films of 60 minutes or longer in the categories of Horror, Thriller and Midnight as described below, with a preference for those produced after January 2023. Premieres are prioritized in programming.

Horror: Tales of terror and death.
Thriller: Tales of dark suspense.
Midnight: Tales of the weird and bizarre.
Documentary: True stories of the horrific

All submissions not originally in English must be subtitled in English, and screenplays must be in English.

Jury:
The Nightmares Film Festival jury is composed of film production, exhibition, press and audience community members. Their decisions on official selections, award nominees and award winners are final.

Notification:
Filmmakers of selected films will be notified by email through the FilmFreeway notification system, and again by direct email from the festival. Please whitelist @filmfreeway.com in your email app to ensure receipt.

Exhibition Prints:
Nightmares Film Festival accepts for exhibition HD digital files. Materials must be received by the cutoff communicated to selected filmmakers; films not received by the cutoff will be replaced in the program. The festival does not pay shipping costs for delivery or return of materials.

The Fine Print:
NFF reserves the right to disqualify any submission without refund of submission fees.

While premieres are not requirements for NFF, premiere status is considered in final programming decisions.

All accepted films are scheduled at the discretion of the Nightmares Film Festival staff.

Films produced or financed by a major motion picture studio are eligible for festival screenings but are not eligible for competitive awards. Films that have acquired distribution are eligible for festival screenings but are not eligible for competitive awards.

Nightmares Film Festival is hereby granted the right to use an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the festival for promotional purposes. The festival is hereby also granted the right to use image(s) and/or biographical information of the filmmakers for promotional purposes. The festival reserves the right to fill in any information not supplied by the filmmaker from whatever source available and will not be responsible if incorrect information is entered.

It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to secure authorization for any copyrighted material that may be used in the film. I shall indemnify and hold harmless Nightmares Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

NFF does not pay screening fees.

By submitting your film, you expressly acknowledge and agree that you shall be bound by the terms of this agreement.
477 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Cory Stonebrook

    We loved playing our film in our home state at such a fantastic genre festival. And we won Best Ohio short which was the icing on top of the cake. Fantastic festival with excellent programming.

    December 2025
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  • James III

    My short debuted at Nightmares this year and while I was unable to attend in person, I'm giving five stars all around. There was a concerted effort from the festival organizers to be in communication, ample coverage of the event from multiple outlets, and a strong network of festival participants and industry connections that make Nightmares Film Festival a force to be reckoned with. Super sad I couldn't make it this time around, but they've made a life long fan out of me!

    November 2025
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  • Missile Range

    Screening our short Knifeman at Nightmares was an absolute dream come true, something we could never have imagined in a million years. Jason and team took a chance on us, and changed our lives. Nightmares is a festival like no other, a true family of the most incredible horror filmmakers the scene has to offer. This place is the real deal, make sure you submit. Ridiculously well organized, a spectacular venue, and the filmmaking community you've always wanted. Indie horror forever! We love you, Nightmares.

    November 2025
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  • Brooke H Cellars

    Extremely grateful that The Cramps: A Period Piece was part of this year's Nightmares fest! Totally bummed that we didn't get to attend but the communication from the festival crew was incredible and to be screened alongside of some killer titles is an honor! Thank you so much to Jason and everyone at Nightmares! We will make it out there one day! Party on!!

    November 2025
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  • Brian Laprocino

    Nightmares Film Festival was an incredible experience and a true home for indie horror. Jason and Chris went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and part of a genuine community. The communication throughout was top-notch, and it was clear that Jason and his team truly care about the filmmakers and are passionate about what they do. The programming was truly phenomenal, and the venue was stunning, built not just for cinema but for fostering interaction between filmmakers.

    Growing up in Ohio and now living in LA, I never imagined something this special thriving back home. It truly lived up to its reputation as “The Cannes of Horror.” Can't wait to return!

    November 2025
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