The inaugural Southern Gothicon will take place October 28 and 29, 2016 at the El Dorado Conference Center in Historic Downtown El Dorado, Arkansas. El Dorado Festivals and Events, Inc (EFEI) is kicking off its first Halloween experience festival featuring genre films, vendors, YouTube sensations, and more. EFEI is enlisting the talents of the Emmy-nominated Chuck Mere of Zombie Go Boom! (TM) to create a fully immersive Halloween experience and we are looking for a combination of short films and feature films that will make our audiences freak out and geek out.

This is where you come in! Hit us with what you've got in the horror, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy genres. We will program blocks of short films and features alike.

Awards & Prizes

Awards will range from trophies to sponsored vendors. Additionally, a "Best of Fest" cash prize of $250 will be given to the best film based on ratings by a panel of judges.

Rules & Terms

Submission Criteria:

Genre films will be considered - narrative, drama, documentary, mockumentary, etc.

Absolutely no hard-core XXX material will be screened or considered

- Online Submissions only
- All films that are not in English must have English language subtitles.
- Each entry must be a separate submission which includes form and payment for each submission.
- Only submissions with completed entry forms and entry fee will be accepted.
- If selected, a ProRes 422 version of your film must be sent to the El Dorado Film Festival for the screening along with a backup Blu Ray or DVD copy.
- Short films must be 25 minutes or less
- Releases for music and talent must be obtained by the filmmaker. The El Dorado Film Festival is not liable for copyright infringement or unauthorized use.
- If your film has been selected to be screened at the festival we will request you send a press kit to include: stills, posters, postcards, a file/link of the trailer, and other publicity materials to maximize exposure for your film. These materials will not be returned.
- Southern Gothicon does not assume any liability for damage to films, videos, or publicity materials.

3 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Carlos Omar de Leon

    It was a great horror film festival and I recommend any horror filmmaker to submit their films to this awesome film festival!

    February 2017
    Helpful
  • James Bickert

    Excellent festival and programming with a friendly stafff who are passionate about genre cinema. Highly recommended.

    November 2016
    Helpful
  • JC Doler

    Absolutely wonderful festival and a great first year! I'll be back next year if I can for sure. Well organized, great celebrity guests and awesome horror films to boot! I can't wait for the next one!

    November 2016
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