Where Horror Is Born.

HorrOrigins Film Fest returns for its eighth year, celebrating the bright minds and bold visions shaping the future of horror, sci-fi, and thrillers.

Founded in 2019 by Brandon Waites, HorrOrigins was built as a space for genre storytellers: writers, directors, and creators - to connect, collaborate, and share their work on the big screen. It’s not just a festival; it’s a creative origin point, where imagination takes form and new voices in the genre are discovered.

In 2026, HorrOrigins will be held in person only at Galaxy Theatres in Tucson, Arizona, featuring film screenings, networking events, and mentorship opportunities designed to empower and inspire both filmmakers and screenwriters.

From script to screen, HorrOrigins champions the creators who dare to dream darker, think deeper, and tell the stories that stay with us long after the lights fade.

#HorrOrigins #WhereHorrorIsBorn #WhereHorrorBegins

Awards & Prizes

Winners of certain category will win our O'Scare awards (pictures above).

Certificates and/or Awards will be given for:

*Best Independent Overall Feature Director (Feature & Short) from all genres
*Best Independent Overall Film (Feature & Short) from all genres
*Best Overall Feature Screenplay
*Best Overall Short Screenplay

HorrOrigins does reserve the right to remove O'Scare awards from any category at any time. To receive a O'Scare you MUST BE PRESENT. We do not ship O'Scares.

Certificates will be given to categories like Best Actors, Actresses, Cinematography, Composers, Editors, International Films and more!

HorrOrigins will assign certain winners a one-time meeting with a Hollywood mentor. Mentors will be assigned to the winners at a later time but are subject to change due to scheduling conflicts. More mentors could be added at a later time.

2025 Mentors will be assigned after the festival.

Our past mentors and special guests have included:

Barbara Muschietti producer of "IT" and "IT: Chapter 2"

Patrik Andersson producer of "MIDSOMMAR"

Carter Smith, director of "THE RUINS", "SWALLOWED" & "THE PASSENGER"

Cameron Burns, Director of Development at Paper Street Pictures

Savannah Abrishamchian, Development Coordinator at Monkeypaw

Micah Haley, partner at Intercut Capital

Jed Shepherd, producer of "HOST" and "DASHCAM"

Jay Scott Goldberg, producer of "GLORIOUS"

James Kniest cinematographer of "Annabelle," Netflix’s "Hush" and the upcoming "The Haunting of Bly Manor"

Peter Schink screenwriter of “Legion”

Jennfer Trent co-producer of "Happy Death Day 2 U" and "Ma"

Xavier Neal-Burgin director of the horror documentary "Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror"

HorrOrigins will also give our prizes from our sponsors to select winners.

Past & Present sponsors have included: FilmTucson, MovieMaker Magazine, Alter, Bloody Disgusting, Screambox, Veterans in Media & Entertainment, Legendary Fest, Nightmarish Conjurings, Dread Central, Tucson Slaughterhouse, Horror Press, Backstage, Ermantourage, Cinema Concepts and more

Rules & Terms

Please review the following before submitting:

HorrOrigins Film Fest celebrates the creative minds behind horror, sci-fi, and thriller storytelling. By submitting, you authorize HorrOrigins to use excerpts, stills, or filmmaker bios from your project for festival promotion.

Premieres and attendance are not required but both may influence final programming decisions

All films must be submitted in DCP format and screenplays must be in English Non-English films must include English subtitles.

We do not pay screening fees or offer submission fee waivers and all fees are non-refundable Only online submissions are accepted. Please submit the final version of your film or screenplay, as updates after submission are not allowed without a new entry fee.

Awards Policy:
Awards will only be presented to filmmakers and screenwriters in attendance at the festival. Winners who are not present will forfeit their award.

Films produced, financed, or distributed by major studios are not eligible for competitive awards (except if there is a “Mainstream” category) but may be screened non-competitively.

Submitting filmmakers and screenwriters must own full rights to their work and secure permissions for any copyrighted material.

HorrOrigins reserves the right to alter prizes, categories, or schedules at any time. By submitting, you agree to hold harmless HorrOrigins Film Fest from any and all claims related to your entry.

We look forward to exploring the darkness of your imagination to discover WHERE HORROR IS BORN.”
117 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Eric Bodge

    HorrOrigins is a rad festival, fun times in Tucson!

    October 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hey Eric, thank you so much for the kind words! We're thankful to have you guys as part of the HorrOrigins fam. Hope to see you guys come back!

  • Daniel Ziegler

    Wonderful festival! The theatre was beautiful with great sound and projection. The networking opportunities were fantastic and everyone was so welcoming. I hope to attend again in the future!

    October 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hey Daniel, Thank you so much for the kind words! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the theater, the screenings, and especially the networking; creating a welcoming, filmmaker-forward environment is exactly what we aim for. We’d love to have you back in the future!

  • Stephen Chen

    I was honored to have HorrOrigins host the World Premiere of "Secret Admirer." Brandon and his team put on a great event, and you can tell he really cares about genre films and filmmakers. The programming was strong, and there was a conscious effort to connect people after screenings with networking events/panels. Sold films, solid people. Don't sleep on Tucson!

    October 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hey Stephen, thank you for trusting HorrOrigins with the World Premiere of Secret Admirer. We’re proud of the programming and especially glad the networking and panels connected people in meaningful ways. Congrats on the film, and we’d love to welcome you back anytime.

  • Michael Aliotti

    This was hands down one of the best festivals I have attended. The attention to the artist's work, and appreciation at HorrOrigins, totally allocates the essence of true blue development for ALL filmmakers. As a writer I left Arizona with not only fuel, yet connects and leaving a state that treated me like family. I will be back, gun ablazing (metaphorically, of course). Head festival director-Brandon Waites is a stand up guy!

    October 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Wow, thank you Michael for this incredibly generous and heartfelt review. Creating a space where filmmakers feel seen, supported, and genuinely valued is at the core of HorrOrigins, so hearing this means more than I can say. I’m grateful you trusted us with your work and your time, and I’m thrilled you left with new connections and momentum. You’re family now, can’t wait to welcome you back (metaphorically holstered 😉).

  • Adrian Pijoan

    Thank you to Brandon and everyone at HorrOrigins! It was such a blast to screen Pandora's Greenhouse in Tucson. This is very much a festival by filmmakers, for filmmakers. A true labor of love. Every event and screening is curated to build community and create a great experience for the filmmakers. Attend in person if you can.

    October 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for the kind words. We loved having Pandora’s Greenhouse at HorrOrigins and are grateful you joined us in Tucson. Building a filmmaker-first community is truly a labor of love for our team, so hearing this means a lot. Hope to see you in person again soon. Skol!