Horror Film Festivals

Atlanta Horror Film Festival
Atlanta, Georgia
A long-running horror film festival showcasing independent horror, thriller, and genre films through live screenings for dedicated horror audiences.

Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival
Boston, Massachusetts
One of the oldest genre festivals in the U.S., programming horror, science fiction, and fantasy films with a strong emphasis on independent work.

Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
Brooklyn, New York
A contemporary horror film festival focused on independent, international, and boundary-pushing genre cinema.

Chattanooga Film Festival
Chattanooga, Tennessee
A respected genre festival featuring horror, thriller, and cult cinema with a strong filmmaker-friendly reputation.

Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival – Horror Program
San Jose, California
A large festival with dedicated horror and genre programming presented to engaged audiences.

Portland Horror Film Festival
Portland, Oregon
A horror-focused festival dedicated to independent short and feature-length genre films.

Dead Weird
Austin, Texas
A genre film festival showcasing horror, underground, and unconventional films with an emphasis on bold storytelling and live screenings.

Fantastic Fest
Austin, Texas
One of the most influential genre film festivals in the world, known for premiering innovative horror and cult cinema.

FilmQuest
Provo, Utah
A genre-specific festival highlighting horror, fantasy, and science fiction films with strong thematic programming.

Nightmares Film Festival
Columbus, Ohio
A horror film festival dedicated exclusively to horror cinema, known for curated programming and strong audience engagement.

Popcorn Frights Film Festival
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
A major horror film festival presenting independent and studio horror films through public screenings.

Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Los Angeles, California
A well-known horror film festival focused on showcasing emerging voices in horror cinema.

Telluride Horror Show
Telluride, Colorado
A respected horror festival held in a theatrical setting, known for immersive screenings and filmmaker participation.

How These Festivals Are Selected

This directory focuses on horror film festivals in the United States that actively program genre films and present public screenings for live audiences. Festivals are included based on visible screening history, clarity of genre focus, and an active submission process.

Festivals are listed in alphabetical order and are intended to help horror filmmakers explore events that may be a fit for their work and goals.