Film and Script Submission Information

2025 Selections will be announced on and about April 16, 2025.

We will only announce nominations at around end of April 2025. Award ceremony has been moved to Saturday at 5pm and winners will be announce then.

All filmmakers attending the festival will receive a NFC ID Badge that can access the website when put it close to your smartphone. Goodie bags will also be available (while supply last.)

We have updated new categories on FilmFreeWay, please

Horror Hotel Categories (film or script):

    • Feature
    • Short (under 55 mins)
    • Micro (5 min or less)
    • Music Video
    • Trailer
    • TV Pilot
    • Web Episode

Horror Hotel Genres

    • Action
    • Experimental
    • Fantasy
    • Horror
    • Horror-Comedy
    • LGBTQ+
    • Martial Arts
    • Sci-Fi
    • Slasher
    • Suspense-Thriller
    • Thriller

Deadlines:

    • Opening Date
    • Earlybird Deadline
    • Regular Deadline
    • Final/Late Deadline
    • Notification Date
    • Event Date

Submit your film

As we added additional categories, we are no longer accepting submissions via mail.

Festival Submission Rules

Please read in full before submitting.

When submitting your project, be sure to E-MAIL US at horrorhotelfest@gmail.com with your selected genre: action, experimental (film only); fantasy; horror; horror-comedy; martial arts, sci-fi; slasher; suspense-thriller thriller. If you are submitting a TV pilot or Web episode, whether film or script, please e-mail us which of the two you are entering your project as. Filmmakers, please also note if your film is a student project or non-English/subtitled film, as we have separate categories for these. Please include your project name in the e-mail.

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 85 or above in the judging process to qualify for award placement.

Filmmakers – all submissions must be digital (1080 or 4k MP4 format) via google drive, or WeTransfer. You can also mail us two copies on flash drives, please test before mailing. All showings will be digital, we are no longer accepting Blu-Ray’s or DVD/s.

Hard copies are NOT returned, unless you clear this with the festival administration from the beginning. In order to have your flash drive(s) or script(s) returned to you (after the festival) you MUST send an SASE along with your flash drive(s) OR script(s) – not separately or after.

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). 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 certificates after the event.

All submissions – whether accepted or not – come with ONE 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.

If you have a film in competition which can no longer be considered for screening, you may withdraw it from screening consideration but still leave it in competition for award placement. Please e-mail horrorhotelfest @ gmail.com immediately if you need to withdraw from consideration for screening.

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