SUBMIT TO MIDNIGHT FEST

We accept submissions in the following categories:

FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

Midnight Fest’s Feature Film Competition highlights bold horror features that demand a theatrical audience.

In 2025, our feature lineup included films such as BODYCAM, Bad Haircut, and Meat Kills, presented alongside revival screenings of The Ring, The Changeling, and Donnie Darko. New work sits in conversation with genre history here.

The winning feature receives:

• $500 cash prize
• Official Midnight Fest award recognition
• An engaged theatrical audience and filmmaker-focused Q&A

If your horror feature is ready for a passionate New England crowd and a curated October presentation, we invite you to submit.

SHORT FILM COMPETITION

At Midnight Fest, we take short films seriously. We program dedicated short film blocks, curate select shorts alongside features throughout the festival, and look for meaningful ways to support the filmmakers we feature beyond the screening itself.

Another festival might screen your film once in a shorts block and you leave with a laurel. It’s our mission to go beyond that to celebrate filmmakers and help their work find an audience.

In 2025, we presented over 20 amazing short horror films across five days of programming. **Examples of our commitment include our annual anthology feature project, which is separate from our festival awards and jury selections, as well as continued promotion and filmmaker engagement after the festival weekend.**

Short films have always held a powerful place in horror. Many of the most influential genre filmmakers began with shorts, and some of the most memorable horror films ever made started there.

If you have a short horror film that deserves a passionate audience and a strong theatrical presentation, we would love to see it.

SHORT SCRIPT COMPETITION

The Short Screenplay Competition exists to recognize talented writers and help move strong work closer to production. We are interested in scripts with clear structure, strong atmosphere, and a confident command of genre.

The winning screenplay will receive:

• $500 cash prize
• A one-on-one consulting call with Aaron and Victoria Fradkin, acclaimed horror filmmakers known for their work across shorts and features and for building a dedicated genre following online.

This award is about momentum. Funding and clarity. Direct feedback from working filmmakers who understand how to bring horror projects to life.

AWARDS

BEST FEATURE ($500 cash prize)

BEST SHORT

BEST VILLAIN

BEST KILL

BEST ANIMATED

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

BEST SOUND DESIGN

BEST MUSIC

BEST EFFECTS

BEST PERFORMANCE

BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY ($500 cash prize + consulting call)

AUDIENCE AWARD: BEST FEATURE

AUDIENCE AWARD: BEST SHORT