“One of the Best Genre Festivals on Earth” —Dread Central
The legendary Nightmares Film Festival live experience returns for its 11th edition, Thursday, Oct. 15 to Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026.
Final deadline for submissions is August 30, 2026.
Attending the festival?
The ultimate way to experience our celebration of genre cinema, NFF VIP passes offer the holder a guaranteed seat in every round of films, access to the VIP bar and lounge, and in-and-out privileges throughout the fest.
Only at Gateway Film Center in Columbus, Ohio.
A true destination horror and genre fest, Nightmares Film Festival (NFF) has been named one of the world’s top horror film festivals by every major genre outlet. Christened the “Cannes of horror” by iHorror, NFF is dedicated to elevating horror, fostering an inclusive and supportive community of creators, and connecting those artists with audiences.
“A wonderful, welcoming home for fans of independent horror and genre cinema” —Dread Central
“Nightmares Film Festival is unique in its emphasis on community and connection among filmmakers. While they strive to showcase innovative, compelling, and high-quality projects, where they really shine is in their efforts to ensure everyone feels welcome, celebrated, and valued. Attending is a truly special experience.”
“One of the Bloody Best Genre Fests in the World” —MovieMaker Magazine
“I couldn’t be more impressed with this fest. First of all, I’m a Columbus, Ohio native. To see this top tier fest in my hometown is awesome.”
“Mindblowing” —We Are Indie Horror
The 2026 Official Selections will be revealed in September
Look back at past year’s festivals
Nightmares Film Festival 2025
NFF presented 18 features, 130 shorts, and welcomed more than 120 attending filmmakers and screenwriters, alongside one-of-a-kind events, world premieres, and rare in-person screenings. Premiere screenings included the world premiere of Adrian Țofei’s (Be My Cat: A Film for Anne) nine-years-in-the-making We Put the World to Sleep, Kevin Lewis’ (Willy’s Wonderland) twisted cult mystery Pig Hill (North American premiere), Chris Stuckmann’s eagerly awaited directorial debut, Shelby Oaks (Midwest premiere), Robbie Banfitch’s (The Outwaters) newest descent into terror, Tinsman Road (Midwest premiere), Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead (Midwest premiere), the world’s first audience playthrough of Afar, an interactive horror film from Jason Trost (The FP, Waves of Madness), and one of the only theatrical screenings in the world of V/H/S/HALLOWEEN.
A complete overview of all selected features, shorts, and finalist screenplays is available here.
Nightmares Film Festival 2024
Premiere screenings included Sayara from madman Can Evrenol (Baskin, Housewife), the world premieres of Jason Trost’s (The FP series) groundbreaking side-scrolling horror film The Waves of Madness, The Soul Eater from Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (Inside, Livid, Among the Living), and Replicator, an Ohio-made body horror feature from Mark Hamer (I See You), and making its North American premiere, Solvent, a POV nightmare descent into madness from Johannes Grenzfurthner (Masking Threshold, Razzennest).
Browse the 2024 schedule by day or the full program here.
Nightmares Film Festival 2023
Premiere screenings included The People’s Joker, the world premiere of Zac Locke’s (#Float) psychological Christmas horror Santa Isn’t Real; the U.S. premiere of Stewart Sparke’s (Book of Monsters) classic-creature horror comedy How to Kill Monsters, horror comedy anthology Cryptids, and nightmare fuel Abruptio, a descent into madness created entirely with lifelike puppets.
And, festival breakout hit, Hundreds of Beavers.
Browse the 2023 schedule by day or the full program here.
Nightmares Film Festival 2022
Premiere screenings included Something in the Dirt, Moon Garden, Obstacle Corpse, the world premieres of FP4EVZ and the theatrical World Premiere of Razzennest.
Nightmares Film Festival 2021
Premiere screenings from exceptional new voices, including The Scary of Sixty-First, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, the World Premiere of The FP 3 – Escape from Bako, and a live orchestral score of James Quinn’s Ivory Wave presented on 35mm film.
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