Horror film festivals specialize in showing films, not just gathering horror film fans for autograph sessions, panels and vendors rooms.
Here's a list of horror film festivals taking place in 2012. Several on this list have already occurred - they're listed here so we can anticipate their return in 2013. As you can imagine, an overwhelming percentage of these festivals take place in the month of October.
This is not meant to be a complete, inclusive list of every horror film festival in the world. Following is a list of festivals I personally find interesting or intriguing.
Abertoir
November 6-11, 2012
"The national horror festival of Wales." They play shorts as well as films, plus stage panels and parties. (Last year there was a "Mask of the Red Death" party that sounded intriguing!)
http://www.abertoir.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/abertoir
http://twitter.com/AbertoirFest
Atlanta Horror Film Festival
September 28 - 30, 2012
This festival showcases independent horror, sci-fi, gore, and thriller films from all over the world.
http://atlantahorrorfilmfest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/atlantahorrorfilmfest
Bonebat Film Fest
April 21, 2012
This comedy horror film fest took place very close to my own neighborhood, at my favorite movie theater: The Big Picture. Sadly, I was too busy to attend, and I missed out on seeing "Dead Heads" and "Monster Brawl." Shucks.
http://bonehand.com/bonebatff.html
Boston Underground Film Fest
March 29-April 1, 2012
This festival featured shorts and music videos in addition to underground films.
http://bostonunderground.org/
http://www.facebook.com/bostonunderground
http://twitter.com/BOSunderground
Bram Stoker Film Festival
October 25-28, 2012
Held in Whitby, this year's festival marks the 100th anniversary of Bram Stoker's death. Besides the films, the festival features a fashion show, a Vampires Ball, and an "1880s night."
http://www.bramstokerfilmfestival.com/
http://www.facebook.com/BSIFF
http://twitter.com/BramStokerFest
Buried Alive Film Fest
November 9-11, 2012
Held in Atlanta at the Plaza Theatre.
http://buriedalivefilmfest.com/
Buried Alive Horror Film Festival on Facebook
http://twitter.com/buriedaliveff
Celluloid Screams
October 26-28, 2012
Held in Sheffield in the UK every autumn.
http://www.celluloidscreams.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/celluloidscreamshorrorfestival
http://twitter.com/sheffhorrorfest
Chicago Horror Fest
September 28-30, 2012
"Babes, blood, booze." Chicago is a fantastic city to live in if you like horror, goth, steampunk, zombies and the like. There's always something cool going on, like this upcoming horror film festival. They'll announce this year's guest host shortly.
http://chicagohorrorfest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoHorrorFestival
http://twitter.com/ChicagoHorror
Dark Carnival Film Fest
October 19-21, 2012
Held in Bloomington, Indiana. This is the festival's sixth year. In addition to horror films, they show dark fantasy and sci-fi films.
http://www.darkcarnivalfilmfest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/dcfest
https://twitter.com/dcfilmfest
Eerie Horror Film Festival
October 11-14, 2012
Erie, Pennsylvania is the location of this horror film fest.
http://eeriehorrorfilmfestival.com/
http://www.facebook.com/EerieHorrorFest
Everybody Dies Film Fest
October 12-13, 2012
Held in Brea, California.
http://www.everybodydiesfilmfest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/everybodydiesfilmfest
http://twitter.com/everybodydiesff
Fear Fete
October 5-7, 2012
Baton Rouge, Louisiana's horror film festival. It's held at the Mall of Louisiana.
http://www.fearfete.com/
http://www.facebook.com/fearfete
http://twitter.com/fearfete
Festival of Terror
October 25-31, 2012
Held in Montezuma, Costa Rica. Besides horror, they showcase sci-fi, suspense, thriller and animation shorts and features.
http://festivalterror.com/
Freakshow Film Fest
October 26-28, 2012
Held in Orlando, Florida. Last year they presented Clive Barker with a Lifetime Achievement award during their gala.
http://www.freakshowfilmfest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/freakshowhorrorfest
http://twitter.com/freakshowhorror
Frightfest
August 23-27, 2012
London's horror and fantasy film festival is in its twelfth year.
http://www.frightfest.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/film4frightfest
https://twitter.com/Film4FrightFest
Full Moon Tattoo and Horror Festival
April 6-8, 2012
This was held back in April in Nashville. True Blood's Kristin Bauer was the guest of honor, and Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead made an appearance too.
http://www.fullmoontattooandhorrorfestival.com/
Full Moon Tattoo and Horror Festival, on Facebook
Horror Sci Fi
March 29-April 5, 2012
Phoenix, Arizona-based horror and sci fi film festival.
http://www.horrorscifi.com/
H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival
May 11-13, 2012
A really cool film festival that's part of CthulhuCon.
http://www.hplfilmfestival.com/
Hudson Horror Show
May 19, 2012
Held in Poughkeepsie, New York. They screened classics such as Day of the Dead, Phantasm and Friday the 13th along with cheesy fare like The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires.
http://www.hudsonhorror.com/
Indie Horror Fest
March 23-25, 2012
Another production by Spookshow Entertainment. Held in Chicago.
http://indiehorrorfest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/IndieHorrorFilmFest
Killer Film Fest
November 1-3, 2012
Held in Somerville, Massachusetts. They specialize in indie horror.
http://www.killerfilmfest.com/
https://www.facebook.com/killerfilmfest
http://twitter.com/killerfilmfest
Killer Valley Horror Film Festival
March 10, 2012
A conveniently aptly named valley near Ashland, Oregon hosts this film fest.
http://killervalleyhorrorfilmfestival.com/
Midnight Black
October 24-November 3, 2012
"International festival of darkness." It takes place in Los Angeles, though you wouldn't be able to find that out on their poorly designed website.
http://midnightblackinternational.com/
http://www.facebook.com/midnightblackfest
Mile High Horror Festival
October 5-7, 2012
Held, of course, in Denver.
http://milehighhorrorfestival.com/
http://www.facebook.com/milehighhorrorfilmfestival
http://twitter.com/milehighhorror
Nevermore
February 17-19, 2012
Nevermore has been running for 13 years.
http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/nevermore/
http://www.facebook.com/retrofantasma
A Night of Horror
March 23-April 1, 2012
Another weeklong film festival. This one's held in Sydney, Australia.
http://www.anightofhorror.com/
http://www.facebook.com/anightofhorror
http://twitter.com/anightofhorror
NYC Horror Fest
November 8-11, 2012
The festival screens over 50 films per year.
http://nychorrorfest.com/
NYC Horror Film Festival, on Facebook
https://twitter.com/NYCHFF
New Orleans Horror Film Festival
October 25-28, 2012
Created by horror filmmakers for other horror filmmakers. (Ie, not a "fan" convention).
http://www.neworleanshorrorfilmfestival.com/
http://www.facebook.com/nohff
Phoenix Fear Festival
October 13, 2012
Held in Tempe.
http://phxfearfilmfestival.com/
Sacramento Horror Film Fest
Several events in May-August, 2012
The historic Colonial Theater hosts an event every month from May through August.
http://www.sachorrorfilmfest.com/
Sacramento Horror Film Festival, on Facebook
http://twitter.com/SacHorrorFest
Screamfest LA
October 12-21, 2012
This festival is proud of the fact they discovered and showcased the film Paranormal Activity.
http://screamfestla.com
http://www.facebook.com/Screamfest
http://twitter.com/screamfest
Telluride Horror Show
October 12-14, 2012
Colorado's main horror film festival.
http://www.telluridehorrorshow.com/
Toronto After Dark
October 18-26, 2012
Quite possibly the longest horror film festival on the planet, at over a week long!
http://torontoafterdark.com/
http://www.facebook.com/torontoafterdark
http://twitter.com/TADFILMFEST
Tucson Terror Fest
October 18-20, 2012
Tucson, Arizona's horror film fest.
http://tucsonterrorfest.com/
Tucson Terrorfest Horror Film Festival, on Facebook
http://twitter.com/tucsonterrorff
Viscera Film Festival
July 27, 2012
Celebrating women filmmakers in the horror genre. The Bloody Red Carpet event is held at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles.
http://www.viscerafilmfestival.com/
http://www.facebook.com/VisceraFilmFestival
--Copyright 2012 Carrie Carolin
Dark Side of the Net
