Catapult Horror Fest (1)

Festival Start: 17 Oktober 2026      Festival Ende: 25 Oktober 2026

Catapult Horror Fest is an online home for independent, low-budget horror films. We champion filmmakers who do a lot with a little.

We don't just accept horror subgenres. We want to inspire you to explore them all. Body horror. Psychological terror. Supernatural. Found footage. Splatter. Camp. Creature features. Folk horror. Cosmic dread. Queer horror. Elevated scares. Push into genres you've never tried. Get weird. Take risks. Find your voice across the many faces of fear.

We celebrate both short films and features, including traditional widescreen and vertical formats. We especially love practical effects, bold ideas, DIY grit, and filmmakers willing to break boundaries.

Our mission is twofold:

Inspire creators to experiment across the full spectrum of horror. Try something new. Surprise yourself.

Give back. A percentage of our festival proceeds will be donated to support families in need, because we believe horror can build community and make a real-world difference.

Even if we can't give every film a cash prize, we aim to acknowledge as many filmmakers as possible through official selections, special mentions, curated spotlights, and subgenre-specific awards. This is your home as long as you're making horror.

How Your Submission Fee Works

When you submit to Catapult Horror Fest, here's where your money goes:

20% → Cash prizes for Best Horror Short & Best Horror Feature

5% → Donated to families in need in our community

10% → Platform fees (Festhome)

65% → Festival operations, promotion, and growth

We're transparent because we're indie filmmakers like you. Every dollar helps us keep this monster alive.

Official Selection Bloody Laurels:
All accepted films receive an Official Selection laurel for use in promotional materials, IMDb, and future festival submissions.
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Competitive Bloody Laurel Categories (20+ awards):

Subgenre Excellence:

Best Body Horror

Best Psychological Horror

Best Supernatural Horror

Best Slasher

Best Folk Horror

Best Cosmic Horror

Best Creature Feature

Best Found Footage

Best Camp/Horror Comedy



Technical Craft:

Best Practical Effects

Best Performance

Best Cinematography

Best Sound Design

Best Original Score

Best Editing

Best Makeup/SFX

Best Creature/Monster Design

Best Kill/Death Scene


Spirit & Innovation:

Best Vertical Horror Short

Most Original Concept

ELIGIBILITY

Catapult Horror Fest accepts all horror subgenres. Films may have been screened at other festivals or released online. There are no restrictions on completion date.


CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

By submitting, filmmakers confirm that:

No people or animals were harmed during production

No laws were broken during production

The film contains no AI-generated content

All music, footage, and effects are original, properly licensed, or public domain

All cast members have signed appearance releases

All copyrighted materials have been cleared

Films containing hate speech, discriminatory content, or explicit pornographic content will not be accepted. Nudity and sex scenes are permitted as part of storytelling.

Catapult Horror Fest reserves the right to publicly disqualify any film that violated these rules. The festival is not responsible for legal issues arising from production.


FORMAT & TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Shorts: Up to 45 minutes
Features: 80 minutes to 2 hours
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (widescreen) or 9:16 (vertical)
language: english dialogue or burned-in english subtitles required


SUBMISSION TERMS

Filmmakers may submit unlimited films. Each film requires a separate submission fee.

Each film may only be submitted to one category.


RIGHTS & SCREENING

Filmmakers retain all rights to their work. By submitting, filmmakers grant Catapult Horror Fest a non-exclusive license to:

Screen the film during the festival dates (October 17-19, 2026)

Use clips, stills, and trailers for promotional purposes

Winners and selected films may be invited to opt in to have their film featured on the Catapult Horror Fest YouTube channel. This is optional and will be confirmed after selection. Opting in or out will not affect judging or awards decisions.