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Carnaval del Espanto (6)

Haunted Carnival International Fest

Deadlines

27 May 2026
Call for entries

22 Oct 2026
Final deadline

4
mths

24 Oct 2026
Notification date

29 Oct 2026
30 Oct 2026

Address

Calle 50 # 27 - 02, en el barrio Versalles. , 761530, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia

Festival description

Short film festival

Festival requirements

Film festival

Fiction

Documentary

Animation

Fantastic

Terror

Experimental

Music Video

Other

Genres

Any Theme

Has submission fees

International Festival

Physical Location

Production date: Any

Production countries: Any

Shooting countries: Any

Director nationalities: Any

Debut Films

School projects

Short Films

AI Tools

Any language

Share on Social Networks

Facebook
Tweet

Spanish

English

Festival description (Edition: 6)

Festival start: 29 October 2026 Festival end: 30 October 2026

Haunted Carnival is a space for fantastic, horror, and uncanny cinema. We welcome productions from different genres that explore fear, the supernatural, the dark, the mysterious, and the unsettling in all their forms, from psychological horror to experimental works.

At Haunted Carnival, we seek to bring together filmmakers, the public, and members of the film industry in one space. More than a film festival, we are a gathering that fosters creation, reflection, and the sharing of stories that go beyond the everyday and dare to face the unknown.

The selected works will be presented at our in-person event on october 30, 2026, at the Rafael Pombo Corporation, with a program that includes screenings, talks with special guests, immersive experiences, and an awards presentation for the participating projects.

Prizes and qualifications

Haunted Carnival will recognize and award films, music videos, and photography projects that explore horror-related themes. Honorary mentions and special recognitions will be given for outstanding achievements in directing and screenwriting, highlighting the creative vision behind each work.

Best International Short Film
Best Screenplay
Best National Short Film
Best Animated Short Film
Best Non-Fiction Short Film
Best Experimental Short or Music Video
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy Short Film
Best Female Director
Best Male Director
Best Original Photography / Art

Rules

Theme: Horror in a broad sense (Psychological Horror, Slasher, Supernatural Horror, Body Horror, Folk Horror, Monster Horror, Found Footage, Zombies, etc.).

Genres: Fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, hybrids, among others.

Screening: The selected films will be screened in person in Manizales, Colombia.

Event Date: October 29, 2026.

Rights: By submitting, you authorize the event to use excerpts, images, and trailers for promotional purposes.

Best National Short film

Short and Feature Films

No Fee

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Submissions deadline
22 Oct 26

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0$

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Awards the best national short film, valuing creativity, cultural identity, narrative proposal, and cinematic impact in productions made within the host country.

Best International Short Film

Short and Feature Films

Standard Fee 10$
-8% 9.2$
PRO 18% 8.2$

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
22 Oct 26

Save up
1.8$

Submit

Recognizes the best international horror short film of the festival, highlighting productions made outside the host country that stand out for their atmosphere, storytelling, direction, and cinematic approach within the horror genre.

Best Animated Short Film

Short and Feature Films

Standard Fee 10$
-8% 9.2$
PRO 18% 8.2$

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
22 Oct 26

Save up
1.8$

Submit

Recognizes the best animated short film of the festival, celebrating visual innovation, animation technique, artistic direction, and storytelling through any animation style or format.

Best Experimental Short Film

Short and Feature Films

Standard Fee 10$
-8% 9.2$
PRO 18% 8.2$

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
22 Oct 26

Save up
1.8$

Submit

Awards audiovisual works that explore new forms of cinematic language, narrative, aesthetics, or editing. This category includes experimental short films and music videos with bold and original artistic approaches.

Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy Short Film

Short and Feature Films

Standard Fee 10$
-8% 9.2$
PRO 18% 8.2$

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
22 Oct 26

Save up
1.8$

Submit

Recognizes the best sci-fi or fantasy horror short film, highlighting productions that combine imaginative, supernatural, or futuristic elements with a strong horror-driven cinematic approach

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