The 21st Annual Atlanta Horror Film Festival returns to 7 Stages Theatre in Little Five Points October 7 - 10, 2027.

Join us for independent horror films, filmmaker conversations, parties, special events, and a weekend celebrating the people who make and love horror.

For more than two decades, the Atlanta Horror Film Festival has brought independent horror filmmakers and fans together for a weekend of films, parties, and events in Atlanta.

Founded in 2006, Atlanta HorrorFest is Georgia's first horror film festival and one of the Southeast's longest-running celebrations of independent horror.

Each October, we take over 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta's Little 5 Points neighborhood for a festival featuring horror shorts and features, filmmaker Q&As, special events, and late-night gatherings.

From psychological thrillers and supernatural nightmares to bloody slashers, experimental horror, and dark comedies, the festival celebrates the many ways filmmakers explore fear, suspense, and the strange.

But Atlanta HorrorFest is about more than watching movies. It's about meeting the people who make them, discovering new filmmakers, and spending a weekend with people who share a love of horror.

Atlanta HorrorFest extends beyond the theater, with special events throughout the weekend that bring filmmakers, audiences, and the Little Five Points community together.

One of our favorite festival traditions takes horror fans into the streets of Little Five Points.

The Horror Crawl brings filmmakers and festivalgoers together for a neighborhood procession, with stops at local bars, restaurants, and gathering spots. Costumes, makeup, fake blood, and a little weirdness are always welcome.

It's a chance to explore one of Atlanta's most distinctive neighborhoods, meet fellow horror fans, and enjoy the festival outside the theater.

Some of the best festival conversations happen between screenings.

Throughout the weekend, we host informal mixers and gatherings where filmmakers can meet fellow directors, actors, producers, and horror fans.

Whether you're attending with a film or simply love independent horror, these events are an opportunity to connect with the people behind the movies.

When the screenings end, the night doesn't have to.

Atlanta HorrorFest includes after-parties, late-night hangouts, and special events at neighborhood venues. Past celebrations have included horror comedy screenings, midnight drag queen karaoke, and plenty of gatherings that continued long after the final credits.

At the center of Atlanta HorrorFest is a diverse lineup of independent horror films.

Our programming includes feature films and curated short film blocks that explore everything from traditional scares to unexpected takes on the genre.

We welcome films that disturb, entertain, surprise, and challenge audiences. Some are funny, some are frightening, and others are difficult to categorize.

Many screenings include filmmakers in attendance, giving audiences an opportunity to ask questions, discuss the films, and meet the people responsible for bringing these stories to life.

Atlanta HorrorFest recognizes filmmakers across a range of categories, celebrating storytelling, direction, originality, and the creative work that makes independent horror memorable.

Awards include Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Local Film, Best Horror Comedy, Best Blood & Gore, Twisted Vision, Nightmare Fuel, and additional jury and audience honors.

Our awards ceremony closes out the festival, bringing filmmakers and audiences together to recognize the year's standout films.

Atlanta HorrorFest welcomes horror features and shorts from independent filmmakers.

We're interested in everything from psychological horror and supernatural stories to creature features, slashers, horror comedy, experimental films, and genre-bending work.

We look for films with their own voice, regardless of budget or production scale.

Selected filmmakers have the opportunity to screen their work for an engaged audience, participate in festival activities, meet fellow filmmakers, and compete for festival awards.