Accepting Entries: You can now Submit for 2025 via FilmFreeway
We are thrilled to announce that submissions are now open for the inaugural Glowflare Horror Film Festival, taking place 17–18 May 2025 in the historic town of Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire. Hosted at the independent Parkway Cinema Beverley, the festival promises an electrifying weekend of horror cinema celebrating the very best in the genre from across the globe.
Led by Hull-based filmmaker Daniel Smales, the Glowflare Horror Film Festival aims to be a new cornerstone of the UK horror film scene, championing bold, creative, and unsettling storytelling in all its terrifying forms.
Why Submit to Glowflare?
Glowflare is more than a horror film festival, it’s a community dedicated to the dark, the daring, and the disturbing. We’re here to champion new voices in horror, connect global filmmakers with passionate audiences, and offer a unique platform for cinematic nightmares to be unleashed on the big screen.
Whether you’re a seasoned genre director or submitting your first blood-soaked vision, we’re ready to be terrified by your work.
Categories of Fear
We welcome short and feature-length horror films across a wide variety of subgenres:
- Animation – Stop-motion, experimental, and animated horrors.
- Comedy – Films that blend laughter with fear.
- Folk – Rural terror, ancient rituals, and folklore nightmares.
- Found Footage – Immersive horrors blurring fiction and reality.
- General – Unique and unconventional horrors that defy subgenres.
- Gore / Extreme – Brutality, splatter, and boundary-pushing content.
- Monster / Creature – Beasts, vampires, werewolves, and unknown horrors.
- Psychological – Slow-burn dread, paranoia, and descent into madness.
- Sci-Fi / Fantasy – Futuristic, otherworldly, and speculative horror.
- Slasher – Masked maniacs, brutal kills, and relentless terror.
- Supernatural – Ghosts, hauntings, and paranormal entities.
- Zombie – The undead rise again in apocalyptic nightmares.
Submission Process
All submissions must be made exclusively via FilmFreeway. Please ensure you read the full submission guidelines, which include:
- Eligibility requirements
- Format and language specifications (non-English dialogue must include English subtitles or dubbing)
- DCP requirements for selected films
- Premiere eligibility (for feature films only)
Deadlines and Fees
We encourage early submissions to take advantage of lower fees. Submissions are open in the following tiers:
- Earlybird Deadline (14 Feb 2025)
£7.50 Standard / £5 Student / £5 Gold - Regular Deadline (7 Mar 2025)
£10 Standard / £7.50 Student / £7.50 Gold - Late Deadline (28 Mar 2025)
£12.50 Standard / £10 Student / £10 Gold - Extended Deadline (18 Apr 2025)
£15 Standard / £12.50 Student / £12.50 Gold
Fair and Fearsome Selection
Each film is reviewed by a panel of genre enthusiasts, filmmakers, and industry professionals who score submissions based on artistic merit, originality, technical quality, and impact. Finalists will be selected on a balanced and fair basis.
Notification Date: 21 April 2025
Beyond the Screen
Glowflare is more than just screenings. Expect live Q&A sessions, industry panels, and networking opportunitiesacross the two-day event. Whether you’re on stage or in the audience, you’ll be part of a shared passion for horror cinema and creative storytelling.
Selected filmmakers will also have the opportunity to take part in promotional activities, recorded Q&As, and social media spotlights. If you can’t attend in person, we’ll assist in creating a remote experience.
Explore More
To find out more about the festival, travelling to Beverley, accessibility, or visitor info, visit our website at glowflarehorrorfestival.com.
Still have questions? Visit our FAQ page or contact us at submissions@glowflarehorrorfestival.com.