Submissions for Abertoir 2024 are open from Monday, April 8.

As ever, we’re looking for fantastic shorts and gruesome features. We screen films from all over the world and as always we’re keen to receive films that reflect the diversity of the genre and the people who make and love it.

Abertoir Horror Festival proudly accepts entries on FilmFreeway, the world’s #1 way to enter film festivals and creative contests. Our early bird deadline is April 22nd; our regular deadline is May 24th; and our late (final) deadline is June 30th. Got questions? Get in touch!

Abertoir is proud and honoured to be an adherent member of the MIFF, representing Wales in this highly respected European film festival federation. As part of Abertoir’s role in this unique network, our short films competition will award a Short Film Méliès d’argent, meaning the winner from Abertoir will be put forward in the final lineup at for the prestigious Méliès d’Or Award for the Best European Fantastic Short Film.

Submission Criteria

Before submitting, please check your film meets our eligibility criteria as we are unable to offer a refund if it’s ineligible.

Short Films

• The year of production must be 2023 or 2024
• Maximum length: 15 minutes
• Must be of professional quality
• The film must be broadly recognisable as a ‘fantastic’ film – that is, horror, fantasy or sci-fi
• Any language welcome, but if your film is not in English, it must include English subtitles.

Feature Films

• Must be pre-release at the time of the festival (i.e. not on general cinematic, DVD or VOD release in the UK)
• The year of production must be 2023 or 2024
• Minimum length: 60 minutes
• Must be of professional quality
• While our definition of horror is broad, nonetheless the film must be recognisably a ‘horror’ film (which encompasses anything from supernatural, psychological terror, gore, murder etc). Documentaries are also accepted.
• Any language welcome, but if your film is not in English, it must include English subtitles.

Fee discounts

We ask for film submission fees to support the financial sustainability of the festival. However, we recognise that, for many different reasons, submission fees can be a barrier to getting your film seen.

We’re offering a limited number of discount codes which will reduce the fee by 50%. Discounts will be available until the regular submission deadline (May 24th) and are awarded at the programming team’s discretion.

You may apply for the fee discount if:

• the film’s director(s), writer(s) and/or producer(s) is from an under-represented identity group*; or
• The film is made in Wales, or made in the Welsh language; or
• The film is made by filmmakers who have screened at Abertoir previously.

Successful receipt of a discount does not guarantee selection for the festival. Discounts will be available from April 8th. Final deadline for discounts will be May 24th. To apply, or if you have any questions, please email nia@abertoir.co.uk with SUBMISSION FEE DISCOUNT in the subject line and a brief introduction to you and why you’re applying for a discount.

*We’re conscious that ‘under-represented identity group’ can mean different things to different people and particularly so in different national contexts. We acknowledge that any grouping together of diverse people is not always accurate to real-world experiences, however for the purposes of applying for a fee discount, here ‘under-represented identity group’ refers to individuals who are:

• Black, Asian or minority ethnic; or part of the ‘global majority’;
• Disabled, Deaf, and/or neurodivergent;
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, or a self-defined minority sexuality;
• female;
• trans, non-binary or gender-fluid.