Call for Entries 2024
The Call for Entries 2024 is now open.
The Call for Entries 2024 is opened: The Fright Nights, a unique horror film festival in Upper Austria/Pasching, is celebrating its 20th anniversary and invites filmmakers worldwide to submit their works. Since its founding by Heinz Olbrich in 2005, the festival has evolved into an international stage for independent and professional productions exploring the genre of “horror” in all its facets. With a diverse program featuring independent and professional productions, national and international films, feature-length films, short films, and amateur productions, the festival provides a significant platform for creative filmmakers. Between 2005 and 2023, 600 film productions were presented on the big screen at various locations.
Call for Entries: Submit by June 15
Films can be submitted until June 15, 2024. The festival is open to all filmmakers, regardless of budget or experience. The winners of each category will receive the unique “Silver Hand” award, designed and crafted by renowned Austrian artists such as Fritz Russ, Manuela Jürgens, and Claudia Rindler, and awarded by a carefully selected expert jury in six different categories.
The Silver Hand in 6 Categories Best Film
Films over 60 minutes fall into the “Feature Film” category and will be evaluated by the expert jury after successful submission and acceptance by the festival. Best Short Film: Films up to 30 minutes are considered short films. Creative and innovative horror short films are sought after. Trash Award: A special category for films with unconventional staging, cliché use, and exaggerations, often showcasing great ingenuity and appreciated as an art form. Best Actor: This category honors male actors for outstanding performances in their roles and their ability to express emotions and characters uniquely. Best Actress: Female performers are honored for their outstanding acting performance and their ability to portray emotions and personalities uniquely. Best Mutilation Scene: This award goes to the scene that stands out through special creative or technical implementation and its disturbing impact on the audience.
The Fright Nights Jury 2024
The jury of the Fright Nights horror film festival consists of experts in the horror film genre even in this special year. Included this year are:
Mike Less: Fascinated by monsters and shady creatures since childhood, Mike Less is now a recognized expert in horror films. Together with his colleagues, he hosts the successful podcast “VIVA LA MOVIELUCIÓN.”
Faye Hell: As a writer, film historian, and journalist, Faye Hell is deeply rooted in the horror world. With an eye for the dark and abyssal, she will equally enjoy deeply tragic goosebump moments and excessive blood orgies.
Stefan Sonntagbauer aka Dr. Horror: Stefan Sonntagbauer, Viennese cultural scientist, researches “horror and subjectivity,” focusing on gender-critical and analytical-psychological approaches. In addition to his academic work, he is active as a journalist and musician, known for his open letter on the debate about the concept of home, as well as successes with the band Krautschädl and the cabaret award Passauer Scharfrichterbeil with Jo Strauss.
Danny Filmgeek: Danny Filmgeek was led into the horror genre in 2012 with Robert Rodriguez’s film “Planet Terror” due to his passion for filmmaking. Since then, he has deepened his knowledge of the genre and draws inspiration from filmmakers like Sam Raimi and Edgar Wright. He particularly appreciates practical effects and counts films like “The Thing” and “Evil Dead” among his favorites.
