WHAT IS THIS?

This one-day short film festival is looking to shine a spotlight on strange and bizarre short films. This festival will place an emphasis on films that are funny, weird, creepy, or all of the above.

We would say that this is a Horror Comedy film festival, but any of the films may lean more or entirely in one direction than the other and horror is NOT a requirement. Furthermore, horror is a very broad genre and we do not adhere to strict rules about what is and isn't considered horror.

We love underground filmmakers, low budget filmmakers, first time filmmakers, and people who are passionate about filmmaking. There is no budget too small to make a great film!

What are we looking for? It's probably easier to just throw some words at you to get the idea:

Existential Dread!
Lynchian!
Bizarre!
Cronenberg!
Creepy!
B-horror/camp!
Low budget!
Bloody!
Weird!
Unsettling!
FUNNY!

Films must be under 20 minutes in length.

Program Director: Erica Stockwell-Alpert

Interested in volunteering? Shoot us an email

WHAT TO EXPECT

The festival will consist of five hours of short films. Have a chance to meet and mingle with some of the local filmmakers after the show.

THIS IS NOT FOR KIDS! This festival is UNRATED and NOT family friendly. Films include violence, gore, language, sexual themes, and disturbing content. Don't bring your kids and then get angry at us. We reserve the right to require parental consent for children and to turn away unaccompanied children at our discretion.

Alcoholic beverages, popcorn, ice cream, and other treats will be available for purchase from the venue. There are also a number of great restaurants right in the vicinity. Read more on our Venue page

Q&A

Q: Can I come and go any time during the festival?

A: YES! There are five straight hours of films so we expect to come and go as they please, but be respectful of other attendees when entering and leaving the theater (be quiet and keep the doors open to a minimum).

Q: Is it all horror? I don't like horror.

A: Nope! We try to keep the first block pretty light - no gore or horror - so if you want to enjoy some awesome indie films but don't have a stomach for horror you can choose to just attend the first block. There's still several hours of awesome films you can enjoy!

Q: Will I meet the filmmakers?

A: Yes! As we have films from all over the world not everyone can attend, but we expect at least half of our films to have their representative filmmakers in attendance (directors, writers, or producers), as well as many of our local actors. We do not have time for an official Q&A or meet-and-greet, but you're welcome to chat with people after the show.

Q: Is there an afterparty?

A: There is no official afterparty at this time, but there are a lot of great restaurants in Maynard to get a drink or some food. We're working on figuring out an "official unofficial" locale to encourage people to go to after the show.

Q: Is this a family friendly activity I should bring my kids to?

A: NO!

SUBMISSION RULES

Films must be submitted through FilmFreeway
All films must be under 20 minutes in length.
All films must be in English or subtitled.
All entries must be complete.
No physical copies - all films must be provided in high res digital format.
Selected films will be featured at the Strange Maynard Independent Film Festival as well as other screenings and conventions throughout the year with the filmmakers permission.

SUBMISSIONS FOR 2025 NOW OPEN

Click the link below to submit or follow us on FilmFreeway.