Q: Who decides which films get picked?
A: We have an independent panel of volunteer judges that consists of 8 to 15 people. Some of the judges have academic backgrounds in cinema, but the majority are just hardcore horror fans.

Q: What are the judging criteria?
A: Films are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 10, in eight different categories including sound, lighting, editing, acting, special effects, cinematography, screenplay, and overall entertainment value. The judges may also include comments/critiques.

Q: Are you currently accepting submissions?
A: We’re almost ALWAYS accepting submissions.

Click HERE to read the submission guidelines. After you check out the guidelines, you can submit your film electronically via our online submission form. For more on film submissions, go to our SUBMISSIONS page.

Q: What are the awards categories?
A:  Our award categories for 2012 are as follows:

- Best Independent Feature Film
– Best Independent Short Film
– Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Cinematography
– Best Special Effects
– Best Screenplay
- Best Editing
- Best Sound

For more info, see our AWARDS page

Q: How much are submission fees?
A: “Early Bird” Fees are just $15 for short films (under 35 minutes) and $20 for feature films up to 99 minutes, and $25 for films 100+ minutes.

For more on film submissions, go to our SUBMISSIONS page.

Q: My movie is pretty intense- lots of gore, (or nudity, sex, etc.) Can I still submit?
A: Gore is good – just be original! We’re looking for more than just someone’s backyard zombie movie. Quality is everything.  First and foremost we’re looking for a good story – after that, production values.

We’d much rather see a really good, tightly edited 25 minute movie, than a mediocre 90 minute movie, so “script padding” is frowned upon. As far as content, obviously we draw the line at porn, animal cruelty or actual depiction of human death.  If you want to read more about what we’re looking for, scroll down to the bottom of this FAQ.

For more on film submissions, go to our SUBMISSIONS page.

Q: What are the film submission fees used for?
A: Film submission fees go directly toward festival production expenses. Unlike most horror festivals, ours is run as a non-profit. As a result, our submission fees are among the lowest anywhere. What’s more, filmmakers get a lot more for their investment.

Selected filmmakers get a VIP festival pass that gets them into everything, including a private “green room” with meals and drinks, as well as free filmmaking workshops, etc. They also get two passes to our VIP/Awards banquet, and are often able to present Q&A panels for their films. But most importantly, we help filmmakers promote their movies long after the festival is over.

Dark Carnival travels to horror fests and conventions all over, and we often partner with our festival filmmakers to sell their DVDs at our booth.

Q: Why don’t you use Withoutabox.com for submissions?
A: We don’t really need them, since we have our own online submission system. It works pretty well for us, and collects all the information that distributors and sponsors request. Beyond that – our position is that Withoutabox has done as much harm as good to indie filmmakers. Basically, WAB puts the filmmaker at the bottom of the foodchain – even though they claim the opposite.

They streamline the submission process, but they also create an environment where the process itself becomes nothing more than a means to generate revenue. WAB can funnel tons of submissions to a festival, which makes the festival lots of money. However WAB also charges festivals a lot of money to use their service – and those charges are passed on to you in the form of higher submission fees. That means everybody is making money from indie films EXCEPT for the people who actually make indie films!

What’s even worse, some film fests take in so many submissions that their selection committees can’t possibly watch them all. So who ends up deciding the fate of your movie?

For these reasons, Dark Carnival currently boycotts WAB, and we urge filmmakers to do the same. Many film fests that use WAB also have the option of downloading a printable form. For more on this subject, check out author Chris Holland’s excellent book “Film Festival Secrets” available FREE online at http://www.filmfestivalsecrets.com/book/issuu/

Q: Can I get my submission fees waived?
A: Generally, no. Again, our submission fees are purposely kept lower than just about any other festival out there. If you can afford to buy a handful of DV tapes to make even the lowest budget movie, then $15 or $20 shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

Q: Can I submit more than one film?
A: Yes. Each film is evaluated on its own merits, and we have screened two or more films from the same filmmaker in past festivals.

Q: Can I get the judging results for my film?
A: Absolutely – but not until after final selections have been made. We can send you individual evaluations from our selection committee members who volunteer to provide them.  These evaluations are provided verbatim and are unedited. Since these evaluations are written on the fly, as the movies are being watched, they may include misspellings and missing or incomplete punctuation.

After sharing these evaluations we sometimes hear back from filmmakers who are upset or angry about critical comments. Please be aware that these are just people expressing their initial reactions in very much the same way that you might talk to your friends about a movie as you’re leaving a theater. If you are not prepared for an honest, unbiased, unedited appraisal of your movie, PLEASE do not request it.

For an evaluation of your film,  just send an email to submissions AT darkcarnivalfilmfest DOT com

Q: I’m planning on attending the festival if my film is selected. When Will I be notified regarding whether or not my film makes it in?
A: We understand the need to make travel arrangements as early as possible and we will do our best to let you know as soon as we can. We have made our deadline earlier for 2012, so that we can finalize selections early – hopefully by the end of August. However, please be aware that we won’t be able to make any notifications until after the submission deadline.

Q: What kind of films are you looking for? How do I get my film into your Festival? Why wasn’t my film accepted?
A: We screen a variety of films, including documentaries, animation, music videos, experimental films, etc. Our focus is on independent horror, sci-fi, and dark fantasy, and their related sub-genres, like horror comedies, post apocalyptic, etc. We are selective and serious about presenting the best possible movies to our patrons. We look for high production values, but most important is a good story.

One reason that a film might not be accepted relates to pacing and editing, particularly with regard to feature length movies. One of the most common complaints from our selection committee is “script padding.”  Sometimes a filmmaker will include scenes in a script to expand it to feature length in the hope that it will increase the odds of getting distribution – the logic being that feature films are more likely to get distribution than shorts.  While there’s truth to that argument, the fact is that every year we get quite a few films that are long on run-time and short on story. What we hear most often from our screening committee is, “that film would have made a great short!”  If you sacrifice tight editing in order to gain a certain run-time, the results will almost always be obvious, and not in a positive way.  If a scene doesn’t move the story forward, then you really need to ask yourself why it’s in there in the first place. Every second should be telling a story!

Along the same lines, we sometimes see films where pacing is kept deliberately slow in an effort to create suspense. The reality is that there’s much more to creating a suspenseful atmosphere than pacing – and without those other elements, all you’re left with is a bored, fidgety audience.

Another thing we look for is originality. Somebody once said that every story has already been told a million times. That may be true, but the trick is to put your own unique spin on it. If you’re thinking about making a roadtrip movie about a group of twenty-somethings who get picked off one-by-one out in the woods, or a zombie flick with a bunch of people trapped in a building – well I’m not going to tell you not to do it, but you had damn well better have something new to say. 

 Here are some steps you can take to increase your odds of getting into festivals and getting the best distribution deals:

1. Your family and friends – and your crew’s family and friends – are always going to tell you your movie rocks, even if it doesn’t. Before you send your film out to festivals, try do a test screening in front of total strangers (not aquaintances, not friends of friends, not cousins…) Ask them what they think, and listen to what they say – even if it’s uncomfortable.  Be sure to watch the audience while they watch your movie. Are they shifting in their seats? Are they laughing in the wrong places? Are they checking text messages? Take notes, ’cause those are the red flags that tell you something needs tweaking.
2. It’s all about context.  There is nothing better than seeing your indie horror film on a big screen, in a real theater, with a big audience. Just remember that a festival audience has different expectations than a guy sitting on his couch in front of the TV.  Film fests often show a mix of shorts and features. Short films tend to be faster paced. So if your feature film is more of a “slow burn” and it ends up following a bunch of shorts, the audience may find themselves getting restless.  This is why some filmmakers do a ‘festival cut’. The festival cut is a more tightly edited version that’s designed to appeal to a wider audience. 
3. It’s almost gotten to be a running joke with the selection committee folks.  They get a slick looking movie, with beautiful printed packaging, 8×10 glossy photos, etc. – and everyone groans. Why?  Because it’s fairly common for filmmakers to try to impress festivals with their marketing prowess, while at the same time disguising their film’s shortcomings. Personally, I love pouring through all that stuff, (I’m a graphic designer by day.) But as a filmmaker, you want to make sure that you put the same effort and attention to detail into your movie that you put into your awesome marketing.  It’s probably worth noting that some of the best films we’ve ever screened came to us in a ziploc baggie with a post-it note for a label.