The first wave of programming has been announced for the 14th annual Panic Fest, which returns to Kansas City from April 9 through April 15, 2026, with additional virtual programming running through April 19.
This year’s festival will showcase more than 130 feature and short films, continuing Panic Fest’s hybrid format that allows audiences to participate both in person and online. The lineup reflects a broad range of genre storytelling, from traditional horror to comedy, action, and experimental work.
Festival co-founder Tim KC Canton noted that horror remains a powerful reflection of contemporary culture, adding that the 2026 slate highlights filmmakers who challenge audiences and push the boundaries of the genre.
Among the headline titles announced in the first wave are Hokum from director Damian McCarthy, Obsession, The Furious, Big Baby from filmmaker Spider One, and Last Chance Motel starring Danielle Harris and Scout Taylor-Compton.
The festival will also feature world premieres including The Voices of Our Mother, Don’t Sleep Alone, Demonetize, and Ivan. Additional programming includes the annual Mystery Movie presentation hosted by filmmakers Joe Lynch and Rebecca Howard, along with a live recording of their podcast A Couple of Old Fashioneds.
Beyond film screenings, Panic Fest will host several special events for attendees. The festival’s Rewind Video and Dive Bar offers a retro-themed space inspired by 1990s video stores, featuring a bar, gaming stations, board games, and shelves of VHS tapes. Podcasts, meet-and-greets, and after-parties will also take place in the venue.
For virtual participants, Panic Fest will offer an interactive online environment through Gather, allowing viewers to watch films, interact with other attendees, and explore the festival digitally.
The 2026 edition of Panic Fest will present more than 50 feature films and 80 short films alongside live podcasts, social events, and industry partnerships with organizations including Fangoria, Focus Features, Neon, and Lionsgate.
Get Your Tickets Here: https://panicfilmfest.com/
FEATURE FILM PROGRAMMING
Assets and Liabilities
D: Zach Weintraub
Zach is a suburban father haunted by the impending arrival of middle age as he juggles the demands of work, family, and the sale of an investment property. When his wife and daughter go away for a short trip, he seizes the opportunity to live out a day as his younger, less responsible self. A spontaneous encounter with a fellow skater feels like a victory until an unsettling connection between the two emerges. The result is a forcible confrontation with his own bourgeois standing that shatters the illusion of Zach’s carefree day and sends it spiraling into dark territory.
Babybacks
D: Geno Marx
On the run from ruthless cartel hitmen, two young lovers from Mexico seek refuge with a welcoming older couple in rural America — but their saviors soon reveal themselves as predators forcing the young woman into a brutal fight for survival.
The Barn Part III
D: Justin M. Seaman
Years after the events of ‘The Barn Part II’, the group is still left in fear that the evil three might come back to finish the harvest once and for all.
Big Baby
D: Spider One
Successful horror screenwriter Adam struggles for inspiration until a terrifying nightmare about a masked killer sparks an idea for his new script. As he delves deeper into the story, the line between reality and fiction begins to blur.
Break a Leg
D: Kaitlyn Boyé
When two rival actors find themselves trapped in a theatre after their director fails to show up for their audition, egos, desperation, and sense of time quickly unravel, spiraling into delusion, violence, and theatrical absurdity. Blurring the line between performance and reality, Break A Leg is a self aware arthouse horror comedy that explores ambition, identity, and the artist’s burden within the entertainment industry.
Buffet Infinity
D: Simon Glassman
In a series of cheap, locally produced television commercials, a story unfolds that begins as a simple business rivalry between small business owners and the looming threat of Buffet Infinity. As Buffet Infinity endlessly expands and grows, swallowing everything in its path, a sinister conspiracy unfolds at the margins, and unfathomable powers begin to worm their way into the vulnerable community of Westridge County, Alberta.
The Burning of Broken Beak
D: Christian Carroll
After the murder of her uncle, activist Māori photographer Emma returns from NYC to New Zealand to claim her inheritance. Once home she begins to have visions of a mythical monster called Broken Beak and as more family members die, Emma feels compelled to right an ancestral wrong.
Camp
D: Avalon Fast
A story of impossible redemption, modern witchcraft, and duels that repeat themselves like cursed cycles.
Cat Cam
D: Sara Werner
When two cat owners decide to put up pet cameras in their new home while they’re away on a trip, they soon make a terrifying discovery as to why their cat has been acting so strange.
Creature of the Pines
D: Chris Ruppert, Tyler Transue
A documentary investigation into the disappearances at Pine Hollow reveals a presence lurking deep within the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Cruel Hands
D: Al Kalyk
A psychological social thriller about a mother and her young son escape from an abusive husband to an isolated farmhouse, only to find themselves trapped between him and a raging bushfire that surrounds them.
Dead Bloom
D: Domonic Paris, Damien Paris
Dead Bloom unfolds as a socially charged horror story about the lingering effects of environmental contamination and corporate denial. Set across generations, the film follows a family living on land poisoned by a buried chemical compound. As the contamination seeps into soil, fruit, and bloodline, the story evolves into a chilling allegory about capitalism, exploitation, and survival. It shines a disturbing, yet relevant light on corporate malfeasance and environmental injustice turning them into modern folklore.
Dead Media
D: Joseph Scrimshaw
A troubled young woman wants to relax by streaming an old horror movie. Her lonely Gen X uncle demands they watch it on DVD. But the disc is haunted, plunging them into a movie night that won’t die.
Debone
D: Lee Daehan
After killing his abusive father to protect his mother, Gyutark serves his youth in prison. Released into a hostile world where he and his ailing mother face persecution from villagers, Gyutark flees to find work at a distant warehouse. When his mother collapses and needs expensive surgery, his meager wages aren’t enough. Desperate to save the only person who ever loved him, he crosses into the criminal underworld…
Demonetize
D: Alexander Watson
Out-of-work television ghost hunters discover the key to getting their jobs back – and proving ghosts are real – is by working with the last group of people anyone would expect: Social Media Stars.
Don’t Sleep Alone
D: Talo Silveyra
After her father’s suicide, Sami begins to suffer from sleep paralysis, unleashing a terrifying presence and a secret buried inside her home.
The EXIT 8
D: Genki Kawamura
A man becomes increasingly desperate when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station, needing to complete a mission to get out.
FlyTrapperD: Drew Britton
Crystal’s life of extremely aggressive rap music, jet-skiing, and nefarious activities is upended by a visit from her estranged best friend, Melonie. With a motive in hand, Melonie begins digging into the past, what led to their falling out, and the connection it might share with the present. As the situation becomes increasingly unstable, she can’t help but stay as the two rekindle their friendship.
Frankie Maniac Woman
D: Pierre Tsigaridis
After years of wanting to look like those who grace the covers of magazines, Frances Ramirez ends up making headlines in a different way. She is soon to be known as the Maniac Woman.
Free Buffet
D: Zoe Berriatúa
Xian and Ikki are an Asian couple with an all-you-can-eat buffet threatened by bankruptcy. Their problems seem to be solved by an improvised plan:killing all their enemies. But…what if they themselves are their own enemies?
Frogman Returns
D: Anthony Cousins
There’s unfinished business in Loveland. Dallas, Amy and Frogman are back to settle the score.
The Furious
D: Kenji Tanigaki
When his daughter Rainy is abducted, humble tradesman Wang Wei is thrust into a deadly underworld of corruption and violence. His only ally is Navin, a relentless journalist haunted by his own past. Together, they fight their way through an international criminal network in a desperate bid to save Rainy and uncover the truth.
Goody Goody
D: Raymond Creamer
A home birth turns terribly wrong when complications arise during a raging blizzard.
Grind
D: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust
A workplace horror anthology in four parts
Hokum
D: Damian McCarthy
A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware that the property is said to be haunted by a witch
Ivan
D: Damien Fannon
Abigail is thrilled when her estranged father reappears, gifting her a cutting-edge AI device named Ivan. However, she soon discovers his sinister plan to use Ivan to control her and her mother, leading to devastating consequences.
Jump Scare
D: Donnie Hobbie
The female metal band ‘JUMP SCARE’ retreated to a remote cabin to write their next album only to be terrorized by the family of cannibals next door.
LandLord
D: Remington Smith
When a black bounty hunter moves into a rundown apartment complex, she finds herself forced to protect an orphaned boy from the white vampire landlord.
Last Chance Motel
D: Danielle Harris, Scout Taylor-Compton
A newlywed couple whose dream wedding spirals into a bloody nightmare when they discover that their secluded venue, a desolate motel deep in the Nevada desert, is run by a relentless bloodthirsty family with dark secrets.
Lesions
D: Codey S Wilson
In the wake of a devastating diagnosis, a fractured couple’s retreat into isolation spirals into a night of violence, transformation, and a love that refuses to die.
Lily’s Ritual
D: Manu Herrera
Four friends travel to an isolated house deep in the forest to perform a witchcraft initiation ritual and complete the circle of the four elements.But what begins as a white witchcraft ritual in harmony with nature soon turns into a diabolical nightmare.
Loner
D: Charlie Robb, Douglas Tawn
Aspiring vlogger, Angus Mattock, ventures to a remote wilderness retreat to create nature and survival videos. His idyllic getaway descends into a nightmarish fight for his life as he is held captive by a mysterious, natural force.
Narcisa’s Will
D: Clarissa Appelt, Daniel Dias
Haunted by the memories of her recently deceased mother, the once known Brazilian star Narcisa, Ana wants to sell her childhood home and split the money with her younger brother, Diego. But when her mother’s ghost starts giving signs of her presence in the dressing room, it becomes clear that Narcisa’s will is still stronger than her own, even after death.
Obsession
D: Curry Barker
After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
Parasomnia
D: James Ross II
After her friend vanishes, Riley must confront the demon from her night terrors that may have crossed into reality, while facing her own tragic past.
Pitfall
D: James Kondelik
After a young man gets separated from his friends in the woods, he falls into a 20 foot deep pit of spikes, impaling him through his leg and leaving him trapped. He quickly learns that his fall was not an accident.
Projection
D: Evan Samaras, George Scoufaras
A man is struggling with grief due to the recent death of his father. He copes by beginning to write and envision a reality where he and his father are bonding over their shared passion, filmmaking. The lines between the realities begin to blur until only one remains.
Quiet After Supper
D: Francis Tejada
Tristan Weathers, a serial killer in Los Angeles, receives a surprise visit from his childhood friend, Abby, who stumbles upon artifacts that tells the story of each of his victims which leads Abby to confront a horrifying truth.
Saccharine
D: Natalie Erika James
Hana, a lovelorn medical student, becomes terrorized by a sinister force after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes.
The Red Mask
D: Ritesh Gupta
When outspoken queer screenwriter Allina Green is chosen to pen the final installment of the legendary slasher franchise The Red Mask, anger, outrage, and online death threats from die-hard fans causes a rift in her relationship with reticent fiancé Deetz. Desperate for a creative breakthrough, the pair escape to a secluded Airbnb, where Allina concocts a dangerous game for the two to play to unlock her writer’s block. But when two uninvited houseguests crash the scene, the weekend turns dark and a twisted game devolves into a duel to the death.
Suffocation
D: Louis Chan, Stone Chang
Suffocation is a suspenseful thriller set in Zhongshan High School, revolving around the lives of several swim team members. What begins as an ordinary evening slowly unravels into a chilling tale of hidden school legends and untold secrets. The story opens with the mysterious drowning of a female student in the school pool.
Theater is Dead
D: Katherine Dudas
An earnest engineering student begins to sense that her true calling is the theater, but when she lands the lead in a prestigious production, she realizes there may be a demonic dark side to this fantastical dream.
Voices of our Mother
D: Mark O’Brien
When a family matriarch falls seriously ill, relatives gather and discover their shared ancestral ties bind them in unexpected ways.
We Put the World to Sleep
D: Adrian Țofei
Adrian and Duru get lost in the characters they play in an apocalyptic film and embark on a secret mission to end the world for real. What follows goes beyond their wildest imagination.
For more information and further film listings visit PANIC FEST
