This year, the participating filmmakers gave the Screaming Room Film Festival audience everything from chills to thrills to laughs.
Each film that played gave a unique spin on the horror genre, displaying the talent and passion of the filmmakers. We thank and appreciate every filmmaker for their participation in the 2026 Screaming Room Film Festival.
Among all of these talented filmmakers, were the winners who dazzled and impressed the audience over the Midsummer Scream Convention. Congratulations to all of the winners.
We are looking forward, with much anticipation, to what new and spooky things these filmmakers have instore for us in the near future.
If you are interested in submitting your own short film to next year’s Screaming Room Film Festival 2027, submission open on Halloween 2026.
LINK: www.filmfreeway.com/midsummerscreamhalloweenfestival
Main Awards:
Palme d’Gore
The Palme d’Gore award is presented to the film that was judged, by the jury, as the best overall film.
Invasion ‘53
Director: Danielle Weinberg
Jack-O-Lantern Award
The Jack-O-Lantern award is presented to the film that was judged, by the jury, to be the film that best represented the spirit of Halloween.
Monster Medicine
Director: Veronica Felicity Johnson
Mary Shelly Award
The Mary Shelly award is presented to the film that was judged, by the jury, as the most original, creative and/or innovative film.
Foreign Bodies
Director: Lysander Wong
Programmers Award
Presented to the film that received the highest average score among the Screaming Room Programing Team.
Mosquito
Cinematographer: Bao Le Cheok
Audience Awards
Best film in each block as voted by the audience.
Anthology of Terror
Invasion ‘53
Director: Danielle Weinberg
Stalkers & Slashers
The Sitter
Director: Dillon Sisson
Tales of the Occult
Heirlooms
Director: Dan Abramovici
Sinister Cinema
The Deep Vessel
Director: Sean Cruser
Symphony of Fear
Monster
Director: Matthew Hersh
A Captive Audience
Amira
Director: Javier Yañez
WTF???
Glory Hole
Director: Andoni Fernandez
Waking Nightmares
Bad Stock
Director: Nicolas Danoviz and Jade Jones
Drawn to Horror
Foreign Bodies
Director: Lysander Wong
Creatures of the Night
Monster Medicine
Director: Veronica Felicity Johnson
Art House Horror
Mosquito
Director: King Lam Wong
Die Laughing
The Traveler & the Troll
Director: Adam Murray
Crimes & Passions
Devil’s Dilemma
Director: Darren Coyle
Splattertown
Good for Her
Director: Steven William Collins
Happy Halloween: Tie
Tales of the Macabre
Director: James Steele Haney
The Decoration
Director: Matthew Speak
BloodBat Winners
Best Homage
Slasher School Musical
Team: TheStoryTimeGuy
Most Creative
Why Are You Following Me?
Team: A Team
Best of Show
Mind the Sentience
Team: Killin’ It
You’ll find Justina Bonilla wherever horror fans gather: interviewing filmmakers, covering conventions and festivals, and reporting from The Screaming Room Film Festival at Midsummer Scream.
