Verdict first: if you make, program, or just devour indie horror, the Nashville Horror Film Festival is a must-attend in 2026. The numbers back it up. Third edition, October 2–4 at Regal Green Hills, opening Friday night with the Screamify VIP Party — and Screamify just confirmed it's back as sponsor for the second consecutive year.

Festival co-founders Wolf Turner and Chuckie Fuoco at Screamify’s Micro Horrors premiere party. (Video: Screamify / Pillarbox Media)

The growth line. Founded 2024 by filmmakers Wolf Turner and Chuckie Fuoco. Year three. Submissions: roughly 3x last year's haul. That's Fuoco's own count, on camera at the July 11 premiere party (clip in the press kit): “We have probably tripled the submissions that we had last year, and so it's going to be a deep dive into these films.”

The Scoreboard: Nashville Horror Film Festival Is a Must-Attend in 2026 — Here's the Full Rundown

The conversion rate. Here's the stat that separates this fest from the laurel mills: last year's top winner went pro immediately. Trent Duncan's Axes and Os swept Best Overall Feature AND Best Director in 2025. Screamify licensed the feature — streaming now — then greenlit Game Night: Survive the Slasher, a 32-episode Micro Horrors series from Duncan, premiered July 11, 2026 with a red-carpet party at Sidecar Bar in Nashville. One festival, two titles on a platform. Conversion rate: elite.

The trophy case. This isn't a two-award ceremony. Per the festival's FilmFreeway listing, the awards run deep across features and shorts: Best Overall Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Script Writing, Best Ensemble, Best Special Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, Best Score, Best Comedy Horror, Best Sci-Fi, Best Tennessee Film, Audience Choice — and yes, Best Kill. A horror fest that scores the kills is a horror fest that knows its audience.

Regal Cinemas logo
The festival’s home: Regal Green Hills in Nashville.

The intangibles. Turner on the field: “I feel like every year, everyone just steps it up. … The gore, the love, the horror, the effects. It's unbelievable.” And his projection for October, asked if this year tops it: “Oh, without a doubt. A hundred percent.” Bold call. The data says believe him.

Scream Scale: 9.1/10. Deductions only because year three is still year three — but a tripled field, a sponsor with receipts, a real theater, and a proven festival-to-streamer pipeline is about as strong a card as a regional fest can play. Do your homework first: Axes and Os and Game Night: Survive the Slasher, both streaming on Screamify.

Photos: Jeremy Harris / Screamify images.