Salem Horror Fest is a celebration of diverse voices and innovative filmmaking within a genre that best reflects our cultural demons and anxieties. Named one of the World’s Best Genre Festivals by MovieMaker Magazine, the annual event has featured hundreds of independent filmmakers and Hollywood icons such as Cassandra Peterson, John Waters, Joe Dante, Linnea Quigley, John Kassir, Dee Wallace, Rachel True, Riccou Browning, and Ken Foree.

Kay Lynch is a film historian and founder of Salem Horror Fest. Named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the best genre festivals of the world, she set out to create a safe and welcoming space for people to find truth and catharsis in the dark shadows of cinema. Deemed “so queer it’s scary” by Advocate Magazine, Lynch is committed to the texts, creators, and trends that best reflect our cultural anxieties.

The Horror Arts Collective celebrates the expression of horror, dread, suspense, and fear in cinema, literature, music, dance, and the visual arts. From arthouse to grindhouse, sublime to sleaze, the Horror Arts Collective curates events that scare, terrify, and delight those who share their passion for the horror genre.

Submissions to the 2025 Salem Horror Fest are now open. Go to FilmFreeway to begin the application process. You’ll find answers to the most commonly asked questions about submitting projects to the Festival, the deadline dates, and submission fees for 2025 Festival consideration.. Please read theRules & Regulations thoroughly before you begin the process. Deadline December 21st