Dark Nights Film Fest, Australia’s most sinister celebration of horror and dark genre cinema, is set to return for its third year with a pared-back, sharp-as-fangs edition.
Taking place on October 10th at The Reservoir Cinema in Sydney, Dark Nights Film Fest V.3 is officially open for submissions, and the call is clear: they want your strangest, your freakiest, most unsettling, most fearless work.
Since its inception, Dark Nights Film Fest has carved out a distinct space for boundary-pushing filmmakers and screenwriters, with a keen focus on talented, emerging voices, and concise storytelling. The festival champions those working at the fringes — creators who reject convention and embrace the eerie, the grotesque, and the psychologically unnerving.
For its third edition, the festival is doubling down on its mission to spotlight new talent, with an open invitation to filmmakers across the globe to submit short films that explore horror and dark genres in their most challenging, provocative forms. From slow-burning dread to visceral nightmare fuel, Dark Nights is searching for films that linger long after the screen fades to black.
Also included in the call for entries is the festival’s unproduced screenplay competition.
Festival Director and Curator Bryn Tilly (above) describes the vision for V.3:
“We’re not interested in safe horror. We want the films that feel like they shouldn’t exist — the ones that crawl under your skin, that unhinge you, that challenge the audience in ways that are uncomfortable and unforgettable. Dark Nights is about giving a platform to filmmakers who are willing to stare into the abyss, because that’s where the most interesting and exciting work exists.”
Included in Dread Central’s list of “90 Best Genre Film Festivals on Earth – 2025”, and with a growing reputation for its uncompromising programming and intimate, high-impact screenings, and loyal community, Dark Nights Film Fest continues to position itself as a vital launchpad for emerging, but also established filmmakers looking to make their mark in dark genre cinema.
Submissions are now open, and filmmakers are encouraged to push boundaries and defy expectations. If it’s disturbing, surreal, transgressive, or downright terrifying, Dark Nights wants to see it.
Event:
Dark Nights Film Fest – V.3
The Reservoir Cinema, Sydney
October 10
Submissions via FilmFreeway.com/DarkNightsFilmFest
Deadlines:
Earlybird – April 30, Regular – June 21 , Late – August 2, Final – August 30
For festival info and submission guidelines, visit darknightsfilmfest.com
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Use hashtag #darknightsfilmfest and connect with fellow nightmare warriors.