The Scariest Things, once again, is proud to be a sponsor of The Portland Horror Film Festival, and they have just announced their 2026 lineup. We will be on-site to get interviews with the filmmakers attending the festival for exclusive content. Stay tuned for a My Bloody Valentine interview with George Mihalka, who will be at the festival. We hope to get as many short filmmakers on for interviews as possible as well. This is one of the premier horror short film festivals in the country, and we at Scariest Things are big fans of the short form of horror.
In an annual tradition, we will host the fifth Horror Movie Greenlight Pitch event outside, under the stars, at the conclusion of Saturday Night’s (June 6) movies at Dot’s Cafe, right across from the Clinton Street Theater. If you haven’t joined us for this event before, it’s a fantasy horror movie draft game, where you get to be a horror movie maker, selecting your choices for the actors, director, tropes, and crew for a movie that you will write and pitch. Every year, we are joined by short filmmakers and film fans alike. Every year, it gets bigger and more exciting. Form a team, and join the fun!
If you’re going to the festival, come and say hello. We hope to see you at the Hollywood or the Clinton Street Theater!
Here’s the official announcement:
Portland Horror Film Festival Unveils Chilling 2026 Lineup for 11th Annual Celebration of Independent Horror Cinema
PORTLAND, OR – The 11th annual Portland Horror Film Festival returns June 3-7, 2026, bringing five days of independent and international horror cinema to Portland’s historic Hollywood Theatre and Clinton Street Theater. This year’s festival will feature a special 45th Anniversary screening of My Bloody Valentine with director George Mihalka and Rue Morgue Executive Editor and “Faculty of Horror” co-host Andrea Subissati, and a live performance by Aurelio Voltaire, alongside a massive lineup of feature films, short films, premieres, and special events celebrating the best in contemporary horror filmmaking.
Known as Portland’s premier festival dedicated to all genres of independent horror, the festival will showcase more than 24 hours of feature films, short films, special events, and streaming exclusives spotlighting the next generation of horror filmmakers from around the world.
The 2026 lineup features an eclectic mix of slashers, supernatural thrillers, horror comedies, vampire tales, and experimental genre films. Festival audiences will also experience a special screening of the cult classic My Bloody Valentine (1981) with director George Mihalka appearing in person.
Among this year’s highly anticipated feature selections are Big Baby, directed by Spider One; the PNW Premieres of The Demonatrix, directed by Aurelio Voltaire and Jeff Ferrell, Grind, directed by Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust, the World Premiere of Dracula: The Night Around Us; the retro slasher comedy Friday the 69th; and the World Premiere of Sitra Achra, a supernatural thriller blending retro gaming and occult horror by Portland filmmaker Levi Buchanan.
“This year’s lineup embodies everything we love about independent horror filmmaking – originality, bold and personal storytelling, dark humor, and unforgettable scares,” said Gwen Callahan, Festival co-Director. “The filmmakers featured at PHFF are forging the future of horror cinema, and we’re excited to bring their work to Portland audiences.”
The short film program continues the festival’s tradition of championing innovative emerging voices in genre filmmaking from impactful “horror with a message” to off the wall horror comedy. Official selections include the World Premieres of ”Paralysis” and “Nurture,” plus stand out shorts “A Good Death,” “The Bones Exist,” “Favela Amarela” from Brazil, “Pickled Rabbit” from Canada, “Glory Hole” from Spain, “Behold and Hear,” and dozens of other international and Pacific Northwest premieres.
