Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
Austin After Dark Film Festival
Austin, United States · Est. 2018 · Emerging or partially verified — may be valid, clout unproven
Tier CUnder Review
Austin, United States
47
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Worth a closer look
Tier C means thinner legitimacy/clout signals. Fine for some goals; verify venue, fees, and past editions yourself.
- No physical screenings
- Trust status under active review
- 8 years of verifiable history
Overview
Austin After Dark Film Festival is a seasonal Austin-based event on the film festival circuit that screens international independent short films for a mature audience. It is notable for its focus on darker subject matter across multiple genres, including horror, dark comedy, dark drama, dark animation, and dark science fiction, making it a niche showcase for 18+ viewers and filmmakers working in edgy, genre-driven shorts.
Last reviewed Oct 4, 2026 · How we score
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+12 pts)
- 8 years of verifiable history
- 1 verified pro signal
Red Flags (-15 pts)
- No physical screenings
- Trust status under active review
Trust Signals
Positive Signals
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Screening theater / venue
- Named venue
- Not listed in our structured data — verify on the official site
- Physical screenings
- Not confirmed — treat online-only claims carefully
- Location context
- Austin, United States
Founded
2018
FilmFreeway community
Avg. rating
4.7/ 5
Reviews
153
Synced 27 days ago
- Ben MyersJul 2022
I had the pleasure of screening my film, " A Lone Star Love" and also winning Best Director this summer. Our producer was able to attend in my place, but Mikel did an amazing job with virtual outreach doing IG live interviews with the directors, and streaming the awards show online made it a ver connected experience. A great festival to be a part of!
- Bryan SabillonAug 2022
Wonderful festival, them announcing the award winners before the screening was hype. Great experience, the dub really went a long way for my crew and I.
- Ryan JafriSep 2022
I had a great experience at the 2022 Austin After Dark Film Festival - Spring event. Mikel and his team are very experienced, courteous, and welcoming. Furthermore, the venue they chose, the Austin Film Society, is a grand theater that projected my film, The Call, beautifully. I highly recommend this festival.
- Cleo HandlerOct 2022
i was so happy to be involved in this festival! excellent lineup, very welcoming programmers, easy and smooth communication, and lots of filmmaker support all around!! great people running an awesome event and celebration of high-quality new horror/ genre /"after dark" films - i loved my experience there and would highly recommend applying!!
- Ryan G. KellyNov 2022
Awesome people, great venue, I absolutely loved being part of this festival.
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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Research
View our latest dossier research and legitimacy analysis for this festival. Sources are cited when available.
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At a glance
How scoring works
Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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