Vienna Shorts
Vienna, Austria
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
Fright Nights - the ultimate festival of fear
Pasching, Austria · Est. 2007 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record
Tier BTrusted
Pasching, Austria
65
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Solid signals — do normal diligence
Tier B looks established enough for many filmmakers. Check fees, programming fit, and recent editions before submitting.
- No physical screenings
- 19 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
Overview
Fright Nights – the ultimate festival of fear is a unique Austrian festival of cinematic horror founded by Heinz Olbrich, taken over by Chiara Kamnik in 2020, whose program includes long and short films, professional and independent productions, as well as Low- and No-Budget horror movies of any horror genre. At present, Fright Nights is held at the Hollywood Megaplex PlusCity in Linz, Pasching. It is consistently one of the most popular horror film festivals, and since 2006 has awarded the coveted Silver Hand award in several categories. Fright Nights is an intimate, familiar and dedicated festival that takes the time to engage with every submission. We screen your work for an open-minded audience that appreciates horror in all its forms. After the screenings, we host casual Q&As, giving you the chance to connect directly with viewers and fellow filmmakers. Our goal is to ensure your film isn’t just played, it’s seen, discussed, and valued.
Last updated Sep 6, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+30 pts)
- 19 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
- Verified trusted status
- Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (3 vs 1)
Red Flags (-15 pts)
- No physical screenings
Trust Signals
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Documented history with archived programs
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2007
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
4.0/ 5
Reviews
33
Synced 4 days ago
- Filmmaker
One of the best Horror genre festivals I’ve been to. The entire crew involved are so cool. The selections for 2025 were great! Lots of great shorts and features. The screenings were well presented for all the films and it was such an honor to have won ‘Best Feature’! I recommend Fright Nights as a visit to submit and go to.
- Filmmaker
It was an honour to be included in Fright Nights alongside such talented folk!
- Filmmaker
A wonderful little festival that I can wholeheartedly recommend to any horror filmmaker. You can really feel Chiara and her team’s love for the genre, and it shines through in every aspect of the festival: from the outstanding selection of films (huge compliments to the other filmmakers), the Q&As, and the entire supporting program, to the small details like the goodie bags. The technical quality of the screening is also absolutely top-notch. I can only recommend to submit your horror films here as it's absolutely worth it.
- Filmmaker
Great event and nice communication Thank you so much for having us
- Filmmaker
It is a great festival with an amazing program, team and communication! Looking forward to attending future editions. My short film Voice Academy was selected this year.
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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