Festival dossier

HorrorHaus Film Festival

Los Angeles, United States · Est. 2015 · High structural score (80–100) for legitimacy and industry clout — not limited to Oscar-qualifying festivals

Tier ATrusted
Los Angeles, United States
100
Legitimacy Score

Should I submit?

Strong legitimacy signals

Tier A score for legitimacy and industry clout. Still confirm deadlines, fees, and categories on the festival site before paying.

  • 11 years of verifiable history
  • Physical screenings at The MAIN (in-person 2016-2019, 2022, 2025; later remote)
  • 5 verified pro signals

Overview

HorrorHaus Film Festival is a Los Angeles-area, three-day independent genre festival dedicated to horror and related subgenres. It is notable for its strong reputation on FilmFreeway, where it has been repeatedly recognized among the platform’s top-reviewed festivals, and for its focus on showcasing inventive, spine-tingling work from filmmakers around the world. [1]

Last updated Oct 1, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

Positive Indicators (+50 pts)

  • 11 years of verifiable history
  • Physical screenings at The MAIN (in-person 2016-2019, 2022, 2025; later remote)
  • 5 verified pro signals
  • Verified trusted status
  • Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (4 vs 0)

Red Flags (-0 pts)

No red flags found

Trust Signals

Positive Signals

  • FilmFreeway Gold festival
  • Has FilmFreeway community ratings
  • Documented history with archived programs
  • Named venues with external verification
  • Photos/press/video of past screenings

Festival Details

Founded

2015

Venue

The MAIN (in-person 2016-2019, 2022, 2025; later remote)

Screenings

Physical screenings confirmed

Visit Festival Website

FilmFreeway communityGold festival

Avg. rating

4.7/ 5

Reviews

148

Synced 4 days ago

  • Rakefet AbergelNov 2022

    You can submit to HorrorHaus with confidence! David and Allen and their team put on an amazing event. Although I have only attended at their old location, their new one at the MAIN looks incredible and I would have been there this year if it weren’t for getting sick 🥴 They serve the most amazing beautiful horror themed cookies that I LOVE, there are filmmaker meet ups and lots of chances for pictures and networking. There are always quality films and filmmakers to discover. I am sad I missed this year but hope to attend many more in the future! Congrats on another great year.

  • Harker JonesNov 2022

    This was a lovely film festival to be included in, everyone I interacted with was informative and conversational, which made the experience easy and nonstressful. Will absolutely submit again!

  • Sydne HortonNov 2022

    HorrorHaus is a fantastic festival for anyone who loves the horror genre and it's a great place to geek out over films. I had an absolute blast meeting fellow filmmakers and chatting with the killer team behind this fest!

  • Dan BurksNov 2022

    What can I say about HorrorHaus except SUBMIT! This festival was an absolute blast. Fest creators Dave Lawrence and Allen Schmitt and emcee Julia Parker were welcoming, lovely people who fostered a creative, enthusiastic environment. From the screenings, to the networking party and right through to the super-fun awards ceremony, they created a wonderful environment. The filmmakers and their films were top notch; the talent was undeniable. I'm damned honored to be a part of this festival and I can't wait to go back. I'm positive this fest will continue to grow into a powerhouse on the festival circuit. Thanks for everything, HorrorHaus!

  • Anatasha Blakely & Jacob SorlingNov 2022

    Felt so welcomed and that our work was appreciated! Met some cool people we wanna work with too. The space is fun and so are the gatherings. Absolute recommend attending!!!

View on FilmFreeway

FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.

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At a glance

Legitimacy Score100/100
TierTier A
Reviews0
Community Reports0
FilmFreeway4.7★ · 148

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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