Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
The Magic of Horror
United States · Est. 2017 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record
Tier BTrusted
United States
63
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
- 9 years of verifiable history
- 2 verified pro signals
Overview
The Magic of Horror is a U.S. genre festival devoted to horror films and related creative works, with competitions for shorts, screenplays, trailers, and movie posters. It is notable for its broad awards structure, including special recognition for low-budget, Virginia-made, and craft categories, which gives it a niche place in the independent horror festival circuit. [1]
Last updated Aug 27, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+28 pts)
- 9 years of verifiable history
- 2 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
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2017
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
4.2/ 5
Reviews
60
Synced 4 days ago
Rating synced from FilmFreeway; individual review text not pulled yet for this festival.
View on FilmFreewayFilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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Research
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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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