International Horror Hotel Film Festival Announces 15th Annual Event in Northeast Ohio
June 18–21. Festival to feature 175 selected films and scripts, guest Dan O’Shannon, new Filmmaker Bingo, and expanded competitions and awards
CLEVELAND, OH — June 10, 2026 — The International Horror Hotel Film Festival will return to the Crowne Plaza Cleveland Airport in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, from June 18–21, 2026, for its 15th annual celebration of independent
horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and action filmmaking. The four-day event will bring together filmmakers, screenwriters, fans, vendors, and industry guests for screenings, lectures, competitions, networking events, and special programming throughout the weekend.
This year, the festival received more than 240 submissions and selected 175 films and scripts for its 2026 program. In addition to the official selections, the festival will present nominations in both film and script categories, along with additional awards
recognizing standout work across this year’s lineup.
Among this year’s featured guests is Dan O’Shannon, an Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated writer and producer whose credits include
Modern Family, Frasier, Cheers, and Newhart. Mr. O’Shannon has won six Emmy Awards and multiple Writers Guild honors for his television work.
New for 2026 is Filmmaker Bingo, a kickoff event in connection with Women In Film & Television Ohio (WIFTOH) created to help attending filmmakers connect early, pick up badges, meet collaborators, and win prizes before
the festival gets fully underway. Also debuting this year is the
Spooky Sunday Costume Competition, which will award
$100 in cash to the first-place winner and add another fan-focused highlight to the final day of the festival.
The festival’s competition lineup also includes the
Room 237 Competition, a timed filmmaking challenge designed to showcase creativity, speed, and originality under pressure. Top 3 winners for Room 237 include cash prizes of
$300 for First Place,
$200 for Runner Up, and $100 for Honorable Mention, additional production-support prizes including
8 hours of studio usage at Schoolyard Studio for first place and
up to $3,000 in free rental equipment from Liminal Space Rentals for second place. Additional competitions include the
Visual FX/Makeup Competition,
Monologue Competition, and Scream Queen & Scream King Competitions.
“Fifteen years in, this festival continues to create real opportunities for independent filmmakers while giving horror fans a one-of-a-kind experience,” said
Keith Collins II, co-owner of the International Horror Hotel Film Festival. “With 175 selected films and scripts, new additions like Filmmaker Bingo and the Spooky Sunday Costume Competition, valuable contests like Room
237, and the opportunity to learn from guests such as Dan O’Shannon, this year’s festival is designed to inspire, connect, and celebrate the genre community.”
Festival programming will run Thursday through Sunday, with the festival website listing the
award ceremony on Saturday as one of the weekend’s central events. Additional schedule details, ticketing information, and festival updates are available at
www.horrorhotelfilmfest.com.
Boilerplate
Founded in Northeast Ohio, the International Horror Hotel Film Festival is an annual genre festival dedicated to showcasing independent horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and action films and scripts while creating opportunities for filmmakers and fans to connect through
screenings, lectures, competitions, and live events.
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