Blog: Film festivals

"Toronto After Dark is a fabulous launching pad for independent genre film" - John Landis, Director/Writer/Producer (AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, BLUES BROTHERS, SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE)

Toronto After Dark Film Festival is one of the world’s leading showcases of new horror, sci-fi, action and cult films. Entering its celebratory 10th Year in 2015, the critically acclaimed annual event spotlights thrilling new feature films and shorts from around the world. Last year’s festival was attended by over 11,000 enthusiastic film fans and over 200 members of press and industry, resulting in an unprecedented over 500 published reviews for its film selections and a number of distribution deals for filmmakers. As well as the screenings, festivalgoers also look forward to the lively Q&A's with filmmakers, as well as Pub After Dark, our popular nightly social event where fans get to hang out with the filmmakers! In a poll of local filmgoers, Toronto After Dark was also voted Runner-Up for Best Film Festival in the City.

Following last year’s record-breaking success, for its next edition, Toronto After Dark runs for nine thrilling nights, October 15-23, 2015. We look forward to your entry and participation in this year's exciting 10th Annual Toronto After Dark: Horror, Sci-Fi, Action & Cult Film Festival!

WHAT FILMMAKERS & PRESS SAY ABOUT US

"Great films and a great time, Toronto After Dark is a can’t miss event!" - AIN'T IT COOL NEWS

"An amazing atmosphere and great energy! The fans at Toronto After Dark are the best." - Eli Roth, Producer/Actor/Writer (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, THE LAST EXORCISM, CABIN FEVER, HOSTEL, GRINDHOUSE)

“Toronto After Dark is a really cool event, run by a dedicated group of hardcore fans, that celebrate genre cinema." - BLOODY-DISGUSTING

“A festival with great taste, I love Toronto After Dark! It is an event close to my heart.”
- Simon Pegg, Writer/Actor (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ, STAR TREK, A FANTASTIC FEAR OF EVERYTHING)

Toronto After Dark is an epicenter for genre fans across the globe." - MOVIE MAKER

"Well organized, friendly, and relaxed, you can’t go wrong with this festival." - FANGORIA

WHAT WE OFFER FILMMAKERS

"The people responsible for Toronto After Dark have given me nothing but positive support and assistance with my film.” - Steven Kostanski, Short Filmmaker

If your submitted film is selected for screening at the 2015 Toronto After Dark Film Festival, here is what you can expect from us:

- EXCELLENT PRESENTATION: Toronto After Dark takes pride in screening all films with the very best projection and sound equipment available.

- EXTENSIVE PROMOTION of your film as part of our massive two month festival marketing campaign that involves print, cinema, web, social media and street marketing. We also create excellent film profile pages on our festival website to showcase each film to the general public in the best possible light.

- A WELL-ATTENDED SCREENING: Our festival has become world-famous for its packed, enthusiastic audiences, with typically over 400 fans in attendance at every screening. These fans create fantastic word of mouth for the films they see.

- MASSIVE PRESS COVERAGE: Very few festivals in the world come close to Toronto After Dark when it comes to generating publicity for independent genre films, both feature films and shorts. Given our status as one of the world's top genre film festivals, over 100 press and industry members cover our event annually including the Hollywood trade press and most importantly we encourage them to cover our short films too.

Outlets Toronto After Dark and its film selections have been featured in include: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Ain’t It Cool News, Bloody-Disgusting, Twitch Film, Coming Soon.Net, Fangoria, Rue Morgue, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Filmmaker Magazine, and the SPACE Channel. Last year we were delighted to set a new record for editorial coverage, with over 500 published feature film reviews and short film reviews at the festival.

- EXPOSURE BEYOND OUR FESTIVAL: We like to tell filmmakers, that at Toronto After Dark your film is not just programmed, it is adopted. You can rest assured, if selected that our experienced festival team will do all that it can to make sure that your film's journey to finding the perfect audience wider than just our festival. is a successful one!

- HELP WITH DISTRIBUTION: Most recently Hollywood has also been taking notice of our festival with trade press coverage. Toronto After Dark has a number of high profile contacts that we can share with you if you are selected by our event, and seeking distribution domestically or internationally. A number of our official selections have gone on to find distribution deals following the buzz surrounding their screenings at Toronto After Dark.

ALL SUBMITTING FILMMAKERS CAN EXPECT

- A FAIR AND FULL PRE-SCREENING of your film: we don't pre-guarantee a program slot to any filmmaker, regardless of their relationship with the festival. Our programming department watches every single film that it is submitted, before making our final selections.

WANT MORE INFO ON TORONTO AFTER DARK?

You can find out more about our film festival, on a special page we have created for Filmmakers here:
http://bit.ly/tad15-filmmakers-about-us