# Shriekfest

Shriekfest Horror Film Festival was a film festival specializing in the horror genre. It was one of the longest running horror festivals in Los Angeles, until 2021. In 2017, Shriekfest expanded to include an Orlando, FL festival location.

## History

Shriekfest Horror Film Festival was founded in July 2001. It is the oldest continually running genre festival in Los Angeles, California. It is held in October at Raleigh Studios on Melrose Boulevard in the Charlie Chaplin Theatre.
The festival was founded by actress Denise Gossett with her partner Kimberlee Beeson. Gossett came up with the idea after starring in the horror film Chain of Souls. She realized there was a scarcity of film festivals and competitions for the horror genre. She and Beeson created Shriekfest in the hopes that young and upcoming filmmakers and screenwriters would find in it an outlet for their talent. Their partnership lasted until 2003, after which time Todd Beeson became the new partner in the festival.
Shriekfest awards multiple prizes for horror films and screenplays. It also awards films in the science fiction, fantasy, and thriller categories. Prizes include trophies, as well as cash, product awards, and publicity.
The festival also has an under-18 category open to young filmmakers and screenwriters.
Shriekfest went green in 2010 and now accepts screenplays and films via email.

## Awards

Shriekfest awards can vary from year to year at judges' requests and have included the following categories. In 2010 two new categories were added to the competition: Webisode and Original Song.
* Best Horror Feature Film
* Best Sci-Fi Feature Film
* Best Fantasy Feature Film
* Best Thriller Feature Film
* Best Short Film
* Best Supershort Film (under 10 minutes)
* Best Feature Screenplay
* Best Short Screenplay
* Best Acting Performance
* Best Cinematography
* Best Special FX
* Best Under-18 Film
* Best Under-18 Screenplay
* Pretty/Scary Award (portrayal of women in horror)
* Audience Choice Award

## Past winners
### 2017

The following are 2017's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Gnaw | Haylar Garcia |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | The Glass Coffin | Haritz Zubillaga |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | Curvature | Diego Hallivis |

### 2016

The following are 2016's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Capture Kill Release | Nick McAnulty and Brian Allan Stewart |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Occupants | Russ Emanuel |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | Dead Awake | Phillip Guzman |

### 2015

The following are 2015's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Interior | Zachary Beckler |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | The Answer | Iqbal Ahmed |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | Landmine Goes Click | Levan Bakhia |

### 2014

The following are 2014's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Berkshire County | Audrey Cummings |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Time Lapse | Bradley King |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | Nightmare Code | Mark Netter |

### 2013

The following are 2013's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | An American Terror | Haylar Garcia |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Abducted | Glen Scantlebury and Lucy Phillips |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | The Last Light | Andrew Hyatt |

### 2012

The following are 2012's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Nailbiter | Patrick Rea |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Found in Time | Arthur Vincie |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | It's in the Blood | Scooter Downey |

### 2011

The following are 2011's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Absentia | Mike Flanagan |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Pig | Henry Barrial |
| Best Supernatural Feature Film | The Dead Inside | Travis Betz |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | Isle of Dogs | Tammi Sutton |

### 2010

The following are 2010's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Ashes | Elias Matar |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Transfer | Damir Lukacevic |
| Audience Choice Award | Grey Skies | Kai Blackwood |

### 2009

The following are 2009's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Dark House | Darin Scott |
| Best Sci-Fi Fantasy Film | Spike | Robert Beaucage |
| Audience Choice Award | Lo | Travis Betz |

### 2008

The following are 2008's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Bane | James Eaves |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | Alien Raiders | Ben Rock |
| Audience Choice Award | The Open Door | Doc Duhame |

### 2007

The following are 2007's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Feature Film | The Chair | Brett Sullivan |
| Pretty/Scary Award | The Cellar Door | Matt Zettell |
| Audience Choice Award | The Cellar Door | Matt Zettell |

### 2006

The following are 2006's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | The Other Side | Gregg Bishop |
| Audience Choice Award | Bad Reputation | Jimmy Hemphill |
| Best Cinematography | Penny Dreadful | Richard Brandes |

### 2005

The following are 2005's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Dark Remains | Brian Avenet-Bradley |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Experiment | Daniel Turner |
| Best Thriller Feature Film | Razor Eaters | Shannon Young |

### 2004

The following are 2004's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Horror Feature Film | Dead and Breakfast | Matthew Leutwyler |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature Film | Tales from Beyond | Josh Austin, Nate Barlow, Eric Manning, Russell Scott |
| Fan Favorite | Roadside Attractions | CJ Roy |

### 2003

The following are 2003's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Film in the Feature Category | Lucky | Steve Cuden |
| Best Film in the Sci-Fi Category | Transfer | John Turbyne |
| Fan Favorite | Lucky | Steve Cuden |

### 2002

The following are 2002's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Film in the Feature Category | Terror Tract | Clint Hutchison & Lance W. Dreeson |
| Best Comedy Horror | Burning Passion | Brian Belefant |
| Best Special FX in the Feature Category | Despiser | Philip Cook |
| Fan Favorite | Hell's Highway | S. Lee Taylor |

### 2001

The following are 2001's full-length feature film award winners:
| Award | Film | Director |
| Best Film in the Thriller Category | Siren | Steve Morris |
| Best Film in the Feature Category | The Wind | Michael Mongillo |
| Scariest Film | Memorial Day | dMarcos Gabriel & Chris Alender |