ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

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San Francisco’s Another Hole in the Head film Festival is a 25-day cinematic excursion into  the realms of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and assorted other genre fare. Under the  auspices of SF IndieFest, ‘AHITH’ has an 21-year tradition of pulling together diverse  Independent films of all varieties and budgetary considerations from major productions by  professional companies to micro-budget labors of love, and everything in between. This  year’s festival runs December 1st - December 25th, 2025 . The festival will take place live in San Francisco at the, 4STAR and  BALBOA theaters. It will be available On-Demand via the Eventive platform, plus live online screenings with audience interaction and filmmaker Q&A  on the Zoom platform.

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​With this festival, we seek broader horizons than the common interpretation of "genre film" allows. All styles of independent film are welcome to compete: whether it's a major production from a professional company, a student film, or a micro-budget labor of love, we are committed to giving each film due consideration.

We are located in a very receptive town for film, and we've built a passionate following over the years. 2025 will mark our 22nd year among the most highly rated genre festivals in the world, and we're still growing!

San Francisco is the second largest film market in the country, and a great promotional platform for indie filmmakers who are trying to get their film out into the world. Many films that screen at our festival spark the attention of other film festivals and film brokers/buyers. In addition, the films and the festival are reviewed by some of the top players in the industry, such as Variety, The San Francisco Chronicle, Dread Central, Bloody Disgusting, and Fangoria, just to name a few.


Audience Awards (Feature, Featurette, and Short):

Top Films 
Best US Films
Best Foreign Films 
Best Local Films 

Best Creature Films
Best Student Films 
Best Action/Adventure Films
Best Animated Films 
Best Art/Experimental Films  
Best Crime Films 
Best Documentary Films 
Best Fan Films 
Best Fantasy Films 
Best Horror Films 
Best Musical/Music Video 
Best Mystery/Noir Films 
Best Science Fiction Films

Best Slasher/Splatter Films 
Best Thriller/Suspense Films

Best Dark Comedy Films 

Best Off Beat Comedy
Best Western Films

Best Drama Films

Best Supernatural Films

Best AI

Staff Awards: 
Favorite Feature

Favorite Featurette 
Favorite Short 
Best Trailer (entries limited to films screening in the festival)

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