REGULAR DEADLINE OCTOBER 31st SUBMIT YOUR FILM TO OUR DECEMBER 2026 SAN FRANCISCO FILM FESTIVAL ON FILMFREEWAY

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ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

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For more than two decades, Another Hole in the Head Film Festival has been a San Francisco home for bold, strange, independent, and unconventional cinema.

Founded in 2004, Another Hole in the Head is a month-long cinematic excursion into Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and beyond. Now entering our 23rd year, the festival continues to showcase adventurous filmmaking from around the world, from established filmmakers to emerging artists working with little more than a great idea and the determination to put it on screen.

Our 2025 edition showcased more than 250 films and projects, making Another Hole in the Head one of San Francisco's most extensive annual showcases of independent genre cinema.

We embrace a much broader definition of “genre film” than the traditional one. Alongside Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, our programming includes Thrillers, Westerns, Dark Comedy, Animation, Art/Experimental cinema, Crime, Mystery/Noir, and films that simply don't fit neatly into a category.

If it's interesting, original, unusual, or takes a chance, we want to see it.

The majority of our official selections are discovered through FilmFreeway, giving independent and emerging filmmakers a genuine opportunity to screen alongside filmmakers from around the world. Professional productions, student films, micro-budget projects, and DIY filmmaking are all welcome and receive serious consideration from our programming team.

THE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE

Our theatrical screenings take place at San Francisco's historic Balboa Theatre, a neighborhood movie palace that recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.

We believe independent films deserve to be experienced in a real movie theater, with an audience.

Whenever participating filmmakers attend their screenings, we offer moderated filmmaker Q&As, giving audiences an opportunity to meet the people behind the films and giving filmmakers a chance to discuss their work, creative process, and experiences making independent cinema.

For us, the festival isn't simply about putting films on a screen. It's about bringing filmmakers and audiences together and creating the kind of communal moviegoing experience that made us fall in love with film in the first place.

THE 2026 FESTIVAL

The 23rd Another Hole in the Head Film Festival takes place throughout December 2026 in San Francisco.

On-Demand Festival: December 1–31, 2026Theatrical Festival: December 4–17, 2026Location: Historic Balboa Theatre, San FranciscoOnline: Eventive

Select programs may also feature special live online screenings and filmmaker Q&As.

San Francisco has long been home to adventurous film audiences and independent filmmaking, making it an ideal place to introduce new work. Films appearing at Another Hole in the Head have gone on to play additional festivals and reach wider audiences and distributors.

Over the years, Another Hole in the Head and films appearing in the festival have received coverage from outlets including Variety, the San Francisco Chronicle, Dread Central, Fangoria, and others.

After more than two decades, our mission remains simple:

Find interesting films. Put them in front of an audience. Support the filmmakers who made them.

AWARDS & PRIZES

At Another Hole in the Head, we believe the audience should have a voice in recognizing the films that connect with them.

Rather than traditional jury prizes, our awards are driven primarily by the people who experience the films. Audience members vote following theatrical screenings at the Balboa Theatre and through our online festival programs.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Awards are presented across Feature, Featurette, and Short categories, including Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Animation, Art/Experimental, Local, Student, Thriller, Dark Comedy, Documentary, Western, Crime, Mystery/Noir, Drama, Action/Adventure, Fan Film, Musical/Music Video, Slasher/Splatter, Foreign Film, U.S. Film, and additional categories represented in each year's program.

Documentary entries are limited to subjects related or adjacent to genre entertainment.

STAFF AWARDS

In addition to our Audience Awards, the Another Hole in the Head programming team recognizes a selection of festival favorites:

Favorite FeatureFavorite FeaturetteFavorite ShortBest Trailer

Best Trailer is limited to films officially screening in the festival.

Above all, selection for Another Hole in the Head means becoming part of a festival that has spent more than two decades celebrating independent filmmakers, unusual voices, and movies that deserve to be discovered.