Ripcord’s Halloween Film Festival has revealed its inaugural selection of 50 short films chosen from over 500 submissions, covering genres such as horror, science fiction, thrillers, and fantasy[1][3]. The festival will stream all selected shorts for registered viewers in the United States and Canada on its website from October 19 to 22, allowing audiences to cast votes for their favorites during that period[1][3].
The festival divides the shorts into seven themed programming blocks with lighthearted guest curators like Freddy Krueger and Casper[1][3]. Audience voting accounts for 40 percent of the selection process for the Top 10 films, with the final ten announced on October 23[1]. The chosen finalists will be screened at a live event at TCL Chinese Theatre on October 29, competing for a total of $200,000 in prizes, including a $100,000 grand prize, according to iHorror and Dread Central[1][3].
A collectible poster by illustrator Jim “TAZ” Evans has also been announced for the event[1][3]. Some of the standout shorts described by iHorror include "Chäir" by Chris McInroy, "Monstrous Me" by Ariel Baska, and "Haint" by Jahmil Eady[1]. Registration is free at ripcord.film, and Fangoria notes audience participation is part of determining the winner[2].
