
DARK CINEMA
A short film festival for all things dark, sinister, and supernatural.
Dark Cinema returns October 11, 2025, at the historic Ritz Theater, inviting horror enthusiasts, filmmakers, and anyone eager to welcome in the Halloween season. For one night only, the festival will showcase a carefully chosen collection of short films — stories meant to scare, unsettle, and serve as a harbinger for the 2025 Halloween season.
Alongside our official selections, we are adding new experiences: a youth film category celebrating the next generation of storytellers, and three guest filmmaker lectures diving into the craft of horror. The night also features dark themed vendors and food trucks keeping the theater grounds undead. Arrive in your most haunting attire — eerie, gothic, dark, or elegant — and you may be crowned Best Costume of the night, taking home a one-of-a-kind trophy.
FESTIVAL DETAILS
Date: October 11th, 2025
Location: Ritz Theater, Tooele, UT.
Times:
4pm- Youth Film Showcase (Free to public)
5pm- Filmmaker Lectures (Free to public)
7pm- Dark Cinema Official Selections
9pm- Awards Ceremony & Filmmaker Q&A
10pm- Special Feature: High School Ghost Story by East Hollywood High
Tickets: Get tickets here! (Limited Quantity)
Parking: Tooele County Health Department
FILMMAKERS
Welcome, visionary filmmakers, to Dark Cinema! We invite you to showcase your talent in crafting terrifying stories that delve deep into fear and suspense. Whether you're a seasoned filmmaker or just starting out, this festival offers a platform to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and the supernatural.
Submissions for the 2025 festival will opened on 10/31/24, and we encourage you to be part of this chilling celebration of horror. Check out the details on FilmFreeway (link below) and be ready to immerse our audience in nightmares they won’t soon forget. All ages and skill levels are welcome—see rules and submission guidelines on FilmFreeway. This year awards include grotesque trophies and $2,000 in CASH PRIZES!
2025 will be also be featuring a special youth category! If you are under 18 years old, submit as normal and please use the code 'YOUTHFILM2025' for a free submission into the youth category.
2025 SELECTED FILMS
(COMING SOON)
DARK MARKET
Shop the Dark Market — where the strange, spooky, and spectacular come to life. Explore a gathering of shadowy vendors offering haunted creations, eerie treasures, and chilling services you won’t find anywhere else. Don’t miss it.
THE FILMMAKER’S CRYPT
Join us for presentations from three local filmmakers as they share their craft and explore horror-themed filmmaking topics — each drawn from their own films, which will also screen later that evening. For filmmakers and future filmmakers alike, it’s an evening to learn, connect, and spark the dark ideas that will haunt your next creation.
AFFILIATES AND SPONSORS
Made possible by these affiliates and sponsors who fuel Utah’s horror community and champion local filmmakers:
UTAH FILM CENTER and ARTIST FOUNDRY - ASYLUM 49 - SPOOX BOOTIQUE - ONQ HOME LOANS - FAST EDDIE FILMS - KINSMAN MECHANICAL AND CONSTRUCTION
SCENES FROM THE DARKNESS















2024 LINE UP
(2025 film line up to be updated when selected)










Vendors and Food Trucks
Welcome, talented artisans and food trucks, to Dark Cinema Film Festival! Embrace the opportunity to showcase your uniquely crafted creations amidst the spine-chilling atmosphere of our event. Engage with an audience eager to immerse themselves in the macabre, offering them a chance to take home pieces that reflect the eerie and mysterious spirit of the festival. Whether it's haunted trinkets, eerie artwork, or bewitching crafts, let your products add an extra layer of intrigue to the thrilling experience of our festival. Get ready to enchant festival-goers with your one-of-a-kind creations that capture the essence of the horror genre. Fill out a vendor request to be featured at the festival.