Reel Horrors Film Room

Get Tickets
Reel Horrors Film Room:
 FRIDAY: 4PM-MIDNIGHT
SATURDAY: Reel Horrors Film Fest 9AM-MIDNIGHT
SUNDAY: 9AM-5PM
Registration Table:
 Purchase all Photo Ops tickets at the Registration table in the Hotel Lobby
FRIDAY: 2PM-8PM
SATURDAY: 9AM-6PM
SUNDAY: 9AM-3PM

Event Schedule

  • Day 01

    Sept 18, 2026

  • Day 02

    Sept 19, 2026

  • Day 03

    Sept 20, 2026

4PM-4:50PM

Reel Horrors

Welcome & Opening Remarks & Sponsors

Kick off an unforgettable weekend as we celebrate the filmmakers, fans, and wonderfully weird community that makes horror so special.

5PM-5:50PM

Reel Horrors

Alumni Block: Old Friends, New Nightmares

They’re back….
And they brought new nightmares with them. A devil has a favor to ask, a sneeze sends a man somewhere he definitely shouldn't be, a pair of shoes plots a bloody rebellion, a grieving widow reaches beyond the grave, and a zombie apocalypse gets considerably more fun with a few kegs on hand. Featuring new work from filmmakers returning to Reel Horrors, this block celebrates the familiar faces behind some very different kinds of horror.
Lucy and the Devil (actor in person)
AAAH-CHOO!
Bouncer Boots (in person)
The Lost Ones (in person)
28 Kegs Later (in person)
Film Time: 36:48

6PM-6:50PM

Reel Horrors

Alumni Panel: So You Want to Get Into a Film Festival?

Our guest alumni filmmakers pull back the curtain on the world of getting your first film into the Horror Film Festival circuit! Designed for student and first time filmmakers.

7PM-8:50PM

Reel Horrors

Student Filmmaker Showcase: Fresh Blood

The future of horror is looking BLOODY.
A painting comes alive, demon girls hunt for their next meal, a boy finds himself at the mercy of ancient creatures, a former couple reunites across a disturbing age divide, a mother takes “protective” parenting to a horrifying extreme, and a grieving brother looks to the stars for answers. Meet the emerging filmmakers bringing their own strange, unsettling visions to the screen.
The Depths (in person)
The Staked Girls (in person)
The Boy and the Glimmerkin
Dawn (in person)
With the Skin (in person)
The Stars are Screaming (in person)
Film Time: 1:08:36

9PM-9:50PM

Reel Horrors

COFOH EXCLUSIVE WORLD PREMIRE: The Reel Weird Horror Awards!

Join us as we honor the past year's very best in horror cinema with our gloriously over-the-top (and VERY LOW BUDGET) award show featuring some of Horrors best and upcoming Horror celebrities!

11PM-11:50PM

Reel Horrors

The Trailer Park

An annual tradition as we kick off the Festival with a late-night screening of the best- and worst- of upcoming Horror trailers, roundly heckled and commented on MSTK3 style by Bryan Bonner and Jack Hanley, guests Bob Lewis and Rocco, and audence alike.

10AM-10:50AM

Reel Horrors

Block 1: The Space Between

Reality isn't always as fixed as we think. These stories inhabit liminal spaces where the boundaries between past and present,
the living and the dead, and the physical and the unseen begin to blur. Whether caught
in a fractured timeline, carrying out a final wish, or confronting a phenomenon that
defies explanation, these characters must navigate the uncertain space between what
was, what is, and what might be.
After Link
El Nieto
Dead Zone (in person)
Film Time: 50:24

11AM-11:50AM

Ty Bradford, Todd Debreceni

Reel Horrors

BLOOD, GUTS & BUDGETS: Making Practical Horror Effects Work on an Indie Production

The filmmakers behind the upcoming indie horror film UCK share their tips and tricks for creating great practical effects on a limited budget. Filmaker Ty Bradford and Filmmaker and Veteran Makeup Effects Artist Todd Debreceni in person!

NOON-12:50AM

Reel Horrors

Block 2: Under Pressure

There’s only so much pressure a person can take. As a performer faces the terror of stepping into the spotlight, a shut-in is pushed to
confront the torment lurking within himself, and an internet influencer finds his carefully
curated persona unraveling under the toxicity of life online, each is driven closer to the
breaking point. But when the cracks begin to show, what lies beneath the masks we
wear may be even more frightening.
Simon Says So
The Masks We Wear (in person)
Followed (in person)
Film Time: 45:01

1PM-1:50PM

Reel Horrors

Block 3: Unrequited

Not every connection is meant to be mutual. From ghosts that refuse to let go and lovers who demand too much to obsessive
attention and unwanted advances, these stories explore the darker side of desire,
where longing becomes fixation and connection becomes control. Sometimes the
scariest thing isn't being alone; it's being wanted by someone you never wanted back.
The Lingering
Voyeur
Love, Mike!
Just Being Nice
Film Time: 47:56

2PM-2:50PM

Lauren Marshall, Bobby Mendoza, Kendra Nelson, Joey Thompson & Bo Webb

Reel Horrors

How the Hell Did You Make That?!

Reel Horrors filmmakers take us behind the scenes to share what worked, what went wrong, and how they pulled it off.

3PM-3:50PM

Reel Horrors

Block 4 : What Goes Around…

Some wrongs demand to be answered. From deeply personal grudges to the ghosts of historical violence and a very angry
force of nature, these stories turn past trauma into a reckoning… whether cosmic,
political, or deeply personal, every debt eventually comes due.
Silver String
The Hog Queen
Ethel
Film Time: 40:16

4PM-4:50PM

Reel Horrors

Block 5: Rotten to the Core

One bite is all it takes. From disease and decay to toxic desires and the brutal necessities of survival, these
stories find their characters face-to-face with the grotesque, forcing them to consume,
sacrifice, or embrace that which repulses them. After all, sometimes the rot goes deeper
than you think.
The Black Vampire (in person)
Bleeding the Cow
Appetite of a Nobody
UN-DEAD (in person)
Film Time: 42:56

5PM-5:50PM

Scott Vandiver

Reel Horrors

THE FUTURE OF INDEPENDENT HORROR DISTRIBUTION

Go behind the screen with our official festival sponsors at SHIVER Vertical for a conversation about the rapidly evolving world of vertical filmmaking and new horror distribution models. What opportunities does this emerging format offer independent horror filmmakers...and could the future of horror already be sitting in the palm of your hand?
Presented by SHIVER Vertical!

6PM-6:50PM

Reel Horrors

Block 6: Home Body

There’s no place like home… Home is supposed to be where we feel safest, but what happens when the familiar turns
strange? A bizarre piece of decor, a nightly ritual, a very personal recipe, and an
intruder at the door turn the comforts of home into something far more sinister. Because
sometimes the most frightening thing in the house isn't what's knocking at the door, it’s
what's already inside.
Wall Udder
Hide
Red Velvet (in person)
80% of Home Invasions Happen During the Day (in person)
Film Time: 42:10

7PM-8:50PM

Reel Horrors

Awards Ceremony & Filmmaker Mixer!

Our signature event! Celebrate the year's best films and filmmakers as we hand out awards in several categories, meet the filmmakers behind them, and mingle with fellow horror fans and industry professionals as we toast another unforgettable year of independent horror cinema.

9PM-9:50PM

Reel Horrors

Do You Like Scary Movies? Live Podcast

Join the hosts of the Do You Like Scary Movies Podcast Byran Bonner and Bob Lewis as they wrap up the main competition with live interviews of our winning filmmakers, festival programmers, and festivalgoers alike!

10PM-10:50PM

Reel Horrors

Irreverent PowerPoint!

One projector. Unlimited bad ideas. Because every horror fan has at least one hill they're willing to die on. Special festival guests take the stage with five-minute PowerPoint presentations defending horror's most outrageous, controversial, and surprisingly persuasive opinions.

10AM-10:50AM

Reel Horrors

Horror 101: The History of Folk Horror

Our annual Sunday morning tradition returns! Grab some hair of the dog and join your Professors Jack Hanley and Bryan Bonner (along with returning guest lecturers Rocco and Bob Lewis) for a lively, interactive deep dive into one of horror's most fascinating subgenres.

11AM-11:50AM

Reel Horrors

Trauma Cotoure: The Rise of Elevated Horror

Was the age of "elevated horror" a revolution, a marketing gimmick, or simply horror finally getting the respect it always deserved? Join our panel for one of the weekend's liveliest- and controvertial- debates.

NOON-1:50PM

Reel Horrors

Best of the Fest: 2026 Award Winning Films

Missed a standout? Here's your second chance! Join us Sunday for a special encore screening of Reel Horrors' award-winning films, the best of the fest, as chosen by our festival jury. Winners will be revealed Saturday night, so you'll have to show up to find out what made the cut.

2PM-2:50PM

Reel Horrors

Devil in the Trunk Special Event

Go behind the scenes with the filmmakers and cast for stories, surprises, sneak peeks, and audience Q&A. Sponsored by 6 Feet Under.

3PM-3:50PM

Reel Horrors

The Great Horror Film Debate!

Several teams. A few controversial topics. Countless opinions. Join the liveliest argument of the weekend as our guests battle it out over topics (and bad takes) submitted by our COFOH attendees!

4PM-5:50PM

Reel Horrors

The Year in Horror: 2026 Wrap-Up

Our beloved closing tradition returns! Join the Reel Horrors programmers, critics, and special guests as they hand out irreverent superlatives, celebrate the year's greatest horror, roast its biggest disappointments (and each other), and send you home with the ultimate horror watchlist.

Get Your Ticket

The Colorado Festival of Horror (COFOH) is brought to you by COFOH Entertainment and will be a highlight for the horror genre and all that it bleeds. COFOH is a platform for the community to unite over the love of horror and everything that creeps in the night!

Where & When?

September 18 - 20, 2026
Denver Marriott Tech Center
info@cofestivalofhorror.com