Dreadline Film Festival

08/25/2026

Meet filmmaker Jack Kudas, writer and director of The Celebration, a Dreadline 2026 Official Selection and winner of Best of New England, Best Editing, and Best Sound Design. 🤡🎬🏆

An award-winning filmmaker and author from Kennebunkport, Maine, Jack has found a powerful creative home in horror. His latest short, The Celebration, has earned 17 official selections and 14 awards during its ongoing festival run.

At Dreadline, each attending filmmaker was given the opportunity to sit down for an individual interview; creating space to share more about their film, their process, and the work behind it.

Hear from Jack about his approach to horror, the inspiration behind bringing The Celebration to life, the creation of two unique new horror villains, and his hopes for the future of this story.

Thank you, Jack, for being part of Dreadline’s inaugural year! 🩸

08/24/2026

They killed it 🩸🏆🔪

Congratulations to our inaugural winners of the first Dreadline Film Festival! It was an honor to celebrate with you, uplift your films and welcome you to the dread 💀

Best of Dreadline Fest - The Camper
Best Horror Short - Face Crusher: Legends
Best Thriller Short - The Loon
Best Experimental Short - Shard
Best of New England - The Celebration
Best National Short - Sous Vide
Best International Short - Shard
Best Student Short - Survival Story
First-Time Filmmaker Award - The Loon
Women in Horror Award - The Camper
Best Director - Face Crusher: Legends
Best Actor - Survival Story
Best Actress - Lament
Best Cinematography - The Loon
Best Editing - The Celebration
Best Sound Design - The Celebration
People’s Choice - Haunted By It

Thank you for making our first year one to remember.
We aim to be a fest you won’t forget.

PC: New England Photographer 📸

08/22/2026

We’re ready for you🩸

Tomorrow. 6:00 PM. The inaugural Dreadline Film Festival.

Tickets are still available! Join us at Portland Media Center in downtown Portland, Maine, for a night of horror, haunting stories, awards, prizes, and most importantly, an opportunity to come together and uplift the indie film community.

https://portlandmedia.org/events/

See you there. 🎬🩸

08/12/2026

We’re thrilled to announce the Official Selections for the inaugural 2026 Dreadline Film Festival! 🎬🩸💀

Congratulations to all of our Official Selections, directors, casts and crews. Welcome to the dread!

To everyone who submitted to our inaugural festival, thank you for sharing your incredible work with us. We look forward to continuing to uplift and celebrate the films you’ve made, the stories you’re telling and all the work that is still to come!

Tickets are now live at the link in our bio! Please consider joining us August 22nd at 6 PM at Portland Media Center in downtown Portland, Maine, for a night of fun, fright and film! 🎥🔪

08/11/2026

Tickets are now available for the inaugural Dreadline Film Festival! 🩸

With limited seating at Portland Media Center, we expect tickets to go quickly, so purchase yours today and join us for an unforgettable night celebrating independent film.

This year’s inaugural festival features an incredible lineup of thrilling, chilling, experimental, horror and thriller short films from filmmakers here in Maine, New England and beyond.

We cannot wait to celebrate the incredible work of all the filmmakers joining us as Official Selections and bring our film community together for a night dedicated to creativity, storytelling, and independent voices.

📍 Portland Media Center
📅 August 22
🎞️ Filmmaker arrive at 5:00PM
🕠 Doors to the public open at 5:30 PM
🎬 Films begin at 6:00 PM

Come celebrate with us and help us kick off the very first Dreadline Film Festival!

Upcoming events at Portland Media Center! PMC Community Events Recording July 27 - 30 PARTICIPATE IN THE COVID-19 AMERICAN HISTORY PROJECT You’re invited to tell your story.The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is working with StoryCorps to record, preserve and share stories of A...

07/10/2026

🩸 Introducing Dreadline Judge: Pamela S. Kramer

With more than 25 years in the entertainment industry and over 5,000 days on set, Pamela S. Kramer brought an incredible depth of experience to the Dreadline Film Festival judging panel.

A casting director, producer, and acting coach, Pamela has worked on numerous horror, thriller, and sci-fi productions, including The Unborn, The Basement, Psycho Sisters, Torture Chamber, and Nice Axe. Her work spans feature films, award-winning shorts, television, and commercial productions, helping launch countless actors into successful careers.

Pamela is also the creator of “Dying for the Camera,” the nation’s only acting intensive dedicated to horror performance, where she trains actors in the unique demands of the genre.

We were honored to have Pamela’s expertise help shape the inaugural Dreadline Film Festival Official Selections. Thank you, Pamela, for your time, insight, and dedication to supporting independent genre filmmakers!

06/03/2026

Your film after missing the deadline... 😱

Only 2 DAYS REMAIN to submit to Dreadline Film Festival.

We’re providing a special offer since extending the deadline💀 Comment “DREAD” below for a $10 discount code.

🎬 Final Deadline: June 5
🏆 $1,000 Best of Fest Prize & more!

Don’t let your film become a ghost story.

06/02/2026

Due to an increase in submissions, we’ve extended our final deadline to June 5th! 🎬💀

Thank you to everyone who has submitted so far. We’re thrilled by the response and can’t wait to share these incredible films with our audience.

If you haven’t submitted yet, this is your chance to join the dread and be part of the inaugural Dreadline Film Festival.

Final Deadline: June 5th
Submit your short film before it’s too late🩸

04/27/2026

Will it be yours? Submit your film 🎬🩸