The Indie Horror Film Festival is a legendary showcase of independent horror cinema, a celebration of all things creepy, creative, and cutting-edge in the genre. For nearly two decades, this festival has been scaring up thrills for audiences and providing a platform for emerging horror filmmakers to share their nightmares on the big screen. It’s a cinematic experience that’s as fun as it is dark and edgy – an underground event with a loyal community of horror fans and creators who come together to revel in the macabre.

Born from Chicago’s Shadows (2005 Origins)

The festival traces its bloody roots back to 2005, when horror entrepreneur Jason R. Davis – founder of the Chicago Horror Film Festival – spawned a sister event dedicated entirely to indie horror. Davis launched the first Indie Horror Film Festival in the Chicago area, creating a new outlet at a time when few others catered to grassroots horror filmmakers. In those early years (often under the moniker “Indy Horror Film Festival”), the event shined a spotlight on independent horror shorts and features, quickly gaining a reputation as the place to find the next cult favorite. By 2009, after several successful seasons, the festival took a brief hiatus as Jason R. Davis stepped back to pursue other projects.

Resurrection and Revival (2010 and Beyond)

Like any good horror icon, the Indie Horror Film Festival refused to stay dead. In 2010 it was resurrected – or rather, brought back to life – under new management. Breaking Fate Entertainment, led by filmmaker and producer Willy Adkins, took up the festival’s reins and injected new blood into the event. Adkins and his team revived the annual fright-fest (after its 2009 slumber) and nurtured its growth, expanding its reach beyond Chicago. Throughout the early 2010s the festival haunted various venues across Illinois, building a following and upping the screams each year. By the late 2010s, the Indie Horror Film Festival had grown and ultimately found a new home base in DeKalb, Illinois – aligning with Breaking Fate Entertainment’s own home turf – where it continued to thrive and evolve.

Altgeld Hall – The Castle of Nightmares

One of the most unique aspects of the modern festival is its venue. The event now unfolds at Northern Illinois University’s Altgeld Hall, an imposing Gothic Revival building fondly nicknamed “the castle.” This castle-like hall, with its turrets and historic architecture, provides a perfect eerie backdrop for a horror festival. There’s something undeniably cinematic about watching horror films in a real castle, and Altgeld Hall’s stone corridors and looming towers add an immersive, spooky atmosphere to the experience. The venue has become the festival’s lair in recent years, amplifying the Indie Horror Film Festival’s dark, theatrical vibe while wowing attendees with its dramatic setting.

Part of Mr. Willy’s Dark Art & Oddities Con

Today, the Indie Horror Film Festival has mutated into a centerpiece of a larger event – Mr. Willy’s Dark Art and Oddities Con, held each November. In a move that blended two realms of the macabre, the festival was folded into this convention of all things weird and wonderful in 2024. Now every fall, horror filmmakers and fans descend upon DeKalb for a weekend where the film festival shares the stage with an eclectic convention featuring dark art vendors, oddities exhibits, live entertainment, and paranormal attractions. The Indie Horror Film Festival takes over the convention’s final day as its grand finale. This format has given the festival a fresh context and audience – imagine browsing creepy curiosities and artwork one day, then settling in a castle hall the next day for a marathon of horror films! It’s a mashup of convention and cinema that creates an energetic, community-driven atmosphere unlike any other.

2025 Festival – A New Nightmare Unfolds

Mark your calendars for the next chapter in this festival’s ongoing horror saga. The 2025 Indie Horror Film Festival is slated for Sunday, November 16, 2025, when Altgeld Hall’s doors will creak open once again to welcome fans into the darkness. This year’s program promises three bone-chilling blocks of short horror films unspooling throughout the day, each block packed with fresh frights ranging from gruesome thrillers to spooky sci-fi and horror-comedy. After a full day of scares and screams, the event will culminate in a live awards ceremony – a celebratory (and slightly ghoulish) gathering to honor the most outstanding works of the festival. The Indie Horror Film Festival hands out awards recognizing excellence across all aspects of indie filmmaking. Honors include Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Music, and Best Special FX, shining a spotlight on the creativity and talent behind the terror. Winners are announced live, often to cheers (and playful screams) from an audience of peers and horror lovers.

Where Indie Horror Thrives

Despite its growth and evolving format, the Indie Horror Film Festival has never lost its underground spirit or its sense of community. This festival remains a breeding ground for indie horror talent, staying true to its mission of championing up-and-coming filmmakers. Many filmmakers who got their start here have gone on to make waves in the genre, proving that these castle halls truly incubate the horror legends of tomorrow. Most importantly, the festival has fostered a tight-knit, community-driven environment where everyone from veteran directors to first-time filmmakers and devoted fans can mingle, network, and celebrate what they love. Q&A sessions, filmmaker socials, vendor tables and workshops all contribute to the feeling that the Indie Horror Film Festival is more than just screenings – it’s a family of fear enthusiasts keeping the DIY horror flame alive. Year after year, in this castle of nightmares, the Indie Horror Film Festival continues to nurture new voices in horror and keep the heart of independent terror beating strong.