Fair consideration
Every submission is assessed on its own merits through a structured programming process designed to support consistency, transparency, care and clear decision-making.
Our Mission
To champion independent horror, support original voices and bring filmmakers and audiences together through a fair, welcoming and cinematic festival experience.
Why Glowflare exists
Independent horror deserves to be experienced, discussed and celebrated
Glowflare Horror Film Festival exists to give independent filmmakers a dedicated platform for presenting bold, imaginative and uncompromising genre work. We believe films should be considered for their storytelling, atmosphere, originality, craft and impact rather than their budget, production scale or the filmmaker's previous experience.
Our mission is to bring audiences closer to original horror cinema while helping filmmakers present, discuss and increase the visibility of their work in a supportive festival environment. From quiet psychological unease and supernatural storytelling to visceral gore and extreme genre filmmaking, Glowflare welcomes the full creative breadth of horror.
We aim to build an accessible and recurring festival that contributes to independent cinema and film culture in Yorkshire, while remaining open to filmmakers, stories and perspectives from across the United Kingdom and around the world.
What we stand for
A festival shaped by fairness, originality and connection
Independent voices
We welcome emerging and established filmmakers and value original work from every production scale, including student, no-budget and independently financed films.
Horror without limits
Psychological, supernatural, folk, creature, found-footage, slasher, science-fiction, dark comedy, animation, experimental, gore and extreme horror all have a place within Glowflare.
Meaningful connection
Screenings, filmmaker conversations, audience voting, discussion and networking create opportunities for people to connect through the work and the ideas behind it.
The mission in practice
Supporting filmmakers while creating a stronger audience experience
For filmmakers, this means careful consideration, clear communication, meaningful recognition and a professional cinema setting in which selected work can be presented to an engaged audience. Where possible, conversations, introductions, press activity and promotional opportunities help extend the experience beyond the screening itself.
For audiences, it means a varied and thoughtfully curated programme that encourages discovery, provides appropriate information and content guidance, and reflects the creativity, intensity and diversity of contemporary horror filmmaking.
For the wider film community, it means developing a recurring event that strengthens independent exhibition, supports creative exchange and gives original genre storytelling a distinctive home in Yorkshire.
