Short Film Submission Guidelines

a person holding a box — Photo by Logan Ward / Unsplash

Submissions: Open

What We Are Looking For

Macabre Magazine accepts short horror films and video projects up to 45 minutes in length. We are interested in work that embodies the full spectrum of the genre—from gothic and psychological horror to surreal, experimental, uncanny, or darkly humorous storytelling.

We welcome narrative and non-narrative films, animation, and digital horror pieces that evoke dread, fascination, or unease through visual storytelling. Submissions should disturb, provoke, and endure, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.

Ask yourself: Does this film haunt? Does it reveal something lasting or transformative about horror itself? If so, it belongs with us.

We do not accept video essays or analytical commentary. All submissions must be creative works of horror presented as cinematic or video art.

What We Publish

• Short Films and Horror Videos: Up to 45 minutes total runtime
• Formats Accepted: Narrative, experimental, animated, or hybrid forms
• Language: All films must be written, performed, and produced entirely in English. Macabre Magazine does not accept works in translation or films primarily in other languages.

All submissions must be original and unpublished. We do not consider reprints, reposts, or previously distributed content.

Formatting and Technical Requirements

To ensure professional presentation and consistent playback quality, please adhere to the following submission standards:

Checklist for formatting:
• File type: MP4 (preferred) or MOV
• Resolution: 1080p (1920x1080) minimum; 4K preferred when available
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 standard
• Frame Rate: 24–30 fps
• Audio: Stereo mix, normalized levels
• Title Card: The film title must appear at the start of the video
• Runtime: 45 minutes maximum

All submissions must include a short synopsis (100–200 words) and credits list in a separate document (.docx).

Submissions that do not meet these requirements may be returned for correction. If a revised file is not received within one (1) week, the submission will be rejected without further consideration.

Do not include names, logos, watermarks, or production credits within the video itself. Identifying information should appear only in the Duosuma submission form. Files containing identifying details will be rejected unread.

Important: To preserve the integrity of our blind review process, all identifying information must be removed from the video file and accompanying documents prior to submission.

Our blind review process ensures that every submission is evaluated solely on its artistic merit, originality, and contribution to the horror genre.

Multiple & Simultaneous Submissions

• Multiple Submissions: Filmmakers may submit up to two (2) separate films at a time. Review timelines may lengthen accordingly.
• Simultaneous Submissions: Permitted. If your film is accepted elsewhere, you must withdraw it immediately through Duosuma.

Reprints

We do not accept previously released or publicly available films. This includes any work that has been screened at a public festival, posted to video platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo, or shared on social media before submission.

Generative AI Policy

Macabre Magazine publishes only original, human-created work. AI-generated or AI-assisted video content is not accepted under any circumstances.

All imagery, editing, animation, and sound design must originate from human creative input. Submissions found to contain AI-generated elements will be rejected immediately and may result in a permanent ban from future consideration.

Horror filmmaking, at its core, must emerge from human imagination and emotion.

Response Time

We aim to respond within eight (8) weeks, due to the extended nature of the review process for audiovisual material. If you have not received a decision after that period, you may query through Duosuma.

Payment and Contributor Benefits

At present, Macabre Magazine does not offer monetary payment. Filmmakers whose work is accepted may have their film featured in our digital edition, official website, and multimedia showcase series.

All accepted contributors are also eligible for a one-year complimentary membership to the American Horror Society, providing professional development resources, networking opportunities, and member-only events.

Rights

By submitting your work to Macabre Magazine, you agree to grant the following rights upon acceptance:

• Exclusive First Serial Rights: Six (6) months, in English, following publication. During this time, the contributor agrees not to publish the work elsewhere.

• Perpetual Archival Rights: Non-exclusive rights permitting Macabre Magazine to retain, display, and preserve the work in its digital archives, anthologies, or affiliated platforms.

• Promotional Rights: Perpetual right to reproduce excerpts, images, or media from the work for marketing, publicity, or review purposes that promote the contributor and their work.

• Anthology Inclusion Rights: Right to republish accepted works in future anthologies, special editions, or collected volumes, with full contributor credit.

• Audio Rights: Right to produce, publish, and distribute audio adaptations or narrations of accepted works on our official media platforms.

• Audio-Visual Rights: Right to adapt, feature, or incorporate accepted works within multimedia formats exclusively for promotional, editorial, or archive purposes (such as videos or visual showcases). For clarity, the contributor retains all film, television, dramatic, and theatrical rights to the work.

• Award and Nomination Rights: Right to nominate accepted works for consideration in literary and artistic awards, prizes, or external anthologies (including, but not limited to, the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, or the Bram Stoker Awards).

After the six-month exclusivity period, all rights revert to the filmmaker. Copyright remains with the creator at all times.

Conclusion

Submission of a film to Macabre Magazine constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these guidelines in full. The editorial board reserves the right to amend these terms without prior notice; however, no revisions shall retroactively alter the rights of works already accepted for publication.

Our mission is to present the next generation of short horror films—English-language works that embody fear, tension, and atmosphere through craft and vision. If your film captures the essence of horror, it belongs with us.