Located in haunted Shelbyville, Indiana, Cinema Scares is a Midwest film festival that strives to bring together horror films from across the genre from filmmakers throughout the United States and from around the world. Cinema Scares Film Festival showcases the best of indie horror and connects filmmakers and fans.

Cinema Scares is a blend of film and horror connoisseurs dedicated to the discovery, promotion, preservation, and appreciation of independent horror films. We are committed to serving and supporting independent filmmakers within the horror genre and subgenres.

Our Mission

• Providing exposure through various media to filmmakers and their films to the greater horror genre and its related subgenres (creature features, sci-fi, dark comedy, etc.).
• Providing a robust and dynamically interactive experience for horror fans and horror genre filmmakers.
• Academically fertile ground for the discussion of and growth of the genre and its subgenres.
• Connecting the greater network of film professionals and fans.
• Providing the ability for filmmakers and film professionals to network.
• Providing honest and realistic cross-section of international horror for horror fans and genre professionals.
• Striving to offer a well-rounded, robust, inclusive, experience for fans and filmmakers to connect, network, and grow.
• Facilitating the negotiation and interaction of film professionals and a variety of filmmakers, and film fans.
• Linking the ultimate consumer with the filmmaker and their films.
• Providing a unique experience for film professionals to see how real fans receive and react to their films.