Dallas-based filmmakers Mitch McLeod and Jessica Dawn Willis of Absentia Pictures and Adam Johnson of Deep Cuts Coffee and Deep Cuts Films have teamed up to launch the Deep Cuts Horror Film Festival, Dallas’ first and only horror-exclusive film festival.
In a city whose film scene seems to thrive in the horror genre, a horror film festival seems long overdue, and McLeod, Willis, and Johnson are proud to be the first to do it.
“We’ve talked for a while now about doing a film festival here,” says McLeod, fresh off his Danielle Harris and Michael Ironside vehicle Marrow, which also stars and is co-written by Willis, “and we love the horror genre. When we started thinking about it and realizing that Dallas didn’t have a horror-exclusive film festival, we jumped at the opportunity to be the ones to create the first one, and we loved what Adam was bringing to the community with his love for the genre and thought he would be a great person to partner up with for this endeavor.”
“We love horror and Halloween,” says Willis, “and by launching a horror film festival at the start of November, it feels like a fun way to keep the Halloween spirit alive while doing what we love, enjoying horror at the cinema.”
Johnson, the idea man behind a successful, horror-themed coffee shop in the heart of Downtown Dallas, stated, “We started Deep Cuts because we wanted to do things differently. After launching our film investment initiative in 2026, something shifted. We went from being a spooky little coffee shop to becoming a platform for the kind of horror we wanted to see more of. And so, The Deep Cuts Horror Film Festival was born. More than anything, we want to give filmmakers a place to have their films seen and their voices heard.”
RELATED: ‘Boorman and the Devil’ Director on Finding the Real Story Behind ‘Exorcist II’ (Exclusive)
Deep Cuts promises a festival experience that will be fun and welcoming for filmmakers across the globe, along with a curated selection of some of the best independent horror films on the festival circuit. The festival also aims to go above and beyond typical independent festivals by offering incentives for filmmakers to submit their films.
“As independent filmmakers ourselves, we understand the importance of being seen,” says McLeod. “We intend to team up with distributors and publications who will see these films and give the filmmakers an opportunity to develop a wider audience for their films. Awards are great and will be available as well, but, as an independent filmmaker, the most important thing is getting eyes on your work. And we want to help with that.”
Deep Cuts Horror Film Festival launches November 5th, 2027, and is now open for submissions on FilmFreeway. For media inquiries, reach out to [email protected].
