The festival is meant to capture the spirit of independent filmmaking—celebrating filmmakers, actors, and crew often overlooked by Hollywood and studio-funded films.It begins, as all good horror stories do, in a quiet hotel on the edge of town. By this Thursday, rooms at he Crowne Plaza Cleveland Airport will fill with screams, terrors, the flicker of blood-soaked scenes… and karaoke.

It might sound like the setup for a slasher flick, but it’s actually the 14th annual International Horror Hotel Film Festival, taking over the Crowne Plaza, 7230 Engle Road in Middleburg Heights, from Thursday, June 19 through Sunday, June 22.

With more than 130 screenings of independent horror, fantasy, and sci-fi films from around the world—plus industry expert-led lectures, vendors, competitions, and late-night events—the four-day festival transforms the hotel into a celebration of all things creepy, campy, and creative.

“The Horror Hotel Film Festival is a labor of love,” says co-owner Johnny Wu, a filmmaker himself, who also organizes the Cleveland Asian Festival and One World Day.

Festival co-owner Johnny Wu encourages attendees to connect with industry pros leading the panels, lectures, and screenings.“Seven independent filmmakers locally came together and bought the festival last year,” explains Wu, who is now one of the owners. “We want to keep it truly independent, ensuring it remains an independent film festival for independent filmmakers.”

Wu says the new owners want to keep a fresh, unique take on the yearly event. “Our showcase isn't Hollywood-type studio films,” he says. “What you see here are films you'd never see anywhere else, besides maybe on Tubi or Amazon later down the road.”

Inside the lineup
This year’s schedule unfolds like a four-act horror story—and that’s exactly the kind of interactive experience Wu wants for the festival. “We want people to have a great time and be immersed in more of a 4D environment,” he says.

Thursday night sets the tone with an evening of films. Screenings pick back up on Friday, along with the opening of the convention floor, which is free to the public and filled with vendors, demos, and hands-on exhibits. Friday also brings the first round of expert-led industry and craft lectures and the return of the Room 237 Film Competition, where filmmaker teams face off for cash and gear.

“Not many people signed up the first year since it was new, but this year we have many more participants, which is exciting,” says Wu.

In the Room 237 competition, participants must make a film in 30 days using a murder weapon assigned during an initial Zoom meeting.

Two new sponsors are raising the stakes: School Yard Studios in Burton is offering the winning team a full day of studio use, while Cleveland-based camera rental company Liminal is contributing up to $3,000 in rental gear to first- or second-place winners.

“We're building these relationships [with sponsors] because it's important to develop the industry we have here in Cleveland,” Wu says.

The International Horror Hotel Film Festival returns to the Crowne Plaza Cleveland Airport this Thursday, June 19 through Sunday..Saturday is packed with screenings, more panel discussions and lectures, and the return of crowd-favorite contests: Scream Queens and Scream Kings and FX (special effects) Makeup.

Rather than staying on the sidelines, vendors sit on the judging panels. “We've invited about 13 different vendors to the festival,” Wu says. “They help judge the competitions. This way, vendors feel like they're truly part of the festival rather than just selling their products.”

Sunday wraps up the weekend with a final round of screenings and the Monologue Competition—a returning feature that gives actors a chance to perform original scenes in front of filmmakers and festivalgoers.

“Three selected screenwriters each submitted two sides—one male and one female,” Wu explains. “Competitors choose which pieces they want to perform, work with the writers on Friday to understand the material and then compete on Sunday.”

What happens at Horror Hotel… might just get you hired

“We offer many things for anyone wanting to be part of the industry,” says Wu. “The best part is the networking—we have over 130 different film and 200 filmmakers attending.”

Wu encourages attendees to come ready to connect with the industry pros leading the panels, lectures, and screenings.

“Bring your business card. If you have a headshot, bring that with your resume for the film industry,” he says. “And if you want to dress up, please do so because that will be lots of fun.”

The networking doesn’t end when the filming and showings do, Wu stresses. “We have two after-screening events on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 11:30 and go until four or five o'clock in the morning,” he says. “I'll probably be in bed already, but every year more than 50 to 80 people stay up until that time—playing bingo, drinking, singing karaoke, and having a great time.”

No matter what hours you keep, Wu promises a wicked good time this weekend.

“As Cleveland’s independent film scene grows, we want people to come and experience different types of horror genres so they can have a great time and enjoy all the films available,” he says. “Your job is to network, socialize, make friends, and make connections.”

Tickets, schedules, and full event details are available at horrorhotelfilmfest.com.