Since 2006 Phoenix FearCON Independent Horror Film Festival is a community driven event focused on the independent horror film maker, and the obstacles they face trying to get their film projects noticed. In addition, we aim to make our events interactive, so that there are not just film screenings. We invite local performers and local celebrities for performances and interact with their fans. Our volunteer staff work tirelessly and without compensation to make sure the FearCON is the best event visited by our guests and film makers. 

FearCON originally started out in 2006 as the Phoenix Fear Film Festival, showcasing local and international independent horror films at the now defunct Paper Heart, a small art gallery. We have since grown to a large venue and have been a vanguard event, dedicated to strengthening the general understanding of horror genre film culture by providing audiences independent, cutting‐edge, original films – and authentic representations of horror from around the world.

Through time the festival has evolved to include a wider variety of genres for audiences to enjoy, all of which portray a different aspect of terror along with an atmosphere dedicated to the horror movie fan, including special musical presentations, special effects demonstrations, panel discussions, Q&A with cast and crew, fashion shows and more. 

To reflect these changes and highlight the festival’s evolution, the name of the festival has been changed to “Phoenix FearCON”

Phoenix FearCON provides a significant opportunity for audiences to come and see what independent Horror is all about from different perspectives and reflect.

Cinema is a bridge that connects us all. The committee members and our volunteers have a passion and energy dedicated to this event. Although the festival is still young, it is supported by its members with unlimited potential, and we hope to continue this event into the future.

Our aim is to uncover new talent in the Horror film industry through this festival, and to develop and grow together.

For years filmmakers have been taken advantage of by the traditional Hollywood system. At FearCON, we are partnered with several distribution companies that will offer our winners a global distribution on a variety of platforms.

With the landscape of content delivery ever-evolving, filmmakers and movie goers have options. 

This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, FearCON is online only, but the benefit to that is we are no longer limited to local attendees.

• Films will be SEEN BY MILLIONS for the duration of the festival, including agents, distributors and other industry professionals.
• Our encryption is state of the art and all films are placed on a secure server so piracy is NOT an issue.

Our judges are fans of the genre. Every film is watched and specially curated. We are not like the big festivals that receive thousands of dollars in submission fee revenue and only watch a handful of films. We watch every film.

The Phoenix FearCON Film Festival is a place where new filmmakers can connect with audiences to gain exposure. A place where film lovers can discover new content without having to attend in person. It's a place where the theatrical experience meets the digital era.

Chris and Jim McLennan
Festival Founders and Directors
director@phoenixfearcon.com