Introduction to the film festival
Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (HÕFF), taking place annually on the final weekend of April, is the “one and only stop” for the genre hungry in the Baltics.
Held in the unique setting of the city of Haapsalu - once a renown summer retreat of the Russian Czars, now a picturesque town, and the home of an infamous Baltic ghost - the White Lady, haunting the medieval castle on the the western coast of Estonia.
Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival is organised by the team of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
Awards
Audience Favourite Award: Méliès d’Argent Award for the Best European Short Film: Navigator Pirx Award for Best Sci-Fi Feature Best Estonian Genre Film
Chosen by popular vote by the Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival audience.
The winning film goes on to compete for the Méliès d'Or at the European Fantastic Film Festival Federation's end-of-the-year gala.
Chosen by Estonian Science Fiction Association jury
Chosen by Haapsalu Youth Jury
Rules
Regulations and requirements
1.1 Films premiered after: April 1st 2025
1.2 Short (45 minutes or under) or full-length (45 minutes or over) films
1.3 Genre cinema (fantasy, horror, sci-fi, etc.)
1.4 Screening format: DCP (Interop or SMPTE), ProRes
1.5 Translation: with English subtitles if not spoken in English
Méliès d’Argent Competition Film Eligibility Criteria
2.1 Films premiered after: January 1st, 2025
2.2 Short films (25 minutes or under)
2.3 The Film must belong to the fantastic genre
2.4 The Film must not have won a Silver Méliès at another festival
2.5 The Film must be a European production.
The determination of the European character of a film is done according to the 2 following options:
The director(s) is (are) European and in this case a co-production could be considered (1 or 2 European countries and 1 non-European country).
The director(s) is (are) non-European, in which case the production has to be entirely European (a non-European co-production, even as a minority interest, is not accepted).
The list of countries accepted as European is:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Croatia.
| Jury Name | Judge photos | Jury Profile |
|---|
Authorization type
Duration (several sessions)
Film Festival Features
Dates & Deadlines
2025-10-31
Submission start time
2025-12-20
Earlybird Deadline
2026-02-18
Regular Deadline
2026-03-20
Late Deadline
2026-03-20
Submission end time
2026-04-03
Finalist notification start time
2026-04-03
Finalist notification end time
2026-04-30
Award ceremony start time
2026-05-02
Award ceremony end time
Categories and fees
2025/12/20
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 24 Dollar
2026/02/18
Regular Deadline
Standard: 35 Dollar
2026/03/20
Late Deadline
Standard: 46 Dollar
2025/12/20
Earlybird Deadline
Standard: 16 Dollar
2026/02/18
Regular Deadline
Standard: 22 Dollar
2026/03/20
Late Deadline
Standard: 28 Dollar
Related film festivalMore
View in the applet
Follow us
Follow the following platforms
Facebook
Twitter
WeChat
Official Weibo
Beijing Public Network Security No. 11011202000526
