The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival (VHS) is back to take over spooky season in spectacular style. Now in its eighth year, VHS returns to the International Village Cineplex Cinemas in downtown Vancouver from October 15–19, delivering a jam-packed lineup of independent horror films, immersive events, industry insight and visiting filmmakers from all over the world.
Vancouver’s premier celebration of all things eerie and unsettling, VHS is expanding beyond the screen with costume parties, horror trivia, a film location tour, live table reads, special effects makeup tutorials and exclusive industry panel discussions. The festival’s cutting edge programming will once again bring together filmmakers, fans and horror-lovers alike for five days of fear and fun.
A major highlight of the 2025 festival is a special 30th anniversary screening of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, presented in partnership with MastersFX Monster Museum. The screening will feature special guest appearances, including the film’s stars, William Sadler (Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, The Mist) and Sherrie Rose (Me and Will); producers Gil Adler (House on Haunted Hill, Superman Returns, Thirteen Ghosts) and Alan Katz (Bordello of Blood, The Outer Limits); and local VFX legend Todd Masters. The evening will be hosted by acclaimed local horror filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero (V/H/S/85, Satanic Hispanics) and pay homage to the film and the practical FX and horror filmmaking of the mid-90’s.
“Join us!” Says Todd Masters. “I’ll be alongside producers, writers and cast members – as we look back, with behind-the-scenes stories, photos and secrets!”
The VHS 2025 festival lineup will showcase:
Opening Night Special 30th anniversary screening of Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight.
Eight fresh feature film premieres – bold, original horror films that audiences won’t find anywhere else. Including a surprise secret screening to be shown Sunday Oct 19th, after the Golden Tapes Award Show.
Four curated short film blocks featuring 44 never-before-seen horror shorts from 12 countries, with local and international filmmakers in attendance for post-screening Q&As.
Red carpet events, Opening Night Costume Party, Industry Panels, Table Read Series and the always-anticipated VHS Golden Tape Awards, celebrating excellence in indie horror filmmaking.
VHS TALKS: INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FOR CREATORS
In partnership with Vancouver Film School and Creative BC, VHS presents two new installments of its VHS Talks industry panel series:
Saturday, October 18 – How to Make a Horror Featuring acclaimed filmmakers: Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Clown in a Cornfield) and Zach Lipovsky (Final Destination: Bloodlines, Freaks), Sabrina Pitre (Clown in a Cornfield, Final Destination: Bloodlines) and Jordan Waunch (Terror/Forming, Sisters of Sorrow). This panel dives into some of the best moments in cinema and deconstructs them, offering insight to listeners as to how to create maximum impact in your horror film. Moderated by Meghan Hemingway (VHS Artistic Director).
Sunday, October 19 – Horror… So Hot Right Now: Positioning Your Film in the Market
A must-attend for emerging filmmakers, this panel brings together industry pros from Raven Banner, The Coven, and Pink Buffalo Films to demystify the road from production to global release and everything in between. Let’s talk about the business side of this creative profession. Moderated by Dennis Heaton (The Order, Murder In a Small Town).
BC SCREENWRITER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM & TABLE READ SERIES
Thursday October 16, 2025 – 6:00pm – Vancouver Film School
The top three selected BC written short screenplays will be read in front of a panel of professional screenwriters – Graeme Manson (Orphan Black, Snowpiercer), Karen Lam (Armagaddeon Road, Mrs. Chang’s Perfect Teeth) and Dennis Heaton (The Order, Murder In a Small Town). The writers will get to hear their scripts performed live and receive real-time feedback from industry insiders. Come and witness a pivotal part in the filmmaking process.
Featuring the work of BC screenwriters: Helene Taylor – All for Baby; Alex Vance – CRYPTID; and Jesse Miles Lipscombe – Play It Back.
The BC Screenwriter Development Program was made possible with the support of the Canada Media Fund, The Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation, The Hamber Foundation, and the Lohn Foundation.
VHS 2025 FEATURE FILM PRESENTATIONS TO INCLUDE:
Shelby Oaks – Vancouver Premiere
Wednesday October 22, 2025 – 9:30pm – The Rio
As a VHS passholder, you’ll get to experience the Vancouver premiere of Shelby Oaks, a supernatural horror mystery from YouTube creator turned filmmaker Chris Stuckmann. In his feature directorial debut, Stuckmann delivers a chilling tale inspired by the fictional paranormal investigation team, the Paranormal Paranoids. The film follows Mia (Camille Sullivan) as she delves into the disappearance of her sister, uncovering dark secrets that blur the line between reality and the supernatural. With a blend of found footage and documentary-style storytelling, Shelby Oaks offers a haunting exploration of memory, grief, and the unknown. Star Camille Sullivan will be in attendance. Tickets included as part of any VHS Festival Pass (All Access; Industry & Screening; Screening Pass).
Deathgasm II: Goremageddon – Canadian Premiere
Thursday, October 16, 2025 – 9:00pm – Cineplex International Village
The long-awaited sequel to 2015’s DEATHGASM has finally arrived. Ten years after surviving a demonic metal apocalypse, Brodie is burnt out, broke, and broken-hearted – his bandmates dead, his drummer missing an arm, and his love Medina long since gone. Then an opportunity cracks open: the battle-of-the-bands competition NoizeQuest, a chance at redemption… and maybe a shot to win Medina back. Desperate, Brodie summons his old band from beyond the grave – but raising the dead comes at a terrible cost. Blood, chaos, and undead riffs soon spiral into full-blown Goremageddon. When the bodies rise, so does hell itself – and only Brodie’s metal-fueled madness might be the last line of defense.
Brought to life by the unwavering support of its global fanbase, Deathgasm II exists thanks to a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign – proving once again that true metal never dies, it just gets louder with a little help from its friends.
Devour – Canadian Premiere
Saturday October 18, 2025 – 8:30pm – Cineplex International Village
Get ready to turn up the terror when Devour makes its VHS appearance – a wild, blood‑soaked horror ride from Scott B. Hansen (Bad Candy) that pits raw metal, vampirism, and cannibal cults against each other in one night of horror. An all‑female death‑metal band called “The Virginia Bitches” is stranded in a remote town ruled by a Warlock and crawling with cannibals. What starts as a search for help becomes a desperate struggle for survival, with brutal creature effects (led by Wayne Anderson), supernatural horrors, and heavy‑metal intensity. Devour delivers visceral thrills and macabre fun you won’t see coming. Director Scott Hansen and writer Desiree Connell will be in attendance for an exclusive Q&A to follow the screening.
30th Anniversary Screening – Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
Opening Night – Wednesday October 15, 2025 – 7pm – Cineplex International Village
Join VHS for an unforgettable 30th anniversary celebration of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight – the wildly inventive horror‑comedy directed by Ernest R. Dickerson. Featuring an ensemble cast including William Sadler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Billy Zane, CCH Pounder, and more, the film brings together over‑the‑top monsters, dark humor, and legendary practical effects in a high‑stakes battle between Brayker and the sinister Collector. Celebrated for its standout creature work by special effects maestro Todd Masters, this cult classic holds up as a vivid, chaotic ride into supernatural mayhem. VHS’s screening features guest appearances from two of the film’s stars: William Sadler, and Sherrie Rose; producers Gil Adler and Alan Katz; Todd Masters of MastersFX plus live special‑effects makeup demos. Hosted by Gigi Saul Guerrero.
Mother of Flies – Vancouver Premiere
Thursday October 16, 2025 – 8:15pm – Cineplex International Village
Celebrated occult coming‑of‑age thriller Mother of Flies, from the filmmaking family trio John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser (the “Adams Family”), makes its VHS appearance hot off its win of the prestigious Cheval Noir Award for Best Film at the 29th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. The film also snagged the Best Motion Picture Score award. Part horror, part elegy, it follows young Mickey (Zelda Adams) as she turns to necromancy after a cancer diagnosis, journeying with her father into the woods to meet a witch whose dark magic offers hope – at a chilling price. Director, writer and actor John Adams will be joining for an exclusive Q&A following the screening.
Armageddon Road – Special Advance Screening
Friday October 17, 2025 – 8pm – Cineplex International Village
From Vancouver’s genre‑maven Karen Lam comes Armageddon Road, a darkly comic supernatural road trip set in 1976 Las Vegas. What begins as a simple job – an ex‑con is hired to chauffeur a mob boss’s girlfriend for one night – quickly spirals into the apocalypse when she overdoses… only to return possessed by one of the Four Horsemen of Revelation. Filled with retro vibes, psychedelic horror and miniatures projected onto LED volume walls, Armageddon Road blends absurdity, dread and spectacle in equal measure. Director and writer Karen Lam will be joining for a Q&A following the feature.
Portal to Hell – Canadian Premiere
Saturday October 18, 2025 – 6pm – Cineplex International Village
VHS presents the Canadian premiere of Woody Bess’s horror-comedy Portal to Hell, where a down-and-out debt collector (Trey Holland) discovers a literal gateway to Hell in his neighborhood laundromat. With standout performances from Keith David and Richard Kind, this sharp, stylish film mixes demon deals, dark humor, and unexpected heart.
Foreigner – Special Screening
Sunday October 19, 2025 – 3:30pm – Cineplex International Village
Directed by Ava Maria Safai in her feature debut, Foreigner blends teen drama, body horror and social commentary in a coming‑of‑age story like no other. Set in 2004, the film follows Yasamin (Rose Dehgan), a teenage Iranian immigrant trying to belong in her new Canadian high school. She bleaches her hair, mimics her peers – and unintentionally unleashes a demon tied to her cultural identity. Winner of the Silver Audience Award for Best Canadian Film at Fantasia 2025, Foreigner is Mean Girls meets The Exorcist – a fresh, fearless horror about the cost of assimilation and what happens when you forsake your roots. Director Ava Maria Safai joins for a Q&A following the screening.
VHS Surprise Secret Screening – Title TBA
Sunday October 19, 2025 – 8:30pm
Horror fans can get ready for a surprise secret screening to close out the festival on Sunday night. Curious to know what it is? Only the brave will find out. Join us at the theatre at 8:30pm – or just stick around after the award show – to find out what VHS has in store for ticketholders!
VHS 2025 Short Film Presentations:
DEAD TIME – SHORTS BLOCK 1
Friday October 17, 2025 – 5:30pm – Cineplex International Village
Featuring: Ancestral Beasts, Prime, The Severing, Bidet, Terror By Night, Pickled Rabbit, What’s In your Bag?, The Stanley House, Dormant, Magical Meat
ECHOES FROM THE VOID – SHORTS BLOCK 2
Saturday October 18, 2025 – 12:45pm – Cineplex International Village
Featuring: Inkwo for When the Starving Return, Video Barn, Spool, Breach, Meat Crayon, A Good Death, Hide, Myling, Endzgiving
THE EDGE OF SANITY – SHORTS BLOCK 3
Saturday October 18, 2025 – 3:00pm – Cineplex International Village
Featuring: ‘Wa̱ts’a, Follow You, Mrs. Chang’s Perfect Teeth, Puzzle, El Lazo de Petra, In the Shadows, He, Luz Diabla, Skeeter, Pariah
WHAT GOES AROUND… – SHORTS BLOCK 4
Sunday October 19, 2025 – 12:45pm – Cineplex International Village
Featuring: Taumanu, The Girl In The Street, Tapestry, MAGAI-GAMI, Fever Dreams, Izzy, Cringe, The Doukhobor, Ouija go out with me?
STUDENT FILM BLOCK
Friday October 17, 2025 – 2:00 PM – Vancouver Film School
Featuring: The White Room – C. Michel Esslemont (VFS); Red Medicine – Paul Michna (VFS); The Cursed One – Kenny Dubey (VFS); Wight – Jonathan Chen (UCLA); MY BABY – Zeljka Zupanic (The National Film School at IADT, Ireland); Pimple Patch – Noah Berc (QueensUniversity); Red Room – Madi Fairman, Sarah Kinsman Chute (NYU); In The Dark – Diego Solon (International School of Geneva); Mirror – Kathy Hu (Communication University of China); Doll House – Shuhan Lei (Shanghai Vancouver Film School); Terroir – Casey Rogerson (Columbia University).
TICKETS AND PASSES
Tickets and passes are now available at vancouverhorrorshow.com. Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan, an indie film aficionado, or just looking for an unforgettable night at the movies, VHS 2025 has something to thrill you.
For more information: www.vancouverhorrorshow.com
