Haunted Pamlico welcomes you to the eighth year of Carnival of Darkness, where the hopes, dreams, and nightmares of the world converge on Washington, N.C.

 

Carnival of Darkness: The Haunted Pamlico Film Festival was founded by independent horror filmmakers for independent sci-fi, horror, and suspense filmmakers and their fans. We invite you to enter your short or feature-length film, or short or feature-length screenplay. Our experienced judges give every entry their full attention, read every line of every script, and watch every film to the end credits.

 

Our festival runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at the historic Turnage Theater, 150 W. Main St., Washington, N.C.

 

As before, Carnival of Darkness operates in tandem with the Smoke on the Water barbecue festival, which draws thousands of patrons to downtown Washington's busy waterfront and Main Street.

 

Also, for the third consecutive year, our film festival falls under the umbrella of the Haunted Pamlico Halloween Festival, a multi-faceted celebration of our favorite season during Smoke on the Water.

 

Scheduled events within Carnival of Darkness include a red-carpet film premiere; scare experiences inside the reputedly haunted Turnage, where our actors will menace you; screenings of sci-fi, horror, and suspense films from around the world; Creepy Karaoke, the Monster Dance Party, and recitations of ghost stories from across North Carolina in the gallery of the Turnage; Halloween-focused vendors and a haunt-season raffle; "Horror Show VI," a variety show with live music, dancing, and haunt-season theatrics presented by Haunted Pamlico and performers from around the state; craft and food vendors at the Smoke on the Water venue; costume contests for adults and children; costumed characters wandering the theater and throughout downtown Washington; and more happenings to be announced.

 

Tickets to Carnival of Darkness will be available at the door, or through Haunted Pamlico via the group's FilmFreeway page.

 

Advance tickets go on sale June 1. Tickets to Carnival of Darkness events in the Turnage Theater will cost $10 each for each day of the festival. Our outdoor events will be free.

 

Special guest artists/speakers and filmmakers whose work is selected for the festival will receive two free passes each.

 

Our partners and supporters include the Turnage Theater, Rock the Pamlico, Smoke on the Water, the Tar River Players, Arts of the Pamlico, and other organizations.

 

We're building the schedule for the festival now. Please keep checking this page and hauntedpamlico.com, and follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for updates.

 

The festival organizers wish to honor the most artful sci-fi, horror, and suspense films and the people who make them. Our festival is sponsored by many entities, including Haunted Pamlico/Alternative Stage, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Washington, N.C.

 

The Haunted Pamlico team behind this event has made dozens of short films, some of which have enjoyed viral success online, and have been featured at festivals from Canada to North Carolina. Some of our key directors and award-winning producers have helped teach the film portion of an acting class at Beaufort County Community College under the auspices of the Beaufort Performing Arts Collective.

 

Our panel of judges includes artists with skills in sound design, special effects, cinematography, screenwriting, film and stage direction, and many more areas of interest. For more information, email hauntedpamlico1@gmail.com, follow us on social media, or see our festival page at hauntedpamlico.com.