Weird Horror Film Festival 2026 + Zombie Prom Afterparty Announced

It's not all music and comedy around the UTR office, we love going to the movies too. A city infamously mad about cinema, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington's Weird Horror Film Festival is back with a vengeance in 2026, taking over Newtown Community Centre on 13th June to be followed by the Zombie Prom dress-up afterparty. Only screening independent short films made specifically for the festival, movie fiends of all stripes can register today to have their strange creations screened at the now-annual event. Here's the official low down...

"We’re back!

Do you like horror movies? Do you like weird stuff? The Weird Horror Film Festival is returning for the second annual event!

Screening on June 13th at Newtown Community Centre in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, followed by a Zombie Prom at Moon Bar.

At last year’s SOLD OUT festival we screened 11 short films made specifically for the festival, along with some other creepy artistic delights, for a night of celebrating and awarding weird, horror-based, independent cinema.

We are calling out again for horror fans with any level of film-making experience to create a short film (up to 6 minutes and 66 seconds long) to enter for this year’s festival line-up. Films must have been created between April 6th and June 1st to be entered into competition.

To register to enter into the festival visit https://weirdhorrorfilmfest.com/ and fill in our registration form. Purchase your $30 Registration Fee from UTR with the same name used on the registration form and you’re all set!

If you’re just interested in coming along to the screening then grab yourself a ticket and check out our website for some of last year’s films, our 2025 festival zine and to keep up to date with our fundraising events."

Weird Horror Film Festival 2026
Saturday 13th June - Newtown Community Centre, Wellington (6pm)
First release tickets on sale HERE via UTR (Zombie Prom after party ticket option available)
Registration fee for film makers HERE via UTR

As we await the 2026 lineup of local filmmakers, enjoy this fantastic tune by Obscure Desire, featured on the soundtrack to Aotearoa horror / drama classic Bridge To Nowhere (1986) — starring Bruno Lawrence and directed by Ian Mune...