The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival’s ninth edition runs Oct. 14–18, 2026 and features world and Western Canadian premieres plus industry programming and a special Michael Dougherty appearance for Trick ’r Treat.
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The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival (VHS) is set to return for its ninth edition from October 14 to October 18, 2026, bringing a mix of feature premieres, special screenings and creator-focused programming to Vancouver. The festival’s announcement highlights four feature-film premieres as part of its first-wave lineup and points to additional guests, short-film programs and events to be revealed as the complete schedule is released.
A central special presentation is planned for the 19th anniversary screening of the cult classic Trick ’r Treat, with director Michael Dougherty in attendance. The program is described as featuring an all-new 4K restoration of Season’s Greetings, Dougherty’s original animated short film that first introduced audiences to Sam, the mysterious trick-or-treater who later became a defining character in Trick ’r Treat.
The festival’s first-wave feature lineup includes the World Premiere of Encryption, a sci-fi mystery directed by Brayden DeMorest-Purdy, who is identified as award-winning. The lineup also includes the Western Canadian Premiere of Sleep No More, described as an Indonesian body-horror film directed by Edwin.
Additional films listed for Vancouver premieres in the first wave include Ithaqua and a return to creature horror connected to Hammer Films. Ithaqua is noted as a British Columbia premiere from Edwin, while the Hammer Films entry is described as a chilling return to creature horror starring Luke Hemsworth.
Rounding out the initial feature announcements is The Glorious Dead, presented as the latest apocalyptic vision from the DIY filmmaking team the Adams Family. Together with the announced premieres, these selections frame the festival’s 2026 edition as a blend of genre approaches ranging from mystery to body horror to creature and apocalyptic storytelling.
Beyond feature screenings, VHS is also scheduling creator-focused events intended to connect established filmmakers and industry professionals with emerging talent. One item in the first wave is In Conversation with Michael Dougherty, described as focusing on how to build a career from original genre filmmaking through to major studio franchises.
The festival will also host The First Five Minutes of Horror, a format that brings multiple genre filmmakers and an editor together. The announced participants include Zach Lipovsky, Eli Craig and Rachel Talalay, alongside editor Greg Ng. The lineup of names is presented with their genre credits, including Lipovsky’s Final Destination Bloodlines and Freaks, Craig’s Clown in a Cornfield and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, and Talalay’s work on Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Tank Girl and YAGA.
A separate industry session announced for the first wave, Indie Horror Distribution: From Festival Buzz to Theatrical Release, is set to feature producers Sean Harris Oliver and Kurtis David Harder. The festival describes the session as focused on the path from audience and industry attention during festivals to a broader theatrical release, positioning distribution as a key practical topic for creators.
For audiences who want a more participatory format, VHS says it is bringing back its Live Table Read Series, with industry panelists including Karen Lam and Dennis Heaton. The festival’s description frames this series as a way for scripts to be performed live by professional actors in front of an audience, with established screenwriters and filmmakers also participating in the panel discussion.
VHS also describes the broader purpose of its Table Read Series for writers as an opportunity to hear scripts performed live and to respond to feedback from a panel that includes established screenwriters and filmmakers. The festival’s overall programming is described as including panels featuring industry insiders, alongside creator-led events and genre film screenings.
The festival is operating as a registered charity, founded in 2018, with a mission focused on celebrating cinematic storytelling in the horror genre. According to the announcement, festival passes are available now, while additional feature films, short-film programs, guests and events are expected to be announced as VHS unveils the complete 2026 lineup. The festival encourages people to follow its social channels for updates on the remaining schedule details.
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