Rachel Belofsky’s enthusiasm for horror is truly infectious. After talking to her, even those completely averse to horror might find themselves tempted to check out Screamfest. But Rachel also has such warmth that calling her “Belofsky,” in typical journalist fashion, would feel too formal. Throughout our conversation, her passion for scary movies was matched only by her drive to champion up-and-coming filmmakers, allowing them to “showcase their independent works, meet industry contacts, and further their careers.” In the 26 years since she co-founded Screamfest, Rachel has seen many eras and trends in horror cinema, and Screamfest has reflected them all. The festival hosted world premieres of films like Paranormal Activity, Trick ‘r’ Treat, and The Human Centipede. In 2026, Rachel and the festival still promise tons of quality screams and scares.
“As a producer of documentaries and a person who has put their blood, sweat, and tears into productions, I have empathy (for filmmakers and producers). That’s where it came from: a like-minded place, having just come off festivals and feeling overwhelmed and exploited. So I really wanted to make one that was filmmaker-centric.” That filmmaker-centric philosophy became a common theme throughout our discussion. When asked about student film entries, she was proud to say student films have been part of Screamfest since the start, “like 100 years ago or really 26 years ago.” She praised Florida State University for embracing horror in its film program and animation classes, along with Chapman University for supporting students invested in horror. Even at the student level, Rachel seeks to build a creator-focused festival experience for both those actively working in indie film and the next generation of horror directors.
The new generation of horror directors demonstrates just how much room the genre still has to surprise. When asked about her favorite changes in horror since Screamfest’s beginning, Rachel was reflective, pausing before she spoke on her love for “new ideas that came out in films.” She praised films like Obsession and Backrooms, and hopes it will give more executives and production companies “confidence to launch some of these lower-budget (films), giving them a chance…it’s really exciting when you see something new pop like that.” The word-of-mouth energy of something new in horror has always been a major draw of Screamfest, whether it was showing The Grudge before the U.S. remake, watching Tucker & Dale vs. Evil gain a following, or unleashing The Human Centipede onto unsuspecting audiences.
“Well, I remember watching The Human Centipede on a Friday when going through our submission process, and we both kind of stunned afterward; you kind of feel like you want to take a shower. And we both walked away not really shell-shocked but like “wow”. And then Monday we were all still talking about it. We were like, “If we were still talking about this movie all weekend long,” then clearly we have to throw in this movie. Because this is something everyone is going to talk about.”
While few films can compare to the sheer premise of The Human Centipede, Rachel highlighted Paranormal Activity as a major moment for the festival and indie cinema. “That was a funny one. When we finally accepted it and screened it, we had an A&E Ghost Hunters type of show, and then we screened Paranormal Activity.” Rachel went on to describe how the A&E creators ended up getting asked more questions about Paranormal Activity than their own show, with audience members asking, “If it was real?!” At the time, Paranormal Activity was virtually unknown, with a largely unfamiliar cast. Rachel described how filmmaker Orin Peli would have preferred to hand out postcards and was not huge on marketing the film. The film received rave reviews in LA Weekly, and Screamfest began building hype around the found-footage horror classic. “We felt like pairing it with that episode would give [Paranormal Activity] some extra hype.”
Throughout our discussion, Rachel talked about social media’s impact on marketing indie films and the revival of drive-in theaters during COVID. Even with all her knowledge and passion for horror, one film stood out most when we spoke. She just had a certain glow when I brought up Trick ‘r’ Treat.
“I was lucky enough to be invited to the buyers’ screening when Warner Bros. was thinking about, crazily, getting rid of it. Which is beyond my comprehension; I don’t know why you’d do that. But everyone in the room was like, ‘Oh my God, my ribs hurt.’ Everyone was just on the floor laughing and having a great time. I think that’s when Warner Bros. decided they weren’t going to sell it.”
“As our conversation came to a close, Rachel returned to why festivals like Screamfest remain vital to horror and indie cinema: “the opportunity to see 13 World Premieres that have never been seen,” as well as over 100 short films. While choosing just one film to highlight was like “choosing your best child,” she singled out Kick On as “such a blast and one you want to see with a packed audience.” In our final minutes, I asked Rachel for her four favorite slashers, and she chose A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, the original Friday the 13th, and “Trick ‘r Treat, I know it’s not really a slasher, but I love it. I’ve got Sam all over my house.” This speaks to why Screamfest is still an institution of horror cinema 26 years later. The festival shows deep reverence for the genre’s history while still looking to the future with 13 never-before-seen horror films. It blends the classic with the new, creating the possibility that audiences aren’t just watching the next great horror film, but discovering the next Sam.
Screamfest 2026 runs October 6th-15th at TLC Chinese 6 Theater in Los Angeles, California.
