Panel Pitch

The 31st Annual H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival takes place October 2-4, 2026  This is an in-person event taking place at the Hollywood Theatre, and some panels and literary events planned at a secondary venue (in walking distance).

Panels should relate to topics of Cosmic Horror, Weird Tales, Lovecraft & his contemporaries, in any media. Panels with targeted focus and a fun or interesting hook tend to be better attended than ones with broad or general topic.

This is how we will be contacting you if we choose your panel pitch.
if applicable
If applicable
Choose the category that best fits your proposed panel.
The title of the panel should reflect the specific topic or angle for the panel. Present an interesting and/or dramatic angle to attract an audience to your panel! "The influence of women's voices on small press horrors" and "Jazz and Monsters: the Music of 1920s Horror Movies" are examples of good specific titles.
3-5 sentences to describe your panel. Same deal here; avoid discussions that are too broad, and describe briefly the specific hook, including the names of authors/filmmakers/musicians/artists you'll be referencing. This is what attendees will see in the program.
These should be people who you have already reached out to and have confirmed they can do the panel with you (not a wish list!). There are usually guests, authors, filmmakers, that could step in if you need to round out the panelists.
Do you have any special equipment needs? A way to play music or project images on a screen? Please list all requirements related to A/V for your panel discussion. Enter n/a if all you need are microphones.
Have you been on, moderated, or presented panels anywhere in the past?
If you have never presented before, type "n/a"
Please provide a short 100 word bio, written in 3rd person. This should contain the most relevant information about your professional career. We will collect the bios for other panelists if your panel pitch is accepted.
Being accepted as a panelist at our festival effectively makes you a representative of the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival community. We may not always see eye to eye with everyone in it, but we advocate respectful discourse. Time and space is precious at the festival, so those we select will be paragons of the community who are interested in bringing it together, not sowers of discord. Attacking others, name calling, belittling, taking part in flame wars (even if you believe you're on the correct side), and other such childish behavior on social media is not how we want to represent ourselves to the world. Potential participants will share these values and be vetted in this regard. All participants and attendees are also subject to our Code of Conduct (you can read the entire thing here: http://hplfilmfestival.com/event-code-conduct )
Is there anything else we need to know about your panel? Equipment or space needs?
Please indicate what times you are available for your panel. In-person panels will take place at the theatre during the festival hours. You can also opt to pre-record a panel and send us the recording to upload for the streaming edition. We do not have the ability to live broadcast panels during the streaming event this year.