Founded in 2024, submissions for the inaugural event were opened exclusively through
FilmFreeway on 11 August 2024. The festival accepted both short (under 40 minutes) and feature-length films, with submissions categorised under animation, comedy, folk horror, found footage, gore/extreme, monster/creature, psychological, science fiction/fantasy, slasher, supernatural, and zombie. Tickets for the first festival were made available through the
Parkway Cinemas website on 4 April 2025. Final submissions was accepted until 18 April 2024. Submissions included works from both local and international filmmakers, with entries from the
United States,
Canada, and
Europe, highlighting the festival's openness to international participation. "All This Time," "The Reign of Queen Ginnarra," and "The Cellar" were announced as part of the first official selections for the 2025 Glowflare Horror Film Festival, as reported by the Yorkshire Times. The official trailer for the 2025 Glowflare Horror Film Festival was released on 10 May 2025 on YouTube, offering a preview of the films and events scheduled for the festival's inaugural edition. The final line-up was announced on 12 May 2025. The 2025 programme featured films produced across a wide range of budgets, from no-budget shorts to feature films completed for up to $350,000 (approximately £280,000), reflecting the diversity of production scales in independent horror filmmaking. Award nominations was announced on 13 May 2025. The short film "Sour Tooth" by Inverclyde-based filmmakers Scott McIntosh, Cameron McDonald, and Rachael McAlonan premiered at the 2025 Glowflare Horror Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Editing and Best Film Made for Under £1,000. The festival concluded with an awards ceremony on 18 May, where All This Time won Best Feature Film, Best Director (Rob Worsey), Best Actor (Daniel De Bourg), and the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature. Other winners included Tears of Sorrow for Best Short Film, and Lost Angels for Best Screenplay and Best Editing. Submissions opened for its 2026 season on 1 May 2025, reflecting its intention to become a recurring event on the film festival calendar. == Official Selection ==