HorrOrigins and Legendary Fest are returning to Tucson for six days of cinema, filmmaker networking and industry programming, September 23–28, 2026, with theatrical screenings at Galaxy Theatres Tucson, and we’ve learned that two A24 horror hits are included in the mix.
Now in its eighth year, HorrOrigins has screened more than 800 films and remains focused on horror, science fiction and thrillers, recognitions that include a spot on FilmFreeway’s Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals list and a place on filmmaker and festival-submission expert Adrian Țofei’s Top 110 Genre Film Festivals list for 2026. Legendary Fest, entering its second year, expands the celebration to all genres. Running alongside one another, the festivals give filmmakers and audiences a wider range of cinema while maintaining two distinct identities.
This year’s program includes more than 80 independent films and shorts across 19 programming blocks, among them 13 world premieres, reflecting HorrOrigins and Legendary Fest’s continued focus on discovering and showcasing new voices in genre and independent filmmaking.
The festivals also recognize more than 100 official selections in screenwriting, spanning feature, short, pilot and short prose categories, extending the celebration beyond the screen to the writers shaping new stories. And a major festival highlight this year will be a special double screening of Ari Aster’s Midsommar and Kane Parsons’ Backrooms.
Patrik Andersson, producer of Midsommar, will attend alongside Martin Karlqvist, who worked with Andersson on the film’s early folk-horror concept before the project evolved with writer-director Ari Aster. The festival will also feature Backrooms, with Executive Producer Chris J. White participating. White played an important early role in recognizing Kane Parsons’ viral Backrooms work and helping connect Parsons with James Wan and Atomic Monster, contributing to the project’s path toward becoming an A24 feature.
The festival’s industry guests also include….
- Jed Shepherd — co-creator, writer and producer of Host and Dashcam
- Meredith Berg —director of last year’s award-winning short film Tether & producer of Jason Statham Stole My Bike
- Ethan Erwin — producer of Orphan: First Kill and Jason Statham Stole My Bike
- Arthur Sarkissian — producer of the Rush Hour franchise
- Johannes Roberts — director of 47 Meters Down and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
- Emma Raimi — actress, Send Help
Programming throughout the week will include filmmaker networking, industry panels, pitch opportunities, industry conversations, filmmaker Q&As, festival screenings and opportunities for filmmakers to connect with one another.
Learn more and get your tickets now for HorrOrigins and Legendary Fest now.
