While horror as a whole is a fairly diverse and accepting genre, the Access: Horror Film Festival exists to shine a light on the filmmakers center disability advocacy in their programming, and this year’s lineup is looking extra promising. The Virginia-based festival unveiled its 2026 programming just a few weeks ahead of the main event, featuring shorts from emerging filmmakers backed by some of Hollywood’s best talent.
The festival begins on September 25 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, as a part of the franchise’s Lost Weekend event. Viewers will be able to watch nine skin-scrawling shorts, including The Hog Queen, starring Wicked’s Marisa Bode, and Mango, produced by Oscar nominee and Sinners alum Wunmi Mosaku. Other shorts on the docket include A Fermenting Woman, Blindsided, Four Itchy Boys, and Inner Demons.
Following opening night is a month-long virtual program that can be accessed anywhere, running from October 4 to November 1. Alongside all nine of the festival’s opening night films, virtual viewers will also be able to watch shorts like Long Pork, Do You See Her?, and Landfills of Desire, split into blocks themed after “Edibles,” “The Body Keeps the Score,” and “Dead Darlings.” The virtual program will also be host to filmmaker Q&As, panels, industry talks, and more.
“Slurs are becoming more common in everyday language, including in Oscar-winning Hollywood films,” says festival founder Ariel Baska. “The government is unleashing daily violence on the disability community through Medicaid cuts, institutionalization, and rollbacks to disability rights protections.
“For disabled people, this is already a horror movie, which is why, this year, horror feels like the most honest genre out there. Access: Horror is proud to share a lineup of validating, crucial, and cathartic terrors that illustrate the strength of the disability community. Open captions and audio description make the program stronger still, letting us reach more audiences and turn more stomachs with these filmmakers' gnarly tales”.
To purchase passes to Access: Horror and check out the full lineup, you can head over to their website.
