IHS Creators Fund Gives Horror Fans Final Say Over Next £1,000 Grant

Independent horror fans have just days left to directly decide which new project should receive £1,000 in funding, with the Independent Horror Society entering the closing stretch of the first voting round for its latest Creators Fund grant.

Voting remains open until 6pm on Friday 9 October, with 20 projects currently competing for support. Crucially, voters do not need to pay for IHS membership to take part. Anyone joining on the free tier receives exactly the same voting power as a paid IHS Pro member.

The Creators Fund was established to put decisions about grassroots horror funding directly into the hands of the community rather than a company, judging panel or group of industry professionals. Money is raised through sources including selected IHS events and screenings, merchandise, public donations and sponsorship, with each funding round opening once the pot reaches £1,000.

For the current first-stage vote, members are asked to select their three favourite projects. A first choice receives three points, a second choice two points and a third choice one point. Once voting closes, the three highest-scoring projects will progress to a final round next week, when members will choose a single winner.

The scheme is open to horror creators working across a wide range of formats, including feature and short films, theatre, podcasts, books, graphic novels and other horror-focused art and media projects.

Its first funded project was originally announced as Adolfo Vico’s The Door-To-Door Serial Killer, which subsequently became Pleased to Kill You and screened at Dead Northern Horror Film Festival just a couple of weeks ago. The progression offers a tangible example of how relatively modest grassroots funding can help an independent genre project move closer to audiences.

The IHS is now looking to broaden participation in the second round so that the eventual recipient reflects the tastes of the wider horror community rather than a small group of existing members.

Every vote carries equal weight, meaning somebody who signs up for a free membership today has precisely the same say as a long-standing paid member when deciding where the money goes.

The fund itself is designed to grow alongside the organisation. Twenty per cent of IHS profit from selected events is allocated to the pot, while all IHS profit from official merchandise, sponsorship income and public donations, minus payment processing fees where applicable, also feeds directly into future grants.

With the first ballot closing this week, horror fans interested in supporting independent creators can browse all 20 projects, join the IHS for free and cast their votes through the Creators Fund page.

independenthorrorsociety.com/the-ihs-creators-fund/

Voting for the current IHS Creators Fund round closes at 6pm on Friday 9 October 2026, with the three finalists moving into a second community vote next week.