Vancouver Horror Show 2026 Unveils YAGA Premiere, Horror Films and Special Guests
Halloween season is getting busier in Vancouver, especially for horror fans looking for something beyond the usual haunted attractions. The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival® returns downtown from October 14 to 18, 2026. Its newly announced second wave brings premieres, filmmakers, actors and exclusive festival experiences.
The ninth edition now includes the Western Canadian premiere of Crave Original YAGA among its biggest draws. Festivalgoers will watch the first two episodes before the series premieres on Crave. Several members of the creative team will also join the audience afterward.
YAGA Is Getting an Early Vancouver Preview
YAGA stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo and Hudson Williams in a coastal mystery thriller. Creator and showrunner Kat Sandler adapted the series from her acclaimed play. Blink49 Studios and Front Street Pictures produced the project with Crave.
The story follows private investigator Rapp as he arrives in Whittock to investigate a young heir’s disappearance. His search leads him through secret lives, suspicious residents and traces of ancient magic. The Vancouver Island production also gives the series a strong British Columbia connection.
VHS will screen the first two episodes before YAGA debuts on October 23. Kat Sandler, Rachel Talalay and Mackenzie Donaldson will attend the special presentation. A Q&A will follow the screening, giving fans direct access to the team behind the series.
New Canadian Premieres Expand the Horror Lineup
The festival’s second wave also adds several Canadian and British Columbia premieres. Remnant, Talking to a Stranger and They Always Come at Night will make their Canadian premieres. More genre titles will arrive in BC after appearances at major international festivals.
Remnant follows paramedic Anna after she inherits her family home following her mother’s mysterious death. Terrifying hallucinations soon force her to confront stories about demonic forces from her family’s past. Director Ken Kabatoff and actor Nat Boltt will attend the screening.
Drag brings a darker, stranger take on the home-invasion thriller to its BC premiere. Lizzy Caplan, Lucy DeVito, John Stamos and Christine Ko lead the cast. Danny DeVito produced the film, which previously screened in SXSW’s Midnighter programme.
Métis Horror, Sci-Fi Nightmares and Christmas Chaos Join the Festival
Ancestral Beasts follows a Métis woman returning to her rural family home to rebuild her life. A lethal presence soon forces her to confront what she must protect and sacrifice. Director Tim Riedel and actor Morgan Holmstrom will attend its BC premiere.
Imposters turns a family tragedy into a reality-bending science-fiction nightmare starring Jessica Rothe. The story follows grieving parents after an impossible return makes one of them question reality. Charlie Barnett and Yul Vazquez also star in the SXSW Midnighter selection.
The festival will also screen Unholy Night, a blood-soaked Christmas horror comedy from director Michael Gabriele. A deceased grandmother returns during Christmas Eve with unfinished business and violent intentions. The film won Fantasia’s Gold Audience Award for Best Canadian Feature.
International Horror Brings Even More Variety
Talking to a Stranger gives filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero her first leading feature role. She plays a grieving mother facing a presence that resembles the son she lost. Director Adrián García Bogliano and Guerrero will attend the Canadian premiere.
Spanish folk horror arrives through They Always Come at Night, directed by Víctor Català. The film draws inspiration from the Galician legend of the Santa Compaña. Its story connects supernatural terror with secrets dating back to the Spanish Civil War.
Found-footage fans can also catch the BC premiere of Frogman Returns. Dallas and Amy return to Ohio, hoping to finish what they previously started. Director Anthony Cousins expands the mythology with new scares, practical effects and more cryptid chaos.
Vancouver Horror Show Goes Beyond Film Screenings
The festival also brings back industry programming for actors, filmmakers and other screen professionals. Inside the Casting Room: Horror Edition will feature Monika Dalman, Errin Lally and Annalese Tilling. The casting directors will review prepared self-tapes and offer live feedback.
Actors will then apply those notes and perform their scenes again for the audience. The format gives attendees a rare look at how professional redirects can change a performance. Writers, directors and producers can also gain practical insight into stronger casting decisions.
VHS will also present five curated blocks of international short films. The selections include filmmakers from Canada, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and several other countries. A dedicated student showcase will spotlight emerging horror filmmakers from six countries.
Trick ’r Treat Fans Have Another Major Reason to Attend
Previously announced programming adds another major event for longtime horror fans. VHS will celebrate Trick ’r Treat with a 19th anniversary screening during the festival. Writer and director Michael Dougherty will attend the special event.
The screening will also feature a new 4K restoration of Dougherty’s animated short Season’s Greetings. Other announced titles include Encryption, Sleep No More, Ithaqua and The Glorious Dead. Additional industry conversations and the Live Table Read Series will round out the schedule.
Vancouver Horror Show Lands Just Before Halloween
The festival arrives less than two weeks before Halloween, making the timing particularly fitting for genre fans. Its five-day schedule combines premieres, rare screenings, special guests and behind-the-scenes industry access. Several filmmakers and performers will also attend screenings throughout the festival.
For horror fans, that means October offers more than another movie marathon. Vancouver Horror Show creates opportunities to experience new films before wider releases and hear directly from their creators. The festival runs October 14 through 18, 2026, in downtown Vancouver.
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