The Haapsalu Horror & Fantasy Film Festival is a three day  independent festival focusing of screening best films from the darker side of cinema from fantasy to horror, forgotten classics, filmmaker and country retrospectives, extreme films and celebrated guests in the unique setting of Estonia, a small country in northern Europe between Sweden, Finland and Russia. The festival takes place either on late March or April usually coinciding with full moon.

The mission of HOFF is to present to the audiences of Estonia and the neighboring countries horror, fantasy, sci- fi and cult films from the world’s cinema heritage with a geographically diverse and contemporary program.

In 5 years HOFF as developed into a small, but internationally highly appreciated festival in the the Nordic area. HOFF. The festival  is organized by the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (www.poff.ee), one of the largest art house festivals in the region together with Haapsalu Culture Center and the City of Haapsalu. Part of the festival’s unique atmosphere is derived from it’s location – an ex Soviet culture center with two cinema halls renovated in 2010 to it’s full crystal glory.

Festival program is divided into two sections. The main section will feature new fantasy and horror films, not older than two years with a focus on a theme or a genre. For example,  in 2009. the festival paid tribute to contemporary Scandinavian horror in addition to presenting recent features from Japan, Korea to Great Britain. The second part of HOFF however is targeted for audiences with strongest wits and guts – introducing the most extreme and obscure films ever made, such as in 2009 the highly controversial Japanese extreme film “Guinea Pig”.

During the years HOFF has attracted several recognized filmmakers and guests including Brian Yuzna (Reanimator), Magnus Paulsson (Frostbite), producer Gregory Rossi (Il Busco Fuori), Polish cult director Marek Piestrak (Navigator Pirx), festival programmers Tuomas Riskala, Liisa Lehmusto, Mikko Aromaa and many others.

Additionally HOFF is increasingly featuring premieres, such as the international premiere of british gothic horror “Splintered” in 2009.

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Haapsalu (www.haapsalu.ee), once a renown summer retreat of the Russian Czars, now a picturesque town, a celebrated spa, and the home of infamous Baltic ghost – the White Lady, is crowded during the festival  by film buffs and professionals alike looking for both fantasy and extreme. In addition, Haapsalu is world famous for its healing mud – highly praised unique spa treatment that has made many of the festival’s guests and audience truly refreshed and the city world famous.  Hence, Haapsalu, through its developed leisure, spa and conference facilities has proven to be an attractive meeting point for film professionals as well – for enjoying films, world class cuisine, excellent spas and business arrangements.