What Are the StageCrafts Mini-Festivals?
The StageCrafts are curating a year-round slate of tightly themed, binge-worthy Fringe-style mini performing arts festivals that gather shows by genre and vibe, making it easier for audiences to discover new work and for artists to connect with fans who love exactly what they make.
The goal is to provide more opportunities with low barriers for entry to artists of all experience levels, empower them to create career-building opportunities for themselves, and help them get their work out into the world, while also entertaining audiences with top-notch independent productions.
In addition to a lineup chock-full of first-rate live entertainment, each mini-fest features a short film competition component, where filmmakers from around the world can submit to have their work screened as part of the festival. Official Selections will compete for the coveted Best in Fest and Spirit of the Season awards.
While tickets for each festival go on sale weeks before the festival’s opening, live shows are welcome to register all the way up until a festival’s opening night. Films, on the other hand, need to be submitted no later than two weeks before opening night. All film festival components are managed through FilmFreeway.
Current and upcoming festivals include SleuthFest, BardFest, MythicFest, SpookyFest, and FrostyFest.
SleuthFest (February)
SleuthFest is The StageCrafts’ mystery-themed theatre & film festival, coming to Hollywood each February. Audiences can expect whodunits, noir, capers, suspense, puzzle-box thrillers, and more. SleuthFestLA.com
SleuthFest 2026
- 2026 Applications Open: November 1st, 2025
- 2026 Tickets On Sale: January 2nd, 2026
- 2026 Festival Dates: February 19th – March 1st, 2026
SleuthFest Film 2026
- Submissions Open: November 1st, 2025
- Earlybird Deadline: November 15th, 2025
- Regular Deadline: December 15th, 2025
- Late Deadline: January 2nd, 2025
- Notification Date: January 15th, 2025
- 2026 Festival Dates: February 19th-March 1st, 2026
BardFest (April)
BardFest focuses on Shakespeare, his contemporaries (Marlowe, Johnson, Kyd, etc), works inspired by or derived from the Bard, and retro-adaptations. BardFestLA.com
BardFest 2026
- 2026 Applications Open: January 2nd, 2026
- 2026 Tickets On Sale: March 1st, 2026
- 2026 Festival Dates: April 23rd-May 3rd, 2026
BardFest Film 2026
- Submissions Open: January 2nd, 2026
- Earlybird Deadline: January 15th, 2026
- Regular Deadline: February 15th, 2026
- Late Deadline: March 1st, 2025
- Notification Date: March 15th, 2026
- 2026 Festival Dates: April 23rd-May 3rd, 2026
MythicFest (August)
MythicFest gathers sci-fi and fantasy works—dragons, starships, legendary heroes, and futures near and far. MythicFest Film will boast sci-fi and fantasy shorts, as well as an additional “Fan Film” category. MythicFestLA.com
MythicFest 2026
- 2026 Applications Open: May 1st, 2026
- 2026 Tickets On Sale: July 1st, 2026
- 2026 Festival Dates: August 20th-30th, 2026
MythicFest Film 2026
- Submissions Open: May 1st, 2026
- Earlybird Deadline: May 15th, 2026
- Regular Deadline: June 15th, 2026
- Late Deadline: July 1st, 2026
- Notification Date: July15th, 2026
- 2026 Festival Dates: August 20th-30th, 2026
SpookyFest (October)
SpookyFest is Los Angeles’ Halloween-themed supernatural performing arts festival—spotlighting theatre and film that embrace the eerie, uncanny, and delightfully chilling. SpookyFest welcomes everything from ghost stories and zombie musicals to sci-fi invasions and morgue-set solo shows. SpookyFestLA.com
SpookyFest 2025
- Applications Open: Now <– Click here to learn more & apply
- 2025 Tickets On Sale: October 1st, 2025
- 2025 Festival Dates: October 23rd-November 2nd, 2025
SpookyFest Film 2025
- Submissions Open: Now <– Click here to learn more & submit
- Submission Deadline: October 9th, 2025
- Notification Date: October 16th, 2025
- 2025 Festival Dates: October 23rd-November 2nd, 2025
SpookyFest 2026
- 2026 Applications Open: July 1st, 2026
- 2026 Tickets On Sale: September 1st, 2026
- 2026 Festival Dates: October 22nd-November 1st, 2026
SpookyFest Film 2026
- 2026 Applications Open: May 1st, 2026
- 2026 Tickets On Sale: July 1st, 2026
- 2026 Festival Dates: October 22nd-November 1st, 2026
FrostyFest (December)
FrostyFest is Hollywood’s holiday-themed winter performing arts celebration that shares stories from across December’s many traditions—not just Christmas. FrostyFestLA.com
FrostyFest 2025
- Applications Open: Now <– Click here to learn more & apply
- 2025 Tickets On Sale: November 1st, 2025
- 2025 Festival Dates: December 11th-21st, 2025
FrostyFest Film 2025
- Submissions Open – Now <– Click here to learn more and apply
- Regular Deadline – October 15th, 2025
- Late Deadline – November 5th, 2025
- Notification Date – November 19th, 2025
- Event Dates – December 11th-21st, 2025
FrostyFest 2026
- Applications Open: September 1st, 2026
- 2025 Tickets On Sale: November 1st, 2025
- 2025 Festival Dates: December 11th-21st, 2025
FrostyFest Film 2026
- Submissions Open – September 1st, 2026
- Earlybird Deadline – September 15th, 2026
- Regular Deadline – October 15th, 2026
- Late Deadline – November 1st, 2026
- Notification Date – November 15th, 2026
- Event Dates – December 10th-20th, 2026
Why These Mini-Festivals Work (for Audiences and Artists)
- Focused discovery: Genre-specific lineups help audiences find their people—and their next favorite show—fast.
- Built-in community: Centralized venues like The Hobgoblin Playhouse and The Madnani Theater create festival energy and efficient production logistics.
- Stage + Screen: The addition of short-film showcases at brings filmmakers and theatremakers together, creating a variety of networking and career-building opportunities.
How to Get Involved
Here’s how to stay informed about our upcoming mini-festivals, whether you’re a producer or a patron!
- Sign up for our mailing list for all of the latest news and announcements!
- Follow us on Instagram & Facebook → @TheStageCrafts
- Spread the word → Share your favorite shows with #LAThtr and the festival hashtags:
Festival-Specific Hashtags
- 🔎 #SleuthFestLA & #SleuthFestFilm
- 🎭 #BardFestLA & #BardFestFilm
- 🐉 #MythicFestLA & #MythicFestFilm
- 👻 #SpookyFestLA & #SpookyFestFilm
- 🎄 #FrostyFestLA & #FrostyFestFilm
Plan Your Festival Season in Hollywood
From haunted autumn nights to warm winter traditions, from cunning mysteries to timeless verse and far-future epics, The StageCrafts’ mini-festivals turn Hollywood into a year-round playground for bold, independent performance. Crack the case at SleuthFest in February, celebrate the classics at BardFest in April, set phasers to “imagine” with MythicFest in August, get SpookyFest each October, and cozy up with FrostyFest in December!
In Conclusion
We are incredibly excited to bring you the best and most exciting new works in small theatre and independent short film. If you have any questions, please put them in the comments below. Until then, we’ll see you at the theater.
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