Announcing SleuthFest 2026!

Los Angeles' New Theatre & Film Festival for Mystery, Suspense, and Noir comes to Hollywood!

<a href="https://www.thestagecrafts.com/author/gregorycrafts/" target="_self">Greg</a>

Greg

Posted on February 12, 2026

City skyline at night with illuminated buildings and mountains in the background, representing Los Angeles and the theme of event discovery and entertainment.

Announcing SleuthFest 2026!

by | 0 comments

3 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact: Gregory Crafts
[email protected]
(310) 717-3102

Box Office: (323) 591-4849
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.SleuthFestLA.com

SLEUTHFEST 2026: LOS ANGELES’ NEW THEATRE & FILM FESTIVAL FOR MYSTERY, SUSPENSE, AND NOIR COMES TO HOLLYWOOD

Los Angeles, CA — SleuthFest, Hollywood’s newest celebration of mystery, suspense, and noir storytelling across live performance and film, arrives on both stage and screen from February 19 through March 1, 2026 at the Hobgoblin Playhouse‘s new location in the heart of Hollywood’s Sunset Square. Presented by The StageCrafts, this inaugural edition invites audiences and creators alike to uncover secrets, confront conspiracies, and enjoy classic suspense tales in an immersive festival atmosphere.

SleuthFest blends genre-rich theatrical productions, immersive theatre experiences, and curated film screenings into one dynamic ten-day festival, showcasing stories that range from hardboiled noir to quirky whodunits and narrative surprises around every corner.

2026 Festival Lineup:

  • Girls On Film – A sharply comedic mystery about three women caught in a web of suspicion and shared history after being arrested at a funeral.
    Playing: Feb 20 @ 9pm, Feb 21 @ 7pm, Feb 27 @ 8:30pm, Feb 28 @ 6:30pm, Mar 1 @ 6pm
    Run Time: 40 minutes
    Tickets: $25 GA
  • The Casebook Collection – Six riveting 10-minute plays packed with deception, clues, and shocking twists in a fast-paced theatrical evening. Presented by Theatre Unleashed
    Playing: Feb 20 @ 7pm, Feb 28 @ 8pm, Mar 1 @ 7:30pm
    Run Time: 75 minutes
    Tickets: $25 GA
    Livestream available
  • Belladonna Highway – A washed up novelist’s quest for a quiet writer’s retreat leads him to the mysterious, decrepit Hotel Belladonna, a desert oasis full of dangerous secrets.
    Playing: Feb 19 @ 7pm
    Run Time: 55 minutes
    Tickets: Pay-What-You-Want
  • Did I Just Join a Cult? – A haunting immersive piece set in Boyle Heights where truth and terror blur in an eerie warehouse conspiracy.
    Playing: Feb 27 @ 7pm
    Run Time: 60 Minutes
    Tickets: $25 GA
  • D.O.A. (1950) – A screening of this classic noir in which a man investigates his own murder in a race against time.
    Screening: Feb 21 @ 8:30pm
    Run Time: 84 Minutes
    Tickets: $10 GA
  • Touch of Evil – A bold cinematic journey featuring moral conflict and corruption along the U.S.–Mexico border.
    Screening: Feb 26 @ 8:30pm
    Run Time: 108 Minutes
    Tickets: $10 GA

Held in the intimate black-box setting of The Hobgoblin Playhouse, SleuthFest offers theatre lovers and film aficionados alike the chance to engage directly with creators and fellow mystery fans in a celebration of storytelling that thrills, chills, and delights.

“We’re thrilled to continue our series of mini-festivals with SleuthFest,” said Gregory Crafts, one half of husband-and-wife team behind the festival. “I grew up obsessed with the Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, Encyclopedia Brown, and more. As I got older, I fell in love with movies like Brick, Twin Peaks, and even lighthearted mystery fare like Clue. When we sat down to brainstorm which genres to explore next, mysteries and thrillers were absolutely at the top of the list!”

Tickets for all performances and screenings are on sale now. For schedules, tickets, and submission information for future festival editions, visit SleuthFestLA.com.

About The StageCrafts:
Established in 2017, The StageCrafts started as a Los Angeles-based venue management company, but has recently branched out into presenting new works through their eclectic, engaging, and genre-driven theatre and film events. Their bi-monthly mini-festivals provide platforms for diverse voices and beloved storytelling forms across the region. They also manage the LA Freeway Circuit, where the best productions from their stages are toured around Greater LA County throughout the year. Please visit TheStageCrafts.com for more information.

#  #  #  #

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *