‘Dreams of a Dead God’ Indie Cosmic Horror Film by writer/director Jim Weter Wins Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Award in Chicago

The Memphis-made cosmic horror film earns its 8th award, winning Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi at the Chicago Horror Film Festival.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dreams of a Dead God, a Memphis-made found-footage cosmic horror film, has won Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi at the 28th Annual Chicago Horror Film Festival, marking the eighth award for the independent production during its 2026 festival run.

Written and directed by Memphis filmmaker Jim Weter, Dreams of a Dead God is a 36-minute, found-footage, cosmic horror film masterfully created with minimal cast and mixing both practical and special effects on a set designed and built by Weter himself.

Set in October 1936, the film unfolds through the recorded interrogation of a captured kidnapper and murderer. What initially appears to be an investigation into a series of various crimes gradually begins to test the bounds of sanity and reality itself, forcing the investigators to consider an increasingly disturbing possibility: the prisoner sitting across from them may be telling the truth.

Official Tagline: October, 1936: sanity and reality itself are tested during the filmed interrogation of a kidnapper and murderer with ties to an ancient cult.

Rather than placing found footage in a contemporary setting, Dreams of a Dead God uses the format as a window into another era, presenting its story as a surviving filmed record of events that were never meant to be seen.

Inspired by the writers whose work appeared in the pages of Weird Tales magazine including H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert Bloch, the film is an original story set within the tradition of Lovecraftian cosmic horror and follows the events of Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu. The story explores some of the genre’s defining ideas: forbidden knowledge, ancient forces, the fragility of sanity, and humanity’s small place in a universe it does not fully understand.

The film stars Cameron J. Crawford, Christopher Steinmetz, Larshay Watson, Jerry Kimble Jr., and Ryan Gilliam, all Memphis-area film and stage actors. The production was created entirely with Memphis-area talent, with many members of the cast and crew having collaborated with Weter for more than 15 years on independent film projects.

The Chicago victory is the latest recognition in a growing festival run. Dreams of a Dead God recently received Best Picture at Atlanta’s 2026 Bloody Peach Film Festival, where Memphis actor Larshay Watson also received Best Lead Actor for his performance as Detective Linden.

Other honors include Best Lead Actress for Memphis actress J. Cameron Crawford at the 2026 Imaginarium Indie Film Festival in Louisville, Kentucky; Audience Choice Award at the Porchlight Film Festival in Jonesboro, Arkansas; Best Featurette at the Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma; and Best Extended Short Film at the Dunwich Horror Festival in Providence, Rhode Island.

The film’s festival run continues to expand with this past weekend alone bringing six additional selections: Horror Haven Film Expo in Evansville, Indiana; The Thing in the Basement Horror Festival in Seattle, Washington; Out of the Cellar Horror Fest in Sacramento, California; SamhainBaucogna International Film Festival in Spain; Rocket City Short Film Festival in Huntsville, Alabama; and Buried Alive Film Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

The growing national and international success comes despite the film being rejected by its hometown Indie Memphis Film Festival, making its reception elsewhere especially meaningful to the Memphis filmmakers behind it.

“Dreams of a Dead God represents my own humble contribution to the cosmic horror mythos,” said Weter. “It has been incredible to see audiences and festivals around the world connect with this story, especially knowing it began as a project created here in Memphis with local filmmakers and actors.”

Following its festival run, Dreams of a Dead God is scheduled to become available to audiences later in 2026.

View the Film Trailer.

Follow the film on the Cellardoor Cinema Facebook page.

About the Filmmaker:
Jim Weter is an award winning, Memphis filmmaker whose work has screened at festivals world-wide. To date, Jim’s work includes 6 feature films and over 20 short films, winning various awards and multiple film festivals both in the US and abroad. Weter was also the festival director and founder of the former Unreal Film Festival in Memphis, TN who championed local and indie productions.

Jim Weter
Cellardoor Cinema
info@cellardoorcinema.com
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“Dreams of a Dead God” (2026) – Official Trailer

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