festival_stage_sunset (4).jpg — Contest Property Guidelines

All Blair Witch Fest entries must remain faithful to the BLAIR WITCH brand as set forth in the below Contest Property Guidelines. Writers should create their own original BLAIR WITCH stories without reliance on pre-existing stories. This means that existing characters should not be included or mentioned by name, and ancillary BLAIR WITCH properties should not be directly referenced! Instead, use these guidelines to inform your own unique take on the legend of the Blair Witch! We do recommend you watch the latest BLAIR WITCH films to fully immerse yourself into the woods.

BLAIR WITCH

History of The Black Hills Forest

The Black Hills Forest is located outside the town of Burkittsville in Frederick County, Maryland. Rumors and legends about the Blair Witch haunting the forest have been around since the 1800s. These allegations have permeated the consciousness of this quaint Maryland town and locals know not to enter after dark, if you care for your safety. Many visitors who have dared to enter the forest have reported strange manifestations in the trees, including nights that never seem to end, disappearances in the woods as evidenced by abandoned and destroyed campsites, and altered realities. The only evidence that remains of these occurrences comes in the form of found footage left behind by former lost hikers, and strange totems that look like small wooden stick figures resembling those who have been lost.

The Witch is Back!

The Blair Witch is a legendary entity, previously known as Elly Kedward, believed to haunt the Black Hills Forest with powerful witchcraft. She does not often appear to visitors but her presence is known and felt through atmospheric phenomena, often causing scenery to shift, or deliberately misleading any travelers. Loops in both time and space are known to happen in the forest; you may know you’ve seen that rock formation hours before, in a completely different area of the forest, or swear that the night stretches on forever. You may come across a campsite that looks recently built, and hours later come across it again, now tattered and worn by the elements. Legend has it, if you see the Blair Witch, you’re already doomed, so don’t look. Victims have been known to stand in the corners of rooms, desperate and paralyzed with fear to avoid the witch’s gaze.

Totems/Twanas

The Blair Witch’s presence can be marked by the appearance of stick figure totems. Upon seeing these almost humanoid stick charms, doom is not too far behind. They are said to be a tool of black magic, and mysterious dark rituals, sometimes with hair and other personal effects woven into their shapes.

Iconic Imagery
Blair Witch is known for imagery around the forest, stone ruins, the witch’s cabin, and camp sites. You can find brand new BLAIR WITCH backgrounds to support this imagery in the background library!

Supernatural Horror Themes

Stories centered around the Blair Witch often involve the following themes.

Survival Horror: Blair Witch stories put normal people into terrifying circumstances where they find themselves vulnerable in a supernatural setting. Can they survive?
Lore: The stories of the Blair Witch go back to the time of the pioneers, and perhaps even before. How does a myth change through the years? How does it change depending on who survives to tell the tale?
Found Footage: Modern stories of the Blair Witch are only known because of camcorder footage left behind. Many Blair Witch stories involve the making of a film or documentary. In 2021, #BlairWitchFest explores this using updated technology: live streaming.
Secret Followers: Not everyone is afraid of the Witch. Can you trust the people around you? Could they be secretly working in her thrall, or through a cultish fascination with her power?