The first "Afterdark Horrorfest" relieved some horror fans, providing horror in theatres that actually had some variety. Personally I was less satisfied - it included "Unrest", a film which was as paint-by-numbers as the current big-budget horror films had become. But the festival people could be excused as "finding their feet", I suppose. Next year there was "Crazy Eights", a considerably weaker film than "Unrest" - and by their second year, those running the festival should've known better. Admittedly, amongst the 3rd-4th Afterdark Horrorfests, the five films I've seen have contained no bad films. I thought they were improving. But this... It's their fifth year. Many horror fans - and horror-loving filmmakers - have accepted Hollywood doesn't aim their horror films at horror fans; its just not profitable. Horror festivals should provide an alternative to those. Many amongst those considered the millenium's best horror premiered at horror festivals. Yet in their fifth year, Afterdark presents a film completely interchangable with any of the countless big-budget "Ring" knockoffs. Really, by now they should've known better. Sadly, this appears to be their worst festival, as of the five films I've seen didn't contain any good films amongst their number, but with "The Task" airing this weekend in the UK technically there's hope, although somehow I can't expect too much.
I've enjoyed quite a few of those After Dark Horrorfest movies. I've never seen any of them in the theater - I just wait until they show up on the SyFy Channel and pick which ones to get on DVD. A few are serious, suspenseful horror movies, and others are cheesy good times. I enjoy them both. Plenty of crummy ones in there too of course.
I haven't looked into this year's batch, but hopefully there'll be a few good ones in there.