9 Ghostbusters fan films, ranked

Spirits are high now that the beloved Ghostbusters will be back in our mortal realm as news recently hit that a new feature based on the original series is on track for a July 2020 release with Jason Reitman (son of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II director Ivan Reitman) behind the camera.

Since the first Ghostbusters debuted in 1984, the names Spengler, Stantz, Venkman, and Zeddemore have been etched in the halls of cinema history. The series has spawned sequels, animated series, board games, comics, video games, conventions, and festivals galore.

The Ghostbusters fan community is by far one of the most passionate and active in all of geekdom, with regional chapters and massive fan clubs devoted to the professional ghost hunters sprouting up all over the planet. With this many fans displaying their intense Ghostbusters love, there's bound to be a spooky assortment of amateur, not-for-profit short films creeping in to go bump in the night.

So fuel up the ECTO-1, charge your proton packs, and jog into our ethereal collection of nine excellent Ghostbusters fan films from around the world, then tell us which ones deliver the scares. 

Gotta run. Got a date with a ghost!

We're reaching WAY back to one of the first Ghostbusters fan films created circa 1998.

Produced by David Sadler, Brandon Crisp, Mark Argentini, and Rob Cleaton, this film has a simple premise involving a pair of spirit chasers taking a breather after a tough day bashing ghosts. An annoying punk arrives to talk smack and gets a demonstration of their proton packs' lethal capabilities. The Beastie Boys makes it even better!

Check out this impressive entry from the Motor City featuring the one and only paranormal investigation and elimination franchise sporting unlicensed nuclear accelerators on their back.

Written and directed by Kimberly Howard, this fun, shoestring-budgeted short chronicles the misadventures of a slacker parapsychologist, an oddball cosplay enthusiast, and their inexperienced corporate contact. Love the Boober ghost!

A short-but-sweet fan film that embodies the creativity and inspiration evident in these no-budget projects.

Delivered by the folks at The Nerd Corner and directed by Patrick Murray, here we see Egon and Venkman head back to the New York Public Library to take care of some unfinished business. Filmed in Baggins Book Shop in Rochester, New York, with a hand-crafted style and sly smile. Watch it with a beer and a Twinkie.

This noble effort from England features an amazing ECTO-1 replica I wish I had parked in my garage. The unauthorized product, shot in a few hours and directed by Gary Scullion and Johnnie Oddball carries the true spirit and recognizable flair of the Ghostbusters franchise with some electrifying, eye-popping special effects inside the grand hall of the London Film Museum.

Don't look directly into the trap!

Here's an outstanding international entry from some Italian Ghostbusters fans who infused a true taste of Italy into their amusing short.

You cannot help but crack a smile as the classic crew answers the call to fumigate a haunted palazzo and crosses the streams to snag their spirit. Excellent use of authentic costumes and phantom-chasing gadgets, which elevate this entry toward the top of the pack. Ghostbusters Italia! Yeah!

Filmed for Ghostbusters' 30th anniversary in 2014 and intended as a tribute to the late Harold Ramis, this short is set in Baltimore. It was made as an entry in the sixth annual "29 Days Later Film Project," winning the grand prize overall for the festival.

Written and directed by Cisco Davis, Jr., the storyline is unusual in that it takes place during a counseling session for one of Charm City's finest franchised Ghostbusters named Quincy Melnitz.

The Denver Ghostbusters are on full display, swimming in specters in this full-length fan film often considered one of the best ever made.

Beautifully expands many of the canon's cooler elements with a genuine knowledge of the Ghostbusters world and why it has such an addictive effect on fans. Directed by Hank Braxtan, Return of the Ghostbusters is a sequel to his Freddy vs Ghostbusters and is filled with clever Easter eggs and a story centered on the Egyptian Amulet of Anubis. Forget Sharknadoes, this movie's got Soulnadoes!

Mike Colver brings this frenetic and fun trailer-like short spotlighting the Circle City Ghostbusters of Indianapolis. It blasts out three minutes of concentrated Ghostbusters energy with carefully-constructed props, costumes, firehouse HQ, and a jammin' ECTO-1 Jeep Wrangler. A fiery finale displays exceptional proton beam composites by JMMates.

I'm not going to argue with over 2 million YouTube viewers for this superb and spot-on short from Kevin James and friends centered around the New Hampshire Ghostbusters.

Following an accident that destroys a gas station and hot dog cart, these hotshot Ghostbusters are whipped back into top form by a member of Salt Lake City's Ghostbusters chapter named Sketch. A perfect concoction of dry humor, colorful action, freaky puppets, and special effects that deservedly takes home the gold!