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Killer Shorts
Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition
Season 1
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2019
Rare opportunity to have managers and producers reading your horror short screenplays and short stories.
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About

The Screenwriters Network presents, the 1st Annual Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition! Prizes include guaranteed industry reads at Paradigm Talent Agency, Grey Matter Productions, Good Fear Content & Affirmative Entertainment! 

In the past few years, horror shorts have become a goldmine for Hollywood. Feature films such as The Babadook, Lights Out, Mama and Saw originated as proof-of-concept shorts. Shorts like Whisper, The Burden, Behind, Sweet Tooth, and Milk, were discovered by producers like James Wan and Sam Raimi and are now in development as features.

It all starts with the script. 

Killer Shorts was created to discover, inspire and promote emerging screenwriters around the world as we dig up the freshest new voices in horror. We’re passionate about horror and all its sub-genres! Horrifying monsters, psychological terrors, hilarious horror comedies, creepy creatures...whatever your dark & twisted mind can imagine! Check out our prize packages below and submit your script today!

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Check out www.killershortscontest.com for more information!


Join the Screenwriters Network Discord Server to experience 2 weeks of Shudder's horror streaming service 100% free, plus the chance to enter Killer Shorts for FREE: https://discord.gg/bBHNppT 


Killer Shorts Contest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KillerShorts

Screenwriters Network on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SCRNWritersNTWK


SPONSORS

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Benefits

PRIZES 
The Killer Shorts prize packages aim to arm screenwriters with the tools they need to continue writing, get their current script in shape for other contests, and provide exposure! 

DISTRIBUTION (TOP THREE WINNERS) 
Killer Shorts is proud to partner with a network of literary managers, agents, executives, and producers who are actively seeking fresh voices in horror screenwriting and recognize the potential in short form content as a way of breaking into the industry. They have a proven track record of discovering talent via their horror shorts, including Leigh Whannell (Saw), James Wan (Saw), David Sandberg (Lights Out), Angel Gómez Hernández (Behind), Julian Terry (Whisper, They Hear It), Nico van den Brink (Sweet Tooth, The Burden), and more.

The Top 3 scripts will be read by agents, managers and producers at the following companies:

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1ST PLACE PRIZE 

  • Circulation and personal recommendation of the top 3 scripts to our network of industry professionals (agents, managers, producers and studio executives)
  • Free Copy of Final Draft Screenwriting Software ($249 Value) 
  • Waived Entry to WeScreenplay Shorts, Screencraft Shorts, Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest and Oregon Scream Horror Week Film Festival
  • 5 Free Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest 
  • 1 Year Free Subscription to Shudder
  • 1 Year VIP Platinum Membership on Screenwriters Network 
  • Increased Rank on Coverfly's The Red List, with exposure to thousands of industry professionals who are looking for great screenplays
  • 100 Tokens on Screenwriters Network 
  • Framed Winner’s Certificate 
  • Mystery Box of Dread

2ND PLACE PRIZE 

  • Circulation and personal recommendation of the top 3 scripts to our network of industry professionals (agents, managers, producers and studio executives)
  • Free Copy of Final Draft Screenwriting Software ($249 Value) 
  • Waived Entry to WeScreenplay Shorts, Screencraft Shorts, Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest and Oregon Scream Horror Week Film Festival
  • 5 Free Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest 
  • 6 Months Free Subscription to Shudder 
  • 6 Months VIP Platinum Membership on Screenwriters Network
  • Increased Rank on Coverfly's The Red List, with exposure to thousands of industry professionals who are looking for great screenplays
  • 75 Tokens on Screenwriters Network 
  • Framed Winner’s Certificate 
  • Mystery Box of Dread

3RD PLACE PRIZE 

  • Circulation and personal recommendation of the top 3 scripts to our network of industry professionals (agents, managers, producers and studio executives)
  • Free Copy of Final Draft Screenwriting Software ($249 Value) 
    Waived Entry to WeScreenplay Shorts, Screencraft Shorts, Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest and Oregon Scream Horror Week Film Festival
  • 5 Free Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest 
  • 3 Months Free Subscription to Shudder 
  • 3 Months VIP Platinum Membership on Screenwriters Network 
    Increased Rank on Coverfly's The Red List, with exposure to thousands of industry professionals who are looking for great screenplays
  • 50 Tokens on Screenwriters Network 
  • Framed Winner’s Certificate 
  • Mystery Box of Dread 
  • 5 pages of in-depth analysis and actionable advice from The Script Butcher!

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QUARTER FINALISTS 
All Quarter Finalists will receive 1 Free Pitch from Virtual Pitch Fest, plus contest laurels, 10 Tokens to use in the Screenwriters Network Discord Server and 5 Coverfly Tokens.

Writer Success

Season 5 Top 3 Winners on Coverfly

See Other Placements

Announcements

Feb 28th
Semifinalists
Mar 13th
Finalists
Mar 13th
Winners

Rules

At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.

RULES AND ELIGIBILITY:

1. Screenplays entered must:

a. Not include the writer’s or writing team’s name or contact information on any page of the script including the title page.
b. Include a title page. 
c. Be submitted in PDF form and must fit all standard screenplay format guidelines. Personal formatting conventions will be accepted but must not intentionally or accidentally alter the page count of the project as determined by the judges. 
d. 35 pages or under. 
e. Be owned solely by the writer or writing team listed. It may be an adaptation or reimagining of true events or fictional stories. It may not be a sequel to or prequel to any script or movie not owned by the writer or writing team. 
f. Be written in English. However, scripts from anywhere in the world will be accepted. 
2. Writer must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.

3. Screenplays entered must be in the horror genres and sub genres, including horror comedy, horror western, horror thriller, horror sci – fi, etc. All will be treated equally and read by an unbiased panel of judges.

4. Entrant’s total earnings for screenwriting for either film or TV, produced or unproduced, must not exceed $10,000 in the past 12 months. This excludes any prize money from competitions or fellowships and only applies to fund or money transferred in exchange for an option or sale of a script, treatment, idea, intellectual property, or other writing for filming. Money earned from acting, directing, producing, or any other film work outside of writing is not included.

5. Screenplays submitted must not have been previously sold or produced unless said sale or production was competed with no financial gain to the writer.

6. For a submission to be valid it must be accompanied with the appropriate payment based on the submission deadlines. Any scripts over 35 pages will be disqualified.

7. All deadlines are at 11:59pm PST on the date listed. Any deadline alteration or promotion of any kind does not make any entry valid for a refund of any kind.

8. Alterations can be re-uploaded at coverfly.com for $5.

9. There are no refunds for any submitted screenplay. Coupons may not be applied to previously submitted scripts.

10. There is no limit on the number of scripts a writer or writing team may submit.

11. Prizes are awarded per script and teams of writers are expected to divide prizes on their own accord. Killer Shorts will send prizes to the writer who submits the project and will in no way be responsible for how the prizes are distributed amongst the writing teams.

12. The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.

13. Killer Shorts reserves the right to delay announcements for any reason. Delay may last up to but never more than 90 days. While we never anticipate any delays, such delays will not alter the standing of any screenplay entry and will qualify no script for a refund under any circumstance.

14. By entering the Killer Shorts contest every entrant is agreeing to all Killer Shorts Terms and Conditions listed and available before checkout. If you disagree with any terms you may not submit to the contest.

15. By submitting to the contest you are releasing your script to Killer Shorts and holding harmless Killer Shorts or any affiliates from any claims, expenses, and liabilities, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, copyright, libel, trademark infringement, slander, personal property infringement, etc.

16. Any prize winners may be required to sign an affidavit validating their entry into the contest.

17. Any cash prize winners of over $599 will be required to file a W-9 before the cash prize is distributed.

18. Any winners may have their name, script title, and picture used for any Killer Shorts promotions or promotions of our sponsors or affiliates.

19. Former Winners of any Killer Shorts contest may enter so long as it is NOT the same script that won in a previous year. Any other placement in former years does not disqualify the script from being entered this year.

20. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

21. Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to Killer Shorts and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

22. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release and hold harmless Killer Shorts, The Screenwriters Network, and its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize.

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Season 1

Official Sponsors

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Filmfreeway
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ScriptHop
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