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Screamfest
Screamfest
2023
Active Since 2001
Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States.
View Latest Season
This season has closed, but there's a new season open now!

About

Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States. Paranormal Activity was discovered and premiered at the festival in 2007. Some of the largest horror online publications have called it the "Sundance of Horror".

The 2022 Festival will be held at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on the 3rd floor of the Hollywood & Highland Center in eclectic Hollywood, California.

Screamfest, America’s largest and longest running horror film festival premieres and showcases new work from American and international independent horror filmmakers. Many of the filmmakers have garnered distribution and representation as a result of the festival. Screamfest launches careers.

Film entries are accepted in the categories of Best Feature, Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Special Effects and Musical Score. In addition, there are special categories for Best Animation, Best Short, Best Documentary and Best Student Film.

Screamfest was formed in August 2001 by film producers Rachel Belofsky and Ross Martin in order to give filmmakers and writers in the horror/sci-fi genres a venue to have their work showcased to people in the industry. We are very proud that the majority of the films showcased now have distribution.

Benefits

Winning Screenwriter Prize:
$1,000 cash prize
Our amazing skull trophy designed by the legendary Stan Winston. 
General meeting with literary managers/producers.
10 free pitches on VPF, the platform for TV/Film professionals seeking scripts and writers to represent.  With VPF, writers can submit written pitches to 500+ networks/studios, producers and agents with the assurance of a guaranteed response.
3 months of Roadmap Writers On Ramp program and 2 Open Pitch Sessions (value $337).
Movie Magic Screenwriting software.
InkTip Script Listing: A listing of your script on InkTip so that producers and reps can find you.  Every InkTip producer has been vetted via resume and references and demonstrated the ability to get movies made.  Companies who are InkTip members include ABC, Anonymous Content, APA, CBS Films, HBO Films, ICM, Paradigm, Paramount Pictures, Hallmark Channel, FX, Universal, WME, Echo Lake, Zero Gravity, Bad Robot and 20th Century Fox. 

Top 5 Finalists Prize:
5 free pitches on VPF, the platform for TV/Film professionals seeking scripts and writers to represent.  With VPF, writers can submit written pitches to 500+ networks/studios, producers and agents with the assurance of a guaranteed response.
One full festival pass to Screamfest 2022, including all screenings and parties.
Movie Magic Screenwriting software.
1 Roadmap Writers On Ramp program Open Pitch Session (value $175).
Read by leading industry/producers such as Ghost House Pictures, Hulu, Impossible Dream Entertainment, Gotham Group and more.
InkTip Script Listing: A listing of your script on InkTip so that producers and reps can find you.  Every InkTip producer has been vetted via resume and references and demonstrated the ability to get movies made.  Companies who are InkTip members include ABC, Anonymous Content, APA, CBS Films, HBO Films, ICM, Paradigm, Paramount Pictures, Hallmark Channel, FX, Universal, WME, Echo Lake, Zero Gravity, Bad Robot and 20th Century Fox. 

Semi-Finalists Prize:
1 free pitch on VPF, the platform for TV/Film professionals seeking scripts and writers to represent.  With VPF, writers can submit written pitches to 500+ networks/studios, producers and agents with the assurance of a guaranteed response.

2023 Winner on Coverfly

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Announcements

No announcement dates listed.

Rules

Rules:
Feature film screenplay length should be at least 75 pages and not over 130. 
Screenplay file names should be saved as: Title_Lasname.pdf