ScreenCraft Horror Competition
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About
Horror is a one of the best genres for emerging talent. It has launched countless careers, and it is consistently popular worldwide. Horror confronts us with our deepest fears and anxieties, and it can be a powerfully cathartic experience. Whether you’re writing a contained, socially-relevant horror movie, or a big horror TV series, our judges want to read your script.
ScreenCraft's Horror Screenwriting Competition has a long history of creating success for our winners and finalists, many of whom have gone on to sign at places like Bellevue Productions, Affirmative Entertainment, Story Driven, and more. And last year's Horror Competition winners, Asabi Lee and Paul Hart-Wilden, were recently featured in Deadline for their exciting work after winning the competition. They've been hired by Gamechanger Films to write PALE HORSE with big name attachments including Effie T Brown and Oscar-nominated Gabourey Sidibe.
Winners signed at…
…and many more.
Benefits
THE JUDGES
Whether you’re writing a contained, socially-relevant horror movie, or a big horror TV series, our judges want to read your script!
Scott Beck & Bryan Woods
Writers, Directors and Producers
Scott Beck & Bryan Woods have been collaborators since sixth grade in their hometown of Bettendorf, Iowa. They were Executive Producers and co-writers of 2019’s A QUIET PLACE, and 2021’s A QUIET PLACE II, which was nominated for Best Screenplay at the Critics’ Choice Awards and WGA Awards, and won the Saturn Award. They Wrote, Directed and are Producers of Sony Pictures’ sci-fi thriller 65 with Academy Award® nominee Adam Driver (for 2022 release). Additional writing/directing credits include thriller HAUNT, and “Almost There” from Sam Raimi and Quibi’s 50 States of Fright.
Disney Hall
Manager of Film Development & Television Programming, Blumhouse
As Manager of Film Development and Television Programming at Horror studio Blumhouse, Disney Hall looks for and shepherds new voices in genre and horror. Prior to Blumhouse, Disney worked in creative development at Legendary Pictures (GODZILLA vs KONG, ENOLA HOLMES, DUNE, etc).
Giselle Johnson
Creative Executive, Sony Screen Gems
Houston native and proud Howard University alum Giselle Johnson started at VICE News’ scripted TV and Film division, working on films JUDY AND PUNCH and Amazon’s THE REPORT. Recruited by Netflix to their Original Studio Film team, she worked on THE MIDNIGHT SKY, SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL and THE IRISHMAN, and is now a Creative Executive at Sony/Screen Gems, the studio division known for DON’T BREATHE, the UNDERWORLD franchise, SEARCHING and more.
Meredith Averill
Golden Globe and WGA-Award Nominated TV Writer and Executive Producer
Meredith Averill the Golden Globe and four-time WGA-Award nominated Co-Showrunner and Exec. Producer of Netflix's LOCKE & KEY, which she developed with Carlton Cuse. She was Co-Showrunner and Exec. Producer of Netflix's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, and worked on The CW's STAR-CROSSED (Creator/Executive Producer), JANE THE VIRGIN, THE GOOD WIFE and LIFE ON MARS, among others.
Melody Cooper
Award-winning TV Writer, Playwright and Founder of Nyx Horror Collective
Melody Cooper has written for NBCUniversal’s LAW & ORDER: SVU, and Stage 13’s TWO SENTENCE HORROR STORIES, now on Netflix. A Sundance Episodic Lab Fellow, HBO Access Writing Fellow, Grand Jury Prize winner at Urbanworld Film Festival and ScreenCraft Film Fund Finalist, other labs include Shudder Labs and Stowe Story Labs. Melody received a Ford Foundation grant for her play SWEET MERCY and co-founded Nyx Horror Collective, which is running the 13 Minutes of Horror Film Festival in August 2021 on the Shudder Channel.
Aaron B. Koontz
Producer, Director & Founder, Blood Oath, Paper Street Pictures
A former producer at Universal Studios with two decades in the film industry, Aaron founded boutique genre studio Paper Street Pictures in 2012. He has Written, Directed, and Produced multiple genre bending films, including CAMERA OBSCURA, a psychological thriller released by NBC/Universal, SCARE PACKAGE, the cult hit horror-comedy anthology via AMC's SHUDDER and the SXSW Midnighter STARRY EYES, among others.
THE PRIZES
On top of all top scripts being read by this incredible jury, the winners will receive prizes and industry outreach. Dozens of ScreenCraft winners have signed with managers, sold their scripts, option projects, been staffed, or been hired for open writing assignments.
Check out some of the success stories here.
Grand Prize Winner
The overall grand prize winner in either feature or TV category will be welcomed to the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top Hollywood literary managers who are looking for talented emerging Film & TV screenwriters.
The top 3 winners’ project info and log lines will be circulated and recommended to our network of over 60 Hollywood managers, agents, producers and development executives. ScreenCraft has a proven track record for getting writers signed with managers, agents, and staffed in writing rooms.
Personal Introduction to top literary managers
Accepted into the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program
$1,000 Cash
Complimentary Badge for the 2022 ScreenCraft Virtual Summit
Feature Winner
$500 cash award
Accepted into ScreenCraft Development Program
Complimentary badge for the 2022 ScreenCraft Virtual Summit
Pilot Winner
$500 cash award
Accepted into ScreenCraft Development Program
Complimentary badge to the 2022 ScreenCraft Virtual Summit
Writer Success
Announcements
Rules
At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.
- Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.
- Entry fees are as listed on the site and checkout form. No coupon or discount is applicable on a previous entry.
- Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback can be done through Coverfly.
- TV pilots may be any length -- however the standard 1/2 hour is between 20 - 40 pages, and the standard hour-long is between 40 - 70 pages. Feature screenplays must be a minimum of 75 pages and a maximum of 150 pages. Any submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $1 per page overage fee for each page over 120.
- There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
- Entries must be received on or before the deadline dates by 11:59PM Pacific Time, and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.
- All submitted material must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).
- Material must be submitted by the writer. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).
- If a writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money.
- Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material will be allowed for a limited time with a $5 reentry fee through Coverfly. Please proofread your script carefully before submitting.
- It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition, however we do not require registration.
- Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required.
- ScreenCraft claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders.
- 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.
- ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
- ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.
