ScreenCraft Horror Competition
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About
New Finalist Benefits: All finalists will be invited to an exclusive Finalist+ workshop on how you can best position yourself and your writing to the industry. Also, all finalists will receive a free 6 month membership to The Tracking Board, so you can stay up-to-date on Hollywood's insider news!
So whether you’re writing a contained, socially-relevant horror movie, or a big horror TV series, our jury wants to read your script.
Benefits
MIKE FLANAGAN
Writer, Director, Producer, Showrunner
Mike Flanagan is a prolific director, writer, producer, editor, and partner at Intrepid Pictures, a feature film and television production company dedicated to creating elevated commercial content for global audiences. Flanagan is the creator, director, and showrunner of the hit Netflix Original series THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, which he executive-produced along with Trevor Macy. Following the mainstream success of the horror anthology’s acclaimed debut season, Netflix ordered a second season entitled THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR, and entered into an exclusive deal for non-theatrical content with Intrepid. Most recently, Flanagan created and directed the critically acclaimed series MIDNIGHT MASS. Flanagan is also the director of seven feature films, including DOCTOR SLEEP for Warner Bros.
VALARIE PHILLIPS
Agent, A3 Artists
Valarie is a literary agent at A3 Artists Agency and represents Guy Busick, the writer of SCREAM 5. A3 Artists Agency is a talent and literary agency fostering the careers of performers, filmmakers, and influencers.
SANDINO MOYA-SMITH
VP of Development, MGM
After working for Gary Ross on all the HUNGER GAMES films, Sandino Moya-Smith became VP of Development at MGM Studios, the iconic film studio behind films like CANDYMAN with Nia DaCosta.
ANTONIO D'INTINO
Literary Manager, Circle of Confusion
Antonio is a literary manager at the production and management company Circle of Confusion, whose clients include writer/directors Keith Thomas (FIRESTARTER), Anthony Scott Burns (COME TRUE), and Iris Shim (UMMA). His clients' films have played at Cannes, Sundance and SXSW, among others. As a production company, Circle's credits include THE WALKING DEAD, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, and LOCKE & KEY. Circle clients have written commercial hits including DOCTOR STRANGE, SENSE8, and THE CONJURING.
GUY BUSICK
Screenwriter
Guy Busick is an American film and television screenwriter best known for his collaborations with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, including SCREAM 5 and READY OR NOT.
DAN KAVANAUGH
TV Executive, Vertigo Entertainment
Dan Kavanagh works in the TV department of Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment, where he’s helped develop series such as Warhammer, Horizon Zero Dawn and Hellraiser, among others. Prior to that, he served as Development Coordinator for AMC Networks’ SVOD services Shudder & Sundance Now.
THE PRIZES
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 manager(s) who are looking for talented emerging Film & TV screenwriters.
ScreenCraft's genre specific relationships include companies like Blumhouse, Netflix, HBO Max, AMC, and over 150 other 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.
They'll also receive:
- - Personal Introduction to top literary managers
- - Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program
- - $1,000 cash award
- - An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry
- - Free 6-month membership to The Tracking Board
Feature & TV Winners
- - $500 cash award
- - Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program
- - An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry
- - Free 6-month membership to The Tracking Board
Finalists
- - An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry
- - Free 6-month membership to The Tracking Board
ADD-ON PRIZE OPPORTUNITY
Mentorship Prize - 2 Winners to be selected!
This optional add-on prize category will identify two winners to learn, workshop, and strengthen their project with guidance from an industry mentor. Horror competition mentors are Greg Newman (Exec. VP at Dark Sky Films/ Queensbury Films) and Jim Klock (actor, writer, producer, and head of Terror Films). Each mentor will select one writer/writer team that includes this unique add-on benefit with their entry.
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.
1. Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.
- 2. Entry fees are as listed on the site and checkout form. No coupon or discount is applicable on a previous entry.
- 3. Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback can be done through Coverfly.
- 4. Entries may be any length -- the standard 1/2 hour is between 20 - 40 pages, and the standard hour long is between 40 - 70 pages, and the standard feature is between 85 - 120 pages. Any script submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $.50 per page overage fee for each page over 120 if it does not include feedback and $1 per page if the entry does include feedback.
- 5. There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
- 6. 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.
- 7. All submitted material must be owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.
- 8. 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).
- 9. 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 any prizes awarded as they deem fair (whether there is a cash value or not).
- 10. Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material will be allowed for a limited time with a $6 reentry fee through Coverfly. Please proofread your script carefully before submitting.
- 11. 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.
- 12. Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required. ScreenCraft uses Coverfly to manage submissions and automatically removes cover pages before scripts are read by the judges.
- 13. 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.
- 14. 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.
- 15. ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
- 16. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.