![[Final Draft Big Break Contest]](/images/ads/finalDraftBigBreak2026a.png)
The Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition
Killer Shorts Horror
Contact
Web:
https://killershorts.com
Email:
info@killershortscontest.com
Contact: Alison Parker, Contest Director
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
 |
(4.0/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
 |
(4.3/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Objective
Killer Shorts: Short Scripts, Features, & Short Stories
Got a horror script or short story? We want to read it.
Killer Shorts is a premier launchpad dedicated to discovering, championing, and launching new voices in horror and dark genre filmmaking. Founded in 2019, our competition connects writers with the industry professionals who actually greenlight, manage, and cover genre cinema.
Whether you are a master of micro-budget proof-of-concepts or the creator of the next great studio franchise, your work belongs here.
Expanding to Feature Screenplays
We believe the short format is the ultimate industry equalizer. Hits like Lights Out and The Backrooms proved that Hollywood’s next viral obsession starts as a micro-budget proof of concept. Show More
Deadline/Entry Fees
| Deadline | Date Days till: |
Entry Fee |
|---|---|---|
| First Wave | June 5, 2026 | $20.00 |
| Earlybird | August 7, 2026 52 |
$25.00 |
| Regular | October 31, 2026 137 |
$30.00 |
| Final | December 4, 2026 171 |
$35.00 |
| Extended | December 31, 2026 198 |
$40.00 |
| Extended | December 31, 2026 198 |
$40.00 |
Submissions close at 11:59 PM PST on the listed deadline date. Questions can be directed to support@killershorts.com.
WinningScripts Pro 25% Off Coupon
Notification: February 15, 2027
Eligibility
Anyone in the world. If under 18, with parental consent.Rules
For a full list of rules, please visit the official website.Awards
This year's jury includes:- John Zaozirny — Literary Manager & Producer, Bellevue Productions
- Tananarive Due — Author & Producer (The Twilight Zone, Horror Noire)
- Barbara Crampton — Actress & Producer (Re-Animator, Jakob's Wife, Suitable Flesh)
- Lucas Ford — Producer, Ford Films (The Backrooms)
- Sophie Carroll — Creative Director, ALTER & DUST at Gunpowder & Sky
- Xavier Burgin — Director (Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror)
- Jed Shepherd — Filmmaker (Host, Flashback, Blair Witch Doc)
- Gigi Saul Guerrero — Director & Co-Founder, Luchagore Productions (Satanic Hispanics, Culture Shock)
- Aaron B. Koontz — Producer & CEO, Paper Street Pictures (Shelby Oaks, Scare Package)
- John Squires — Editor-in-Chief, Bloody Disgusting
- Julian Terry — Filmmaker (Whisper, The Nurse, They Hear It)
- Chelsea Lupkin — Senior Programmer at Short of the Week & Filmmaker (Flagged, Lucy's Tale)
- Glenn Cockburn — Literary Manager, Meridian Artists
- Jenn Wexler — Filmmaker (The Sacrifice Game, The Ranger)
- Jason Tamasco — Producer, Traction Pictures
- Melody Cooper — Producer & Writer (Beasts of Prey, Two Sentence Horror Stories, Law & Order: SVU)
HORROR SHORT SCREENPLAY CATEGORY - PRIZES
Top 3 Winners- The Killer Trophy & Winner Laurels.
- Industry Circulation: Your script sent to our network of horror producers.
- The Scream List: Elevated placement increasing visibility among industry professionals.
- Stage 32 Pro Package: 60-min Career Development Call, Short Script Coverage, and FREE “Search for New Blood” contest entry.
- The Winner’s Bundle: Final Draft 13, Shudder memberships, ISA Connect Memberships and access to Robert McKee’s Horror Webinar Series.
- Horror Fan Bundle: Rue Morgue Magazine Subscription and Fright Rags Gift Card.
- Plus all Finalist prizes below.
- Finalist Laurels & Script Directory Publication.
- Final Draft 13 Software License.
- Production Suite: Seed & Spark Consultation and We Make Movies Gold Membership.
- Stage 32 Access: Script Coverage, Next Level Webinar and 50% off “Search For New Blood” entry.
- Plus all Semifinalist prizes below.
- Semifinalist Laurels & Script Directory Publication.
- Stage 32 Package: Next Level Webinar and 20% off “Search For New Blood” entry.
- Quarterfinalist Laurels.
- Exclusive Discounts: Reduced rates for Stage 32 contests and partner services.
- $5,000 cash prize.
- The Killer Trophy & Winner Laurels.
- Bellevue Productions First Look: Guaranteed script review by literary manager John Zaozirny.
- Plus all Top 3 & Finalist prizes below.
- Industry Circulation: Your script sent to our premier network of horror producers.
- The Winner’s Bundle: Final Draft 13, Free Feature Script Entry to ScriptHop’s Gauntlet, and We Make Movies Gold Membership.
- $50 Deep Cuts Coffee Gift Card.
- Plus all Finalist prizes below.
- Finalist Laurels & Script Directory Publication.
- Seed & Spark Crowdfunding Consultation.
- Plus all Semifinalist prizes below.
- Semifinalist Laurels.
- The Script Directory: Logline publication in our curated industry database.
- Quarterfinalist Laurels.
- $500 Cash Prize & Winner Laurels.
- The Killer Trophy.
- 6 Month ISA Connect Membership.
- Plus all Top 3 prizes listed below.
- Industry Circulation: Script sent to our network of horror producers.
- The Scream List: Elevated placement increasing visibility among industry professionals.
- Final Draft 13 Software License.
- Creator Bundle: Stan Winston School Membership, We Make Movies Gold Membership, and Script Revolution Rockstar memberships.
- Stage 32 Pro Perk: 100% off “Search For New Blood” contest entry.
- Plus all Finalist prizes below.
- Finalist Laurels & Script Directory Publication.
- Stage 32 Access: Free Stage 32 “Next Level” Webinar and 20% off “Search For New Blood” contest entry.
- Placement Laurels (Semi or Quarterfinalist).
- Exclusive Discounts: Reduced rates for Stage 32 contests and partner webinars.
- The Killer Trophy & Winner Laurels.
- Pro Consultation: One-on-one 30-minute meeting with author and screenwriter Chris Hicks (I Am Not Alone).
- Official Publication: Featured story placement on the Killer Shorts website.
- Plus all Top 3 & Finalist prizes below.
- Winner Laurels.
- Industry Circulation: Your work sent to our network of horror producers and literary reps.
- Plus all Finalist prizes below.
- Finalist Laurels.
- Scrivener Software: Professional writing license for prose and screenwriting.
- Stage 32 Access: Free “Next Level” Webinar and 50% off “Search For New Blood” entry.
- Semifinalist Laurels & Script Directory Publication.
- Education & Discounts: Free Stage 32 Webinar and 20% off “Search For New Blood” entry.
- Quarterfinalist Laurels.
- Stage 32 Discount: 20% off Stage 32 “Search For New Blood” entry.
Killer Shorts Horror
Contact
Web:
https://killershorts.com
Email:
info@killershortscontest.com
Contact: Alison Parker, Contest Director
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(4.3/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Contest Comments
You must login to post a comment.
First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
The Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition
Contact
Web:
https://killershorts.com
Email:
info@killershortscontest.com
Contact: Alison Parker, Contest Director
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(4.3/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Contest News
Killer Shorts Names Screenplay Contest Quarterfinalists
The Killer Shorts Screenplay Competition has their announced quarterfinalists from among more than 1,033 submissions.
Main Category Quarterfinalists
SARAH WARD '97
JUSTIN ANDREW COOK A Man Walks In
ANDREW WILBUR A Trip To The North
LUCAS GARBERA Affliction
MARYELLEN DEVIVO All the Rage
JENESSA RIVERA Amor de Mi Vida
LIA BERGER Beware Of Dog
JACK CAREY Blood Trench
JAMES MAZZULLO Bright Eyes
DANNY ROGERS Buck's Big Break
ARRAN CRAWLEY Burn Slowly, Black Gloves
JAMES PATRICK FURLONG Clean Kill
DANNY WEIR Cockney Ghost Smashers
FRANCESCO GIACOMARRA Coffee Pot
JULIA DIDDY Cooking Lessons with Baba Yaga
ROBERTO ALVARENGA Dead Man's Party
MICHAEL CASTALDO Desolation's Edge
FREDERIK EHRHARDT Devil's Instrument
RACHEL CYLIE GROSS & STANLEY SWINDLING Dispose
BRIAN BARNES Do Not Open
PHILLIP WALTON Don't Eat From The Machine
MICHAEL ROGERS Don't Sleep
SHAUN O'LOUGHLIN Drinkwater
KARELINE CASTOR Dust
TIYAN NEWMAN Eden
GARISON PIATT Family Man
JEREMY WEINER Get It!
DEE MICK Gully
ANDREW MENA Hairasite
CHARLENE CLARKE-TODORUK Heads
COLE MCCABE Henrietta's Egg
RODOLFO SALAS Hunger Pains
STEPHANIE NOEL Hypnopompia
VICTOR RIDAURA Identidad Raza
JOSH SCHENKKAN AND MICHAEL MOUNT Incognito Mode
REBECCA MORET Inside These Walls
RICHARD H. MOON Interruption
MAYANKA GOEL Is Your Husband Home?
BRIAN MENZ It's OK. He's Friendly.
LANCE ELIOT ADAMS Jelly Doughnut of Evil
JON PLATT Just the Three of Me
MJ FARBER-RAY Knife Twist
BEN WOODIWISS Lady Midday
ARIEL MCCLEESE Lady Parts
ALAN MENDEZ Leave
PHILLIP WALTON Little Blessings
DYLAN JAMES AMICK Long Face
PATRICK LEHE Look Away
JORDAN SYMES Love Yourself
LUCY FOSTER Lovely Girl
GEORGINA BOWLEY-MORIARTY Mami
JOSHUA DAVID MATTHEWS Memories of a House
ALEXANDER SELTZER Merrow
ERIC ROBINSON MUSKREALM.JPG
LEE BACON New Dog
CHRISTIAN GREEN Night Of The Living Vacuum
MARK LEE Night Watcher
GWENDOLYN HULET Nothing's Final
DEREK LADD Oil Change
CHIGOZIE ONYEAKA Onoura
PHILLIP DISHON Patrimony
ADAM SANTA CRUZ People Die
BRITT ALEXANDRIA Please Forward
BRITTA BARRETT Price Slashers
MELINDA-CATHERINE GROSS Redbeard's Reunion
SIMON DOYLE Retrograde
TOMMIE BROWN Rising Gas Prices
ALEXANDRA YORK Road Trip
ERIC WARREN Sampson & Delilah
JACKIE PEREZ & ELISE SALOMON Self Image
D. WESTFALL Separated
MIYAKO FUQUA Shelf Life
JOHAN SPIROLAZZI Sing The Fucking Song
APRIL ROUVEYROL Starlight
JOSEPH X CASILLAS Stock Photo
JASON RICE Stray
JED WOODS Stud Muffin
JUSTIN MORITZ & PARKER FOREMAN Take 177
BRITTANY BOOKBINDER Teetering On The Edge
LIA BERGER Teller
BRYCE CARLISLE The Bone Shift
JESS C WHEATLEY The Call Out
KARELINE CASTOR The Devil's Doorman
ALEXANDER SELTZER The Door
DOMINIC HART The Night Runner
JERRY JENAE SAMPSON The Safety Games
JAI BRANDON The Stranger I Used To Know
MELANIE HAYWARD The Unexpected End Of The Outback Races
PATRICK MEDIATE & AARON MCLANE The Unwrapping
DANIEL ALAN KIELY The Whisper Tree
YVETTE ROSS There's A Monster in My Room
GLENN FORBES To Live Again a Butterfly
PATRICK LOVELAND Too Many Eyes
COLLEEN KELLY Truth or Dare
RANDY PARKER Vaccine
ALIA ZEID Wacky Otter's Waterpark
JEFF KALLET We're Here to Kill it
ASH LAZER White Noise
ZOE BULLOCK Witch Hunt
JOSHUA HEATON You're on Mute
1-Page Quarterfinalists:
PATTY PAPAGEORGIOU #milk
PHILLIP DISHON #UnaliveYourself
JOSHUA HEATON A Confession
WENZLER POWERS A Little Prick
JEFF JAMES A Soft Earth
CHELSEA SPIRITO After the Storm
CHRISTIAN CURRY AKUNA Bookworm
ANDREW WILCZAK Bubbles
RENE CLAVEAU Cluck Cluck
JESS BARTLETT Duck Duck Goose
ADAM PAVLOVIC Excrements
CHRIS VANDERHORST Followers
BRADLEY AUSTIN Garden of the Grafted
CC MCLOUGHLIN Gourmandise
EVAN BAUGHFMAN Killer in Tent
KATHERINE COX & MATT MCCARTHY Kitty's Like...
BEN GERRIOR Light's On
STEPHEN CHEN Look Ma, I Made It!
YVETTE ROSS Love Is in the Air
JULIETTE GILLIES Lychnobite
DAVE THORPE Mommy Is Here
SANDRA WADE MRI
SANCHEZ TAYLOR No Life Detected
JULIE ROSING Offbeat
TRACI LOPER Pastime
ALISON PRINGLE Phantom Crying
CHRISTIAN GREEN Pizza Perry
JOSEPH X CASILLAS Plateau
EVAN BAUGHFMAN Pop!
STEPHEN CHEN Security
CODY SOUSA Shadow Puppet
SPIKE BLACK Snip
AR UGAS Storage Room
JACKIE PEREZ The Ballerina
WHITNEY HAMILTON The Confession
ERIC BROWN The Food Chain
KEVIN TALLEY The Last Valentine
KEVIN MANN Unsightly
ARRAN CRAWLEY Watch My Baby, Please
DONAIDH ALLEN What Do Any Of Them Want?
Updated: 02/14/2023
The Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition
Contact
Web:
https://killershorts.com
Email:
info@killershortscontest.com
Contact: Alison Parker, Contest Director
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(4.3/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(4.0/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Submit Report Card
You must login to read or submit report cards.
First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
