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Killer Shorts Announces 2026 Screenplay Competition Finalists
Killer Shorts has announced the Top 10 finalists for its 2026 Horror Short Screenplay Competition, with selections spanning its Main Category, 1-Page Screenplay, and Short Story (Prose) divisions.
The finalists were chosen from more than 1,000 submissions and advanced through multiple rounds of evaluation. Winners will be announced April 27.
Scripts marked with a dagger (†) received a “Recommend” rating from Killer Shorts readers and are included on the competition’s “Scream List.”
Main Category Finalists
- Lucy Foster — Answer Man
- Benjamin Luk — Buttons †
- Elaine Frost — By Yourself
- Joshua David Matthews — Grim
- Michael Clifton — Lyla’s Last Dance
- Michael Pisaturo — No Faces
- Sebastian Watson — No Fishing
- Taylor Shofner — The Cockatrice
- Shane Thompson — Welcome to Our Cabin
- Sam Das — What Remains
- Deerest Darling — Eislinn Gracen
- How Was Your Day? † — Sapphire Sandalo
- Riding with the King — Salvatore Liuzzi
- Super Absolutely — Francesca Pazniokas
- We’ll Be In Touch — Andrew Maron
1-Page Screenplay Finalists
- Giovanna Umpierrez — Blackberry
- Liam Fitzpatrick — Guess Again
- Paul Starkey — Loose Lips
- Colby Helton — Nothing Yet
- Olivia Loccisano — ProtoTyke
- Rose Vatel — School Shopping
- Inês Reis — The Homebody
- Maureen Trinh — The License Plate Game
- Jose Cruz — The Shaft †
- TJ Berry — Weakness Leaving the Body †
- Amma — Andrew Dunstan
- Beaming — Cass Cooper
- PARTY BLOB — James Allen
- Peeping Tom — Justin Burford
- What Big Muscles You Have! — Stephen Chen
Short Story (Prose) Finalists
- Nicholas Thomas — A.Eye
- Aric Harrison — Alligator Boy
- Austin Langley — Apple Tree
- Akuorkor Allotey — Doggy in the Window
- Mark Renshaw — Fungi
- Tom Browngardt — Gravestone Concussion
- Mike AD — Hulled Out
- Martin Delaney — Nothing Is Scary Any More
- Shannon Weston — Rendered Speechless
- Brooke Solomon — Texas Tea
- Harold aka Fed by Pain — Millie Price
- The Lamb — Travis Williams
- Things That Came Through With the Baby — TJ Berry
- To Reach New Horizons — Gabriel Cofield
- Yesforatu — C. Lenz
Now in its seventh season, Killer Shorts continues to serve as a platform for emerging horror writers, offering finalists exposure to industry professionals along with prizes including software, consultations, and script coverage.
Updated: 03/16/2026
Additional Contest Info: The Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition
ScriptLinks
Post Your Script Here!Palo Alto Bang & Burn
When idealistic professor Will Reynolds joins a clandestine government program researching remote viewing, his faith in science and reality unravels as he discovers truths that feel ripped from science fiction.
BORDERLINE JUSTICE
Rita Fuentes, a fiery, attractive Latina social worker introduces Martin Wilkins, a law-and-order judge, to the violent, politically charged world of power, money, illegals, and life for the drug mules--like Demetria Plascentia, and his foolish new son-in-law, Antonio Borja--he condemns daily in his courtroom.
TIME OUT
A husband has willfully taken a time out from his marriage for fourteen years, is suddenly thrust back into it to save the life of an ailing son he never knew he had.
Lab Rats
An anonymous organization uses an ***AI Bot*** to moderate a Focus Group on the topic of ***Fake***.
She Curses Like a Sailor
A thought-provoking view of women and cursing is entertained at this art opening in New York.
Lady Diogenes of the Shadow
Three retired ladies candidly discuss their bizarre neighbor over morning coffee.
Perfect Beau
A Brainiac Plain Jane clones her ideal boyfriend out of her girlfriends' boyfriends' DNA for her university's senior class science project.
Cold Pepper
A law-abiding, church-going court stenographer becomes a one-woman vigilante 'offing' violent domestic abusers (and other pathetic souls) after their third offense.
Psychotic USA
A dramedy. A razor-sharp satiric view of the laughable state of modern psychiatric treatment as seen through the lens of four patients in an asylum.
Psycho-Hearts
A world-class heart transplant surgeon is an absolute magician at finding compatible hearts for wealthy clients.
