We are excited to announce the winners of the 2022 Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.
BABY FEVER by Hannah Cumming & Alex Hartwig has been selected from nearly 1,551 entries as the Grand Prize Winner. HOUSE OF WOLVES by Andrew Yeremeyev has been selected as the 2nd Place Winner; and /HAAW/ by Joey Scoma has been selected as the 3rd Place Winner. Scroll down to see our 1-Page category winners!
BABY FEVER by Hannah Cumming & Alex Hartwig
A popular teen’s dream to be crowned Prom Queen is threatened when she discovers she is pregnant with something even worse than her dumb jock boyfriend’s offspring.
BABY FEVER impressed our panel of judges with its stylized voice, vivid characters and natural dialogue. Described by Killer Shorts readers as “…a wild, entertaining ride!”, BABY FEVER’s tone balances nicely between comedy and grotesque body horror.
“One of the most fun, yet terrifying character studies I’ve ever seen in a story.”
– Xavier Burgin (Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, Giants).
HOUSE OF WOLVES by Andrew Yeremeyev
Bound to the earth and to each other, goat farmers Hal and Annalise attempt to conceive a child before the next full moon.
A great horror-drama, HOUSE OF WOLVES carries the same tone as films like THE VVITCH and LAMB, perfectly blending supernatural elements with domestic melodrama.
“A darkly supernatural exploration of a couple’s hardship with pregnancy, House of Wolves is as unnerving as it is compellingly heartfelt. Mysterious and mystical, Andrew Yeremeyev’s screenplay borrows from familiar folklore and creatures set against a countryside farm that’s rich in visual language.”
Chelsea Lupkin, Short of the Week.
/HAAW/ by Joey Scoma
A typical day at a ski resort takes a bizarre turn when a xenophobic teenager shares a gondola with an unusual family.
An entirely unique premise that is well written. /HAAW/ draws the reader in and delivers clear and compelling imagery, but doesn’t over-explain. A cool example of bizarre, surreal horror.
“This is how you do a short! Simple, engaging, resourceful and completely mesmerizing. High concepts within a confined setting. I was compelled the entire time. I adored this. And I can’t wait to see the final result.”
Aaron B. Koontz, Paper Street Pictures.
In addition to the Killer Shorts team of readers and Contest Director Alison Parker, this year’s jury included literary managers John Zaozirny (Bellevue Productions), Daniel Seco (Empirical Evidence), Scott Stoops (Good Fear), Scott Carr (Management SGC), Zack Zucker (Bellevue Productions) and Glenn Cockburn (Meridian Artists); senior programmers Sophie Carroll (ALTER) and Chelsea Lupkin (Short of the Week); horror filmmakers and producers Julian Terry, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Xavier Burgin, Jenn Wexler, Aaron B. Koontz and Jason Tamasco; plus legendary horror actress Barbara Crampton and film critic Joe Bob Briggs.
The 2022 Killer Shorts Top 3 Winners will receive circulation and recommendation of their materials to our network of top literary managers, producers and development executives. Winners also receive Career Consultations with Coverfly’s Head of Development, a 60-minute Career Development Call with a Stage 32 Industry Profesional, Final Draft 12 software, Shudder Subscriptions, access to Robert Mckee’s 3 Part Horror Webinar Series, Rue Morgue Subscriptions, Increased Rank on Coverfly’s The Red List, ISAConnect Memberships, Waived Submission Fees to over 20+ other competitions, a killer trophy designed by Tyler Green FX Studio, and spooky swag from Slasher App, 1313 Mockingbird Lane Toys & Collectibles, Fright Rags, Horror Pack and Ghoulish Gary.
Our 3rd place winner will also receive 5 pages of in-depth analysis and actionable advice from The Script Butcher!
2022 Killer Shorts 1-Page Horror Short Category
IMPOSTER by David Bettencourt has been selected as the Grand Prize Winner in the 2022 Killer Shorts 1-Page Horror Short Category. FAMILY ALBUM by Marko Pandza & Jason Kerr has been selected as the 2nd Place Winner; and C-SECTION by Jeremy Jackson has been selected as the 3rd Place Winner.
IMPOSTER by David Bettencourt
A young girl happens to catch a glimpse of Santa Clause and what’s left under the tree may surprise her.
IMPOSTER is a vividly written, creepy idea with great feature potential!
FAMILY ALBUM by Marko Pandza & Jason Kerr
An old man adds a new memory to his family photo album.
FAMILY ALBUM is a chilling tale with a clever twist at the end.
C-SECTION by Jeremy Jackson
A husband struggles to support his wife through a bizarre medical procedure.
C-SECTION successfully balances grotesque imagery with a morbid sense of humor.
The Grand Prize Winner will receive $500 Cash to help them produce their 1-minute film, a 1-year subscription to Stan Winston School, including their Course library by The Masters of FX, Final Draft 12 Screenwriting Software, a QWERKYWRITER® Best-In-Class Typewriter Inspired Mechanical Keyboard, Increased rank on Coverfly’s The Red List, 1 Year ISAConnect Membership, and skull-shaped typewriter trophy, hand-sculpted and designed by celebrity FX artist Tyler Green (Syfy’s Face Off). The 2nd and 3rd Place Winners will also receive a trophy!
Stay tuned as we will be publishing the loglines for all semifinalist scripts soon!
Congratulations to these winning writers, and thank you to our readers, judges and to everyone who submitted projects; we read an overwhelming amount of killer shorts, and can’t wait to see what’s in store Season 4!
View the Quarterfinalists, Semifinalists, and Finalists here.
And if you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.
And be sure to check out Killer Shorts recent success stories here.
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