Greetings, connoisseurs of chaos and caretakers of the creeping unknown. Another year, another glorious avalanche of nightmares. Our judges read every entry at least twice, and most were read a lot more times as arguments escalated in a frenzy of horror-inspired passion.

​

But we emerged from the darkness triumphant, if slightly twitchy, and we are proud to present the results of this year’s Short Screenplay and Feature-Length competitions.

​

Below are the winners and the runners-up whose scripts clawed their way frighteningly close to the top. Every listed script showed ambition, imagination, and that undefinable pulse that makes horror worth devouring.

​

SHORT SCREENPLAY RESULTS

​

BEST SCREENPLAY

Our winner was Memory Stick, by Stephen MacManus. Following a widower who discovers a USB drive containing home-video footage he never filmed, the screenplay gradually opens into a story about grief and the terrible temptation of revising the past. It's Stephen's control of the premise which gave him the edge in this contest: every new revelation deepens both the emotional stakes and the horror. It’s elegant and unsettling.

 

Several other exceptional screenplays also impressed us. Serious Applicants Only by Cara McWilliam-Richardson is a sharp horror satire that turns job interviews into a literal fight for survival. Freya endures increasingly bizarre and deadly interview stages for a position offering very permanent security. Very amusing and refreshingly original!

 

Forever by Shawn Young is an atmospheric tale of vengeance and immortality spanning more than a century. After losing her sister in the late 1800s, Prairie is burdened with a gift that becomes a lifelong curse. A very emotional screenplay which really stood out.

​

Sundowning by Nicola Stuart-Hill is a deeply unsettling rural gothic set during an oppressive Somerset heatwave. As a daughter cares for her aging father, dementia and infestation begin to blur in disturbing ways. It’s heartbreaking and heavy with decay. There is some remarkably powerful writing on display.

 

The 30-Day Farewell by Kate Chang is a haunting horror-drama about grief in a high-tech future. In a world where the dead can be uploaded into synthetic bodies, a young woman learns she has just thirty days left before biological termination. Thi was a very thought-provoking screenplay.

​

BEST TWIST

Maria Russo picks up the Best Twist award for The Naughty Step. She takes a familiar image from childhood punishment and twists it into something genuinely sinister. Set in a crumbling family home where an increasingly frightened young mother begins to suspect her daughter is speaking to someone just beyond the landing, the script keeps its secrets well and lets dread gather in small domestic details. When the truth clicks into place, it doesn’t just surprise; it forces you to rethink everything that came before. It’s a beautifully seeded twist that gives the whole piece an extra shiver.

 

Cosmic Darling by Amanda Gecewicz is an eerie sci-fi horror about identity and alienation. When Janet’s car breaks down on a lonely road, strange lights and phone calls point toward a terrifying revelation about who she really is. Took us by surprise!

 

Beneath by Christine Marie Bush: Emma returns to her childhood home haunted by her sister’s "flood" death, only to realize there was no flood. The "drip" following her at the end is the perfect stinger.

 

Generation Killer by Jon Bias. You think you’re watching a simple futuristic hit-job until the bloodline details emerge. Revenge is a dish best served three hundred years in the past in this screenplay which takes a neat look at the Grandfather paradox. ​

 

The Grim Sweeper by Ben Fiore. A lean little morality shocker about a desperate crook who commits a clumsy convenience-store robbery, only to be picked up by a “grim sweeper” who seems to know exactly what he’s done.

​

BEST VILLAIN

Congratulations to Wendell Duke, who gives us a villain who feels horrible not because he is loud or monstrous, but because he is patient, plausible, and always one step ahead. In Mr. Noonan, a seemingly courteous caretaker at a decaying boarding school exerts a terrible influence over the children in his orbit, using routine, punishment and false kindness as tools of control. What makes him such a strong villain is the way he poisons the atmosphere of every scene he enters. He is the kind of figure who makes your skin crawl long before he openly does anything wrong.

 

Vegas Run is a raw survival thriller with a fierce emotional core. After a meeting with a suspicious informant goes wrong, Vegas finds herself trapped in a brutal kidnapping plot and forced to fight for survival. It’s tense, vicious, and driven by a strong sense of purpose.

 

Soul Slasher by Curtis W. Harrison. It's a gritty urban slasher steeped in trauma, vengeance, and 70s soul. Darius emerges from prison as a masked force of retribution, targeting those who escaped justice. Stylish, brutal, and charged with the weight of violence passed from one generation to the next.

 

The Button Pusher by Shaun J. O’Loughlin is a psychological thriller set inside an underground military bunker. Adam’s only job is to wait for the signal and push a button, but isolation begins to erode his grip on reality. Shaun has written a tense, stripped-back and morally unnerving screenplay and we think it'd look great on screen. 

 

Blood Type – Episode 1: Bloody Hell by Michael Bommer is a darkly funny gothic reimagining of literary history. Mary Shelley travels to Castle Frankenstein to resurrect her dismembered husband, only to enter a blood-soaked partnership with an alchemist. Gleefully twisted!​

 

 

MOST MESSED UP DEATH

Once again, this category seemed to inspire a kind of creative madness in our entrants! There were so many inventive deaths that at one point our judging panel looked like they were in need of a support group. The standout winner, however, was Final Curtain, by Jennifer Conway. It has the lush, theatrical feel of backstage horror, but it earns this category through one especially dreadful flourish. Set during the reopening of a burned-out Edwardian theatre, the script turns stagecraft into a source of escalating terror as the cast begin to feel the building itself resisting their return. The standout death is the kind that is horrible in both conception and execution, drawing on the mechanics of performance in a way that feels cruelly apt. 

 

Close behind was Scavenger by Jason Smith. It's a supernatural addiction story with a cruel central hook. A mysterious wooden box sends a couple on a scavenger hunt that rewards them with bursts of euphoria, but the cost keeps rising. Uh oh...

 

Lifeless by Michael Hillman and Jamie Sloan is a zombie story that keeps its focus on guilt, loyalty and survival. A camping trip turns into a nightmare when three friends are hunted by relentless creatures, leaving one terrible choice to echo through the aftermath. It’s visceral and unexpectedly poignant. Somebody pass the tissues!

 

Heavy Sleeper by Kristine Kennedy is disturbing body horror rooted in paranoia and exhaustion. Stella, a video editor working with graphic surgical footage, begins to suspect the infestations on her screen are bleeding into real life. Creepy. Intimate. Skin-crawling.

​

Groundless by Court Moss is a surreal and claustrophobic nightmare in which reality itself begins to break down. A hospital worker discovers his roommate stuck to the ceiling by a strange iridescent slime and things only get stranger from there. Full of existential dread.

​

 

BEST DIALOGUE

Our winner is Our Voyages by Carlos Santos. Set aboard an aging passenger ferry making its last crossing, the script follows a small cluster of strangers whose conversations begin with ordinary travel talk and gradually drift into something more ominous. The dialogue does the heavy lifting here, revealing character, tension, and unease without ever sounding forced. 

 

Our runners up showed remarkable voice as well. You Must Let Her In by Lavinia Magnani is tense folk horror built around a chilling local legend. When a mysterious hiker appears at a young mother’s door, survival depends on obeying a set of strict ancestral rules. Rich in domestic dread.

​​

Hobson's Choice by Matt MacBride. MacBride turns a sinking-warship scenario into a tight, psychologically charged chamber piece. As a trapped young sailor’s chances of survival narrow, so does the script’s focus, shifting from physical danger to guilt and reckoning. Tense and quietly haunting.

​

You’ve Got Malevolence! by Ian Anthony Senior is a fun and fast-moving creature feature with a clever premise. An ancient demon trapped inside a wooden door re-enters the modern world when the same door is installed in an ordinary home. It’s playful and full of chaotic energy.

​

Mangia! by Joshua Nelson is a pitch-black horror-comedy that throws the zombie apocalypse into the world of the Italian mob. When their victims stop staying dead, a crime family decides the undead might be useful after all. It’s gory, and full of bite.

​

​​​​

FEATURE-LENGTH SCREENPLAY RESULTS

 

BEST SCREENPLAY

Congratulations to Tracey Gallagher for Roadie. She conjures a road-horror nightmare with the grime of old tour vans and the dread of something riding along unseen. Following a weary merch seller who joins a fading rock band for what should be a routine run of rural gigs, Roadie turns broken motorways, half-empty venues, and sleepless service stations into the backdrop for a steadily tightening curse. Stuck in our heads like an old song you can't shake.

​

Riddle Park, by that man again, Curtis W. Harrison, is a neon-soaked, high-tech nightmare that transforms a futuristic amusement park into a deadly proving ground. As a group of college students are forced to solve lethal riddles or suffer gruesome consequences, the script reveals itself as a sharp and visceral look at the lasting psychological damage caused by childhood bullying. It’s a relentless ride!

​

Bones of the Deep, by Teddie Dollins, is an accomplished work of cosmic and aquatic horror filled with quiet, inevitable dread. As residents of a small coastal town begin hearing an irresistible call from the ocean floor, the script explores the fragility of human society in the face of an ancient biological imperative. Beautifully written and deeply melancholic, it imagines humanity as something far less permanent than we like to believe.

​

The Depths by Tommy Bentz. A paranoid, claustrophobic masterclass set 3,000 meters underwater where the crew turns on each other over a mysterious spinning sphere. It perfectly captures the "no escape" vibe as the crew deals with mass-hypnosis and secret government projects.​

​

We loved the grit of the WWI trenches meeting the coal mine wars of Logan County in Brian Dorsey's The Black Vein. Adding a vampire sub-plot with Ava made this a unique historical horror that feels heavy and atmospheric. 

​

BEST TWIST

The winner is Transparent, by Amanda Cresham. Amanda takes a smart premise and turns it into something genuinely destabilizing. Following a woman who begins to notice that people are looking through her, past her, and finally behaving as though she were never there at all, the script builds a quiet but relentless dread around perception, identity, and erasure. What makes it such a strong Best Twist contender is the way the final reveal doesn’t just surprise, but redefines the emotional meaning of everything that came before. Left us dizzy!

 

We still can't believe we didn't see this one coming from the obvious clue in its superb title, Where Did Wendy Go? Roody Louis delivers a terrifyingly modern take on the wendigo legend. It's sharp and suspenseful as it explores the horrifying reality that those we trust to save us might be the ones leading us to the slaughter.

​

Social Suicide, written by Kevin Lopez, is a sleek, modern slasher that captures the terrifying lethality of the digital age. It's a sharp, fast-paced nightmare where digital footprints lead to a real-world bloodbath and where "likes" can literally cost you your life.

​​​

Die Already! by Michael Anthony Mizerany. A vicious Halloween slasher with a smart meta hook: a missing man, a creepy hookup house, and a killer who sees real murder as his own horror script. We liked it because the opening kill is brutal, the horror-movie rule talk is actually built into the story, and the script has a nasty sense of fun.

​

When the Bough Breaks by Rolfe Kanefsky. This nursery-rhyme-themed slasher keeps you guessing who Mother Goose is until the final act. Whe you get to the reveal, not even all the king's horses and men will be able to put you together again! ​​

​

BEST VILLAIN

Our winner is Pirate Tape, by Gary Doran. Gary Doran’s Pirate Tape gives us a villain who feels both modern and deeply rotten. Set in the grubby world of bootleg recordings and collector culture, the script centers on a figure who uses nostalgia and obsession to lure people into his orbit before tightening his control. What makes the villain so effective is not just his cruelty, but the pleasure he seems to take in making other people complicit. He feels sly, invasive, and horribly amused by his own power.

​

Satore, by Tristan P. Biber. A stylish gothic nightmare about a woman returning to her mother’s isolated estate, only to find a house of living art, family control, and body horror waiting for her. We liked this a lot because the atmosphere is so strong, Cordelia is a properly unnerving presence, and the script keeps escalating from eerie family tension into genuinely grotesque horror. It reminded one of our judges of Christmas dinner at his ex-wife's parents' house!

​

Bloody Show by Andrew Betzer is a an unrelenting survival horror that puts a harrowing spin on maternal instinct. Following a heavily pregnant woman's desperate flight from a masked serial killer, the script builds unbearable tension through its focus on physical vulnerability and primal strength . It is a gritty, white-knuckle journey that culminates in a spectacular standoff.

​

Jager, by the impressive writing duo of Mark Daniel Wilkinson and Timothy Jon Weske, is a brutal, dust-covered Western horror that introduces an immortal gunslinger acting as a dark instrument of ancestral contracts . Through a relentless series of high-stakes encounters across generations, the script explores the price of power and the inescapable nature of blood debts. It's way darker and a lot smarter than a straightforward slasher.

​

The Great Plains Vampire, written by Trevor Markwart, brings an ancient and hideous horror into the American heartland. Blending Great Depression-era lore with a modern-day investigation of an abandoned grain elevator, the script introduces The Toad, a creature that feeds on the souls of the forgotten. Gritty and gothic in equal measure, it draws real power from the collision of folklore and modern greed. A very entertaining horror!

​​

​

MOST MESSED UP DEATH

Our winner was Strange Signals, by Lottie Emery. Built around eerie transmissions and the sense that something is communicating from just beyond ordinary human understanding, the script gradually tightens into full-blown nightmare territory. The standout death is especially nasty because it feels both physically horrific and tied to the story’s larger menace, rather than existing for shock alone. It’s the kind of moment that makes you wince first and think about it afterwards.

 

Going Green, written by Joseph Murillo, reimagines the creature feature as a powerful, supernatural force for environmental justice . After a radical activist is murdered and resurrected by toxic waste, she returns to her dying swamp town as a plant-powered force of vengeance . Blending eco-horror with a tragic family legacy, the script offers a visually arresting and emotionally charged battle against systemic corruption.

​

#henchman by Andrew Aguirre earns its place in this category with a death scene that is brutal, prolonged, and hard to shake. The attack on Principal Overwood is staged with real sadism, escalating from helpless injury to outright mutilation in a way that feels both vicious and deliberate. It’s the kind of set piece that doesn’t just aim for gore, but for sheer physical dread. Two of our judges needed the rest of the day off after this one. Bravo, Andrew!

 

Mary’s Lake, written by Mark Williams, is a terrifying folk horror that weaves a multi-generational legacy of blood sacrifice and water-rotted vengeance . Centered on a cursed lake where the undead act as puppet masters for the living, the script delivers a series of masterful, haunting set pieces.

​

Stain by Tom Weber is a masterful supernatural mystery where the environment itself becomes a vengeful predator. Following a group of hunters who inadvertently disturb a haunted cabin, the script explores how a historical "stain" of violence can manifest as a literal, malevolent force . It is a disturbing and inventive tale that links the sins of the past to a modern-day fight for survival.

 

​

BEST DIALOGUE

Our winner is Year of the French, by Henry Duerden. Set against a backdrop of unease, conflict, and shifting loyalties, the script gives its characters voices that carry tension even in quieter exchanges. The writing has wit, bite, and a strong ear for what people say when they are trying to conceal as much as they reveal. It’s the kind of dialogue that gives the whole screenplay its pulse.

 

Welcome to Egads, written by Gregory Austin, is a standout piece of desert-gothic folk horror. When a podcast crew arrives in a strange Nevada town to investigate an old murder spree, they find themselves caught between a fanatical cult and the feral gods worshipped beneath the sand. Gritty and unnerving.

 

The Long Detour by Baruh Benjamins is a high-tension survival thriller that turns the freedom of the open road into a trap. After a couple pick up a charming hitchhiker, their scenic trip becomes an ordeal of hidden identities and escalating violence. It’s a sharp cat-and-mouse story that uses the isolation of the Pacific Northwest to create a constant sense of dread.

​

Weight, written by Christian Green-Byrd, is a heavy, psychological haunting that explores the suffocating nature of grief and religious guilt . It's a profound and terrifying examination of the "weights" we carry and the mercy we find when we finally face the truth

​

Life Outside the Silver Tube by Jim Hendricks. Oh boy. This is a chillingly clinical descent into the horrors of family obsession and the dark side of medical science . The script presents a family of biologists working in a basement to maintain a relative in suspended animation through increasingly gruesome means. An inventive piece of body horror that asks exactly how much of your own humanity you are willing to sacrifice for those you love. 

 

​

BEST OPENING SCENE

The winning entry was The Mines of Esker Village by Caroline London, who knows exactly how to begin. It opens with an immediate sense of place and buried history. Our judges felt pulled into a world that already feels damaged long before the full horror arrives. There is something wonderfully confident about the way the scene lays down atmosphere while still giving us a clean hook into the story. 

​

Day of the Sangvore by Mike Kearby. An absolute killer opening image and line. The Nazi-camp sign is immediate, horrible and loaded with dread before anything else even happens. It's an opening that grabs the reader by the throat.

​

Midnight Hauler, written by Ryan Lee, is a pulse-pounding creature feature that brings the terrors of the night to the highways of the desert. It's a high-octane horror story that transforms the lonesome road into a buffet for the ancient and the hungry. A trucker in a moving cab fighting an inhuman hand that catches and crushes a baseball bat is cinematic as hell. 

​

Layla, written by Jean Maye, is a claustrophobic psychological thriller. As a dark history of forest violence resurfaces in a clinical basement setting, the script constructs a tense battle of wills between a hardened survivor and a vengeful dental surgeon. Kids at play turning into ambush, murder and a revenge vow with the crucifix... very nice!

​

Long Night Moon, written by Rick Argiro and Ricardo Ultreras, is an atmospheric fusion of high-stakes heist storytelling and unsettling folk horror. Set on a snowy, desolate Christmas Eve in 1984 North Dakota, it follows a crew of bank robbers whose straightforward job spirals into a supernatural nightmare when they cross paths with an ancient ritualistic order. Planning a snowy bank heist under Sammy Davis Jr. before cannibals crash the party is a very stylish hook!

 

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

 

Every year, the volume and quality of submissions to Frights! Camera! Action! remind us why the horror genre remains one of the most fiercely imaginative spaces in storytelling. Our first 2026 contest was especially competitive, with writers tailoring their nightmares to our signature categories—Best Villain, Best Twist, Most Messed Up Death, Best Opening Scene, and more. Choosing winners and finalists meant passing over many screenplays that were chilling, clever, bold, or beautifully crafted. Below is a selection of one hundred scripts that stood out to our judging team for their originality, atmosphere, scares, emotional punch, or sheer audacity. Each has earned an Honorable Mention for contributing something memorable, thrilling, or deeply unsettling to this year’s competition.

​

Reverie by Kole Hicks & Rick Argiro - A talented violinist’s dream debut turns into a nightmare when she discovers her conductors’ sinister connection to their deceased daughter through a haunting, possessive lullaby. The Sin Eater by Glyndwr Edwards & Alan Edwards - An arthritic sin-eater in 1895 Wales is taunted by an ancient entity that reveals his horrific past lives and foretells a dark manifestation in the village of Dunwich. Something Always Brings Them Back by A.Z. Ocoza - A man who murdered his wife is ruthlessly hunted by his own black Jeep, which repeatedly forces him back to the burial site to face ultimate justice. The Music of Mao Bao by Kevin Hernandez - After a social outcast is drugged, raped, and murdered by a demonic figure, she meets a soul collector in the afterlife who rewrites her killer’s fate for brutal revenge. Devil in the Dark by Michelle Dowlan - A young couple stranded on a remote outback road is terrorized by a sadistic stranger who turns a robbery into a deadly, high-speed hunt through the tall grass. Free-for-All by Fallon Buchholz and Molly Rautmann - An overworked bartender and a nihilistic line cook embark on a drug-fueled killing spree against entitled country club members before a final, treacherous betrayal. Buried by Mićo Ivanović - A man obsessed with a strange forest ritual repeatedly plunges knives into a tree and buries photos of women, only to be confronted by the bloody apparitions of his victims. The Town Past the Border by Erin Kenna - A family vacation turns into a struggle for survival when they stumble into a run-down town populated entirely by a single, murderous bloodline. Knife of the Party by Chelsea DeMott Wildey - To prove her worth to her slasher-inspiring family, a young woman stages an elaborate Halloween massacre to launch her own horror movie franchise. The Plague of Cyprian by Ryan Jaroncyk & Jim Massie - A guilt-ridden bishop in 258 AD Carthage must choose between conforming to pagan rites or following his flock into a sacrificial pit that transforms into a celestial sea. Girl At The Drive Thru by Chantal Massuh - A fast-food worker’s night shift turns fatal when a serial killer targets her and her coworkers, leaving behind a chilling crime scene for the owner to find. No Pardon by Shiori Kudo - A group of high school bullies are systematically driven to suicide by the vengeful, smiling spirit of a classmate they harassed on social media. A Violent Nature by Federica Lonardoni - A young man is forced by his psychopathic father to choose between becoming a cold-blooded murderer or a "loser" in a harrowing woods initiation. Mad World by Jason Pitts - As a mysterious drifter turns ordinary citizens into emotionless killers by stripping away their pain, two detectives must confront their own buried trauma to stop a citywide descent into madness. Wellness Check by Scott Pittock - Two deputies investigating a rural recluse’s home discover a horrifying alien presence that has literally deflated its victims to their skin. Inai-Sama by Shiori Kudo - After playing a ritual game in a school bathroom, a student realizes she has been erased from existence and is being stalked by a charred, vengeful spirit. Silver Shepherd by Courtney Kettle - A brutal vampire hunter uses a captive girl as bait to trap her powerful father, unaware that her prey’s love will lead to a bloody, tragic confrontation. The Desiccated by Ali Matlock - In a drought-stricken wasteland, a traveler seeks refuge in a cabin only to find herself part of a horrific cycle of life-draining pathogens and betrayal. The Dreamers: Havenport, 1966 by Robert Hogue - A group of teenagers using a Ouija board accidentally summon an ancient, green-skinned beast that proceeds to tear their small town apart. Devices by Jared Moskowitz - A sleep-deprived father’s reliance on baby monitors and smart home tech becomes his downfall when a sobbing woman invades his home to claim his child. He Eats People by David J. Webb - An aspiring MMA fighter channels his inner demons into a literal appetite for human flesh, supplying his sinister fight team with a "Body of Fear" for their ritualistic communal feasts. Veil by Peter Hardy - A young man’s pursuit of a mysterious lover leads him into a surreal movie theater where the boundary between reality and the screen dissolves into a terrifying cycle of voyeurism and violence. The Old Cabin in the Woods by Chaz Fatur - In this dark retelling of a classic fairy tale, starving parents and their abandoned children are lured into a forest cabin by an old woman whose hospitality ends at the bottom of a stew pot. Squatter House by G.L. McQueary - Desperate drifters seeking a night’s shelter in a pristine suburban home find themselves permanently preserved as silent portraits in a house that refuses to be occupied. The Fence by Natasha Le Petit - Two detectives investigating missing backpackers uncover a rural nightmare where old family secrets and occult worship demand a bloody toll from those who cross the property line. Nippon Flight 319 - Dead East by Paul Alan Gober - A flight from Los Angeles to Tahiti becomes a high-altitude slaughterhouse when a passenger’s infection triggers a zombie outbreak mid-flight during a mysterious meteor shower. Belonging by Kevin Khamneipur - A teenage girl discovers that her grandfather’s bizarre gift carries a supernatural mark, drawing her into a terrifying cycle of possession that cannot be escaped. Better Late Than Never by K.A.H. Conway - A support group for survivors of horrific traumas is forced to relive their nightmares when a sinister organization traps them in a church to produce a lethal live-streamed spectacle. Bone Table by Nilson Bernardi Ferreira - At a desolate underground station, a high-stakes card game determines which "unproductive" worker will be sacrificed to satisfy the station’s dark needs. Bed & Breakfast & Blood by William O'Meara - Spanning decades, a family of backwoods killers lures unsuspecting travelers to their charming home to satisfy their mother’s insatiable hunger for human flesh. Flor De Lucía by Court Moss - A young woman inherits a supernatural perfume that turns male desire into a lethal botanical nightmare, granting her absolute but isolating autonomy. Visual Delights by Keshia Thomas - A woman undergoing isolation therapy for blackouts discovers that her vivid hallucinations are the only things capable of protecting her when real-world intruders invade her retreat. Vultures by Keshia Thomas - A brilliant researcher tests an experimental Alzheimer’s cure on herself and her grandfather, unaware that the treatment is drawing monstrous, invisible entities to their deteriorating minds. Treasure Zone by Max Puerner - Six friends enter a high-tech puzzle maze for a cash prize, only to realize the attraction is a lethal experiment designed to test humanity’s ability to survive automated terror. Sweetness Follows by Jason Boaden - A calculating ward attendant at an asylum seeks to uncover the truth behind a soft-spoken patient whose obsession with children’s stories and bees hides a disturbing history of violence. Daddy by Ilse Willocx - After years of bearing witness to her family’s silent suffering and her father’s abuse, a young girl takes a bloody path to freedom that echoes through her adulthood as a haunting legacy of violence. The Sound of Crows by Michael Casey - A blind researcher using an AI app to translate bird calls becomes the target of a murder of crows that are far more intelligent and vengeful than she ever imagined. She, Myself, Some Guy & Eye by Chad Costen - Two stranded women are forced to set aside their differences when a ride from a mysterious stranger plunges them into a Lovecraftian nightmare of ancient warlocks and cosmic gods. Trial of Terror: Do You Know Who I Am? by Daniel Ratliff - A traumatized girl whose face was systematically scarred by her past returns as an unrecognizably disfigured woman seeking bloody vengeance against the men who wronged her. A Night In by Simon Christopher Chapman - Three burglars seeking an antique dealer’s fortune find themselves trapped in a metaphysical nightmare when they realize the house they've invaded is an infinite, inescapable loop of a single room. Story Time by Simon Christopher Chapman - A casual game night among friends takes a sinister turn when a mysterious guest reveals that the horror stories they are discussing are not fiction, but the actual fates of ordinary people. Carshare by Matt MacBride - A husband’s daily commute is haunted by a spectral vehicle that only he can see, leading to a tragic collision that forces him to confront the ghost of the life he lost. Hell to Pay: The Legend of Robert Johnson by Giancarlo Fusi - At a sweltering Mississippi crossroads, a grieving young musician strikes a fateful bargain with a silver-tongued devil to trade his soul for musical immortality. Widow by Robert Gori - A beautiful stranger’s flirtation at a busy rest stop lures a young student into a motel room where the promise of romance turns into a terrifying entomological trap. In With the Storm by Cara Marshall - During a severe tropical storm, a college student finds herself trapped in her suburban home with a perfect, sinister double of her father who arrived before the real man could return. First Time by Robert Gori - Two young men visit a secluded house for what appears to be a teenager’s sexual initiation, only to reveal a predatory nature that seeks blood instead of companionship. When Jim Met Tim by Thorsten Schade - A cynicism-prone advertising manager with a phobia of dogs is targeted by a manipulative therapist who gifts him a therapy dog possessed by a demonic, life-draining Japanese Inugami. Death Can Be a Funny Business by Joe Fishel - A funeral director attempting a career in stand-up comedy begins seeing the ghosts of his past, who force him to confront his deep-seated guilt before they can depart. Three Knocks by Evan Kail - A family moving into a cursed Minnesota home is tormented by escalating paranormal activity and a dark criminal history that threatens to consume their sanity. Solomon's Ring by Warren Lane - A bullied young boy inherits an ancient demonic ring with strict rules, discovering a family legacy of weaponizing spirits that stretches back to the Holocaust. Kept by Erin Copen Howard - A discarded, sentient doll embarks on a harrowing journey through a winter wasteland to be reunited with the owner who once promised to keep her safe forever. And God Made the Devil by Mike Brislee - A war-weary soldier sent to hunt a legendary beast in 18th-century France finds a village gripped by religious paranoia and a monster born of human sin. Broken Hearts by Luke Ollerton - Best friends posing as a couple at a remote woodland retreat discover a supernatural presence that preys on emotional dishonesty and erases guests from existence. The Chair by Dominick Tambasco - A young boy obsessed with his deceased father's films discovers a local legend about a cursed house and its deadly, suicide-inducing history is dangerously real. Tarantula by Lawrence Monaco - A woman struggling with lifelong arachnophobia discovers her fear has manifested into a giant, murderous tarantula that stalks her abandoned apartment building. Sisters: Tree of Souls by Sarah Ash - Three stepsisters who gain magical powers by tethering their souls to a graveyard tree are drawn into a cosmic war against trans-dimensional hunters. Township: Liana by Darby Ellis Lewis Wilson and Chris Obershaw - A group of small-town boys must use their knowledge of sci-fi B-movies to stop a real-life alien plant incursion from consuming their community. Gated Community by Erin Rein - A woman moving to a secluded neighborhood discovers it is a front for a polygamist cult that uses violence and brainwashing to maintain their "ideal" society. Peter and the Wolf by Bodhi Jude Maxfield - A traumatized animator whose drawings come to life is drawn into a violent underworld where he must use his dark creations to survive a brutal gang war. Blackburn by Larry Twilley - A rural community is terrorized by a liver-eating witch from Cherokee myth, Spearfinger, while a supernatural "Dapper Man" hunts for local children. Bilena by Jim Hendricks - A delivery driver is trapped in a house where a mother and her mute daughter are bound by a dark family secret and a cycle of isolation that defies time. Sick by Noel Imair - An inmate must navigate a prison breakout during a viral outbreak where the infected become violent, twitchy predators unrecognizable to those they once loved. AWRY: The Other Sides by Leo Emmanuel Abdulkadir - Survivors in a fog-shrouded world must evade their own soulless doppelgängers while uncovering the tragic origin of a local ghost legend. Fearanoia by Benjamin T. Vargas - Four friends find themselves haunted by Mexican urban legends like La Llorona and the Cucuy after their internal conflicts trigger a supernatural response. Hikr_95 by Elvis Wilson - A hiker seeking peace on the Appalachian Trail is forced into a sadistic, lethal game of hide-and-seek by a disfigured backwoods killer who believes they are "it". Carapace by Geoff Bogan - A psychiatrist struggling with a patient's suicide realizes reality is warping when he is stalked by a sinister entity taking the form of his childhood friend. The Regulators by Bradley McKay - Unseen entities begin hunting people experiencing emotional overload, forcing a trauma counselor to lead a group to safety while hiding his own mental breakdown. The Only Child by J.S. Hinds - A grieving woman is targeted by a mysterious missionary who uses his knowledge of entomology and chemicals to "preserve" people in a stagnant state of existence. Come Home To Christ by Jae Teliczan - A woman returning to her restrictive hometown for a funeral is trapped in a patriarchal "umbrella" of control that leads to a violent, ritualistic struggle. Rock Tarpeian by Salvatore A. Bono - An archaeologist discovering Cherokee spirit warrior relics finds himself targeted by a Raven Mocker—a shapeshifter that harvests the hearts of the dying. The Abyss Protocol by Douglas Parker - Mercenaries sent to a deep-sea facility are hunted by an organism that evolves by absorbing the most resilient human hosts and stripping them of their identity. HOA by Christopher Randall - A woman moving into an "ideal" gated community discovers the Homeowners Association is a violent, tooth-pulling cult that uses brutal "consequences" to ensure neighborly bliss. Never Whistle in the Woods by Mark Bowen and Bill Ochs - A young man in an 1800s asylum recounts his involvement in a cursed harvest festival where children were traded for protection from a legendary beast. Squish by Vinny Smith - Researchers on a Caribbean island discover that jellyfish mutated by toxic oil-eating bacteria have become aggressive, giant predators that consume everyone in their path. Dying to Love You by Collet Collins - A successful crime novelist who murders her lovers to maintain control must face her estranged sister in a violent battle over their family's dark legacy. Fox Hollows by  Joe Osborne - A paranormal investigation team visiting the site of a mass murder is hunted by the malevolent spirit of a serial killer who uses psychic manipulation and deadly physical attacks to trap them. Bitter by Niklas Maier - A grief-stricken woman joins a work retreat at an isolated Black Forest manor, where buried trauma, corporate tension, and ominous fairy-tale dread begin to twist into something much darker.  Walker’s Game by Luke Ollerton - A man returning to a remote forest to confront unresolved trauma becomes the prey of a sadistic predator who turns emotional vulnerability into a deadly game of survival. Red Jack by David S. R. Nichols - A group of tourists in the Australian Outback is hunted by a pack of unnaturally intelligent and predatory red kangaroos. Memento Mori by Chris Easterly - American hikers in Ireland seek refuge from a storm in an ancient monastery, only to find themselves trapped within its walls and haunted by supernatural forces. Dead Man's Party by Jesse James Wilson - Fifteen years after a tragic incident at a mysterious mansion, college students return for a Halloween party and become trapped in a nightmarish, shifting reality. Vacuus by Leiter S. Daniellson - A grieving man with a rare genetic marker is recruited as an emotionless executioner for a shadowy organization involved in cosmic government cover-ups. He's Alone by Sam Rubenzer - A socially awkward teenager left home alone becomes the target of a violent home invasion after bragging about a valuable family heirloom. Tomorrow by Jack Bennett - A comatose young man experiences a fragmented dreamscape while a detective investigates his link to a brutal murder involving his own father. A Spirit Calls by Dea Divi - Three friends on a weekend getaway discover their "free" rental house is haunted by malevolent spirits and a vengeful person from their past. Lunatic by Craig Stewart - In a world where a lunar event has transformed most people into "Moonshadows," a lonely survivor must navigate dangerous streets while protecting his transformed mother. The Hive by Taylor Kellar - An artist drawn into an elite corporate retreat discovers it is a front for a cult-like integration process focused on biological optimization. Swine Heart by Theresa Anne Carey and Bruce Brochtrup - A doctor’s illegal pig-heart transplant into her dying lover triggers a horrific transformation as he inherits the predatory instincts of the animal. Everything Evil 'Aberdeen' by Cornelius Broderick - A detective searching for his missing daughter discovers a horrific underground facility where victims are kept for a mysterious cosmic experiment. Knights vs Zombies by Chad Daniel Aston - Medieval warriors taking refuge in a ruined church during an undead siege discover ancient weapons specifically meant for this nightmarish war. The Director by Tom Proctor - A film producer seeking revenge hires an acquitted serial killer to direct a horror movie based on his own crimes, leading to a deadly game of real-life terror. The Pit by Maxwell Seiler & Anthony Altamura - A touring punk band trapped in a subterranean catacomb must survive being hunted by ancient, vampire-like creatures. Hyena by Scott Pittock - After discovering a crashed plane full of cash, a couple is drawn into a high-stakes laundering scheme that demands the sacrifice of their own child. The Yielding by Natasha Le Petit - A young woman in an isolated rehab facility finds herself part of a dark ritual involving supernatural demons and local townspeople. The Amenities by Spencer Ross - A gay couple inheriting a Wyoming home is tormented by the former owners’ fanatical religious spirits intent on "cleansing" them. Don't Stop in the Door by Tristan Corrigan - Armed men searching for money in an abandoned house are trapped by a woman who has drugged their supplies to protect the building's secrets. Kokoda Teeth by Nilson Bernardi Ferreira - During WWII, Australian and Japanese soldiers must form a truce to survive a valley inhabited by ancient, clicks-sounding creatures. 6 Pencils by Greyson Lemons - Friends reunite in their hometown and play a childhood ghost game that leads to real, deadly consequences. Hopdrop by Coleton Dartez - A woman searching for her missing sister discovers a bizarre underground society whose members wear elaborate animal masks and costumes. The Gods of Wild Places by Mary Schnepf - Women escaping a fanatical captor discover other groups trapped in a mysterious forest area with no way home. Brainrot by Nick Fuller - An isolated individual leering at victims through a computer screen is forced to confront a terrifying reality when forced to return to the office.

​

If your name appeared above, congratulations. If it didn’t, we say this sincerely: do not stop writing. Many entries hovered on the brink of selection. Every year we watch writers break through after refining, rewriting, and returning with sharper claws. Horror thrives on persistence, and so do horror writers.

​

We are thrilled to announce that the next contest is now open, boasting an increased prize pot and the same promise as always: every script will be read at least twice, often more when the judges begin their spirited debates.

​

Thank you to our writers for the nightmares. Thank you to our judges for surviving them.

 

Stay spooky,

David York & The Contest Judges