​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. This contest was especially competitive, with writers tailoring their nightmares to our signature categories. Choosing winners and runners-up 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.

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Karma by Shiori Kudo. After a bullied student dies, two classmates receive videos from his account and realize that the recorded events are beginning to repeat around them. The Syndrome by Spencer B. Ross. When the world's most powerful leaders are temporarily turned into murderous psychopaths during a conference in Iceland, only the President of the United States' traumatized daughter has the knowledge to save them all. We All Fall Down by Michael A. Morgan. After a miscarriage fractures her marriage, a grieving woman encounters an ancient presence that knows exactly how to exploit her loss. Fairy by Heath Erik Papkov. An escaped captive fleeing traffickers through the wilderness encounters an ancient bark-skinned protector drawn from Scottish legend. Last Shopper Standing by Steffany Lohn Sommers. A bitterly divorcing couple competes in a deadly game of survival on Christmas Eve when a disgruntled big-box store manager locks them inside with five other players and stages a twisted competition as punishment for their consumer misdeeds. The Innocent Ones by G.L. McQueary. A detective investigating a child's impossible knowledge uncovers an ancient entity that listens to frightened children and uses their secrets as doorways into the world. To stop it, she must confront the death of her own son and decide how far innocence can be sacrificed to save others. Where the Black Cat Sleeps by Clemente Esparza, II. A family seeking a fresh start moves to rural California, where their daughter is drawn toward a shadow realm by a watchful cat and the presence behind it. The White Room by Angela Doval. A woman trapped in a folding white room searches for an exit while a disembodied voice and a replica of herself force buried memories back into view. The Lump by Zack Harris. Bobby Bell, a down on his luck 20-something, has his attempts to find work and maintain his relationship thwarted by the emergence of a cantankerous talking growth on his chest that hungers for flesh, leading to a mad dash to remove his new appendage. Bloody Gold by Michael Gonzalez. Two small-time ex-cons sent to steal a priceless relic from a secluded mansion discover that its basement holds something far worse than a security system. Maternal Instinct by David Martin Clark. A guilt-ridden mother living beside a dangerous coastal cave is confronted by a child who looks exactly like the son she has lost. The visitor knows her most painful secrets and feeds on the remorse she has tried to bury. 1-2-3 Eyes on Me by Chris Errington. A city teacher takes a post in storm-lashed North Queensland and discovers that the killer stalking the town may be hiding inside the school she came to help. At Rest by Amit Tishler. A young delinquent is lured into a supernatural honeypot trap by a carnivorous godlike entity that tries to feast on her very soul. Clout by Alicia R. Norman. When a struggling fashion designer is seduced by a clandestine dark-web network that rewards psychological manipulation with life-changing wealth, she must choose between her moral compass and the brutal reality of survival in a high-stakes digital arena. The Hangar by Ryan Thomas Hinrichs. Security guards inside a top-secret Area 51 facility fight to survive when a lockdown releases alien species and reanimated dead from containment. The Sisters Lovecraft by Bruno Lowagie. In nineteenth-century Arkham, three brilliant sisters uncover a forbidden book and discover that experimenting with the boundary between life and death threatens their family and town. Greenville Society by James Steele Haney. In 1980s Kentucky, a gay writer investigating a string of disappearances discovers a secret religious society embedded in his church and local law enforcement. The cult intends to turn him and the town's queer community into proof of its violent salvation. What a Bitch! by Tristan George Kerr. A frightened man struggles to satisfy the impossible domestic demands of his tiny dog, whose harmless appearance conceals a cruel intelligence. Sweet Boy by Garret Ray Brinkley. A frightened eight-year-old wakes during a storm to the comforting touch of a woman he assumes is his mother. A message from downstairs tells him that his real mother is still on her way home. Drinkwater by Shaun J. O'Loughlin. In the cursed Wild West town of Drinkwater, a wanted outlaw must survive a shot-for-shot drinking competition with a demonic gunslinger who forces his victims to relive their sins one glass at a time. G.P.S. by Ally May. A gentle pastor leaves a meeting about compassion and drives into the desert carrying the belongings of someone he claims to have saved from shame. His car's navigation system begins marking human figures where the empty road should be. Thing of Darkness by K.J. Davi. In 1918 New Orleans, a guilt-ridden reporter with second sight hunts a notorious killer while voodoo ritual and older darkness close in. Crimson by P. D. Hogan. On the eve of a deadly hurricane, a weary sheriff and a marine biology student race to destroy an ancient evil threatening to plunge a small town into eternal darkness. Tough Crowd by Eric James Irizarry. A routine open mic night descends into a nightmare when masked audience members begin executing performers whose acts fail to satisfy them. Rise Up Little Girl by Matthew Avant. In 1915 Montana, two outcast ranch girls discover a hidden altar that resurrects lost souls. Recess by Matthew Valvardi. A Pennsylvania father believes his daughter is struggling with divorce until local children begin carrying the identities of people killed on the land generations earlier. Intelligently Artificial by Matthew Valvardi. Two apparent human survivors cross a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles to recover a transmitter, then uncover a truth that places the future of humanity in their hands. Sales Calls With Eversor by Scott James Kirkpatrick. A man recovering from a mental breakdown, desperate to reclaim his role as provider, accepts a high-pressure sales job for a new-age wellness brand, only to discover that his ruthless success is powered by an ancient, cosmic entity hell-bent on destroying the world. The Reckoning by Dan Olds. When a beloved pastor begins experiencing terrifying supernatural attacks while leading a major church project, long-buried secrets begin clawing their way back to the surface, forcing him into a desperate battle to keep the past from destroying everything he loves. Sutton Farm by Nick Hildreth. Susan Fielder and her husband Scott take a remote shortcut through rural Ohio after receiving a late-night call about their hospitalized daughter. Killjoy by Joe Day. When a powerful AI media company acquires the horror studio behind the popular slasher franchise, Killjoy, and cancels the release of its long-awaited sequel, the executives celebrating the merger are attacked by a crazed killer dressed as the titular horror icon. Sicilian Weird Tale by Andrea Indovino. Sicilian Weird Tale is an anthology divided into three interconnected stories inspired by figures and legends from Sicilian folklore, reimagined through a horror lens. Hello. by Sophia Lee. In the heart of a scorching desert, a diabolical motel becomes the gateway to damnation as the Devil lures lost souls into his sinister web. Will Kill for Food by Alex Schopp. After years of ritualistically murdering "troubled" teenagers to keep his small Midwestern town in line, the mythic First Street Killer suddenly disappears, and discovers he has no idea how to function as an ordinary person. HOA by Michael Ferrara. A rigid retired Marine begins a suburban war with the unconventional family across the street after their dog threatens his immaculate garden. When the neighbors answer his cruelty with a curse, his house and memories turn his own language of order and discipline against him. The Bystanders by Shiori Kudo. As classmates disappear, a student's recurring nightmare forces her to confront her own part in the cruelty directed at a bullied boy. Terms and Conditions by Ryan J. Myers. An unemployed advertising professional and eleven strangers are forced through lethal branded games inside an abandoned Chicago mall. Dead East: Patient Zero 1918 by Paul Alan Gober. During the First World War, soldiers transporting a supposed flu vaccine discover that their cargo is turning an entire battalion into feral monsters. Jupiter Save Us by Joe Cage. Six Roman soldiers fleeing the Teutoburg massacre find something much worse than an enemy army waiting in the ancient forest. What Answered Back by Brett McKay. During a psychic reading, Kat foresees her client's murder that will occur that night, and if she doesn't escape the demon that's loose in the house her fate will be the same. The Guns of Grippina Dewberry by L. E. Coleman. After racist land barons murder her husband and mortally wound the Native American woman who became her sister, a young black homesteader joins with an ancient spirit to reclaim her land and deliver frontier justice in the American West. Forever Megan by Paul Alan Gober. A newlywed's transformation during an international flight turns private marital horror into an airborne epidemic. Dead Wake by Lisa Clemens. A group of teenage Ocean Scouts volunteering aboard a newly restored Second World War cruiser becomes trapped overnight with the ghosts of its murdered crew. A paranormal enthusiast must distinguish a protective radioman from the violent officer who still commands the ship after death. Deadweight by Stephen Goldsmith. Five deaf children wake on a remote island to find the adults missing and towering shadows dragging residents away. Eat The Boys by Martyn Eaden. After moving to a seemingly perfect California town in 1999, a grieving teenage outsider befriends a trio of glamorous girls with a violent secret. As Y2K approaches, she uncovers an old conspiracy linking her family, the town's elite and a long history of disappearances. Hungry Eyes by Moshe Marvit, Leo Gertner & Timothy Baker. A couple struggling with their relationship goes to a Dirty Dancing weekend and expects that the worst part will be the buffet but couples start disappearing and soon history catches up with the guests. A Pretty Smile by P.M. Raymond. A dentist develops a homicidal obsession with a patient who fails to maintain the smile he painstakingly perfected. Billy Bear's Magic Matinee by Rankin Fithian. A man's obsession with a forgotten childhood puppet show leads him toward a gruesome secret hidden much closer to home. Gay Panic by Christopher W Lawrie. Nick's carefree, closeted life is interrupted when a demonic version of a loved one begins an unrelenting pursuit. Marah from Eilat by Leiter S Daniellson. Haunted by a perilous deal with a ruthless demon, a troubled Catholic Deacon must protect an ancient religious decree from demonic forces while confronting the inner demons that threaten to consume him. The Unrehearsed by Alec Douglas. An actor preparing an audition about manufactured happiness learns that her former partner is expecting a child with someone else. As she rehearses, the grief she has suppressed takes physical form and insists on delivering the performance for her. Let Me Go! by Kieran Papandony. Danny, a mild-mannered young man with a good job and a close relationship with his sister has a one-night stand with a volatile unhinged woman named Alicia which ends in tragedy. Muse by Sarah Ash. An artist searching for inspiration meets a soft-spoken collector whose interest in talented women is far more literal than it first appears. Farmland by Jacob Greenham. A 1970s farming town faces buried supernatural horror when investigators enter a cursed property. Loather by Ryan Paul Meloy. When a Glasgow TV producer with a history of body dysmorphia inherits an antique mirror, he unleashes a malevolent entity that feeds on self-loathing, twisting its victims' deepest insecurities into monstrous reflections that stalk them through mirrors, phone screens, Zoom calls, windows and other reflective surfaces. Bequest by Lauren West. Three estranged siblings return to care for the aunt who raised them and discover that their childhood home has inherited generations of grief and violence. If You're "Psychotic" & You Know It, Clap Your Hands by Dre Aguirre. After a devastating loss, a grieving teen's journey to heal turns deadly, blurring the lines between recovery and insanity. Huntsman Hill by Matt MacBride. Two boys enter a notoriously dangerous railway tunnel to impress their classmates and discover an ancient predator maintaining a hidden larder in the dark. 4:44 by Shiori Kudo. At 4:44 PM, if you play a certain game in the school gym, something you must never be found by will appear. The Suitor by Raef Luther. In 1761 Georgia, a racially beaten tracker leads colonists into the forest in search of their leader's daughter, inviting a violent ritual bound to their settlement's bloody past. Skin-Deep Beauty by Renee Geffken. A colorful show-off displaying his elaborate body art meets a collector whose appreciation of beautiful skin has a lethal edge. Skinwalker by Jon Jacobmeier. On Halloween night in 1979, a small Nebraska town's Halloween contest to find a legendary witch's grave turns deadly when five adventurous boys secretly follow the winning adult group into the hills, awakening an ancient Skinwalker that turns their adventure into a desperate fight for survival. The Cursed One by Hanno Pinter, Robert Buchschwenter and Phil Senn. A bullied boy in drought-stricken Tennessee discovers a rusted bell attached to the remains of a sadistic nineteenth-century overseer. Ringing it summons a vengeful revenant who will kill anyone the boy names, but its obedience carries a fatal bond between caller and curse. The Buried by Noah Ruderman. Twenty years after his childhood friend vanished into a cave beneath a Massachusetts island, a haunted man returns home with his new fiancée. When residents begin disappearing into the earth, he discovers that his family history reaches back to the Salem witch trials. LAMBboy by Tarek David Mallo. A young actress joins an isolated horror production where the obsessive director, vanished original cast and masked figure of Lambboy blur performance, ritual and reality. Nervous Tick by Eve Young. When Phoebe breaks a mannequin at work, she becomes convinced that something inside it followed her home. Residue by Matilda Szydagis. Amidst a growing nostalgia epidemic and a search to find a cure, two NYC detectives investigate several suspicious deaths and uncover sinister secrets with a dangerous connection close to home. The Follower by Joseph Caggiano. A seemingly unstoppable vampire walks through modern violence untouched, forcing those who encounter him to reconsider what an ancient predator might look like now. Vent by Justin Scott. Conjoined twins performing as a ventriloquist act are drawn into a deadly game shaped by an old grievance against their family. Cartoon Man by Daria Leone & Antonio Caos. A grieving father and a disgraced security guard search for a missing child inside an abandoned amusement park scarred by old rituals. Passed By by V. Oboldin. A young woman, stranded alone at night on an empty road after her car breaks down, notices a mysterious vehicle passing by… and then it stops. Unearthed by Billy Reid. When a deadly parasitic life-form begins infecting a deep-sea mining crew, a resourceful engineer must battle the infected, and the grotesque mutations they become - to escape the rig and return home to her young son. Selene by Matthew David Patron. A young woman gathers with her fiancé's wealthy family at their remote Massachusetts estate before the wedding, only to discover that their bloodline hides a monstrous inheritance. Her estranged best friend may be the only person who understands what the family intends for its new bride. The Psycho Creeps by Mark Larsen. When a down-on-his-luck punk rocker inadvertently brings a cursed biker gang back from the dead, he must team up with a drunken, washed-up history professor in order to stop his girlfriend from being sacrificed to an ancient Pagan moon god. Hidebehind by Zack Harris & Andrew David Paterson. At a lonely log cabin in 1910s Oregon, a logger's sanity begins to slip as he contends with forces both human and supernatural intent on punishing him for the murder he has just committed. Midnight by Julian Yoval. An exhausted Los Angeles streamer tries an exclusive cannabis strain that promises relief from the pressure of being watched online. Soon her reflections fall out of sync and the attention surrounding her becomes frighteningly physical. Her Body, Himself by Clark Bramlet White. Two horror-obsessed teenagers planning their first murders discover that their Texas town's legendary masked killer has returned to reclaim the story. Crawl of Saints by Bryan James Read. A disgraced doctor facing a federal investigation attempts a mountain climb while the human cost of his crimes begins following him through the snow. Yummy by Lidiia Derevianko. After miracle cereal effortlessly transforms her body and revitalizes her life, a lonely woman discovers its horrifying side effects. The Grindstone by Roni Brown-Byrd. Families visiting a reopened Virginia campground are stalked by a seemingly resurrected killer carrying a sentient axe. A deputy investigating the massacre uncovers the campground's history of filmed abuse, racial violence and a weapon that preserves the rage of a murdered young woman. Oh My! by Victoria Jenkins. When a disgruntled man releases his score of exotic animals into a small town, the quiet streets soon become the deadly playground of lions, tigers, and bears. Soul Mate by Deirdre Patterson. A desperately lonely woman kidnaps a coworker and forces him into a ritualized domestic relationship built from her idea of perfect love. You've Been Jingled by Larry A. Wilkerson. When a mysterious holiday entity appears on the Harlow family's porch with instructions to pass it on before Christmas morning, Ellie's unwavering belief becomes the only thing standing between her family and an ancient Christmas collection ritual. Sea of Pray; A Swashbuckling-Lighthouse-of-Musical-Madness by Terry Miles Sandler. A bumbling trio of Pirates who, by day, teach children about the dangers of lurking internet catfish, accidentally enter the belly of the whale and must use their own teachings to save themselves and children everywhere from a pedophile ringleader named Walrus Willy of the Looney Lighthouse Show! The Anti-God by Tyler Hagen. A photographer moves into a Los Angeles apartment complex where an elderly neighbor and her hulking son are preparing the residents for a satanic incarnation. 72 Hours by Jeremy W Brown. After her infected husband bites their teenage daughter during a zombie outbreak in Toronto, a mother has exactly 72 hours to cross the quarantined city and reach an experimental treatment site before the infection takes over. The Geezer by Jason Mason. People are disappearing at Shady Pines Assisted Living and it's up to the awkward and shy Mindy Blevins along with her less than admirable co-workers to unravel the mystery of the old man monster that stalks the corridors killing with reckless abandon. Beat Pete by K. Plan. During a showing at a secluded house, a murderous but flirtatious psycho attempts to torture an unscrupulous yet witty realtor, only to learn the hard way the realtor can give as good as she gets. Oskar: Lucifer Hides in Plain Sight by Steven John Antonuccio. In 1960 California, two teenagers suspect that the reclusive older man who hired them may be an immortal Nazi officer continuing his predatory life in America. Blood Under the Redhood by J.C. Vera. In a secluded village, ten girls are sent alone into the forest at dawn to leave offerings at the statue of the Grandmother, an ancient rite of passage marking their passage from childhood into womanhood. The First Ten by Thomas Ortiz. A film student kidnaps the professor who dismissed his screenplay and forces him to experience the pages condemned as aimlessly boring. Pink Sky Butterfly by Jim Hendricks. In 1989 Alabama, a protective older brother flees with his troubled teenage sister after her strange Walkman appears to unlock dangerous abilities and reshape reality around them. In Monster's Hands by Darren W Burch. A true-crime horror story of a broken police detective searching for a homicidal sexual predator targeting elderly couples in violent home invasions across the country and hiding among Romani Gypsy conmen who prey upon damaged property owners of epic-level natural disasters. New Slasher by Joseph McIntyre. It's been twenty-six years since a small California town was brutalized by a gruesome massacre, only to have the past come back and haunt them once more, once the killings begin again. Red Scarlett by Gary A Piazza & Allie Escaffi. Resurrected from a long sleep, the last of the vampires recruits an unsuspecting hero and together they instill vigilante justice against an untouchable sex/human trafficking ring. Retirement by Ben Cessna. A funeral director's retirement party is interrupted by former clients who rise from their graves with strong opinions about the cemetery's future upkeep. The Cold Quiet by Stephen Lemieux. After the 1880 closure of her sign-language school, a deaf girl travels with her family to an isolated Alaskan gold claim. As winter seals them in, an almost invisible presence poisons their food, distorts what they see and turns misunderstanding into tragedy. The Werewolf of Hollywood by Christopher Buonopane. A relentless hunter tracks a werewolf from the edge of the Sahara to Los Angeles and uncovers betrayal inside the film industry. The Night Society by James Barr. A college freshman searching for answers about her grandmother's past discovers she's the heir to a secret war, and the only one who can stop a 200-year-old spirit from unleashing chaos on New Orleans. Don't You Dare Leave Me by Tayler T. Carter. Two roommates discover that a masked killer is already inside their suburban home and has no intention of letting either woman leave.

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If your name appeared above, congratulations. You can download your laurels from our FilmFreeway laurel centre and order your Honorable Mention trophy above.

If you didn't make it this time, 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.

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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.

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

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Stay spooky,

David York & The Contest Judges