Just a heads up, if you get an email from a production manager from Shockfest personally inviting you to enter one of your screenplays into their festival, it's spam.

I'm in a horror group on FB and loads have had the same email. What is funny is they quite often spell the name of your screenplay wrong, or mention someone else's screenplay instead. In my case, I keep on being invited to enter Anglers (instead of Ganglers) - I just wish I'd written a fishing horror screenplay now!

Thanks for the heads up

They are at it again. Emailed me today asking me to submit Slayfest (for a fee of course, although there is a discount code) and on Facebook I see they are doing the same to other writers.

Ha! I just looked at the top of this thread.
Pity they can't even get the name of your script right.

Anglers, a horror story. Lots of blood and gore with fishing hooks in mouths probably.  ;D

Note: I'm not condoning unsolicited email.
Do they have an unsubscribe link?

Other than that, they seem legit?
One UK and one US, if they're the same outfit?

https://www.shockfilmfest.com/home

https://www.gowherewhen.com/event/shock-gore

Quoted from LC Ha! I just looked at the top of this thread. Pity they can't even get the name of your script right. Anglers, a horror story. Lots of blood and gore with fishing hooks in mouths probably.  ;D Note: I'm not condoning unsolicited email. Do they have an unsubscribe link? Other than that, they seem legit? One UK and one US, if they're the same outfit? https://www.shockfilmfest.com/home https://www.gowherewhen.com/event/shock-gore

I'm not subscribed to them and I don't know how they have got my email address and those of so many writers that I know. It is a real festival and not a scam in the slightest. I personally just don't like this marketing technique as it is not honest. They make out that they've read your script and love it so much they want to include it in their festival. When you find out they've sent the same email to lots of other writers, you realise it's just a pitch to get you to pay to enter.

Nothing illegal about it, it's just if that's the way you run things then what else is not 100% genuine?

It is primarily a film festival with two awards for screenplays. One feature and one short. According to their Filmfreeway page, there are no trophies or cash prizes for screenplays - there are for movies.

I do know a few horror filmmakers who have had movies selected for the festival who said they were asked to buy tickets to attend the screening of their own movie. I checked this out and the organiser says this is a suggested fee only, but it's easy to think it's a mandatory charge depending on how you word it.


Everyone is free to do their own diligence and decide for themselves. All I'm saying is if you get such an email then it's an auto-generated marketing list and not the personalised request for your script it appears to be.  

Quoted from MarkRenshaw Just a heads up, if you get an email from a production manager from Shockfest personally inviting you to enter one of your screenplays into their festival, it's spam. I'm in a horror group on FB and loads have had the same email. What is funny is they quite often spell the name of your screenplay wrong, or mention someone else's screenplay instead. In my case, I keep on being invited to enter Anglers (instead of Ganglers) - I just wish I'd written a fishing horror screenplay now!

Greatly appreciate your feedback and as a representative of Shockfest, we apologize for this mistake.  email shockfestfilmfestival@gmail.com the Festival Director will provide you a free waiver.

Quoted from MarkRenshaw I'm not subscribed to them and I don't know how they have got my email address and those of so many writers that I know. It is a real festival and not a scam in the slightest. I personally just don't like this marketing technique as it is not honest. They make out that they've read your script and love it so much they want to include it in their festival. When you find out they've sent the same email to lots of other writers, you realise it's just a pitch to get you to pay to enter. Nothing illegal about it, it's just if that's the way you run things then what else is not 100% genuine? It is primarily a film festival with two awards for screenplays. One feature and one short. According to their Filmfreeway page, there are no trophies or cash prizes for screenplays - there are for movies. I do know a few horror filmmakers who have had movies selected for the festival who said they were asked to buy tickets to attend the screening of their own movie. I checked this out and the organiser says this is a suggested fee only, but it's easy to think it's a mandatory charge depending on how you word it. Everyone is free to do their own diligence and decide for themselves. All I'm saying is if you get such an email then it's an auto-generated marketing list and not the personalised request for your script it appears to be.

We greatly appreciate your feedback.  I can address your concerns below.

(1) "I personally just don't like this marketing technique as it is not honest. They make out that they've read your script and love it so much they want to include it in their festival."

In our solicitation email, we are very careful to remain transparent about the nature of the email.  We don't pretend we read your script and watch your movie, and more importantly, it is a human behind every email who did find you at a festival or online and they can all elaborate on how they found you if you ask them.  We also emphasize that we cannot promise official selection with a submission.  Honesty and transparency is key to providing you, the filmmaker, with the information you need to know to consider our festival when deciding what you submit to your festival run.  

(2) "It is primarily a film festival with two awards for screenplays. One feature and one short. According to their Filmfreeway page, there are no trophies or cash prizes for screenplays - there are for movies."

We do offer cash prizes to filmmakers, the cash prizes are different every year but you can see on our social media @shockfilmfest that we physically hand out giant checks of $666 to select film winners.  Additionally, we offer trophies to every winner, we mail them to every winner and we pay all fees including the price of the trophy.  We have over 20 award categories, mostly celebrating genres and departments (best cinematographer, director, writer, drama, fantasy, scifi, horror, etc.) and we award the general best feature or short for films and screenplays.

(3) "I checked this out and the organiser says this is a suggested fee only, but it's easy to think it's a mandatory charge depending on how you word it. "

We appreciate your feedback on this.  Every show is different and we do multiple shows a year.  We do our best to offer as many free events, perks and experiences as possible, but there are times when the event and the venue needs a price on it for a variety of reasons, but we do our best to make sure that the price on anything is beyond worth it.  

(4) "All I'm saying is if you get such an email then it's an auto-generated marketing list and not the personalised request for your script it appears to be. "

Likely true with most festivals, but emphatically not true with Shockfest Film Festival.  My job is to research individual filmmakers on google, to connect with them and to see if we are a good fit.  If we aren't we honor that and leave you alone.  If you signed up to our Newsletter, it has an unsubscribe button at the bottom.  Autonomy is key and filmmakers need as much information and autonomy as possible.

If you need anything or have any questions or feedback, please email us at shockfestfilmfestival@gmail.com and we will answer you as soon as we are able.