The 4th Annual Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition is open for entries!

Website: https://killershortscontest.com/

The Killer Shorts Contest celebrates horror short screenwriters from around the world, connecting them with managers, producers, and filmmakers. The Top 10 scripts will be read by a star-studded panel of judges, with over $5,000 worth of prizes up for grabs including Final Draft 12 screenwriting software, Shudder subscriptions, Coverfly career consultations, memberships to Stan Winston’s School of Creative Arts, and a one-of-a-kind skull-shaped typewriter trophy, hand-sculpted and designed by celebrity FX artist Tyler Green (Syfy’s Face Off).

The Killer Shorts Season 4 jury includes Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Jason X, Hatchet I, II & III), Xavier Burgin (Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror), Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock, El Gigante), Joe Bob Briggs (The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs), Julian Terry (Don’t Peek, Whisper, They Hear It, The Nurse), Chelsea Lupkin (Short of the Week, Lucy’s Tale), Barbara Crampton (Jakob’s Wife, Re-Animator, From Beyond, You’re Next), Sophie Carroll (Gun Powder & Sky, ALTER), Scott Stoops (Good Fear Film + Management), Glenn Cockburn (Meridian Artists), Daniel Seco (Empirical Evidence), Scott Carr (Management SGC), Jason Tamasco (Traction Pictures), John Zaozirny (Bellevue Productions), Zack Zucker (Bellevue Productions), and Jenn Wexler (The Ranger).

Submission Guidelines: https://www.killershortscontest.com/submission-guidelines/

SUCCESS STORIES
Season 1 Third Place Winner Chris Hicks signed with literary manager Peter Katz of Story Driven, after the success of his short script “The Butter Street Hitchhiker” landed him on Coverfly’s The Red List. Season 1 finalist Jeremiah Lewis’ script “The Rickety Man” was discovered by director Cameron Gallagher on the Killer Shorts website and is currently in post-production. Connor Savage was inspired to write a feature version of his Season 1 semifinalist script “Saskia”, which reached the Top 10% in the Academy Nicholls Fellowship and garnered him acceptance to AFI’s Screenwriting Conservatory, the #1 Film School in America. Maria Wilson developed her Season 2 semifinalist script “Monnji” into a TV script which won the Grand Prize at Screencraft’s 2022 Horror Screenplay Competition.

“Before winning Killer Shorts, I had no idea how much buzz a short script could create. I’ve since met with a couple managers and I’m working with two producers on getting my short made!”.
- Alessandra Jara Del Castillo, Season 2 First Place Winner.



Earlybird Deadline - $25 - Aug 5th
Regular Deadline - $30 - Oct 31st
Final Deadline - $35 - Nov 25th
Extended Deadline - $40 - Dec 16th

New to the competition this year, Killer Shorts will be accepting entries from screenwriters under 18 (with parental consent), updated revisions via Coverfly and feedback as an optional add-on. We are also continuing our new 1-page category!

IMPORTANT LINKS
Coverfly https://writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/killer-shorts <---submit your script here!
FilmFreeway http://www.filmfreeway.com/killershorts <-----or here!

SPONSORS
Shudder, Final Draft, Rue Morgue, Stan Winston’s School of Character Arts, Script Butcher, Coverfly, FilmFreeway, Script Hive, ScriptHop, ISA, Ghoulish Gary, Horror Pack, Qwerkytoys, Robert Mckee's Horror Webinar Series, Stage 32 and Fright Rags.

Zack's got to be happy with this...

"The Killer Shorts Season 4 jury includes Kane Hodder"

I've never entered any of these. Should I?

It'd be really neat to get some feedback from Kane Hodder! Maybe I'll submit my Friday the 13th homage, For Satan! Lol

Quoted from Zack I've never entered any of these. Should I? It'd be really neat to get some feedback from Kane Hodder! Maybe I'll submit my Friday the 13th homage, For Satan! Lol

I mean it's worth a shot if you're happy to spend the money.

Have you ever entered this particular contest, Warren?

Quoted from Zack Have you ever entered this particular contest, Warren?

I planned to last year but completely blew the final deadline. I will be throwing every single horror short and 1-pager I've written to date into this years comp. I really like the trophies :)

I'll be giving them all a really good edit, some I haven't read for like 6 years.

Mark and Matthew entered and progressed last year if I'm not mistaken.

Quoted from Warren I will be throwing every single horror short and 1-pager I've written to date into this years comp.

Well then, no point in me even bothering.  :D

Quoted from Grandma Bear Well then, no point in me even bothering.  :D

I was thinking the same thing. Lol

Thanks for the ego boost :P

But, a lot of those old shorts are really rough and I haven't written any fresh horror in ages. Even so, I'd consider you both better horror writers than me!

Quoted from Warren Thanks for the ego boost :P But, a lot of those old shorts are really rough and I haven't written any fresh horror in ages. Even so, I'd consider you both better horror writers than me!

You're very kind. And a horrible liar. Lol.

I think I will throw my hat in the ring this year. Not multiple scripts. Just one. I've never entered a contest like this before. Could be fun. :)

UPDATE: We realized our original post had the wrong Extended Deadline date, which we have corrected to say December 16th. This is the correct Extended Deadline and it's this Friday, the last day you can enter the contest! We will be accepting entries on December 16th until Midnight PST.

We love the simplyscripts community and look forward to reading more scripts from you this year! To help ease the pain of submission fees a little, here is an exclusive discount code, you can use on Coverfly only: SIMPLY25

Coverfly: https://writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/killer-shorts

This code will give you 25% off your first submission to the contest. Please note it will not work on the Feedback category. Hope it helps. Happy Holidays everyone!

Killer Shorts
https://killershortscontest.com

Congratulations to our Season 4 Quarterfinalists!

Read the list here -->
https://killershortscontest.com/announcements/2023-killer-shorts-competition-quarterfinalists/.

We hope to find some members from simplyscripts on the list above!

Semifinalists will be announced on February 28th.

Best,
Killer Shorts

I see at least one familiar name. Congrats, Rene!

Congratulations to our Season 4 Semifinalists!

Read the list here -->
https://killershortscontest.com/announcements/2023-killer-shorts-competition-semifinalists/.

Did anyone from simplyscripts advance to the next round? Raise your hand!

Top Ten Finalists to be announced March 13th.

Best,
Killer Shorts

Congrats on the semis, Rene!

Thanks! Writing one-page horror is quite a challenge, I credit all those OWCs for helping me hone my short form storytelling.

Congratulations to our Season 4 Top 10 Finalists!

Read the list here -->
https://killershortscontest.com/announcements/2023-killer-shorts-competition-finalists/.

Looks like Rene has done it again!

Top 3 winners in each category will be announced April 24th.

Best,
Killer Shorts

Killing it, Rene! Congrats!

Congratulations to our Season 4 Top 3 Winners!

Read the list here -->
https://killershortscontest.com/announcements/killer-shorts-season-4-contest-winners/.

Thank you to the simplyscripts community.

See you in Season 5,

Best,
Killer Shorts