FEATURE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS

Winner: INTERGALACTIC IO (written by Seth Nesenholtz)

When her final heist goes sideways, a dirtbag thief inadvertently sparks an interstellar war, becomes hunted by both an evil dictator and idealistic rebels, and ultimately must decide if her happy ending is worth screwing over half the galaxy.

1st Runner up: PLAGUE OF THE SEX ZOMBIES (written by John Kestner)

A new sexual enhancement drug has the unfortunate side effect of turning everyone into zombies, but the cure for the infestation is even more outrageous.

2nd Runner up: SPLASHDOWN (written by Don Stroud)

Discovering a derelict NASA space capsule floating in the middle of the Pacific ocean, a disillusioned Air Force pilot and his family fight for their lives against a covert military force bent on retrieving the astronauts and their other-worldly payload.

SHORT SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS

Winner: CRIMSON STAIN (written by Aaron Glendenning)

The red stain of sin becomes a literal truth for one young lady. It's ever growing presence leads her to a meeting with the only one who can wash it off her.

1st Runner-up: THE MAN IN THE SKY WON'T LET ME SLEEP (written by Rebin Zangana)

2nd Runner-up: PERSONAL EFFECTS (written by Levi Caleb Smith)

A man on the run discovers a voodoo doll of himself. Now he can't figure out how to get rid of it.

FEATURE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION FINALISTS (alphabetical order)

THE FAR CORNER (written by Dawn Greenfield Ireland)

When a driven businesswoman collapses into psychosis ranting about creatures, she’s sent to a mental hospital where a psychiatrist and two investigators of paranormal phenomena discover she might not be crazy after all—she might have the ability to see into another dimension.

THE GUESTS (written by Douglas Corleone)

During the blizzard of 1872, a fearless female pioneer must survive a family of deranged innkeepers intent on butchering their guests.

THE INCREDIBLE FROG BOY IS ON THE LOOSE AGAIN! (written by Zach Jansen)

KILLER SURF (written by Catherine B. Owens)

Two surfers drive like hell across America's heartland after they see a horrific murder. Surf. Drive. Stay Alive!

MISFORTUNE COOKIES (written by Don Stroud)

After killing an elderly Chinese chef during a botched robbery, a desperate teenager and her redneck cohorts struggle to stay alive when the chef's spirit returns from the grave, brutally picking them off one-by-one with fortune cookie-themed deaths.

SECRET LIBRARY (written by Laurel King)

Christmas Eve, 1896. Three children enter the basement of a law firm, stumbling upon the hidden doorway to labyrinthine tunnels. Curious, they explore the tunnels and discover a huge library. But this is no ordinary library. It has grown for centuries, hidden in the subterranean depths of New York City to ensure its continued existence. Once the children enter, they are trapped. Their only hope lies with the quick-thinking, determined rescuers who race to discover the library’s depraved history, brave the horrifying evil of its ancient inhabitants, and fight for the lives of the children and themselves.

SUNNYSIDE 666 (written by Benjamin G. Sarno)

A first responder, plagued by savagery under the spell of demonic possession, resorts to a desperate "cure" when efforts at religious exorcism fail.

SHORT SCREENPLAY COMPETITION FINALISTS (alphabetical order)

GRAVEN (written by Michael Clifton)

A reclusive hobbyist fails miserably at making new friends with his carved apple-dolls so he hatches a fresh plan.

THE HOLE (written by Rob Walker)

After hearing a local legend, a punk band goes in search of a secret grave which might be the final resting place of a vampire.

KEYCHAINS (written by Mehran Jafari)

A writer attempts to overcome his past by writing through it. His characters help him realize that he can’t change the past, but he can change how he writes it.

MAN BABY (written by Aaron Murtagh)

A new father turns into a baby.

MATCHSTICK (written by Philip Tice)

In the autumn of 1930, a rural Pennsylvania farm town is plagued by a series of bizarre fires that begins to claim the lives of the town's children.

THE NIGHT OF COUNTING THE STARS (written by Frank Roselli)

An ambitious groundskeeper of a cemetery, and a not so mousy woman end a perfect day together.

THE UNKNOWNERS (written by Stirling McLaughlin and Wilder Konschak)

The least qualified paranormal investigators in the universe seek answers to the world's great unknowns, including why they're doing this in the first place.

FEATURE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION SEMI-FINALISTS (alphabetical order)

ALLURED II (written by C.J. Stussi and Armand Kachigian)

Hermes informs Zeus about the escape of Aphrodite and Scientio from Hades. For defying Zeus’s rules Zeus forces them to reactivate the wager about which is the more powerful: science or love. In the meantime, Philip and Lou work successfully their truck bakery across the country with the help of Zinya who continues to live in the metadata and accompanied by the real eagle Siro. When the gods intermingle with the mortal’s lives to win the bet, Zeus falls in love with Louise and Zinya which spurns Hera’s jealousy.

ASHMODIEL, OR HOW TO BE A BETTER DEMON (written by Jason F. Williams)

After a summoning goes wrong, an eager but inexperienced demon must deal with the unintended consequences.

ARCHFIEND (written by Alex Ayres)

Malakai Wallace, the youngest son in a family a serial killers, deals with the pressures and responsibilities of impending adulthood, while dealing with the repercussions of committing his first murder.

THE COMING OF ENKIDU (written by B. Bill Randal)

Being divine twins, an uncivilized man distracts a despotic king, curing the king’s boredom and bringing peace to his kingdom. Jealous, the queen drops the king’s godly toys into the land of no return, coaxing the now civilized man there before the king becomes bored again.

COVE (written by Thomas O'Malley)

Fisherman Patrick Hennessey and his wife, Maggie, live an idyllic life with their two children in the remote New England fishing community of Folly Cove on isolated Great Saucauset Peninsula, but Folly Cove has a dark past. On the eve of the town’s 400-year anniversary, a pact their Pilgrim ancestors made with an ancient evil has come due, and Patrick and Maggie must risk everything to protect their family from a horror that threatens to destroy them all.

EMF 5 (written by Jeremy Brown and Mike Meade)

When one of their own goes missing while investigating a haunted asylum, a group of former ghost hunters reunite for one last adventure that proves to be the most dangerous of them all.

FRAGMENTS IN A FUTURE TENSE (written by T.J. Barkwill)

Alternate reality anthology of the bizarre, the disturbing, and the darkly humorous.

GARBAGE BAG OF BROKEN BOTTLES (written by Andrew Thomas Burdette)

A desperate and hungry reporter bites into a story bigger than they can chew, when writing a piece on a strange recluse who moved Upstate and married the village cow.

GUNTHER'S CAVERN (written by Edward Etzkorn)

Trapped in an unexplored cave, a high-school student and his sister must save 11 fellow students from the clutches of overgrown tardigrades and their vicious arthropod/amphibian guard.

GYNO (written by Colin Scott)

In 1982, amid the cornfields of southern Minnesota and under a new dawn of “beepers” and informed consent, a Mayo Clinic gynecologist removes a patient’s uterus without her permission and ignites the ignominious end to his storied career.

HANGMAN (written by Shlok Shukla)

The film follows a DJ named Sam, who takes up a gig in order to get the contract of a lifetime... all while navigating his sobriety and a friend turned foe who is intent on taking everything away from him.

HEY BESTIE! (written by Lulenoxx)

In a post-pandemic world, Riley finds themselves stuck back in their hometown with a philosophy degree from a defunct university and no job prospects in sight. They get sucked into the world of Miracle Shake, a company that promises financial freedom, run by Courtney, a "mentor" with great hair and sinister intentions.

THE JOURNAL OF ANDREW CLARK (written by Rebekah M. Forsyth)

A man struggles to make sense of his experiences.

LEAPERS (written by SherLann D. Moore)

The Dean family throws an Anniversary party at their lodge in Talkeetna, Alaska. Unbeknownst to them a supernatural science experiment is unleashed near the lodge which births vile, infectious hybrid creatures called Leapers.

MALLed (written by Janna Jones)

When kids go missing in metro LA, a tired detective and a self- centered intuitive must find a way to work together to find the abductor.

MATTHEW THE ANGRY ELF (written by David Gray)

Santa sends a North Pole elf with a foul mouth and a chip on his shoulder to instill the spirit of Christmas in a rude New Jersey family. Will the elf fulfill his task or use this opportunity to escape Santa’s tyranny and make a new life for himself?

MORBIDLY (written by Don Stroud)

A young physical therapist slowly loses his grip on reality as he succumbs to the seductiveness of his only patient, a morbidly obese woman with a grisly secret.

MORPH (written by Joe A. Donato and Wess Meixell)

On the first night of summer before his Bar-Mitzvah, a precocious 12-year old son of a perfectionist Jewish baker mysteriously transforms into his father's worst nightmare; a giant insect. His new bug-superpowers help him find new purpose in life, free from the dysfunctions of his human family, but will they ever serve to transform him into a man?

MZ. MOVIES (written by Lulenoxx)

n the summer of 2001, Ami, an awkward preteen, spends her summer trying to catalog every film available at her local video rental store. Little does she know, this queer owned business is a gathering place for the local riot grrrl community, where Ami is able to discover herself and find a chosen family.

OLDE THORNE (written by Richard M. Kates)

Students and faculty from a local college steeped in urban legend find themselves assaulted by mysterious creatures and drawn into an ancient conflict.

THE OUTCAST (written by Kieran Shea and David Osorio)

After a man wakes up in an abandoned insane asylum without any memories of who he is or how he got there, he discovers he’s the only one who can stop the doctor who used to run the asylum from literally infecting the world with insanity.

PREDATOR MIND (written by David Starwalt)

Detective Victor Lucas has seen doctors, sleep disorder specialists, and psychiatrists, but no one is able to stop his terrifying dreams revolving around the “Dark Man” serial killer case. Finally, in desperation, and at the urging of his psychiatrist, he agrees to meet with Dr. Miller, an expert in the paranormal.

QUATCH (written by Jasper Winters)

A supernatural Sasquatch terrorizes a group of teens at a lakeside cabin in the woods.

THE RABBIT (written by Andrew Michael Spence)

A hitman retires to Scotland and immediately becomes ensnared by a mysterious figure called the "Rabbit".

RE-EVOLUTION: RISE OF THE LAND SHARKS (written by David McPete)

A satire of good and BAD shark movies. Prof. Pat Gallaher believes that creatures are about to experience another evolution. Her worst nightmare is realized when sharks acquire legs and feet. Now, whether it is land or sea, nowhere is safe. Can Prof. Gallaher and her crew, including Wes - a hero's hero, stop an evil genius' plan to take over the world?

RESERVOIR (written by E.K. Gaylord)

A young criminal, in mourning after the death of his sister, is thrust into the role of a reluctant Messiah following a violent supernatural event.

THE SHADOWS (written by Anthony Orlando)

After their sister disappears, three siblings set out to find and capture the mysterious figure that's responsible.

STARVATION LAKE (written by Paul Grammatico)

An accident causes a group of hunters to face an awakened evil that resides in a desolate forest in Northern Michigan.

THE SURGE (written by Monica Abbott)

An electrical contractor reluctantly teams up with an offbeat group of “professionals” to fight off gray aliens and super soldiers as he races against the clock to save his kids and others from the shocking aftereffects of an EMP anomaly.

THEY HUNT AT NIGHT (written by Robert James Walker)

A rookie oilfield worker gets more than she bargained for when her crew's latest job turns into a battle for survival against the bloodthirsty night-creatures that dwell in a remote corner of the Colorado oilfield.

TULPA (written by Jennifer Wolfe)

Five friends in states of quiet desperation embark on a girls trip to Palm Springs to stay at the home of a wealthy, eccentric woman who'll lead them in an arcane ritual to help them fix their broken lives, resulting in disastrous consequences.

WE ALL WEAR COATS (written by Rodrigo Contreras Pérez)

A woman in search of her freedom, a lawyer conflicted by a difficult case, a sailor who longs for his deceased wife. Three stories of the misery lived by the human protagonists, in which confrontation with diverse fantastical creatures is inevitable, as well as their own inner demons.

WINTER BIRD (written by Stephen Delos Treacy)

Winter Bird hinges on a subconscious connection between two Alaskans. One a former physician, now Rare Book Room Librarian, who helped his beloved wife commit suicide a few years ago. The other, a subarctic entity, who was brutally murdered while pregnant 100 years before. The librarian becomes intrigued by the amber-eyed blonde who is hell-bent on obtaining a rare set of herb books to heal her foundling infant. Based on indigenous legend, this mythical shape-shifter still haunts the desolate woods near Anchorage, sometimes as a snowy owl, in an effort to share the full horror of her origin.

SHORT SCREENPLAY COMPETITION SEMI-FINALISTS (alphabetical order)

A NEW LEAF (written by Kieran Shea)

When a college girl bumps into three vampires eager to drink her blood, she convinces them to delay feasting on her and try a new, non-bloody diet instead.

A PACKAGE OF DREAMS (written by Bradley M. Look)

A boy longs to be a television horror host when he grows up. But that dream gets derailed as adulthood pressures him into work with his father at a parcel service. Fate steps in connecting him with a hero from childhood in a supernatural way, proving that even dreams need a little help.

ARBOREAL (written by W. W. Webb)

After a poacher runs into trouble in the backwoods of Georgia, Meg, a forest ranger, taps her magical gifts to collect clues and solve the disappearance.

AREA 50 ½ (written by Mark Levitt)

A secret government installation holds a captive alien prisoner.

THE BAD POET (written by Michael Clifton)

A lovesick poet longs to immortalize her dying lover by crafting a timeless masterpiece; the result is savage perfection.

BUCKHORN ACADEMY (written by Tayler Carter)

Two siblings get accepted to a prestigious boarding school deep in the Appalachian mountains, only to realize upon arrival that it’s actually a school for cryptids.

BELUGA (written by Corbin Eaton)

An aimless young man must find his way in the world by accepting an ugly truth: that his estranged father is a beluga whale.

THE CALLBACK (written by Sara Lynn)

An aspiring young actress is asked to go to a callback, only to find out the filmmaker’s intentions are darker than she ever anticipated.

THE CHICKENATOR (written by Max Lehman)

A Sci-Fi Parody where time travel action flick meets a stoner and their love of fast food.

CHITLIN (written by Michael Clifton)

A competitive grandma hosts a family reunion and cooks up a fatty dish that threatens the day.

CONSECRATE (written by Chris Gordy)

A popular bourbon distillery hosts their annual shareholders tasting night. As the night unfolds, we learn what's behind the scenes for this company as the evening makes a macabre turn.

DOG PERSON (written by James Palombo)

After witnessing the death of his beloved cat as a child a haunted young man sets out for revenge as a hitman.

GALLOWS MEG (written by Alex Ayres)

Three amateur ghost hunters looking for content disturb an angry, local legend, on her turf.

GLOOMY SUNDAY (written by Kevin Machate)

When a mysterious stranger comes to him to learn a song long believed to lead to suicide, music teacher Jonah Horvath must discover the truth behind both the stranger and the mysterious song before he becomes yet another victim of Gloomy Sunday.

GLOVES (written by Michael Clifton)

After years of co-dependency, a resentful mother and bedridden daughter take cruel steps to change up their relationship.

HARD AS IT GETS (written by Darren Haskins)

In this dark comedy horror, an up and coming city council member surveying neighborhoods for votes gets caught up in a handsy situation when he encounters a son and mother with a thirst for corrupted officials.

THE HEART IS AN ORGAN (written by Tim Troemner)

A body-snatcher aims to help his new employer recover his lost love. Only...she's not dead. And additional complications might require romantic help from an unlikely source.

HENCHING (written by Jason Lor)

A young man takes on a job as a henchman for a supervillain and learns the hardship and the hard hits that they take in order to fulfill their villainous leader's goal for world domination in this Action Comedy.

I NEED A SIXER (written by Jesse Mattson and Steve Weber)

A small town Local, who owns and operates his own Ghost Hunting company, gets wrapped up in an actual haunting when he investigates a friend's home.

MACARTHUR AND THE UFOS (written by Jonathan Abel)

Actual Origin of the Men in Black! Flying Saucers of WWII… The two greatest secrets IN HISTORY! Heroes, villains, presidents and aliens even before Operation Blue Book! With General MacArthur’s incredible West Point UFO speech! HIS ACTUAL WORDS —- “Interplanetary War”!

MAKING BEAUTY (written by Tammy Salzl)

In a secret fort a young girl attempts to beautify the world with savage results.

NIGHT OF THE WEREPOODLE (written by Erin Audley)

While attempting to impress his date by making her dinner, Peter is attacked by a furry monster and finds himself turning into a werebeast!

NOT AN EXIT (written by Sid Kramer)

A serial killer is reunited with his victims in a haunted house through a strange coincidence 26 years later. With their bodies burned to ash, all that remained were their mummified heads. The heads, once discovered, were mistakenly put into a haunted house as décor props. These victims have been waiting for a very long time, and at last, the day comes, they will have their revenge.

SAMHAIN (written by Dominic Graham)

When Marie invites little Yuri to play games with her daughter on Halloween night, his behaviour grows more and more strange and threatening. But, then again, when all the kids are wearing masks, can she really be sure who she's invited into her home?

SLEEP (written by Jason Lor)

A workaholic man who barely gets any sleep is suddenly followed and attacked by a demonic figure.

SOME KIND OF HEAVENLY FIRE (written by Eric Riley)

On the Eastside of Detroit in 2003 a Grandad tries to hide a family secret from his grandson in the midst of the largest blackout in U.S. History and an extraterrestrial encounter.

STARHOPPER (written by Tayler Carter)

After years of wishing for something to save them from their mundane home planet- and their over protective parents- a set of twins get exactly what they wish for when a strange alien arrives.

THE TAXIDERMIST (written by Maggie Dominiak)

A taxidermist begins experiencing odd events in his isolated cabin.

THERE IS A MURDERER IN MY TOWN (written by Frank Truong)

Ash is a regular, 18-year old girl. She hates school. She thinks her parents are lame. Oh, and she thinks her neighbor is a serial killer. After getting trapped in the would-be killer's house with her best friend, she discovers something that she would never have expected.

THIRTY MAGIC CANDLES (written by Joe Hurst)

Thirty-year-old Lottie makes a birthday wish that her fed up mother Donna will have to look after her indefinitely - and that wish turns Lottie into a grotesque sea monster requiring constant care and attention. A desperate Donna resorts to borrowing a friend's cat to chase this pest out of the house, but Lottie, on her following birthday, wishes for the cat to become human - she now has two servants on hand. Finally Donna, on her own birthday, accepting the obligation of caring for her hapless daughter, wishes for Lottie to at least take on a more manageable form.

TIDBIT (written by Henry Leroy-Salta)

On the eve of their 4th year anniversary, a young couple are preparing romantic meals for each other. But something seems stale and it's not the food on their plates...