The following screenplays are the Top 50 Feature Screenplay Finalists for the 2020 FilmQuest Best Un-Produced Screenplay Competition. If you are a producer or filmmaker, collaborating with these writers may produce your next film, so feel free to explore these great projects waiting to be made. Featured here are some of the best un-produced genre screenplays on the circuit today.
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A NIGHT IN THE COUNTRY
Written By: Larry Hankin
Synopsis: “A Night In The Country” takes place in an old mansion, under a full moon, involving 28-year-old Darcy Brillig (lead), her greedy, new husband Ben, a beat-up, old satchel stuffed with cash, 3 bad guys, 1 very bad guy, and a cursed, pissed-off vampire. What could go wrong? A female-driven comedy-thriller.
Genre(s): Comedy, Thriller
Screenwriter’s Bio: “I’ve been a writer and actor most of my adult life. My first original film short (for which I wrote, acted, produced, and directed: “Solly’s Diner”, got an Academy Award nomination in 1980 and that set my sights on writing and acting from then on. “Solly’s” was made with the money I earned from my first major feature length movie, “Escape From Alcatraz” and ever since I’ve been writing film shorts and acting: from “Laverne and Shirley” and “Alcatraz” right up through “Seinfeld” as Tom Pepper, the guy who stole the raisins, to Mr. Heckles on “Friends”, up to Old and including Old Joe on “Breaking Bad” and “El Camino”, and The Russian Hit Man on “Barry”. This is my 3rd attempt at writing in the longer form of a comedy thriller feature.”
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BEAST OF VIRGINIA
Written By: Matthew Corley
Synopsis: During a harsh colonial winter, an outcast in a remote Puritan society must confront a mysterious beast that’s slaughtering villagers before she is executed as the witch responsible.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Matthew has a B.S. in R.T.F from the University of Texas, he writes original features of pulse pounding horror or side splitting comedy. Either way, his writing’s bound to have some form of impact on your bodily functions.
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BENNY B
Written By: Michael Hogan
Synopsis: A retired hall of fame baseball announcer in need of new purpose is abducted by aliens, throwing him back into the game to save a stadium full of fans from hungry extraterrestrials.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Michael William Hogan is a screenwriter whose unusual trinity of genre specialties includes comedy, faith-based and horror. He wasn’t always so twisted. For many years, Michael was a corporate executive-type. Until one day he woke up and realized that he was working for all the wrong reasons. And all the wrong people. Alarmed but enlightened, Michael thought about checking himself into one of those outrageously expensive facilities in the hills above Malibu but discovered their practice didn’t include corporate executive-typectomies. Undeterred, he bought a tattered volume of Mid-Life Crisis Management for Dummies at a used bookstore in Brentwood only to then discover the chapter on transitioning from corporate hell to career heaven had been torn out. Left with only self-reliance, Michael managed to burrow into his own head, rewiring his grey matter to finally pursue what matters: faith, happiness, creativity, screenwriting. In the time since—and somehow without the help of artificial intelligence or an MFA in Writing for Screen & Television—multiple short and feature scripts magically appeared on Michael’s hard drive. To-date, his scripts have garnered over 100 awards, including over two-dozen outright wins in competitions.
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BESTIAL
Written By: Clark D. Schaefer
Synopsis: A grieving couple travels to a small town to recover from the death of their child, but the wife’s inability to deal with her grief causes her to slowly lose her mind.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Award winning Filmmaker, Writer, Director and Producer. I have been writing for 10 years and have completed five short films and one feature. Planning on directing and producing this feature script – Bestial.
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CADICLE
Written By: James Fox & Darrell Gabonia
Synopsis: When a teenage girl from Earth begins training as an elite officer in the galactic military, her instant connection to a gifted young man places her at the center of a secret interdimensional war.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Native American and Californian, James Fox is a natural storyteller. Upon his graduation from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, with a BFA in both Directing and Producing, he became the Founder and CEO of Dawnrunner Inc. and has championed the company through numerous award-winning projects over the last fifteen years. As a writer, Fox devotes his energies to the careful crafting of compelling characters and diverse worlds. “Storytelling,” he says, “is the best way to influence change upon the Earth. Let’s make sure we’re telling good stories.”
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CELLULAR MEMORY
Written By: Brian Erwin & Christine Hunsicker
Synopsis: From her hospital ICU bed, a transplant recipient must act upon memories lodged in the cells of her twin sister’s donated organ to solve her murder before she is slayed by the same killer a second time.
Genre(s): The Beyond, Fantastic
Screenwriter’s Bio: The screenwriting team of Brian Erwin and Christine Hunsicker have compiled 32 film festival honors.
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COVER CROP
Written By: Jeffrey Howe
Synopsis: On an isolated farm planet, a botanist used to playing it safe stumbles back into a relationship with an old flame—and onto a secret her corporate bosses will kill to keep.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jeffrey Howe lives and works in the scenic Black Creek Bottoms area near St. Louis, Missouri. His feature and short screenplays have won or reached the finals of over 100 competitions since June 2015. His short fiction appears in One Teen Story, in the anthology Moon Shot: Murder and Mayhem at the Edge of Space, at UntreedReads.com, in the quarterly anthology The First Line, and at Smashwords. His first produced script, “Past Partum” won Best Horror Short at the 2019 Toronto Independent Film Festival.
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CRAZY TIME
Written By: L. Andrew Cooper
Synopsis: A traumatized woman believes she suffers from a curse reminiscent of the Book of Job, but instead of responding with piety, she hunts down the horrors’ source, risking madness, the apocalypse, or both.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantastic, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: L. Andrew Cooper writes across genres and forms, often focusing on the psychedelic and strange. He studied the Gothic/horror tradition for his Ph.D. at Princeton and has since published 10 books that are somehow related. He has been working on screenwriting since 2018.
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DARKROOM
Written By: Levi Buchanan
Synopsis: When a quiet accountant develops a forgotten roll of film from her past, she unleashes the personification of a trauma that demands the justice she was once denied.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Levi Buchanan is a filmmaker and writer (screenplays, videogame narrative, and comic books), as well as an executive in the video game industry. He has been a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune, an editor for IGN Entertainment, and an author for Random House.
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DIAMOND LAKE
Written By: Justin Michael Terry
Synopsis: During the last week of Summer camp, awkward tween, Anna, has her soul switched with a monstrous, hulking killer. In her new body, Anna must convince the other campers to help her fight the real killer… now in the body of a young girl.
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: JMT is a writer and actor in LA. He’s done comedy for 20 years, now he writes horror. Figure it out.
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ERASED
Written By: Camille Huot & Ambrealys
Synopsis: From skilled criminals to misfit government agents, Elizabeth, Lolita, Katarina and Avah must dodge both terrorist bullets and political games to earn back their freedom.
Genre(s): Fantastic
Screenwriter’s Bio: Camille and Ambrealys met a few years ago, while Ambrealys was managing the parisian publishing company to which he submitted his first novel. Their relationship quickly evolved into a full-blown creative partnership. Ambrealys eventually moved to New York in 2015, where she worked as a translator for the UN while simultaneously reconnecting with her first love: theater. Then, in 2018, a small Boston-based production company contacted her, asking her to write a screenplay based on a concept they had. She accepted on the condition she could work with Camille, which they agreed on. Since then, Ambrealys and Camille write scenes for a New York company that create custom scenes for actors.
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FAITHFUL SHADOW
Written By: Kevin J. Howard
Synopsis: While trying to enjoy their summer employment, a group of young adults are terrorized by a mysterious creature. It isn’t until the creature takes up residence within the Old Faithful Inn, that a small group of rangers and firemen fake an evacuation to close the Inn and hunt it.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Kevin J. Howard is a world-renowned author/screenwriter with three published works and ten award winning screenplays. Two additional film festival wins for screenplays he adapted from client’s novels. He has received excellent coverage on his work from the Atlanta Screenplay Awards, the Chicago Screenplay Awards, and the New York Screenplay Awards. He lives in Washington with his two sons.
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FIRST NATION
Written By: Thomas DiMassimo
Synopsis: A young indigenous girl discovers she has ancestral powers which might just save Earth from a Zombie-Alien outbreak.
Genre(s): The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Tommy DiMassimo is a writer based in Los Angeles California. He combines his background in activism and the arts to create revolutionary characters and dramatically exciting stories. You
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FRACTAL
Written By: Euroy Tan
Synopsis: With humanity extinct, a mysterious android spawns the first human beings in 2,000 years to repopulate Earth – but they turn against her and threaten humanity’s last chance at survival.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: I am a self-taught Storyteller and Screenwriter from Australia. Since starting my Screenwriting journey 2 years ago, all of my screenplays to date have seen success in gaining placements and/or selections in various screenplay competitions. In 2018, my script ‘INFINITUS’ won Best Screenplay at the Other Worlds Film Festival. I particularly love genre films, especially Sci-Fi, though I enjoy writing, filming, and watching pretty much anything that has an entertaining and/or impactful story. I enjoy collaborating with filmmakers of all kinds, and hope to bring some of my stories to screen someday.
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GIFTS
Written By: Josh Kaukl
Synopsis: A young Korean-American girl afflicted with nightmarish visions must accept her true calling before it’s too late.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: I’m a psychiatric and ER living between science and non secular spirituality.
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GRAVEN
Written By: David Campfield
Synopsis: A malicious alien lands amid the Amish country, and now a pacifistic people will have to fight if they’re to survive.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Known mostly for his no budget comedy-horrors (Caesar & Otto’s Summer Camp Massacre, Deadly Xmas and Paranormal Halloween) indie filmmaker Dave Campfield has always aspired for more dramatic fare. His latest screenplay Graven required countless hours of research to bring accuracy to a story depicting an Amish community’s struggle against a malicious entity.
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GUACAMOLE YESTERDAYS
Written By: Hudson Phillips
Synopsis: A quirky, grounded sci-fi feature film about a young cartoonist named Ames who meets with a therapist after a painful split from her husband Franklin. The therapist enters Ames into a trial run utilizing a new technological device called the CONFAB, which allows Ames to relive and even change her past memories in order to help her heal. But the technology comes into question when Ames loses her grip on reality—unable to tell fact from fiction.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Hudson Phillips is a screenwriter and indie film producer in Atlanta, GA. He wrote the feature film This World Alone, which is coming off of a successful film festival run where it won “Best Feature” at five festivals including Phoenix Film Fest where he also won “Best Screenplay”. The film will be released in Spring 2020. He previously co-wrote the screenplay Church League, which was optioned by Lions Gate Films and produced in 2013 with Executive Producer Jeff Foxworthy. Additionally, Hudson is the founder of ScriptBlast, an organization which cultivates community and creates resources for screenwriters.
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GULLUN DRIFT
Written By: Richard Clarke
Synopsis: Australia 1980’s. Grieving his lost daughter, police officer Jack Henderson hunts down Ryan Walker the headstrong son of murder suspect Cainan Walker. The relentless pursuit uncovers a savage war between a Gaelic clan and a preternatural soul eater. A soul eater intent on Jack’s daughter. And only Ryan can save her.
Genre(s): Fantasy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Richard is a writer and filmmaker from Brighton UK. His first Screenplay: Airborne won Best Feature at the Amsterdam Int FF and has been a finalist at eight Int Film Festivals to date, including Oaxaca Int FF 2019 Mexico. His short film ‘Cinema Mythica’ was selected for a number of international film festivals including an Italian version for the 10th River Film Festival, Padova, Italy. It won Best Music Award at MAC Underground Film Festival in Manaus Brazil.
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HOMETOWN
Written By: James Rees
Synopsis: In Harrow Hill, Bailey Wyndhurst celebrates her last night with lifelong friends, Nick and Vincent, before finally leaving town, and her family’s reputation, behind for good. Unfortunately, events take a sinister turn when their ride home mows down a jogger fleeing hooded, cult-like figures.
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: James Rees is a screenwriter based in London, UK. He sometimes gets ideas for his stories hiking through ancient, foggy moors and forests of the English countryside. James has been hooked on the horror genre since being traumatised by BBC’s Ghostwatch at the tender age of 6. His dream is to one day write a horror film produced by Blumhouse Productions, and is currently building his body of nightmares as a writer.
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HURRICANE PARTY
Written By: James B. Cox & Robert Husted
Synopsis: Two high school girls are in deep when their revenge prank gets them trapped on a yacht in the middle of Hurricane Andrew with a mysterious killer murdering the passengers one by one.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: James B. Cox – Writer-director, comic creator, and FilmQuest alumnus, James B. Cox has made a career out of telling stories that are both outlandish and deeply personal. Previous FilmQuest official selection, Ctrl Alt Delete (aka Hacked) garnered several awards during its festival run and now can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. His adaptation of Stephen King’s Gray Matter, produced while a film student at Chapman University, continues to screen around the world at festivals and conventions devoted to the author. James now lives in Orange County, CA with his marvelous wife, their two rambunctious boys, and faithful dog.
Robert Husted – Born and raised in the suburban wilds of Connecticut, Robert Husted attended NYU and eventually moved to Los Angeles, working for such companies as Disney, Technicolor, and now Netflix. His short film Lost Treasure of the Valley has won 45 awards to date, and he hopes to make another movie someday soon once the planet is healthy again.
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IN COUNTRY
Written By: Scott Peterman & Cat Davis
Synopsis: During the waning days of the Vietnam War, a squad of Special Forces soldiers embark on an illegal mission over the Cambodian border where they encounter a race of monstrous creatures living deep in the jungle.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Cat Davis & Scott Peterman met almost twenty years ago mounting oddball musical theater productions at Yale. Our partnership has always been a case of not just 2+2=5, but 2+2=spaceship. After pursuing successful creative careers on opposite coasts – Cat as a stand-up comedian and staff writer in LA, Scott as a rock and roll show and live event director in NYC – we have reunited to bring their joint superpowers to bear creating fresh and unique new IP for film and television.
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KELIPOT
Written By: Seth Nesenholtz
Synopsis: When a Jewish monster-hunter and her sorcerer brother pursue a young vampire through rural Texas, her increasingly reckless behavior triggers a crisis of faith and the loss of her supernatural powers.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Austin-based writer who gave up living in the “real world” years ago.
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KUDZU
Written By: Marisa Forrest
Synopsis: A recovering addict must rescue her estranged son from an “orphanage,” which is actually a front for a dangerous cult that turns children into murderous criminals.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Marisa Forrest is an LA transplant by way of Atlanta (after a brief stint in New York as a baby). She has Northeastern sophistication and Southern charm, and, after a few drinks, the accent to prove it. Marisa has immersed herself in the entertainment industry as a creator and consumer, voraciously watching films and television in both a historical and popular context. In her world, Parasite and the “Housewives” peacefully coexist. After beginning her career as a development executive, Marisa recently had the epiphany that screenwriting is her true calling. She is extraordinarily proud that all five of her scripts (three features and two pilots) have been awarded in multiple competitions. Marisa is insatiably curious and adores informed decisions, great punchlines, and Diet Dr. Pepper.
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LONELY PLANET
Written By: Karl Mather
Synopsis: The year is 2112 and Earth is powered almost entirely by solar energy sourced from the moon. When his ex-wife suddenly decides to remarry, Soichi is forced to smuggle his 8 year old daughter aboard the space station he works on, unaware that a crash on the surface of the moon has set in motion a chain of events that will change their lives forever.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Karl was born in Liverpool, England and is a lifelong supporter of Everton F.C. He has worked as an advertising copywriter for several years in London, Tokyo and Sydney. Currently living in Brisbane, Australia he writes for himself whenever his job writing for other people lets him.
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METH GATORS
Written By: Jordan Miller
Synopsis: A corrupt sheriff pours experimental drugs in the sewers creating a horde of enraged alligators that swarm a local motel.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jordan Miller is an award-winning filmmaker and musician from Maryland who has written and directed on feature and several shorts to festival praise, and is currently in production for feature length horror anthology.
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NO OVERNIGHT PARKING
Written By: Meg Swertlow
Synopsis: When a tough young woman and her closest girlfriends get locked overnight in a desolate roadside parking structure on their way to a Vegas girls’ weekend, they soon realize that a merciless masked killer is in the parking structure with them. As Dahlia and her friends now desperately try to escape, they must also fight back against their masked pursuer to stay alive.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Meg is an award-winning screenwriter/director. After studying theater at Hamilton College, she returned home to LA to perform comedy and train at iO West, UCB and Groundlings. After studying screenwriting at University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, Meg left her decade-long career writing celebrity news to pursue her dreams of filmmaking in 2018. In the past year, her first horror screenplay, No Overnight Parking, won the 2020 Emerging Screenwriters’ Shoot Your Sizzle Grand Prize, was the Nightmares Film Festival Feature Screenplay Runner-up, FilmQuest Finalist, Women in Film’s Production Program Semifinalist, Filmmatic Horror Awards Finalist. An earlier draft of the script also got her into the 2018 Hedgebrook Screenwriters Lab. Her other scripts have gone on to be a second-rounder in the 2017 Sundance Episodic Lab and Austin Revolution Film Festival Winner. Determined to be a strong female force in the male-dominated horror genre, Meg took on directing at the end of 2019. She’s already shot and directed four short films, one of which placed her in the second round of Ryan Murphy’s Half-Foundation 2020 Directing Mentorship. She was just selected to take part in Women in Film’s 2020 Mentor Program and her latest quarantine horror short, “Jenny,” was named a finalist in the 2020 Coven Film Festival. In a genre twist, she and Latin Grammy two-time winner Alisha Gaddis are currently developing a romcom with Matt Baer Films and Four Leaf Films.
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ORSON
Written By: Jared Egol
Synopsis: A withering Orson Welles recounts his notorious demise and final act to the last character he will ever play.
Genre(s): Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jared Egol studied Creative Writing at the University of Florida with the intention of entering medical school. He instead went on to Chapman University, where he received his MFA, studying under Julie Kirkham, Tom Mankiewicz, Larry Gross and Ron Friedman, who later hired Jared to assist in the writing of his memoir: I KILLED OPTIMUS PRIME. Jared is repped by Derrick Eppich of Empirical Evidence.
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PALISADES
Written By: Richard P. Alvarez
Synopsis: A Civil War cavalry veteran reluctantly agrees to engage in a series of staged gunfights in a dying western town. The charade to bring in tourists turns deadly when the Army arrives, and our veteran risks losing his lady to the dashing young Cavalry officer. He and the Shoshone must join forces to bring the Army in on the plan. A final duel at high noon will determine the towns fate. Will the blood be real this time?
Genre(s): Western
Screenwriter’s Bio: Richard is an award winning screenwriter, filmmaker and professional jouster who began his career in television. He has optioned five features. This is his first entry to FILMQUEST.
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PRECIPICE
Written By: Avishai Weinberger
Synopsis: In a world without technology, a woman and her hunter-gatherer family must contend with the arrival of a mysterious outsider armed with futuristic weaponry and secrets from the woman’s past which threaten her future – and that of mankind.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Avishai is an Orthodox Jewish award winning writer-director from New York, with a focus on horror and science fiction. He attended Maale Film School in Jerusalem for a year, followed by four years at NYU Tisch. His thesis short film, a horror called THIRD DATE, was licensed by Alter after screening at festivals around the country, and his feature screenplay based on that short film garnered top awards at multiple festivals– including 3rd Place at FilmQuest! His award-winning screenplay DRIFT OFF was bought by Boulderlight Pictures. Currently, Avishai lives in Brooklyn with his family, where he enjoys singing with his family, making chicken soup for Shabbos, and writing a ton.
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SAINT SHARI
Written By: Dana Hammer
Synopsis: An atheist woman’s life is disrupted when she receives the stigmata.
Genre(s): Fantasy, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Dana is a writer of things and a winner of awards. She feels she would be taken more seriously if she received the stigmata.
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SALT WEST
Written By: Samuel Peirce
Synopsis: A failed heist leaves a cowardly, amoral bandit stranded in the Utah salt flats, where he must survive inhospitable terrain, unraveling sanity, and a relentless pursuer in order to reach safety.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond, Fantastic
Screenwriter’s Bio: Screenwriter. Other stuff writer. Horror enthusiast. FilmQuest alumni. My screenplay this year, Salt West, is a horror western set in the Utah Salt Flats, inspired by my travels attending the festival in previous years.
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SIEGE
Written By: Ian Neligh
Synopsis: An ambulance crew stuck in the middle of a deadly riot must fight for their lives when they become the target of a homicidal madman.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Ian Neligh is an award-winning Colorado author and journalist.
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SNARE
Written By: Neil Krolicki
Synopsis: A vigilante group who expose child predators are blackmailed into murdering their targets during a one-night sting operation and must outwit their ruthless extortionist to survive the night.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Neil Krolicki is a Bram Stoker Award nominated writer and Austin Film Festival semifinalist whose stories have appeared in Chuck Palahniuk’s Burnt Tongues, ThugLit and Shotgun Honey. His script Murderabilia won first place in the Filmmatic Thriller/Horror competition (www.murderabiliafilm.com). His noir comic ‘120 Doses’ is available now on Comixology.
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SOUL PASSAGE
Written By: Patrick Mediate & Kristin Illagan
Synopsis: When an ex-NYPD cop’s daughter is abducted he is forced to battle the demons of his past and journey into the dark underworld of Haitian voodoo to find her.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Kristin Ilagan is a Senior Producer for Discovery ID Network. Patrick Mediate is a veteran Creative Executive and Broadway Development Director and currently Senior Producer for the Globally recognized Production company Hayden5. Each of us have over 10 years of Development and Production experience in Film, programmatic Television and Online content.
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STEPHEN THE DEMON
Written By: Georgina Cahill
Synopsis: Stephen, the half-demon, half-goblin is tasked with collecting the “perfect soul. He quickly realizes this job is more difficult than he originally thought when he needs to compete with fairy god-mothers, monsters, and grumpy high-school latin teachers for it.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Georgina Cahill is an animator and illustrator from Los Angeles. A recent graduate from USC Film School, her animated films have been domestically and internationally.
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STUDY IN BLUE
Written By: Patrick Clement
Synopsis: Trapped for the Winter with the body of his dead wife, a man discovers a family secret, explores a mysterious mountain top and tries to live with the guilt of an infidelity.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Patrick Clement is a former newspaper editor and a University of Kansas alum. In May 2020 he graduated from the prestigious Screenwriting/Directing MFA Program at Columbia University in New York City. His short film Rabbits won Best Student Short at the New Hampshire Film Festival and Best Film at the Knoxville Film Fest. Most recently, his thesis film ‘Three Corner House’ (starring Orange is the New Black’s Michael J. Burg) won Best Actor at the Tallgrass Film Festival for newcomer Ty Baumann’s portrayal of a sexual adventurous teen in the subversive drama about family secrets. He is a seven-time Kansas Press Association Award winner, a Catwalk Artist Residency fellow and his book of rare William S Burroughs portraits won two Humanities Grants from the KU School of the Arts.
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THE BOX PONY EXPRESS
Written By: G.S. Leitgeb
Synopsis: 1981, Bermuda Triangle, Chaow Island: Keeping three oddballs in line inside an old mining cave, while following in the footsteps of her dead father, ten year old Agnes has to defend an egg shop, save a chicken named Rosalinde, dismantle a nuclear bomb and fight off an entire army. And all she’s got is a bloody mail order catalogue.
Genre(s): Fantasy, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Having written and directed numerous music-videos, commercials, short films – last not least his latest short-film The Secret Box – THE BOX PONY EXPRESS marks the international Feature Film Debut for Austrian creator G.S. Leitgeb. Following in the footsteps of well-known masters T. Burton, G. del Toro and W. Anderson, G.S. Leitgeb combines his work as writer, designer and director – moulding a fictional world filled with adventure, fantasy & mystery. Garnished with a sense of slapstick-comedy as the cherry on top. Writer-Director G.S. Leitgeb works with his Team of Creatives who were formerly involved in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland, Penny Dreadful and The Dark Knight, to only name a few.
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THE BURGEONING DEATH
Written By: Chelsea Lutz
Synopsis: A young girl suspects her father’s sudden disappearance might be at the hands of a demon that possesses a serial killer who haunts her small suburb town killing young girls her age.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantastic, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Chelsea Lutz Bauer is an exciting, young, female filmmaker with a penchant for dark, profound, and idiosyncratic character-driven stories, and stylized cinematography. Her psychological horror feature screenplay, The Burgeoning Death, is an official selection winner at Les Femmes Underground Film Festival and an award winner at The International Horror Hotel Film Festival. It has also been selected as a semi-finalist in the Women in Horror Film Festival as well as the SF Indie Fest Screenplay Competition. Chelsea also directed episodes two and three of the digital series, Managed, which has been featured in a few festivals including ITV Fest. Her other short films she directed, Hometown and Chump Change, have been featured in a handful of festivals.
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THE CHAMBER
Written By: Sergio Pinheiro
Synopsis: Haunted by a recent personal loss, college student Harriet finds herself caught between rival college professors and the harrowing experiment they devised to settle their differing theories on the supernatural.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Sergio Pinheiro has been writing, directing & producing shorts, music videos, web series and mini-docs for over a decade. His award-winning horror short films have played in festivals around the world. In addition he is an accomplished freelance editor and motion graphics artist with feature, music video, title sequence design and VFX credits. On the writing side previous scripts have been optioned for development. “The Chamber” is his current script project which he hopes to be his feature directorial debut and is currently being adapted as a serialized narrative podcast.
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THE GREENHOUSE
Written By: Wylie Rush
Synopsis: A Chicago PD detective searching for a missing girl finds herself obstructed by an elite police force and involved in a web of corruption and murder.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Wylie has worked and interned for numerous production studios, including Marvel and Stonestreet Studios. After graduating from Pomona College, Wylie studied at CalArts in their MFA Film Directing Program. He currently runs his own production company.
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THE GRIP
Written By: Alex Gold
Synopsis: A gay cultist struggles with his sexual identity, while battling against a demon that threatens to destroy his family.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Alex Gold is a professional video game designer and writer. Also, an avid lover of film. Especially horror.
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THE HORROR FILM KILLER
Written By: Michael J. Bowler
Synopsis: With someone recreating the kill scenes from their student-made horror film, aspiring teen directors Cassie and Donovan are forced to keep the production on schedule—under orders from the killer—while sorting through confusing clues to expose the psychopath before more people die.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning writer of novels and screenplays who’s made low-budget horror films, written/produced/directed stage plays, and taught high school. He’s also an adoptive single dad and lifelong volunteer with youth, especially incarcerated, disabled, and marginalized youth.
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THE LAST SCHUBERT HOTEL
Written By: Sean Hennessy
Synopsis: As a tornado rampages toward a small town in Illinois, the residents find their personal lives changing over the course of one night. Reverberating within the harsh winds over the town is Franz Schubert’s ‘Unfinished Symphony’, coming from a mysterious abandoned hotel…
Genre(s): Fantasy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Sean Patrick Hennessy is an aspiring screenwriter currently living in Chandler, Arizona. He received his bachelor’s degree in film production at Arizona State University and is the co-creator of the audio drama show on Apple Podcasts, ‘The Meat Blockade’.
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THEY HUNT AT NIGHT
Written By: Rob Walker
Synopsis: 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.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Rob Walker is an independent writer based in Colorado. This project is the culmination of his love of horror films and spending over a decade working in the oilfields of Colorado. His writing has been featured in The Hard Times, Points In Case, and JumpKick.
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TOO MANY WADES
Written By: Stirling J. McLaughlin & Wilder Konschak
Synopsis: Hannah wants to be through with her ex-boyfriend Wade, but an otherworldly infection is turning everyone around her, including her fiancé, into the worst person she knows. Wade.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Together Wilder Konschak and Stirling Mclaughlin (known collectively as Spaceship Town) have been making shorts, series, and features since Prince’s 1999 was still set in the future. Their debut feature film COLD WAR is currently available on most major streaming platforms through distributor Stadium Media. Wilder enjoys literary representation by Foundation Media Partners and Culture Creative, and was recently a writer on Syfy’s DAY OF THE DEAD series. Stirling enjoys bootleg oatmilk. They both find solace and humor in the dark, the surreal, and the absurd, and share an abiding love for the beauty of a good nightmare.
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TRIP
Written By: Michael Klug
Synopsis: Celebrating their 1-year anniversary, boyfriends Warren and Trip take a scenic journey across the US Southwest in Warren’s aging Jeep Cherokee. When Trip is bitten by an unknown creature and mysteriously begins to transform — absolutely no relationship secrets will be held back.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Born and raised in South Dakota, Michael is an actor, film critic and award-winning screenwriter. He lives in Los Angeles.
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UNTIL DEATH
Written By: Alyssa Stevens
Synopsis: A woman and her mysterious neighbor must contend with a crime boss who thinks her dead husband stole money from him.
Genre(s): Fantastic
Screenwriter’s Bio: My name is Alyssa Stevens, and I’m a writer. My first book was published in 2015. I’ve branched out into writing screenplays with strong women leads. I write suspense, horror, paranormal romance, and action. My goal is to write badass women and men characters who support each other.
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VIDEO NASTIES
Written By: Cary McKnight
Synopsis: A group of teenage horror fanatics unwittingly unleash evil upon their town by way of a cursed VHS tape.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Cary McKnight is no stranger to the world of screenwriting and film making. His previous credits include writing and directing the short film “Safeword” as well as producing the award-winning short film “Polterstache.” With a collection of short films, animation, and screenplays under his belt, Cary plans to focus his talents on developing original content in the horror and comedy genres.
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WHERE THE DEVIL RESIDES
Written By: Travis Heermann
Synopsis: In the aftermath of the Civil War, a cowardly Yankee Minister must track down his kidnapped daughter in the Everglades with the help of a powerful Santeria Priestess, to save her from a gang of Confederate swamp rats, led by a cult leader with supernatural powers.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Freelance writer, novelist, editor, and award-winning screenwriter, Travis Heermann is the author of eight novels, including The Hammer Falls, Death Wind, and The Ronin Trilogy, plus short fiction in Apex Magazine, Cemetery Dance, and others. His freelance work includes contributions to the Firefly Roleplaying Game, Battletech, Legend of Five Rings, and EVE Online.
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WHY, ARIZONA
Written By: Isaiah Mouw
Synopsis: As a series of killings terrorize neighboring Phoenix, a wily small town conman stages shootings in order to drum up sales for his gun store.
Genre(s): Fantastic
Screenwriter’s Bio: Isaiah’s passion for film began when as a kid, living in Japan, he stumbled upon a worn-out VHS tape of Star Wars: A New Hope. Since then he’s taken in movies by the thousands. As a screenwriter, Isaiah uses his knowledge of cinema and unique upbringing abroad to tell his stories. He enjoys writing small town dramas and science fiction, and occasionally enjoys writing small town science fiction dramas.
Isaiah received his Masters from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In addition to screenwriting, Isaiah works in the parking and mobility industry where he was recently named as the number one parking and mobility professional in the world. In August of 2013, he was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Isaiah currently lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee with his wife Victoria and their two children – Noah and Luke. Mark Botts grew up in North Carolina. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Clint Eastwood westerns were his regular movie viewings. But during his freshman year of high school, Mark watched the Academy Award-winning film: Braveheart. That did it. He knew he wanted to work in the film industry. An undergrad in Speech Communications gave him a few opportunities to develop his interest in the dramatic arts. He moved to New York City and studied acting. While in New York, he began screenwriting under the guidance of teacher/filmmaker: Jason Chaet. This spurred Mark on to further study the craft of screenwriting, so he entered Regent University’s MFA program and completed the tour in the spring of 2013.
By day, Mark is a teacher. By night, he is a screenwriter – his major screenwriting influences being Wes Anderson and Tony Gilroy. Mark and his wife Rebecca have three children – Ella, Sam, and Victor.
