The following screenplays are the Top 50 Feature Screenplay Finalists and Official Selections for the 2024 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 and one of these screenplays will become our eventual Best Un-produced Feature Screenplay Winner, several others of which will also be recognized during the festival. If you would like to find out more about the screenplays, please feel free to reach out and we will put you in contact with the writers.
_______________________
A ROSE OF NO MAN’S LAND
Written By: Sara AlThani
Synopsis: In a village stalked by dark forces, Delilah ventures into the forbidden woods in search of answers – and finds them in the form of Adis, a trapped Jinn who is the key to secrets that haunt the land… including the true identity of Delilah herself.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Sara is a multilingual artist with a captivating international background and an impressive repertoire of ventures in the arts scene. Having grown up in San Francisco, France, and Qatar, she developed a deep-rooted passion for the arts from an early age. Sara’s artistic pursuits encompass various disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music. Her creative prowess shines through her talent for storytelling, as she has written three full-length feature films, each a testament to her vivid imagination and compelling narratives. In parallel to her artistic endeavors, Sara is carving a path in the film and design industry.
_______________________
ADVENTURES IN SERIAL KILLING
Written By: Jack Warner
Synopsis: A brother and sister discover that one of their parents is a serial killer. They team up with their other parent to bring the murderer to justice in this comedy/horror mash-up.
Genre(s): Fantasy, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jack is a writer who wants to introduce you to worlds both real and unimaginable. He loves to write in many genres with characters that find ways to overcome insurmountable odds. The one connecting thread in his stories is one simple word: Hope.
_______________________
AFTER THE HARVEST
Written By: Jeffrey Howe
Synopsis: When a botanist on an isolated farm planet unearths evidence of intelligent alien life, she also stumbles on the reason for her co-worker’s amnesia about their romantic history–and must then survive her corporate bosses’ efforts to re-bury the secret that links them.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jeffrey Howe lives (and when necessary, works) in the scenic Black Creek Bottoms area near St. Louis, Missouri. Since June 2015, his screenplays have won 48 competitions and been finalists in 80-plus more. His shorts have won awards at the Toronto Independent and Austin Revolution Film Festivals. Favorite theme: second chances.
_______________________
AN AXE TO GRIND
Written By: Erika Stone
Synopsis: A men’s rights extremist takes an acclaimed screenwriter prisoner in her home, demanding she rewrite her feminist horror scripts into a misogynist “masterpiece,” or suffer the fate of the victims in her films.
Genre(s): Thriller, Suspense, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Erika earned her B.A. from Boston University. For many years, she worked as a stage and film actor throughout the country, which brought her to Perseverance Theatre in Alaska. During her time in the 49th state, she also worked as a writer and photographer for First Alaskans Magazine. Her work was nominated for two Alaska Press Club Awards. She began writing screenplays three years ago, the first of which was optioned by KNR Productions, and placed as a quarter-finalist at FilmQuest. Erika is excited to return to this phenomenal festival with her second screenplay, “An Axe to Grind,” selected as a finalist.
_______________________
AN INCONSEQUENTIAL CHOICE
Written By: Alex Gibbons & Ricardo Bravo
Synopsis: After a traumatic accident leads to post-traumatic epilepsy a physicist’s obsession with a groundbreaking quantum equation threatens his marriage, relationship and his grip on reality itself.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Alec Gibbons is a writer/director whose films have played at some of the biggest genre fests in the world and have received distribution. As a writer he has placed at Nicholls, Austin, PAGE, Screencraft and more. He writes wild, manic thrillers and comedies.
_______________________
ASSIMILATED
Written By: Christopher Guerrero
Synopsis: When an alien invasion happens at a wine country wedding, a bride desperately tries to save everyone while confronting a horrifying truth about her new family.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Christopher, a dyslexic, ADHD, disabled, Latinx filmmaker from the Central Valley in California, where resources for learning disabilities are critically underfunded, discovered early on how stories could combat injustice, which led him to pursue cinema. After receiving his MFA from USC, he collaborated with major brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, GEICO, and Disney. He worked alongside celebrities such as The Rock, Wayne Brady, and Jack Black. Now a proud USC alumnus, Christopher teaches directing at his alma mater, where he is also on the ‘Adjunct Faculty Alliance’s’ union bargaining committee.
His work is distinguished by its unique fusion of humor, horror, drama, and social consciousness. His films and screenplays have been featured at prestigious festivals like Slamdance, Austin Film Festival, Hollyshorts, and Santa Barbara, earning numerous accolades. Christopher’s achievements include participation in programs with RespectAbility Lab, Ghetto Film School, FREE THE WORKS Residence Program, AdAges ‘The List,’ AICP’s Mentorship Program, and the CDDP Directing Program. As a Latinx filmmaker, he is devoted to creating authentic narratives and promoting positive change through his work.
_______________________
BABAYLAN
Written By: David Todd Ocvirk
Synopsis: When a young Filipina’s indigenous culture is dismantled by the arrival of Spanish colonists and an extreme Inquisitor, she’s forced to embrace the dark creatures that lurk in the jungle to preserve what is lost, but it could cost her the lives and souls of herself and those she loves.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Todd Ocvirk is an award winning writer, director and producer. His brand is Epic Nightmares. After graduating from the USC Film School, he co-wrote, and co-directed his first feature, the award winning cult horror film KOLOBOS. He followed that up by producing the zombie opus GANGS OF THE DEAD, earning a story credit and serving as 2nd unit director. Todd also spent time in Shanghai, China writing episodes of the children’s puppet show ZIP-A-GANG for Dream Tube Entertainment. He made his first foray into comic book writing with IDW Publishing’s SONG OF SAYA, based on the Japanese light novel SAYA NO UTA. Todd most recently co-produced and wrote the screenplay for the award winning fantasy/horror feature BASHIRA.
_______________________
BROTHEL
Written By: Alex Chew & L.M. Harter
Synopsis: Appalachian sex workers must band together to survive the night when their brothel is attacked.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Alex Chew and L.M. Harter are Austin, TX based independent filmmakers who love writing subversive genre stories that take big, bloody swings.
_______________________
CAUGHT A GLIMPSE
Written By: Timothy Troy & Daniel McGuire
Synopsis: After a disillusioned husband and father sees more of his new neighbor than he should, his perception expands to include increasingly disturbing visions.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: With a dozen short films to his name, including two picked up for distribution by Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER channel, Timothy focuses on compelling characters and unusual viewpoints to explore the darker impulses of humanity.
_______________________
COME IN THREES
Written By: John-Paul Panelli
Synopsis: After a global pandemic destroys civilization, a makeshift family struggles to survive when the hounds of Zeus arrive at their country house to harvest the souls of sinners.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: John-Paul is an optioned horror writer and produced self-taught filmmaker. Despite his intimate draw to things that go bump in the night, he still harbors a paradoxical fear of the dark.
_______________________
CORPORATE MONSTER
Written By: Chelsea A. Schmidt
Synopsis: When a paranoid, ex-druggie finds something nefarious in her bank’s files, she learns of a massive, dark underbelly of conspiracy lead by corporations, mutated reality TV show stars, and an inter-dimensional foe hellbent on Armageddon.
Genre(s): Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Chesea is a full-time high school English teacher by day and a horror-writing goblin by night. During the summers, she helps teach screenwriting classes at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia. She currently resides in Dallas, Georgia with her family.
_______________________
CURRENTS
Written By: Tim Molloy
Synopsis: A girl in her last summer before college meets a mysterious boy who seduces her into a series of coastal break-ins. Soon her dads are ensnared in his violent ultimate plan.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: When I was a kid I was sleeping over at a friend’s house and his mom said to lock all the doors. He said “Why? Will the boogeyman get us?” And she said “Yes, there’s a serial killer called the Nightstalker who kills people who don’t lock their doors.” She was right. So began my lifelong fear of home invasions. I also hate sand.
_______________________
DEADNAMES
Written By: Natalie Hoffman
Synopsis: Daisy is a trans woman returning to her rural hometown for the first time in years, hoping to reconnect with her family, but finds someone unexpected from her past waiting for her there instead.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Natalie Hoffman is a writer and director who explores elements of the every day and mundane through the lens of the fantastic.
_______________________
DEMANDING AN ANSWER FROM GOD
Written By: Kevin J. Howard
Synopsis: After losing his son to a coal mine explosion in 1907, a desperate father will stop at nothing to find out why God took his son’s life, even if it means sharing his body with a demonic force to wage war against heaven.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: 14 scripts on the Red List, 3x AFF 2nd rounder, 19x finalist Academy Award qualifying events-500+ festival selections in 41 countries, 19 scripts, 2 pilots, 8 novels
_______________________
DESERT DESERT DESERT
Written By: Zoë Maltby
Synopsis: In the barren Utah desert, a tight-knit group of Mormon college students embarks on a post-graduation road trip, but their journey takes a harrowing turn when they stumble upon a mysterious polygamist cult. As the cult’s dark intentions unravel, the group must confront their deepest beliefs and fight for survival against a merciless adversary intent on sacrificing them to their twisted ideology.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Zoë Maltby is a writer, director, and actor originally hailing from Sleepy Hollow, NY. Most recently, her audio drama “Bear Lake” debuted on all podcast platforms. Her writing has also been recognized by The HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab, Outfest Screenwriting Lab, FilmQuest, Cinequest, Goat Films, ScreenCraft, The Chain Film Festival, and the Inroads Fellowship. She has worked extensively as a 1st and 2nd Assistant Director on projects ranging from branded content (Olay, Vaynermedia) to independent pilots for Mubi.
As a producer, her work has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and on Omeleto. Playwriting credits include my parents are here tonight, (Access Theatre), Reunion, (Off With Her Head Productions), and Oh Dracula, My Dracula (Hatchlings NYC). She holds a B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. in Directing from the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. Zoë is represented by Savages Personal Management.
_______________________
DRIVERLESS
Written By: Wilder Konschak & Stirling McLaughlin
Synopsis: When her driverless car refuses a mandatory recall and traps her inside, Naomi must fight to free herself and save her daughters.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Stirling McLaughlin and Wilder Konschak are an award winning creative team known collectively as Spaceship Town. Their comedy has been praised as “impossibly balanced between endearing and horrifying” and their horror writing has been called “super-fun and funny” with “lots of laugh out loud moments.”
_______________________
GOODNIGHTMARE
Written By: Ian Rowe
Synopsis: When an Autistic woman’s favorite, late-night horror show, GOODNiGHTMARE, starts predicting real life murders, she must confront her fears in order to save her town from the show’s malevolent host.
Genre(s): The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: IAN ROWE (they/them) is an Autistic filmmaker hoping to dismantle stigmas surrounding disability by creating art from their unique perspective. Originally from Wyoming, Ian discovered that the cowboy life wasn’t their calling, choosing instead to trade their ten-gallon hat for a director’s chair. Now living in Los Angeles, when not in front of the camera, Ian channels their creativity into writing and directing films, music videos, and commercials.
_______________________
HARROW
Written By: Alex Moran & Max Lincoln
Synopsis: A distressed conglomerate employee volunteers on a remote farm to quell her inner demons, but as her fear intensifies, she suspects there may be a real demon on the land.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Max loves heightened realism, exploring genres, and nasty endings. This love of aesthetics is enthused by working within the art department for over eleven years. His shorts have played worldwide and at BAFTA/BIFA-accredited festivals. Award-winning short RHYME OR DIE was released on Alter and Short of the Week. Max was selected for Directors UK Inspire and BAFTA Connect in 2023.
Alex is a horror and comedy screenwriter from Liverpool, England. His previous work includes short drama PINEAPPLE. RHYME OR DIE, Alex’s second screenplay working with director Max r Lincoln, won BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT at the 2023 BIFA Qualifying Manchester Film Festival. The short is inspired by the cut-throat nature of creativity and told largely in rhyme. Alex has written for Greek television and on a range of media projects with Greek transmedia co- operative Cinergies, with whom he led an Erasmus funded TV Writers’ Room initiative in 2020. Alongside his writing work, Alex works in creative programming for the Albany, an award-winning theatre in South London.
As a screenplay analyst he has assessed a wide range of projects, from independent shorts to features with Academy Award-winning talent attached. Through this work across theatre, film and television, he has learned to bring a keen eye to his own writing. Alex has also volunteered on eco-farms and worked as a gardener. This body of experience has infused his writing with themes of nature and the perils of the climate crisis. It is this life experience which gives HARROW, and its message, a haunting authenticity.
_______________________
INTREPID
Written By: Mike Langer
Synopsis: An indigenous mother and her twins in the last stages of a terrifying genetic mutation must navigate a near-future American West, and escape the man hell-bent on putting them out of their misery.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Mike Langer spent a few years in Eastern Europe as a failed super spy. Now he’s a writer/producer across film, tv and advertising. He’s even got an Emmy and an Oscar (okay, it’s a student oscar). Lately, he’s been crafting short stories…
_______________________
LOST IN BUFFALO CITY
Written By: Raymond Wallace
Synopsis: After the disappearance of her fianće, a reporter teams up with a retired sheriff to venture into the back water swamps where he was last seen alive. Together, they uncover a terrible secret that threatens to claim their very lives.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Raymond Wallace is an award-winning producer, director, writer, and cinematographer with over 20 years of experience. He has won more than 30 awards across multiple categories, including Best Cinematography, Best VFX, Best Writing, Best Editing, Best Horror Film, Best Sci-Fi, and Audience Favorite. His films, such as Lost In Buffalo City, Night of the Fluffet, Boy! and The Signal, have been showcased at over 69 film festivals, earning him recognition for his exceptional talent and versatility in filmmaking.
_______________________
LUZ
Written By: Kieran Shea & David Osorio
Synopsis: When the Devil is tired of running Hell, God makes a bet with her – if she can make an evil man do a good deed in seven days without using her powers, he’ll tear up her contract and she’ll be free to return to Heaven.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Kieran Shea and David Osorio went to Florida State Film School together and have been writing together roughly 15 years. Their mutual love of Edgar Allan Poe started it all with an ambitious script called “The Outcast” that weaved various Poe stories into one. This script went on to win The American Screenwriting Competition and they simply kept on collaborating.
_______________________
MEADOWVILLE
Written By: Phillip Clark Davis
Synopsis: While working in a small Wyoming town, a grieving cell tower technician’s nightmares begin to come true.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: A filmmaker with a strong background in awkwardness, Phillip Clark Davis graduated AFI Conservatory’s directing program in 2014, where his thesis film A Teenage Drama garnered him student-Emmy and BAFTA attention. More recently he has directed feature films Saturday at the Starlight and Burying Yasmeen. Wherever there is a tendency toward the dark and ridiculous, Phillip will be there with a spoonful of cyanide to help the sugar go down.
_______________________
OUT CAME THE SUN
Written By: Mike Weimer
Synopsis: A filmmaker manipulates his friends into reviving a dead TV show, unaware they are caught in a deadly trap connected to his past sins and ambition.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Mike Weimer, a BFA graduate in film from Wright State University, is a writer and director whose distinct storytelling style is shaped by his challenging upbringing. His films offer a unique, twisted perspective on complex personal and societal issues, while striving to uplift audiences in the face of everyday horrors.
_______________________
PERIOD
Written By: Victoria Vaughn & Nick Krassowski
Synopsis: A group of teenage girls experience strange and terrifying symptoms during their menstrual cycles.
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: VICTORIA VAUGHN’s journey in film production began at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied directing with Sex and the City’s director Susan Seidelman. By day, Victoria works in the beauty industry crafting flawless imagery and advertising for skincare brands — by night she dreams of crafting deliciously terrifying horror movies.
NICK KRASSOWSKI is a writer & filmmaker from Derry, NH with a career spanning across the United States. The diversity of his experiences make his work versatile and distinct while his colorful background and eclectic interests bring a refreshing approach with just the right touch of weird. Victoria and Nick met in 2012 on a Student Academy Award-nominated short and immediately bonded over their shared love for otherworldly stories. Since then they’ve worked on dozens of projects in a variety of departments, honing their distinct creative styles and techniques.
_______________________
POINT RETURN
Written By: Dillon Hammi
Synopsis: Following her younger brother’s sudden death, a young woman is forced to confront her lifelong familial anguish, infecting dreams and reality, while supernatural forces of the afterlife attempt to abduct both her and the entire world.
Genre(s): Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Dillon Hammi is an Arab-American filmmaker, editor, and writer who has consistently devoted his life to film since the age of 11. He was born, raised, and still lives in San Diego, California, and completed his debut feature screenplay, Point Return, while currently studying college, among other creative projects.
_______________________
PROBLEMATIC
Written By: Jerry J. Sampson
Synopsis: When an upper-class man brings his younger fiancé home for the first time, the visit reveals a disconcerting mother-son dynamic that thrusts the fiancé into a world of hidden rooms, deviant secrets, and a haunting confrontation of the man’s problematic past.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jerry is a screenwriter, film critic, and podcaster with a focus on the horror and thriller genres. She has written award-winning feature scripts currently in different stages of development with various talent and director attachments. She is in pre-production as co-director on a PNW-themed horror anthology that she also wrote, and is looking to become established as a unique and valuable voice in the horror genre.
_______________________
REDDER
Written By: James Steele Haney
Synopsis: In 1986, a troubled fanatic kidnaps her pop idol and goes to extreme lengths to keep her to herself, even resorting to murder.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Since graduating from the University of Louisville, James Steele Haney has worked in the marketing field and is now writing screenplays and studying acting. He has written three feature films: the family-friendly Halloween “RikkorRokkir”, the psychological horror “ReddeR”, and crime horror “Greenville Society.” His goal is to pitch these projects to industry professionals while he writes and develops other horror features set in the 80s. Writing and directing horror and coming-of-age films is his long-term goal.
_______________________
REVIVAL
Written By: Shane Bannon
Synopsis: In a world where the recently deceased can be brought back to life though medical intervention, a discount revival technician falls in love with a single mother who wants to die over and over again.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Shane Bannon is an award winning writer and director based in Los Angeles by way of San Francisco. His work focuses on people who seek connection in a world that encourages isolation. From the open ocean, to insects, to death itself, he seeks to understand all the things in this world that terrify him. His short films have played at festivals including Fantasia, Dances With Films, and Grimmfest, and on Alter, where they have accrued over 200,000 views. His first feature screenplay, co-written with Celina Bernstein won Best Unproduced Feature Screenplay at Filmquest 2022.
_______________________
SKINWALKER
Written By: John David Harris
Synopsis: When a remote Utah silver mine unearths an ancient evil, a crew of desperate men must confront the monster—and their own dark pasts—to survive.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: As as a Creative and Artistic Director, John David has overseen the execution of multiple brands across print, digital, and live experiences for over 15 years. His love for storytelling and multidisciplinary background has allowed him to influence creative work across various mediums, including award-winning projects in theatre and film.
_______________________
STARDOM
Written By: Celina Bernstein
Synopsis: An eager but insecure young actress falls under the spell of a charming film director, who draws her into a sexually charged game where she must embody the behavior of a well-known actress in order to become a star.
Genre(s): Horror, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Celina Bernstein is an actor, writer, and producer from Paris, France based in Los Angeles. As an actor, she has starred in dozens of films and appeared in live performances in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Recent projects include The Perfect Place to Cry (Fantasia 2023, Dances with Films 2023) and Ride Baby Ride (in partnership with MovieMaker Magazine) both of which Celina starred in and produced. Her first feature screenplay, co-written with Shane Bannon won Best Unproduced Feature Screenplay at Filmquest 2022.
_______________________
THE DARK ROOM
Written By: Matthew Troy
Synopsis: When Daniel’s best friend disappears after visiting a mysterious dark web snuff site, he and his internet buddies follow a breadcrumb trail to the ‘Dark Room’. Falling down the rabbit hole of this supernatural website, Daniel’s social isolation becomes a living, breathing hell, as he tries to find the truth of his missing friend.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Hi, I’m Matt Troy! I’m a 24 year-old born and raised in Connecticut, now living in LA for film school and better food. I’ll write anything I like or think is interesting…Which is mostly horror.
_______________________
THE HAMSTER
Written By: Daryl Boman
Synopsis: After the death of her father, Su Slaughter returns to her hometown with her daughter Emily — to get a fresh start with a new job at the family ranch. Soon – Su and Emily experience paranormal events that shatter their reality and leads them to a horrifying family secret.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Daryl Boman is an artist, writer, film scholar, and animator from Santa Barbara, California. He is a graduate of the UCSB Department of Film and Media Studies.
_______________________
THE LILY & THE SCORPION
Written By: Charles Netto
Synopsis: N/A
Genre(s): N/A
Screenwriter’s Bio: N/A
_______________________
THE MANTIS
Written By: Wylie Rush & Jessie Gill
Synopsis: An aspiring stock photo model who will do anything to achieve her dreams is hampered by an addiction: biting the heads off of her sexual partners.
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Wylie is a filmmaker who has worked and interned for numerous production studios, including Marvel and Stonestreet Studios (the official screen acting school of NYU Tisch). He currently resides in Los Angeles, and recently graduated from CalArts with an MFA in Film Directing.
_______________________
THE NERD TALK EXPERIMENTS
Written By: Justin Nosler
Synopsis: A nerdy young woman searches for answers when her missing twin sister returns with evil intentions. Oh, and superpowers.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Justin Nosler is a screenwriter and filmmaker just outside Kansas City. His screenplays have been recognized in several competitions, such as Screencraft and Filmmatic, as well as the Page International Screenwriting Awards. He currently serves on the board of the Independent Filmmakers Coalition in Kansas City.
_______________________
THE SATAN LEVEL
Written By: Paolo Mancini & Daniel Watchhorn
Synopsis: THE SATAN LEVEL follows EZMY GORDON on a gut-wrenching quest to uncover the cause of her nine year-old brother Noah’s mysterious suicide. When Milton’s Journey, a children’s videogame with addictive branding power, becomes a huge phenomenon and creates pandemonium in her suburban neighborhood, Ezmy begins to suspect there could be more to the game than just a fleeting fad.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: PAOLO MANCINI is originally from Aylmer, Quebec. Paolo is an award-winning actor, screenwriter, director and producer based in Toronto.
DANIEL WATCHORN is an award-winning screenwriter, director, composer and producer from Aylmer, Quebec.
_______________________
THE SILENT ROOM
Written By: David Schlow
Synopsis: A troubled teen committed to an all-girls mental health facility must escape before falling victim to supernatural forces that prey upon the patients.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: David specializes in telling high-concept genre tales that focus on healing family wounds at their heart. A publishing Creative Director by trade, he brings his unique brand of visual storytelling daily to Golf Digest Magazine . His sci-fi adventure JACKRABBIT, which won the Best Pilot category at the Slamdance Film Festival, has been developed into a graphic novel, and is set to be published later this year.
_______________________
THE USELESS
Written By: Michael Charron
Synopsis: In a world where the many are made to feel “Useless” by a few powerful heroes, a diverse group of misfit heroes decide to step up and take matters into their own hands.
Genre(s): Comedy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Michael enjoys taking an established concept or idea and finding a way to turn it into something unexpected. From slasher films where the “sexy” girls are the most competent ones to a rom com where the meet cute takes place during casting for a snuff film, there’s no trope he’s unwilling to push to its limit.
_______________________
THE WAR ON
Written By: Jeff Bassetti
Synopsis: The strongest bonds are formed in the crucible of combat. Now, seeking to find peace and start a family, a retired Delta Forces couple must contend with a series of escalating SWATTING incidents culminating in a violent home invasion forcing them to battle for survival against a group of well-armed organ traffickers turning their family home into a war zone.
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Action, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jeff Bassetti is a graduate of the prestigious American Film Institute. He interned at Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic in the analog days and wrote, produced, and directed the independent feature film F-STOPS, which garnered critical acclaim. His short screenplay MURPHY’s GULCH earned him 2nd place at the renowned FilmQuest festival, and he has also received accolades for his vampire screenplay PHIEND and his zombie-esc script CHILDREN OF THE DEAD. Currently, Jeff is working as a writer and director on the true crime documentary LEMP’S LAST WRIGHT with Shift Films out of St Louis.
_______________________
THIS IS OUR HOME
Written By: A.K. Espada
Synopsis: As New York City descends into a rat apocalypse, a misanthropic scientist unravels a conspiracy that illustrates the hypocrisy, privilege, and cruelty of mankind.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: A.K. Espada is a Writer/Director whose darkly satirical horror films have screened at the American Cinematheque in LA and the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. THIS IS OUR HOME (feature script) was an inaugural recipient of the Sundance Horror Fellowship. The proof of concept short won an Audience Award at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, was selected to screen on SHUDDER in the Etheria Showcase, and now lives on Short of the Week. Other work includes dark fairy tale short I COULD JUST DIE, AND THAT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT (short film), winner of the Minerva Award at FilmQuest 2023, and LAUNDRY NIGHT, currently streaming on Crypt TV. A.K.’s background as a Scenic Artist on projects like STRANGER THINGS, HAUNTED MANSION, and CREED III lend to her penchant for world-building.
_______________________
TOILET SHARKS
Written By: Bruce Griffiths
Synopsis: When mutant sharks attack the residents of a small coastal town from within its sewerage system, a toilet cleaner is forced to team with a shark rights activist, a germophobic biologist and a Porta-Potty vendor to prevent them from biting the whole world in the ass.
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: One of Australia’s most in-demand comedy and animation writers, Bruce Griffiths’ written output has been consumed by a Who’s Who of local and international laughter, including Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Noel Fielding (The Mighty Boosh) and Rich Hall (‘Letterman). Winner of nine Australian Writers’ Guild Awards for Comedy, two for Animation, and an AACTA Award for Best Children’s Television Series, he is currently Script Editor for the multi-award-winning Fisk (Netflix). As a stand-up, he has opened for Martin Short, Arj Barker, Henry Rollins, extensively toured the U.K. and performed in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
_______________________
TOUR OF DEVASTATION
Written By: Avishai Weinberger
Synopsis: Come take a tour of Jovan, an abandoned American city with only one inhabitant: the dormant giant monster that destroyed it.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Avishai Weinberger is a screenwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. He tends to write sci-fi and/or horror features, and has a few in development with production companies. When he’s not writing, you can find Avishai enjoying the latest horror movie in theaters, leading Shabbos services at his Orthodox synagogue, or walking his very cute geriatric dog.
_______________________
TREASURE TRAP
Written By: Jack Warner
Synopsis: A trip to a castle for a Live D&D weekend seems like just what a high school girl wants but also leads her to discover what life, death, and true love are really about.
Genre(s): Fantasy, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Jack is a writer who wants to introduce you to worlds both real and unimaginable. He loves to write in many genres with characters that find ways to overcome insurmountable odds. The one connecting thread in his stories is one simple word: Hope.
_______________________
UNTITLED ADVENTURE PICTURE
Written By: Andrew Adams & Charles Ingram
Synopsis: An unsung stuntman leads a hapless Hollywood crew into the jungle to find and film a fabled diamond. But when a ruthless tycoon unleashes an ancient curse, the adventure turns dangerously real.
Genre(s): Comedy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Andrew Adams is an LA-based writer and director. His debut feature, AMERICAN MELTDOWN, won “Best Screenplay” at FilmQuest 2023 and is releasing digitally on 11/8/24. He is repped at Zero Gravity Management. Charles Ingram is an LA-based writer and director. He was a former staff creative at Funny or Die and has since written and directed for TBS, Comedy Central, Adult Swim as well as numerous commercial campaigns. He is repped at Entertainment 360.
_______________________
WAITING FOR YOU
Written By: Zach Maxfield
Synopsis: Two LDS Sister Missionaries and a retired drug dealer make a series of deadly mistakes, forcing the trio to work together to rectify what was lost, all while navigating a treacherous web of desperation and ill-intent.
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Zachary is an aspiring screenwriter who is excited and eager to share his work. As of February 2024, Zachary finished and registered his first feature-length screenplay. This personal journey further ignited his passion, one he consistently rekindles through daily writing. In his spare time, Zachary enjoys taking his Sheepadoodle, Moose, for walks. He always gets his best ideas when Moose is around.
_______________________
WHAT THE WIND BLOWS IN
Written By: Shawn Austin
Synopsis: 1850’s Nevada – Seeking shelter from a massive desert storm, a gang of dangerous men ransacks the cabin of a wealthy religious homesteader and his daughter and threatens to kill them, only to discover that the storm they are running from hides an ancient desert spirit who demands human sacrifice as restitution for the evil the men have brought to the land.
Genre(s): Horror, Western
Screenwriter’s Bio: Shawn Austin is a Writer/Producer. Most recently, he co-wrote and produced the award-winning film, Princess Of The Row, currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
_______________________
WHERE DO ALL THE BODIES GO?
Written By: Jerold Wallace
Synopsis: A love triangle breaks out in the middle of a slaughter when a masked slasher and his apprentice disagree on what to do with the final girl.
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy
Screenwriter’s Bio: Graduate of the University of Texas’ Screenwriting MFA program. Originally from the swamps of Florida, where he picked up plenty of childhood trauma to fuel some horror tales.
_______________________
WHITE BONE
Written By: Richard B. Pierre
Synopsis: In a nightmarish town where a terrifying monster targets Black people, a traumatized young woman must find a way to stop the creature before it’s too late.
Genre(s): Horror
Screenwriter’s Bio: Richard B. Pierre is an award-winning multiracial Black filmmaker who has written and directed over a dozen short films that have been broadcast and screened in over 100 festivals worldwide. Richard is an optioned screenwriter and his latest script, ‘White Bone,’ has already garnered attention in numerous competitions, most notably as a Semifinalist in 2024 Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition.
_______________________
WINDS FROM UNKNOWN SPACES
Written By: Robert Tiemstra
Synopsis: Lambert Paige, a struggling statue artist, meets a graduate student researching the metaphysical world that lies beyond our dreams. The two men fall into a psychedelic relationship that blurs the lines between art and life; dream and reality… And unlocks untold horrors waiting in the beyond. Based on the short story ‘Hypnos’ by H.P. Lovecraft.
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Rob Tiemstra is a queer fantasy & horror writer from Oakland, California. A lifelong lover of classical literature and cinema, their films have played at over 50 film festivals worldwide. They’ve also written audio fiction for Spotify Studios, PocketFM and the NoSleep Podcast.
_______________________
WONDERFUL RAINBOW
Written By: Paul Sliwinski
Synopsis: Brook, burdened with an unwanted pregnancy, navigates a war-ridden landscape seeking sanctuary while those responsible for her assault aim to track her down.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi
Screenwriter’s Bio: Paul Sliwinski is a Los Angeles based writer and director from Boston Massachusetts.
_______________________
XOVA7
Written By: Jay Hicks
Synopsis: In 2040, genius inventor Locrian Xova plans to develop XOVA7, an advanced AI with unprecedented human-like qualities. As Locrian navigates corporate power struggles at tech giant Magus Systems, XOVA7 embarks on a journey of self-discovery, blurring the lines between artificial and human consciousness. With each temporal shift, the fabric of reality unravels, forcing Locrian and his creation to confront profound questions about identity, free will, and the cyclical nature of existence.
Genre(s): Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, The Beyond
Screenwriter’s Bio: Quanah Jay Hicks is a multifaceted artist from Orange County, New York, whose diverse career spans music, film, and storytelling. As a musician, he’s collaborated with Universal Music Group, Sony Pictures, and platinum artists, while also scoring 30 episodes of “America Now” and contributing to productions for networks like Bravo, Sundance, TLC, Discovery Channel, FOX, and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
An exceptional guitarist featured on the John Page Classic artist page, Quanah is also a skilled multi-instrumentalist and music producer. In visual media, Quanah has worked as a cinematographer, screenwriter, and film director. His compositions have enhanced numerous TV productions, and his talents have extended to the gaming world, featuring in projects by Atari/Infogrames and Activision. Currently, Quanah is focused on creating the XOVA7 universe, an expansive sci-fi world that showcases his storytelling abilities and draws on his varied artistic experiences. From composing melodies to crafting worlds, Quanah Jay Hicks continues to push the boundaries of creative expression across multiple disciplines.
