The Killer Shorts Contest has officially opened submissions for its eighth season, marking a major milestone for the platform. For the past seven seasons, the competition has served as a primary launchpad for short-form horror scripts, micro-budget proof-of-concepts, and prose short stories. Starting today, the competition is expanding its scope to accept feature-length horror screenplays for the first time.
To celebrate the expansion, the newly established Feature Category will award a $5,000 cash grand prize, presented by Deep Cuts Coffee.
Direct Pipeline to Hollywood Representation
In addition to the cash prize, the Feature Grand Prize winner will receive a guaranteed script review from John Zaozirny, literary manager and president of Bellevue Productions. As an industry leader with a track record of landing clients on the Black List, Bellevue offers a rare opportunity to get your script directly in front of top-tier representation.
Top-scoring scripts across all short script categories will also gain automatic eligibility for The Scream List, the official Killer Shorts industry tracking platform used by producers and development executives to scout new horror talent.
An Elite Genre Jury
The Season 8 jury features an array of celebrated horror filmmakers, producers, and literary managers who will review the finalist selections. This year’s panel includes:
- Barbara Crampton (Iconic horror actress and producer)
- Tananarive Due (Author, executive producer, and horror historian)
- Lucas Ford (Producer of The Backrooms)
- Aaron B. Koontz (CEO of Paper Street Pictures)
Submission Details
Submissions are now open on all major entry platforms. Writers can submit projects across multiple categories, including Feature Screenplays, Short Screenplays, and Prose Short Stories.
To read the full rules, review deadlines, and submit your project, visit the official submission page.
