Screamfest Screenplay Competition

Contest · 2026Prestige 56/100Feedback included

Horror feature contest at LA's Screamfest, with a $1,000 grand prize, industry reads and opt-in feedback.

Deadlines & fees

Closed for this cycle

Screenplay entries for the 2026 festival closed on 15 June (fees ran $42 to $77 by deadline). The 2027 window has not been announced.

Dates and fees checked against the official site 14 Jul 2026.

Key facts

Formats: Feature
Genres: Horror, Thriller
Page limit: 130 pages
Eligibility: Open worldwide
Required materials: Feature screenplay as a PDF named Title_Lastname.pdf · Title page with title, author name and WGA registration or copyright details · Optional logline or synopsis on the entry form

Open worldwide for feature-length horror or thriller screenplays of 75 to 130 pages; short screenplays are not accepted. Co-written scripts are eligible. WGA registration or copyright details are strongly suggested on the title page.

Prizes

Grand prize: $1,000 cash, a Stan Winston skull trophy, 10 Virtual Pitch Fest pitches, a three-month Roadmap Writers programme, Movie Magic Screenwriter software, InkTip Pro membership, a year of Scriptation Industry Pro and a Coverage Ink consultation. Top 5 finalists receive pitch credits, software, a festival pass and InkTip membership. Every entrant receives one free Virtual Pitch Fest pitch.

Judging

Scripts are read by genre industry managers and producers. Entrants can opt in to brief reader feedback (three to five sentences on strengths and weaknesses), emailed towards the end of November. The 2026 festival runs 6 to 15 October at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.

The PreList verdict

If you write horror, this is your lane. Screamfest is the genre's flagship festival (it premiered Paranormal Activity), and its screenplay competition is read by people who actually make horror films: managers and producers from the genre's working ecosystem. The prize package is built around access (pitches, mentorship programmes, industry software) rather than a headline cheque.

The honest part: the $1,000 cash is token money for a contest with fees up to $77, thriller entries compete in what is fundamentally a horror room, and the value of pitch-credit prizes depends entirely on what you do with them. The opt-in feedback is three to five sentences, a temperature check rather than notes.

Enter if your horror feature is finished and distinctly scary on the page; a placement here is one of the few laurels that means something specific to genre buyers. Skip it if your script is horror-adjacent drama, which tends to fall between rooms. The 2026 cycle closed on 15 June; the festival runs 6 to 15 October in Hollywood, and the 2027 window should open around the new year.

Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 14 Jul 2026

Frequently asked questions

What scripts does Screamfest accept?

Feature-length horror or thriller screenplays of 75 to 130 pages, from anywhere in the world. Short screenplays are not accepted.

What does the winner get?

$1,000 cash, the Stan Winston trophy, ten Virtual Pitch Fest pitches, a three-month Roadmap Writers programme, screenwriting software and a Coverage Ink consultation. Every entrant gets one free pitch credit.

Is there feedback?

Optional opt-in reader feedback of three to five sentences on strengths and weaknesses, emailed towards the end of November. It is a temperature check rather than full notes.