Announcing the 2019 ScreenCraft Horror Screenplay Competition Winners

Hugh Jackman Stole My Husband by Maisie Culver has been selected as the grand prize winner of the 2019 ScreenCraft Horror Screenplay Competition.  A desperate, out-of-work actress goes to an exclusive, private island for networking opportunities and walks into a trap laid by the deadliest celebrity of all -- Hugh Jackman. The unique premise and superb execution won the judges over. As one industry member exclaimed, "that script is f@$%ing batshit!"

Fresh Hell by Dave Rock been named the runner-up. A robbery-gone-wrong pits an aging artist and her girlfriend against a determined duo of thieves in a close-quarters home-invasion thriller. Judges responded to the strong leads and how the steady pacing built to a thrilling unraveling.

Getaway by Laura Grey & Megan Stein has been selected as the winner of the concept category. A codependent woman attends a yoga retreat to become a better person for her shitty fiancé, but ends up leading the fight against a toxic space creature who aims to make all of humanity "his bitch."

If you are a producer or rep and interested in learning more about the top ten, please contact [email protected].

In addition to the ScreenCraft team, the judges included: Ryan Turek, VP of Development at Blumhouse Productions (company credits include Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister, Oculus, The Purge, The Green Inferno); Pip Ngo, Director of Sales and Acquisitions at XYZ Films (company credits include MANDY, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, Apostle, In Darkness, and Mandy); Brittany Klesic, Creative Executive at Monkeypaw Productions, Jordan Peele’s production company behind such iconic horror titles as Get Out and Us; Juan He, Manager at Good Fear, a management production company whose clients’ credits include It Follows, Cloverfield, Donnie Darko and The Butterfly Effect; and Writer-Director Ari Aster & Producer Lars Knudsen, the filmmaking team behind such acclaimed recent horror films as Hereditary and Midsommar.

The following projects have also been selected to receive special mention:

Congratulations to these winning writers, and thank you to our judges and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable screenplays.

Grand prize winner Culver will receive a $1,000 cash prize and hand-picked industry consultations and introductions, while Rock will receive a $500 cash prize and have his script circulated and recommended to ScreenCraft’s network of over 60 managers, agents, producers and development executives. Grey & Stein will receive an exclusive development mentorship from Klesic and Monkeypaw Productions.

View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists here.

And if you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries in 2020, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

Be sure to check out more of ScreenCraft’s recent success stories here.

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