Horror fans and aspiring filmmakers, brace yourselves! The Horror Section, the innovative media company founded by legendary director Eli Roth, has teamed up with global short film platform WeShort to launch HorrorShorts – a worldwide competition calling on fearless storytellers to submit their most terrifying and chilling live-action short film scripts. All horror sub-genres are welcome, so let your nightmares run wild!
Your Chance to Unleash New IP & Get Produced!
This first-of-its-kind competition aims to spotlight new intellectual property while nurturing bold, original voices in the horror category. With its proven track record of curating and producing award-winning shorts, WeShort will serve as the production and distribution partner for the competition’s lucky winners. This is a real opportunity to bring your scary ideas to life on the screen!
“I have always believed in the power of short films, especially to show your skills as an emerging director. Making movies is a costly endeavor, and the best way to show an investor that you have the talent to deliver a feature is by making a great short. You can incubate new ideas at low cost and they can lead to billion dollar franchises. We want to give a forum for everyone in the world who aspires to make horror films the chance to not only make their short but to guide it through to feature film development. WeShort has an incredible global platform and we are excited to help showcase the next wave of horror talent,” says Eli Roth, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, of The Horror Section.
Alex Loprieno, Founder & CEO of WeShort, added, “We believe short films are the ideal medium for genre storytelling today—tight, intense, and made to disrupt. Through this partnership with Eli and The Horror Section, we’re creating a launchpad for the horror auteurs of tomorrow.”
How It Works & What You Can Win!
WeShort will pre-select 10 finalists, who will then be invited to pitch their stories in a live virtual session with The Horror Section and WeShort teams. From there, three winners will be chosen, and their scripts will be brought to life through full-scale production! These winning shorts will receive global distribution and premiere on the WeShort platform as part of a special HorrorShorts showcase curated by Eli Roth himself. Plus, winning scripts will also be optioned for short-to-feature development by The Horror Section – imagine your short film becoming a full-blown horror movie!
Important Rules: Scripts must be original, unpublished, and entirely owned by the entrant(s). No AI-generated or plagiarized material will be accepted. Writers may submit multiple entries (make sure to submit each one separately).
To submit your screenplay or learn more, visit: https://filmfreeway.com/HorrorShorts
Dare to dream. Dare to disturb. Submit your nightmare.
Important Dates to Remember:
Submissions Open: July 16, 2025
Final Deadline: October 31, 2025
Finalists Announced: November 24, 2025
Winners Revealed: December 15, 2025
WeShort Original Production Starts: Q1 2026
Awards
WeShort Originals IP Award
$2,500: Designed for the acquisition of complete rights for the screenplay, without including production.
WeShort Originals Co-Production Award
$10,000: Supports both the rights acquisition and co-production of a short film.
WeShort Originals Full Production Award
$25,000: The grand prize covers rights acquisition and full-scale production of the short film under the WeShort Originals label.
As a bonus, all applicants will receive a complimentary WeShort 4Seasons subscription (valued at $48), giving you one year of unlimited access to the platform’s globally acclaimed catalog.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to unleash your horror vision!
