Full Breakdown
HorrorShorts Competition Announces Winners
12/19/2025, 12:14:56 PM
Overview of the Competition
The Horror Section and WeShort have announced the winners of the inaugural HorrorShorts competition, aimed at discovering original horror short film scripts. This global initiative attracted over 100 submissions from filmmakers across various countries, including Spain, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, France, India, and Brazil. The competition seeks to champion new voices in the horror genre and develop original intellectual property.
Winners and Awards
The winners of the HorrorShorts competition were selected based on their originality, craft, and cinematic potential. The awards are as follows:
1. 1st Place: The WeShort Originals Full Production Award was granted to “Burn It All,” written by Domenico De Feudis and Giulio Rizzo. This screenplay tells the story of a young couple who purchase a confiscated vineyard, only to confront a mafia figure recently released from prison. The award includes a $25,000 grand prize for rights acquisition and full production of the short film.
2. 2nd Place: The WeShort Originals Co-Production Award went to “Locust Grove,” by Chris Guerrero and Ryan Dee Gilmour. This narrative follows a desperate couple who hire a witch to perform a dangerous healing ritual for their terminally ill daughter. The screenplay received a $10,000 prize to support rights acquisition and co-production.
3. 3rd Place: The WeShort Originals IP Award was awarded to “Teacher Andy,” by Giulia C. Borges and Federico Fasulo. This script features a kindergarten teacher on the verge of menopause who discovers a dark power through an old metronome. The award provides a $2,500 prize for acquiring a complete rights package for the screenplay.
The winning scripts will be produced as official WeShort Originals, with potential for further development into feature films by The Horror Section, a media company founded by Eli Roth.
Insights from Organizers
Alex Loprieno, Founder & CEO of WeShort, remarked that the idea for HorrorShorts emerged from discussions with Eli Roth about their strategic partnership. Loprieno emphasized the goal of creating a platform to discover new talent and original intellectual property, stating, “This first edition of HorrorShorts clearly demonstrated how ready and eager talented filmmakers are to put their work out into the world.”
Eli Roth expressed enthusiasm for the competition, noting the abundance of bold, original ideas among the submissions. He stated, “We’re thrilled to support these filmmakers’ visions and give them the platform to show their talent.”
Conclusion
The HorrorShorts competition has successfully highlighted the creativity and potential of emerging filmmakers in the horror genre. With production set to begin in the first quarter of 2026, the selected scripts represent a promising future for horror storytelling in short film format.
