Microbudget Horror Script Competition Presented by: Stage 32, Trick Candle Productions and Glasshouse Distribution

THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED! SCROLL DOWN FOR RESULTS!!!

AS SEEN ON DEADLINE!

Winner receives $5,000 option, mentorship from an all-star producing team and is eligible for a greenlit $100,000 production

Stage 32 has partnered with Trick Candle Productions and Glass House Distribution to launch a brand-new Microbudget Horror Script Competition for 2020. The winning script will receive a $5,000 option, be entered into a mentorship program with the film’s producers and be eligible for a production greenlit for up to $100,000 by Trick Candle and Glass House.

This contest is open to all horror/thriller writers and writing teams around the world with microbudget screenplays that can be filmed for up to $100,000. Stage 32, Trick Candle, and Glass House are looking for unique ideas and original voices. Whether darkly comical, grindhouse gory, or classically conceived, all concepts are welcome.

If you have a micro-buget horror/thriller screenplay that can be made for $100,000 or less, we want to see it!

Stage 32 Gets Results!

Over the last 8 years, Stage 32 has become an incubator for finding talent and material across the globe. Recent success stories to come out of Stage 32 include:

• 10-31, a horror film that will be produced by renowned director Eli Roth, Roger Birnbaum and Orion Pictures, written by Stage 32 member Laurie Ashbourne is greenlit and starts shooting in March.
• Chick Fight starring Malin Ackerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne written by Stage 32 member Joe Downey is in pre-production and currently casting.
• What Lies Ahead, written by Stage 32 member William Viglione, directed by Stage 32 member Rob Gardner, and packaged by Stage 32 script services executive Tiffany Boyle of Ramo Law was released in theaters in 2019.
• Vagic, a romantic comedy written by Stage 32 member Julie Ann Cross, received a $7,500 option and is being produced by legendary producer Amy Baer of Gidden Media Group.
• My Clone’s an A-Hole, a comedy written by Julie Ann Wight was offered a $5,000 option by National Lampoon.
• Stage 32 member Diana Wright signed with The Cartel.
• Stage 32 member Jonathan Jordan signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
• Stage 32 member Aaron Benjamin signed with Housefire Management.
• Stage 32 member Christina Pamies signed with literary manager Jake Wagner and Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
• Stage 32 member Aaron Bierman signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
• Stage 32 member Chris Torres signed with manager Brooklyn Weaver of Energy Entertainment.

About Stage 32

With over 500,000 members, Stage 32 is the world’s largest online platform connecting and educating film and television creatives. Established in 2011, Stage 32 has members from every country ranging from film students to Academy, Emmy, and BAFTA Award winners. Stage 32 has been recognized as the online leader in collaboration, education, and employment opportunities and has been described as “LinkedIn meets Lynda for film and television creatives” by Forbes Magazine.

About Trick Candle Productions

Founded in 2005 by actor, writer and producer Tom Malloy, Trick Candle Productions is known for its quality independent films that span a variety of genres, including Love N’ Dancing, starring Amy Smart and Betty White, and The Alphabet Killer, starring Eliza Dusku, Cary Elwes, Tim Hutton, and Melissa Leo.

About Glass House Distribution

Glass House Distribution is an international distribution company specializing in feature films and television. Founded by Malloy and Bryan Glass in September of 2015, Glass House has grown to a major player in the world of film and TV sales,

Glass House’s original series Dropping the Soap won an Emmy for Star Jane Lynch, for Best Actress in a web series or comedy. Glass House Distribution’s guiding motto is “Full Transparency,” (hence the Glass House), as well as a high bar for quality movies.

What Kind Of Script Can I Enter?

This contest is open to all horror/thriller writers and writing teams around the world with microbudget screenplays that can be filmed for up to $100,000. Stage 32, Trick Candle, and Glass House are looking for unique ideas and original voices. Whether darkly comical, grindhouse gory, or classically conceived, all concepts are eligible.

**Please note this contest is for full-length screenplays only. No short scripts or teleplays will be accepted***

FEEDBACK OPTION

For an additional fee of only $49 (50% savings!) you can receive full coverage from our industry readers on your screenplay. Just check "coverage" upon checkout. Coverage will be sent out after the winners are announced.

"I found Stage 32’s contest coverage far better than some other services I have used in the past, where I felt almost assaulted. Please thank him or her for a well-done job. It was my first try with Stage 32 but it will not be my last." - Bob C.

"Stage 32 contest coverage is even better than some of the industry coverage I received. Thank you for these invaluable notes!" - E. Robinson

"The insight from my coverage from the Stage 32 contest helped me improve my script's dimension exponentially. I had looked at the script so much that I can't believe I missed a major plot point. Thank you!!" - S. Persons

Winner and Finalists Gain Access & Exposure to Industry Executives

Our grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 USD script option and will go into a development incubator with Trick Candle Productions and Glasshouse Distribution and an all-star producing team including Tom Malloy and Michelle Alexandria. Plus! The winning script will be eligible for a production greenlit for up to $100,000 by Trick Candle and Glass House.

ALL finalists will have their logline and writer bio put in a Stage 32 Microbudget Horror look book which will go out to over 500 managers, producers, development executives and agents.If someone is interested in reading your script, we will facilitate the introduction.

Success Stories

Over the last 6 years, Stage 32, through our contests and partnerships with such prestigious production companies such as National Lampoon, Gidden Media and more, has helped dozens of writers get signed, purchased, optioned or staffed. We work directly with our winning writers and finalists to give them unparalleled access to industry executives.

• 10-31, a horror film that will be produced by renowned director Eli Roth, Roger Birnbaum and Orion Pictures, written by Stage 32 member Laurie Ashbourne is greenlit and starts shooting in March.
• Chick Fight starring Malin Ackerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne written by Stage 32 member Joe Downey is in pre-production and currently casting.
• What Lies Ahead, written by Stage 32 member William Viglione, directed by Stage 32 member Rob Gardner, and packaged by Stage 32 script services executive Tiffany Boyle of Ramo Law was released in theaters in 2019.
• Vagic, a romantic comedy written by Stage 32 member Julie Ann Cross, received a $7,500 option and is being produced by legendary producer Amy Baer of Gidden Media Group.
• My Clone’s an A-Hole, a comedy written by Julie Ann Wight was offered a $5,000 option by National Lampoon.
• Stage 32 member Diana Wright signed with the Cartel.
• Stage 32 member Jonathan Jordan signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
• Stage 32 member Aaron Benjamin signed with Housefire Management.
• Stage 32 member Christina Pamies signed with literary manager Jake Wagner and Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
• Stage 32 member Aaron Bierman signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
• Stage 32 member Chris Torres signed with manager Brooklyn Weaver of Energy Entertainment.
• Stage 32 member Teng Ky-Gan of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia had his project Swept Away optioned after connecting with Tiffany Boyle of Ramo Law through Stage 32. 
• Winners of the 2019 Stage 32 4th Annual Short Film Contest had their projects screened at Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts, Oscar-qualifying Raindance Film Festival, and Austin Film Festival. 

Tom Malloy - Co-Founder, Trick House Productions & Glasshouse Distribution, raised over $25M

A critically acclaimed actor, Tom wowed Hollywood with his stunning turn in the indie-cult favorite Gravesend in 1998, which was produced by Oliver Stone. Tom became a trend setter as one of the first successful triple-hyphenate Actor/Writer/Producers and made it his business to learn as much about the filmmaking industry as possible. Over the years, Tom has raised more than $25 million in private equity from independent financiers and has written, produced and starred or co-starred in nearly all the 30+ films that his company Trick Candle Productions has made (save the two documentaries).

Some of these films include Hero of the Underworld, directed by John Vincent, and stars Malloy, Quinton Aaron, and Nicole Fox, the film Ashley, directed by Dean Ronalds, which was in theaters in 2013, Love N' Dancing, which was directed by Rob Iscove (She's All That), and stars Amy Smart, Tom Malloy, Billy Zane, Rachel Dratch, and Betty White; the psychological thriller The Alphabet Killer, directed by Rob Schmidt (Wrong Turn, Crime & Punishment in Suburbia) and stars Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes, Tom Malloy, Timothy Hutton, Michael Ironside, and Oscar Winner Melissa Leo; and a thriller directed by Mary Lambert called The Attic, starring John Savage, Malloy, and Elisabeth Moss.

As an actor, Tom has also appeared in principle roles on Law & Order SVU, Third Watch, Kidnapped, The Seige (with Denzel Washington) and Anger Management.

In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Tom is an accomplished author whose book Bankroll: A New Approach to Financing Feature Films is considered the "gold standard" of indie film financing instruction. A second edition came out in 2012.

Tom has also competed and taught classes in the smooth, hip-hop dance style known as West Coast Swing. He was trained by seven time U.S. Open Champion Robert Royston in Swing and has trained in Salsa with World Champions Gary and Diana McDonald.

For 10 years, Tom was a nationally known motivational speaker for adults and kids and traveled across the country spreading his positive message to students of all ages. Over the years, he has spoken to more than 100,000 students.

Finally, Tom has mentored numerous film students, and Executive Produced and Produced their short films, and continues to do so.

Michelle Alexandria - Producer, PGA Member, Film Distributor, Light Year Pictures / 123 Go Films / 20+ years experience in film financing and distribution

Michelle Alexandria is an Executive Producer at Light Year Pictures having produced, financed, and distributed numerous films and series for over 20 years. She is also the Head of Int Sales and Acquisitions at 123 Go Films Distribution attending all the major film markets including Cannes, Berlin, Mip, AFM and more since 2002. Throughout her years of dealmaking and producing, Michelle works directly with both financiers and distributors knowing well what they look for.

Michelle is on the Producers Council of the PGA, Producers Guild of America. She is a regular attendee and an invited speaker at the Cannes Film Festival Producers Network as well as other panels of prominent film festivals and markets. She is also on the advisory board of the Burbank Int Film Festival.

A few of Michelle's producing credits include A Life Lived starring Denise Richards (The World is Not Enough) and Jennifer Taylor (Two and a Half Men); family film First Dog starring Priscilla Barnes (Three’s Company, Jane the Virgin) which successfully remained #1 on Redbox for several weeks. Most recently she produced Ask Me To Dance starring Briana Evigan of (STEP UP 2) and Mario Cantone (Sex and the City); and feature comedy The Extendables starring Mark Dacascos, Kevin Sorbo, and Martin Kove. She is currently filming multiple feature films with Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction), Chase Coleman (CW The Originals), Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Bai Ling (Entourage) and Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers).

Michelle continuously has several films and series in various stages of development. In between projects, Michelle assists and consults with indie filmmakers helping them accomplish their movies getting made and distributed.

 

Michelle is open to all genres of features. 

 

​​Please note: By using this service, you are not submitting your project to Light Year Pictures nor are you submitting your project to Michelle as a representative of Light Year Pictures. You are submitting for feedback from Michelle as an individual.

Contacting Michelle via email or any social media with an unsolicited submission outside of Stage 32 is a violation of their privacy and our user policy and could result in suspension from the site. They will not reply to any friend requests, network requests, or emails they receive. They have been instructed to forward all unsolicited contact to Stage 32 administration for review.

Michelle and Light Year Pictures do not accept or consider unsolicited submissions of any kind. Do not submit Unsolicited Materials to Michelle via any means (including, without limitation, via Social Media, Mail, Fax or E-mail).

Michelle will not treat Unsolicited Materials as confidential and will not review, keep, acknowledge or return the submission or any related materials. Any Unsolicited Materials will become sole property of Light Year Pictures. All Unsolicited Materials are deleted or discarded without being reviewed.