Welcome to the HorrorShorts, a global competition for original horror short film scripts, presented by WeShort and The Horror Section.

WeShort and The Horror Section are calling on fearless storytellers to submit their most terrifying short film scripts. If your screenplay is selected by WeShort, it will be reviewed by Eli Roth and his team. The winning scripts will be produced as official WeShort Originals—with the opportunity to be optioned for short-to-feature development by The Horror Section.

The entire WeShort Team is thrilled about the opportunity to begin the partnership with The Horror Section, contributing to the global distribution of terrific short films and serve as an incubator for Intellectual Property validating new ideas and helping to develop the next generation of horror films. 

Dare to dream. Dare to disturb. Submit your nightmare.


WeShort will pre-select the 10 finalists. Each finalist will be requested to attend an online pitch session with WeShort and The Horror Section. Eli Roth and his team will choose the 3 winners. 

Final Deadline: October 31, 2025

Finalists announced: November 24, 2025

Winners revealed: December 15, 2025

Production start: Q1 2026

About WeShort:

WeShort is a global streaming, distribution, and production company dedicated to premium short-form content. With a curated catalog of over 3,500 titles, WeShort offers an innovative third option in the entertainment landscape—alongside traditional films and TV series—by delivering fiction short films across all genres, documentaries, short series, fashion films, and music videos. WeShort’s mission is clear: to elevate short-form cinema and make it a daily habit for audiences around the world.

About The Horror Section:

The Horror Section is a fan-owned 360 media company focused on building a robust library of intellectual property and creating the world’s premiere horror brand. The company was founded by iconic filmmaker and actor Eli Roth in partnership with Media Capital Technologies (MCT) to redefine the horror landscape. It is active in film, television, gaming, podcasts, and live events.

Dare to dream. Dare to disturb.
This is your shot at breaking into horror with The Horror Section and WeShort.

Submit your nightmare.
Let it live.

Awards & Prizes

🏆 WeShort Originals IP Award – $2,500
This award is designed for the acquisition of a complete rights package for the screenplay, without including production.

Award Nature: Acquisition of Intellectual Property (IP) and exploitation rights.
Value: The full amount of $2,500 represents compensation for WeShort’s acquisition of the following rights:

Exclusive worldwide economic exploitation rights for VOD (SVOD, TVOD, AVOD), FAST, and theatrical cinema.

Secondary rights to the story and screenplay for the creation and monetization of podcast adaptations.

Secondary rights to the story and screenplay for short-to-feature development. These rights will be granted to The Horror Section under an exclusive 18-month option to evaluate development.

🏆 WeShort Originals Co-Production Award – $10,000
This award supports both the rights acquisition and co-production of a short film.

Total Award Value: $10,000
Award Breakdown:

Pre-Acquisition of Rights (30%) – $3,000
Compensation for WeShort’s acquisition of the following rights:

Worldwide economic exploitation rights for VOD and theatrical distribution.

Secondary rights for podcast adaptations.

Secondary rights for short-to-feature development, granted under an exclusive 18-month option to The Horror Section.

Production Grant (70%) – $7,000
Budget allocated for the co-production of the short film. Final budget control and production oversight remain with WeShort.

Production Grant Payment Schedule ($7,000):

30% ($2,100) – 30 days before the official start of principal photography.

40% ($2,800) – On the first day of shooting.

30% ($2,100) – Upon delivery of the completed sample copy, compliant with technical specifications.

🏆 WeShort Originals Full Production Award – $25,000
This is the grand prize, funding both rights acquisition and full production of the short film.

Total Award Value: $25,000
Award Breakdown:

Pre-Acquisition of Rights (15%) – $3,750
Compensation for WeShort’s acquisition of the following rights:

Worldwide economic exploitation rights for VOD and theatrical distribution.

Secondary rights for podcast adaptations.

Secondary rights for short-to-feature development, granted under an exclusive 18-month option to The Horror Section.

Full Production Grant (85%) – $21,250
Budget dedicated to the complete production of the short film under the WeShort Originals label. WeShort retains final authority over project management and execution.

Production Grant Payment Schedule ($21,250):

30% ($6,375) – 30 days before the official start of principal photography.

40% ($8,500) – On the first day of shooting.

30% ($6,375) – Upon delivery of the completed sample copy, compliant with technical specifications.

Rules & Terms

This global competition welcomes submissions from filmmakers and screenwriters worldwide (18+). All horror sub-genres are welcome. All scripts must be written in English.

Submissions must include:

1. Script – A complete live-action horror short script, max 20 pages, suitable for a final film up to 15 minutes.

The file of the screenplay must be in the following format:
SHORT FILM TITLE_by_NAME LAST NAME

2. Supporting Materials (optional but highly recommended)

Pitch deck, mood board or dossier (max 13 slides) including also the following informations:

- Log-line (one-sentence pitch capturing the essence of the story)

- Short concept description (max 1000 characters)

- Screenwriter professional CV and link official credits (ex. IMDB)

- Director, Cinematographer, Cast and Producers attached (if any)

- Budget outline (financial plan if available)

The file of the pitch must be in the following format:
SHORT FILM TITLE_PITCH

All files must be submitted in PDF format exclusively via FilmFreeway.

Entries via external links (e.g., Google Drive, WeTransfer) or not meeting the format requirements will be disqualified.

Scripts must be original, unpublished, and wholly owned by the submitter(s).
Entries can be submitted individually or by writing teams (maximum 2 writers per team). Multiple entries per person/team are allowed (each must be submitted separately).

No AI-generated, plagiarized, or publicly available material will be accepted.

WeShort will pre-select the 10 finalists. Each finalist will be requested to attend an online pitch session with WeShort and The Horror Section. Eli Roth and his team will choose the 3 winners.

All winning shorts will be produced and distributed by WeShort Originals.
The produced short film rights will be owned by WeShort.The Horror Section holds exclusive first-look rights for potential feature adaptation. Writers will be credited appropriately (e.g., “Written by”, “Created by”) and included in promotional campaigns.

By submitting, participants affirm full ownership and originality of their submission.
Participants grant WeShort and The Horror Section permission to use submitted materials for evaluation, promotional use, and production development. Decisions of the valuation WeShort and The Horror Section teams are final. No materials will be returned.
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  • Adam Ethan Crow

    I was blown away to have my screenplay become a Finalist, and the opportunity to pitch to the WeShort team and Eli Roth and his people was incredible. If you are a horror writer, this one is for you!

    December 2025
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