Secret Library

It’s Christmas Eve, 1896, when three children at a holiday party enter the basement of a law firm, stumbling upon the hidden doorway to labyrinthine tunnels. Curious, they explore the tunnels and discover a huge library.

But this is no ordinary library.

It has grown for centuries, hidden in the subterranean depths of New York City to ensure its continued existence until the children arrive, uninvited.

Once they enter, the children are trapped. Their only hope lies with the quick-thinking, determined rescuers who race to discover the library’s depraved history, brave the horrifying evil of its ancient inhabitants, and fight for the lives of the children and themselves.

Secret Library is a suspense-thriller horror film with a strong ensemble cast; a terrifyingly evil antagonist; three small children held hostage by vicious creatures; mysterious early American history; and several twists and turns that lead to a violent, unexpected ending. It is a story of betrayal, longing, sacrifice, and courage in the face of nightmares come to life.

  • Laurel King
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    Horror, thriller, suspense, historical, occult
  • Number of Pages:
    108
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • WINNER for Best Screenplay | Beverly Hills Film Festival
    Beverly Hills, California
    June 1, 2022
    WINNER 2nd runner up
  • WINNER for Best Horror Screenplay | L.A. Sci-Fi Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    November 1, 2021
    Best Horror Screenplay
  • WINNER for Best Thriller Screenplay | L.A. Sci-Fi Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    November 1, 2021
    Best Thriller Screenplay
  • WINNER for Best Original Screenplay | Hollywood Blood Horror Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    March 7, 2020
    WINNER Best Original Screenplay
  • WINNER for Best Feature Screenplay | Wallachia Int'l. Film Festival
    Wallachia, Romania
    September 18, 2020
    Best Screenplay - GOLD Award
  • WINNER for Best Screenplay | Picasso Einstein Buddha Int'l. Film Festival
    Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
    September 21, 2020
    Best Screenplay
  • WINNER for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Screenplay | Toronto Independent Film Festival
    Toronto, Canada
    September 21, 2021
    Best Sci-Fi/Horror Screenplay
  • WINNER for Best Screenplay | SoCal Film Awards
    Southern California
    August 16, 2021
    Best Screenplay (Long form)
  • WINNER for Best Screenplay | Dreamz Catcher Int'l. Film Festival
    Kolkata, West Bengal
    September 8, 2021
    Best Screenplay
  • WINNER for Best Horror Script | Oniros Film Awards - New York
    New York, New York
    September 6, 2021
    Best Horror Script
  • WINNER for Best Feature Screenplay | Best Script Award - London
    London, England
    September 21, 2021
    Best Feature Screenplay
  • HONORABLE MENTION for Best Script | Los Angeles Movie Awards
    Los Angeles, California
    September 25, 2021
    HONORABLE MENTION
  • FINALIST for Best Feature Screenplay | Eurasia Fest Film Festival 2020
    Moscow, Russia
    February 15, 2020
    FINALIST Best Feature Screenplay
  • FINALIST for Best Screenplay | Annual CPH Film Festival 2020
    Copenhagen, Denmark
    January 20, 2020
    FINALIST Best Screenplay
  • FINALIST for Best Horror Screenplay | 13Horror.com Film & Screenplay Contest
    Online
    July 31, 2020
    FINALIST
  • FINALIST for Script Accessible | Lonely Seal Int'l. Film, Screenplay and Music Festival
    Boston, MA
    October 7, 2020
    FINALIST
  • SEMI-FINALIST for Feature Film Project | Cinema Lab 2020
    Zapatoca - Santander, Colombia
    January 19, 2020
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • SEMI-FINALIST for Best Screenplay | Los Angeles FEEDBACK Film & Screenplay Festival 2020
    Los Angeles, CA
    April 9, 2020
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • SEMI-FINALIST for Best Logline | First Scene & Short Film Screenplay Festival
    n/a
    April 23, 2020
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • SEMI-FINALIST for Best Screenplay | New York Cinematography Awards
    New York, NY
    January 18, 2020
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • SEMI-FINALIST for Best Screenplay | Flickers' Rhode Island Int'l. Film Festival
    Providence, Rhode Island
    August 9, 2021
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • SEMI-FINALIST for Best Feature Script | London Film & Television Festival
    London, England
    August 31, 2021
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • QUARTER-FINALIST for Best Horror Script | Oniros Film Awards - New York
    New York
    August 20, 2021
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Screenplay | Golden State Film Festival 2020
    Los Angeles, CA
    February 21, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Screenplay | Manchester Lift-Off Festival 2020
    Manchester, England
    February 26, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Screenplay
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Feature Screenplay | Rome Independent Prisma Awards 2020
    Rome, Italy
    March 16, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for First 15 - Feature | Page Turner Screenplays 2020
    Santa Monica, CA
    April 1, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Script | Vesuvius Int'l. Film Fest

    May 30, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Feature Film Script | Hollywood Film Competition
    Los Angeles, California
    August 22, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Feature Screenplay Competition | It Came From the Sky Film Festival
    Sturtevant, Wisconsin
    October 24, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Horror Film | The Hague Global Cinema Festival
    The Hague
    November 13, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Feature Screenplay | AFIN Int'l. Film Festival
    Brisbane, Queensland
    November 9, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Screenplay | Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes
    Cannes, French Riviera
    November 27, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Screenplay | Shockfest Film Festival

    December 11, 2020
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Feature Film Script | The European Independent Film Award

    April 17, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Horror | New York Independent Cinema Awards
    New York, New York
    July 12, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Horror | Toronto Film and Script Awards
    Toronto, Canada
    July 30, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Screenplay | All Genre Screenplay Contest
    Los Angeles, California
    July 31, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Unproduced Screenplay | Cannes Int'l. Cinema Festival
    Cannes, French Riviera
    August 31, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Screenplay | We Film Festival

    September 24, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION for Best Feature Script | New York City Int'l. Screenplay Awards
    New York, New York
    September 13, 2021
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
Writer Biography - Laurel King

Screenwriter, photographer (of nature), mother of five (grown!) awesome people, grandmother of seven hilarious little people. Proud U.S. Army veteran who traipsed all over the world and still lived to tell about it. Great sense of humor; thrilled to learn new things.

Published writer of a bunch of stuff: screenplays, stage plays, hundreds of articles, websites, short stories, and books on a wide array of topics. Spent a bunch of years earning professional experience in writing, editing, and proofreading. Produced a wide range of written material, including: published academic journal writing, historical research, how-to books, legal articles, marketing materials, screenplays, stage plays, and fiction in numerous genres.

Earned a BA in English and survived two years of law school (with the still-unpaid student loans to prove it!) Couldn't afford that last year.

My legal skills include tons of drafting and research of motions, pleadings, memorandums, and briefs. My academic and business writing skills include proofreading, editing, creative writing, website content, technical writing, copywriting, and research. Basically, if you need something written, I can probably do it (or already did).

Hit me up if you need high-quality writing of any kind (except math, I'm awful at that). LOVE suspense, thriller, horror, mystery genres.

Add Writer Biography
Writer Statement

As a professional writer with more than two decades of experience, I know how much hard work it takes to create and mold a story into a finely-polished final version. This screenplay began as a novella in 2003 and has been through countless workshops, screenplay evaluations, and multiple rewrites. I think it's time to - finally - open the door and see what's been hiding for so long.