After a successful inaugural year, The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival's BC Screenwriter Development Program is returning for its second season in 2026. The program is open to eligible BC-based emerging screenwriters who have a completed short horror or genre script.

The three selected screenwriters will have their scripts presented as part of a live table read series before an audience of horror film fans, industry professionals, and a panel of three established screenwriters, each of whom will have reviewed the scripts in advance.

Following each table read, the panelists will offer constructive feedback to the writer on what worked, what didn’t, where the strengths and opportunities lie, and provide advice on how to elevate the script and story as the writer prepares to approach their next draft.

Each writer will be paired with a mentor for follow-up one-on-one sessions, offering further advice and guidance as they continue developing their screenplay, refine their pitch deck, or pursue another professional development activity agreed upon by the mentor and mentee.

Learning how to receive feedback, discern what serves the work, and apply it without compromising one’s artistic voice is a practice writers continue to refine throughout their careers. This program will help selected participants strengthen that skill, turning constructive criticism into meaningful fuel for their creative process. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with established writers in the field and take part in high-quality networking events with the broader Vancouver and BC-based film and television community.

VHS's BC Screenwriter Development Program will facilitate the continued, and hands-on education for three BC-based emerging screenwriters, offering invaluable feedback and support for not only the next draft of their script, but to fortify their industry toolkit as they progress in their writing careers.

2025 BC Screenwriter Development Program Alumni:

Jesse Miles Lipscombe - "Play it Back"
Helene Taylor - "All for Baby"
Alex Vance - "Cryptid"

2025 Mentors and Panelists:

Dennis Heaton is an award-winning writer, showrunner, and executive producer currently working on Fox's Murder in a Small Town.He is best known for co-creating and showrunning Netflix’s The Order, as well as writing and producing on series including Motive, Call Me Fitz, Fido, and Ghost Wars.

Karen Lam is a celebrated and award-winning horror director, producer and writer. Her credits include the feature films Evangeline, Stained, The Curse of Willow Song, and Armageddon Road, as well as directing and writing for television series including Van Helsing and Ghost Wars.

Rachel Langer is a Vancouver-based screenwriter whose television credits include Transplant, The Order, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, Ghost Wars, and This Life. She has also co-created and produced the award-winning digital series Aeternus.

Rules & Terms

Terms and Conditions for Screenwriters:

1) Screenwriters must be based in British Columbia;

2) Screenwriters may not have been the lead writer on a produced feature film with a theatrical release;

3) Screenwriters may have been the lead writer on a completed short film;

Terms and conditions for eligible scripts:

1) Scripts must be 25 pages or under including title page

2) VHS takes a broad and liberal definition for what constitutes "horror", and will accept submissions in adjacent genres like Dark Drama or Gothic Fiction so long as scripts contain elements which share thematic, stylistic, or psychological elements associated with horror.

3) Scripts must be in English, or be provided with English translation.

Selection Process

Submissions will be read and graded by a team of screenplay assessors, and will be graded against a scoring rubric that considers Concept/Originality, Structure, Plot, Pacing, Characters, and Impact.

By submitting, Screenwriters agree that:

They have read, understated and fully comply with all submission eligibility information, Submission Guidelines, Terms and Conditions of Entry and Entry Eligibility requirements.

To the best of their knowledge, all of the statements in this submission are true.

The script is not in litigation nor is threatened by any litigation.

They are duly authorized to submit this script to the festival.

They hold The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival its owners, management, juries, subsidiaries, agents, sponsors, affiliates, and etc. harmless from any and all claims of liability resulting from their entry.

They give permission for The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival to use images, titles, and/or information from the script for promotional purposes.

They give permission for The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival to share the script with necessary festival staff including adjudicators, table read participants, and panelists.