THE BLOODY SHOESTRING AWARDS
DIY Horror, Gore & SFX!

Welcome to The Bloody Shoestring Awards — the world’s goriest celebration of no-budget horror, backyard bloodbaths, and DIY cinematic insanity. If you’ve ever duct-taped a prop together, smeared ketchup on a friend, or risked life and limb shooting a midnight slasher in your mom’s basement, this is YOUR festival.

We don’t care about big budgets or industry clout — we care about creativity, guts, and the wild spirit of horror made on a shoestring. From fake blood fountains to improvised stunts, from creature masks to VHS aesthetics, we want to honor the underground filmmakers who prove that terror doesn’t need a million dollars — just imagination (and maybe a mop for cleanup).

🎬 Why Enter?

Tons of Awards. With categories like Best Gore Effect, Best Killer Concept, Best Monster Design, Best Prop, Best Jump Scare, Best Line of Dialogue, and even Best Gratuitous Nudity — you’ve got a real shot at walking away with something.

Cult Vibes. We’re building a horror family of filmmakers, fans, and weirdos. If your film’s got blood, guts, and heart — it belongs here.

The Anti-Sundance. No pretension. No gatekeepers. Just DIY filmmakers celebrating each other’s madness.

🩸 What We Want:

Short films, features, music videos, micro-shorts, found footage, SOV trash, art-horror experiments, documentaries — as long as it’s horror and made with passion over money.

Practical gore, stunts, wild props, inventive costumes, backyard creatures, and horror that’s scrappy, strange, and unforgettable.

So sharpen your machetes, refill your blood buckets, and submit today. Because at The Bloody Shoestring Awards, nightmares don’t need a budget.

Awards & Prizes

AWARDS
We have many many awards because we really want to recognize all the raw talent out there. 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in each category, and honorable mentions too. Winners receive a special laurel they can use to promote their films and screenplays.

CATEGORIES:

Golden Shoestring Award (Best Film)

Best Directing on a Dime

Best Screenplay (Spilled Ink Award)

Best Acting (Bloodcurdling Performance Award)

Best Ensemble Cast

Best Editing (The Hacksaw Award)

Best Cinematography (Flashlight-in-the-Dark Award)

Best Soundtrack / Score (Creepshow Symphony Award)

Best Original Song

Best Blood Effect (Blood Bucket Award)

Best Gore Gag

Best SFX Makeup (Latex & Spirit Gum Award)

Best Practical Effect

Best Digital Gore (Pixelated Entrails Award)

Best Creature/Monster Design

Best Mask

Best Prop (Murder Weapon of the Year)

Best Set Design (Cardboard Graveyard Award)

Best DIY Stunt (Stuntman’s Widowmaker Award)

Best Jump Scare

Best Line of Dialogue (One-Liner to Die For)

Best Scream Queen / King / Queer

Best Gratuitous Nudity (The Naked Truth Award)

Best Death Scene (Final Exit Award)

Best Kill (The Golden Machete)

Best Chase Scene (Run, Don’t Walk Award)

Best Use of a Household Item as a Weapon

So-Bad-It’s-Good Award (Dumpster Fire Darling)

Most Resourceful DIY Solution (Duct Tape Crown)

Best Retro/Analog Vibe (VHS Spirit Award)

The Cult Seed (Most Likely to Become a Cult Classic)

Audience Splatter Choice Award

Lifetime Shoestring Achievement Award

Best Overacting (Ham Sandwich Award)

Most Confusing Plot Twist (Wait, What?! Award)

Cheapest Effect that Worked Anyway

Most Creative Use of Fake Blood Substitute

Best Use of Public Domain Sound Effect

Best Accidental Comedy in a Horror Film

The Roger Corman Honorary Tight-Budget Award

SCREENPLAY AWARDS

The Spilled Ink Award – Best Overall Screenplay

The Bloody Quill Award – Best Original Horror Concept

Twist of the Knife Award – Best Plot Twist

The Final Draft Award – Best Short Horror Screenplay

The Red Herring Award – Best Misdirection / Fake-Out

The Golden Chainsaw Award – Best Kill Scene on the Page

The Last Word Award – Best Dialogue in a Horror Screenplay

The Campfire Story Award – Best Urban Legend or Folklore-Inspired Script

The Shoestring Ink Award – Best Screenplay Written for Ultra-Low-Budget Production

The Cult Seed Award – Screenplay Most Likely to Become a Cult Classic

The Scream on the Page Award – Best Written Scare/Jumpscare Moment

The Blackout Award – Best Opening Scene

The Graveyard Shift Award – Best Horror-Comedy Screenplay

The Phantom Pen Award – Best Ghost/Paranormal Screenplay

The Crimson Crown Award – Best Villain or Antagonist on the Page

The Victim’s Voice Award – Best Hero/Final Girl (or Guy) Character Writing

The Dread Drip Award – Best Atmosphere or Tone in Writing

The Short Sharp Shock Award – Best Horror Micro-Script (under 5 pages)

The Cursed Ink Award – Weirdest or Most Original Screenplay

Rules & Terms

1. This can be new or older work.
2. Can be shot on any format.
3. Must have a captivating subject matter.
4. Can be any length.
5. You must provide an online screener for films or a Word document of your screenplay.
6. If chosen for our screening, you must provide a digital copy of your film and promotional materials.
21 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • 秀一 猪鼻

    It's a wonderful film festival with very friendly staff. I was very impressed. I would like to apply again.

    November 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you. We appreciate your kind words, and we hope you submit your work again.

  • michael x. ferraro

    My film was selected for the 2024 event, but the schedule was pushed twice. I wrote to the organizers to get clarity on when/where it was going to happen, and was told all the filmmakers would get emails letting us know. I have friends in the Pacific NW who could've attended, but never got word. I'm glad they are running an event for underground films, and understand that it's hard work pulling off a fest, but communication and publicity are key. I applaud the spirit of the UDFF, and hope the organization steps it up next year.

    November 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    We still plan on having it at our original venue. Just waiting on availability from the venue owner. We had two big wrenches thrown in this year's event. So we appreciate your patience, and we are still looking forward to screening your film. We'll let everyone know the particulars as soon as we have a firm date. Thanks.

  • Brett Sixtysix

    Great festival, very happy to have been a part of it

    October 2022
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks!

  • Alexandros Marakis - Bourkas

    Great Festival!! Thank you very much!!! Keep up the great work and keep up to be different!!! We need you!!

    September 2022
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks!

  • Company gane Yegane Nouri

    A very good festival. I am very happy that I won this festival. I was treated very well and thank you very much for your efforts.
    l am the admin of an art festival invitation group and I will post your festival advertisement in the group.

    September 2022
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks!