The Further
Disney Details This Fall’s “Halloween on the High Seas” Cruise Ship Experience
Once again, Disney Cruise Lines will be playing host to the special Fall event experience known as Halloween on the High Seas this year, with each Disney cruise ship being transformed into a ghoulish wonderland beginning in September!
The official Disney Parks blog details…
During this frightfully fun event, guests join Mickey and friends for a spellbinding lineup of themed parties and festive entertainment, including:
- Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party, a super-fun family costume party with games, dancing and lots of candy!
- A Nightmare Before Christmas – Sing and Scream, an interactive singalong movie experience followed by meet-and-greets with Jack and Sally.
- Haunted Stories of the Sea, where a mysterious sea captain tells campfire-style ghost stories on the upper deck beneath the eerie glow of the night sky.
- Halloween Isn’t Just For Kids, a special celebration just for adults where the nighttime entertainment district becomes the setting for a costume contest and a Villainous Takeover on the dance floor.
“Plus, with costumed character greetings, special Halloween treats and a magical Pumpkin Tree that transforms throughout the cruise, the not-so-spooky memories are sure to stay with you for years to come. How wicked is that?!”
Head over to the Disney Parks blog to learn more about this year’s festivities.
The Further
Killer Shorts Horror Competition Open NOW With New Category for Feature Screenplays!
The annual genre competition dedicated to finding and launching the next generation of horror writing talent, this year’s Killer Shorts is now officially open for entries!
Founded in 2019, Killer Shorts has established itself as a premier industry launchpad. The competition connects screenwriters and prose authors directly with the executives, managers, and producers who actively greenlight and option dark genre cinema.
But this year’s competition isn’t only about killer horror shorts…
For this brand new season, Killer Shorts is expanding its categories to include feature-length screenplays alongside its traditional short script, one-page script, and short story divisions.
The Top 10 finalists across all categories are evaluated by an elite industry jury composed of over a dozen horror legends, literary managers, and producers. The panel includes:
- Barbara Crampton (Horror Icon, Actress & Producer — Jakob’s Wife, Suitable Flesh)
- John Zaozirny (Literary Manager & Producer, Bellevue Productions)
- Tananarive Due (Author, Producer & Horror Historian)
- Lucas Ford (Producer, Ford Films — The Backrooms)
- John Squires (Editor-in-Chief, Bloody Disgusting)
- Sophie Carroll (Creative Director, ALTER & DUST at Gunpowder & Sky)
- Gigi Saul Guerrero (Director & Co-Founder, Luchagore Productions)
- Aaron B. Koontz (Producer & CEO, Paper Street Pictures)
Yes, yours truly is joining the Killer Shorts judging panel for the first time ever!
Killer Shorts has a proven track record of transitioning undiscovered writers into working professionals. Alumni success stories include Season 2 finalist Vanessa Võ, who signed with Bellevue Productions, and Season 3 finalist Kelly Nugent, who secured representation at Wonder Street.
Additionally, screenplays submitted for coverage that receive a “Recommend” rating qualify for inclusion on The Scream List. This real-time tracking board is monitored by top-tier genre companies, including Screambox, Raven Banner Entertainment, Zero Gravity Management, and Grey Matter Productions.
Submissions will be accepted across all major platforms, including the official Killer Shorts website, Scrybe, Stage 32, FilmFreeway, and Network ISA.
For full guidelines, prize breakdowns, and submission details, visit the official website!

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