The Further
Spirit Halloween Giving Away an Epic, Exclusive Trip to the Winchester Mystery House!
The Winchester Mystery House is an architectural wonder with a history to match. It’s become so iconic, especially among horror fans, that it inspired a movie in 2018 and remains a top tourist destination. In celebration of “Halfway to Halloween,” Spirit Halloween wants to send you and a guest to the Winchester Mystery House for the ultimate spooky getaway!
The team explains, “Did you miss us? It’s only April, but Halloween is already creeping up. Spirit Halloween, the nation’s largest Halloween retailer, is summoning fans to get an early start on the season. In honor of Spirit Halloween’s 40th anniversary, the brand has a killer week of festivities planned for its most spine tingling Halfway to Halloween celebration yet.
“To kick off the week, Spirit Halloween is offering fans the chance to win a fully immersive experience at the Winchester Mystery House, one of the world’s most haunted destinations. One lucky winner and their guest will receive an exclusive tour – including RIP VIP access to rooms not open to the public, a catered culinary experience in matriarch Sarah Winchester’s dining room and an after-dark walkthrough of the mansion accompanied by a professional medium, complete with a séance.
“To enter, fans can leave a comment on the contest post on Spirit Halloween’s Instagram now through April 27 – if they dare!”
“It’s shaping up to be a big year for us and we wanted to get the party started earlier than ever in a way only Spirit Halloween can,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “Our loyal fans truly embrace the Halloween lifestyle year-round, so the halfway mark felt like the perfect time to give everyone a taste of what’s to come throughout our 40th anniversary season.”
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The Further
Killer Shorts Horror Writing 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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