Screams By The Sea Seeks Indie Shocks for £200K Deal

Screams By The Sea is back on the hunt for the next standout voice in independent horror with its 2026 festival and screenwriting competition. Held in Bournemouth’s PDSW on 13 and 14 March, the UK’s burgeoning genre event has opened submissions for filmmakers and writers eager to join its Dark & Twisted pedigree. Short films and feature entries for the main programme can be registered via FilmFreeway until 11 August, with fees ranging from £9 to £12 per film.

Alongside its film strand, the festival’s headline competition invites original horror feature scripts to vie for a production deal with Silent D Pictures and up to £200,000 in funding. Entry costs just £10, and writers who make the cut will pitch to a jury of industry figures during the festival’s awards ceremony. Previous winners include Russel Baily, whose Yomp is now in pre-production, and Mark Walker, whose popcorn horror Drive In has secured its own greenlight.

Festival director Radi Nikolov emphasises the event’s commitment to diversity. “Our team is interested to see more LGBTQ+ films as well as south-east Asian and European horror,” she explains. That inclusivity feeds into a programme of six features and over an hour of shorts chosen for their capacity to surprise and unsettle. From haunted seaside mansions to claustrophobic psychological thrillers, Screams By The Sea prides itself on championing work that pushes boundaries.

Screenwriters have until 11 August to submit their scripts, with a final deadline on 15 December for late entries. A panel of experts will whittle submissions to four shortlisted writers by early January, each invited to pitch at the festival. The winning screenplay will receive a writer’s fee, a production contract and guaranteed theatrical release in the UK, Indonesia and wider Southeast Asia, followed by a global rollout.

Silent D Pictures, the competition’s production partner, has established a strong track record in both British and Indonesian markets. The company has delivered twenty-six feature films since 2020 and secured nationwide success with releases such as Before Night Falls, which climbed into Indonesia’s box office top three. The new production deal offers an unparalleled opportunity for emerging writers to see their visions realised on screen.

Situated moments from Mary Shelley’s final resting place, Screams By The Sea celebrates horror’s rich history while looking forward to tomorrow’s trailblazers. As Radi Nikolov puts it: “Our Screams By The Sea audiences are ready for what we bring to them next. But the question is – do you have what it takes to make us scream?”

For more information and to submit your project, visit: screamsbythesea.com/