Project Greenlight Digital Studios & Shudder Team Up with Clive Barker for Horror Film Contest!

There is an incredible new horror film contest coming our way from Project Greenlight Digital Studios and the young upstart Shudder cable channel. The winner of this horror film contest gets the iconic Clive Barker to help mentor along the way and $300k for a budget. You can’t get any better than that. If you’re interested, read along to get all the details.

From The Press Release

Project Greenlight Digital Studios (PGLDS), a digital content initiative from Adaptive Studios, and Shudder, AMC Networks-backed horror and thriller streaming video service, announced today they are joining forces to launch a video contest to support indie horror films. The two companies have also partnered with filmmaker Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Lord of Illusions) who is known for his directing, writing, and producing credits in the horror genre. The contest will solicit pitches for original horror films, and the winner will receive $300,000 to make his or her feature film, as well as mentorship from Barker throughout production.

From February 13th to March 17th, filmmakers can submit one-to-three minute pitches for original horror film concepts on projectgreenlight.com. Ten semi-finalists will be selected and voted on by the public. The audience winner automatically moves on to the next round, where five finalists will each receive funding to direct a short scene representative of their abilities. In June, those finalists will also be granted a spot in the second annual Shudder Labs, Shudder’s creative retreat for developing genre filmmakers, using the experience to enhance their submission.

Shorts will be judged on originality, story, character, editing, directing, and commercial value. The final stage of the contest will consist of an interview with Barker and representatives from PGLDS and Shudder, where the five finalists will answer questions regarding crew, casting, creative execution, and more.

One director or directing team will be selected to bring their film to life with a $300,000 budget. Barker will help shepherd the film through the development process as a mentor to the winning filmmaker.

Barker said of the partnership: “When I was looking for financing while making Hellraiser, I wish there was a company like Project Greenlight Digital Studios behind me. Teaming up with Adaptive Studios and Shudder is a wonderful opportunity to support emerging filmmakers in creating something truly iconic. This is a great chance to scare and entertain audiences at the same time.”

“Project Greenlight Digital Studios was created to be a story-driven creative community and we believe our video contests continue to provide great opportunities for emerging filmmakers. We’re thrilled to expand this contest platform and focus on a specific genre in the film world,” said Brittany Turner, VP of Digital at Adaptive Studios.

Linda Pan, General Manager of Shudder, added: “At Shudder, our mission is to showcase and support innovative forms of storytelling in horror and suspense. We are delighted to launch our second annual Shudder Labs program in collaboration with Project Greenlight Digital Studios and Clive Barker to support and foster a new generation of creative voices in the horror genre.”

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About Adaptive Studios:

Adaptive Studios is a pioneering media studio focused on the acquisition and development of intellectual property across all platforms. Sourcing material through partners including studios, talent agencies, management companies and production houses, as well as in-house, Adaptive creates and produces film, television, digital entertainment, books and graphic novels – focusing on whichever platform best fits the story. Adaptive produced the highly acclaimed, Emmy®-winning Project Greenlight for HBO and, alongside the show’s executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, launched Project Greenlight Digital Studios last year. Through PGLDS, they are actively “greenlighting” an expanding slate of new digital series with emerging filmmakers.  Adaptive recently wrapped production on COIN HEIST which marked the first successful conversion from script to novel to feature film for the studio. They also recently revealed plans to bring their latest novel, DC TRIP, to the big screen alongside Van Toffler’s new studio, Gunpowder & Sky, and Bona Fide Productions. Adaptive Books, the publishing imprint of Adaptive Studios, has released 11 titles to date and will publish an average of 10 books and graphic novels annually. For more information visit www.adaptivestudios.com.

About Shudder:

Shudder is a premium streaming video service, serving both the casual and hardcore fans of horror and suspenseful entertainment. Offering new premieres and exclusives every month, and with a wide library ranging from hard-to-find international and independent films to thrilling TV series to Hollywood blockbusters, Shudder has something for everyone. Backed by AMC Networks, Shudder’s growing library of expertly curated Horror, Mystery, Suspense, Supernatural and Thrillers is available in the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland ad-free and for unlimited with a free one week trial or $4.99 monthly/ $49.99 yearly membership. Shudder is available on the web, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, and Roku.  To sign up or learn more about Shudder, visit www.shudder.com.

About Shudder Labs:

Shudder Labs launched in 2016 as a creative workshop retreat dedicated to building the skill set and talents of exciting, emerging horror filmmakers. Shudder Labs aims to marry the belief that horror and suspense can be at once the most thrilling, sharpest and subversive of genres, with Shudder’s dedication to supporting the new creative voices crafting the category.

About Clive Barker’s Seraphim, Inc.:

Formed in 1990 and based in Los Angeles, California, Seraphim is Clive Barker’s production company. For more than twenty years, Seraphim has brought Clive’s work to global audiences as he explores his imagination through multiple media including film, television, novels, comics, poetry, theatre, photography and painting.

From the Abarat paintings and novels for children, through wild fantasy rides for adults on the page and screen and up to the heights of intense horror, the creative extent of Clive’s fevered imagination has been shepherded by Seraphim’s insights and management.

While Seraphim and Clive always have a number of projects in active development, the Seraphim team remains open to new, provocative and creative opportunities from talented individuals and corporates looking to license or adapt Clive’s existing body of work.

Alongside its role as the public face of Clive Barker’s output, Seraphim has also long been a home for fledgling writers and directors. Clive continues to work in collective endeavors, building on his earliest collaborations in Liverpool and London before his move to Los Angeles. Seraphim has nurtured several talents in the next generation of filmmakers and artists, generating unique opportunities and early responsibility to garner vital experience in Hollywood.