Reaper Film Festival
California, United States
1 Years Running
Film Festival
Script Contests
About this Festival
Presented by BLOODSTREAM TV, the Reaper Film Festival is an inaugural Los Angeles horror and genre event created to help short filmmakers reach the audiences their work deserves. Reaper is built for creators without industry connections, large festival budgets, or an inside track, keeping entry accessible, judging honest, and the focus on the work. Every Official Film Selection receives non-exclusive worldwide distribution on BLOODSTREAM TV, allowing filmmakers to retain ownership while giving their films a life beyond festival night. Reaper accepts completed horror and horror-adjacent short films under 15 minutes, as well as original short screenplays of 10 pages or fewer. Eligible submissions are reviewed in full by working filmmakers and industry professionals, with blind judging wherever practical, at least two independent reviewers, defined scoring criteria, and additional review when significant disagreements occur. Top-scoring projects advance to jury deliberation, with the Top Five screenplay finalists receiving one-on-one consultations and first-look consideration. The 2026 jury includes actor and Scream Queen Judge Jenna Kanell (*Terrifier, The Bye Bye Man, Renfield*), alongside producers, directors, casting professionals, agents, development executives, and other industry professionals, with additional judges to be announced. Reaper is supported by filmmaking and creative technology partners including Dehancer, FilmConvert, FilmLocal, FrameForge, Imagine Products, Shot Lister, Twixtor, WriterDuet, and others, offering prizes and opportunities for selected filmmakers. The festival's founding partners include BLOODSTREAM TV and Studio Dome, providing distribution, development, and industry opportunities. The inaugural in-person event takes place October 22, 2026, at The Earl in Los Angeles, featuring three screening blocks, filmmaker Q&As, awards, networking, sponsor giveaways, a costume contest, and an after-party. Attendance is encouraged but never required for judging, selection, winning, or applicable distribution. With seating limited to 200, Reaper aims to create an intimate night where filmmakers, genre fans, producers, actors, writers, executives, and distributors can connect. Get Distributed. Get Seen. Get Ahead.
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Submission Categories
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Rules & Terms
By submitting to the **Reaper Film Festival**, presented by Bloodstream TV, you acknowledge and agree to the following Rules & Terms.
**FILM ELIGIBILITY:** Reaper accepts completed horror and horror-adjacent short films under 15 minutes, including credits. Films may be in any language; non-English films must include English subtitles. Previously screened or distributed films are welcome as long as they are not under an exclusive agreement that prevents non-exclusive Bloodstream TV distribution. Works in progress are not eligible.
**THE SCYTHE AWARD:** Films directed and/or produced by a woman may enter **The Scythe Award** for a $10 fee. Entering this category simply flags the film for consideration and does **not** prevent eligibility for the Grand Prize or other awards. No separate submission is required. The winner receives industry consultations, sponsor prizes, a professional pitch deck, VIP access, and additional benefits.
**SCREENPLAYS:** Reaper accepts original horror and horror-adjacent screenplays of 10 pages or fewer, excluding the title page. Screenplays must be submitted as PDFs using standard formatting and must be owned or controlled by the submitting writer. The Top Five Finalists receive consultations and first-look consideration, with additional prizes awarded to the winner.
**SUBMISSIONS & FEES:** All entries must be submitted through FilmFreeway. Each project requires a separate entry and fee. Film fees are $15 Earlybird, $20 Regular, and $25 Late. Screenplay fees are $5 Earlybird and Regular and $10 Late. The Scythe Award fee is $10. Student discounts are available for film submissions. All fees are non-refundable.
**DEADLINES:** Submissions Open: August 18, 2026 | Earlybird: September 4 | Regular: September 24 | Late: October 14 | Notifications: October 17 | Festival: October 22, 2026.
**JUDGING:** Every eligible film and screenplay is reviewed in full by working filmmakers and industry professionals. Entries are reviewed by at least two independent judges, blind wherever practical, and scored on a defined 1–10 rubric. Significant scoring disagreements may trigger additional review. Finalists advance to jury deliberation, and jurors must recuse themselves from projects involving a personal or financial conflict. All judging decisions are final.
**OFFICIAL SELECTION:** Every Official Film Selection receives non-exclusive Bloodstream TV distribution, an Official Selection laurel, VIP festival access, one drink ticket, and a live screening at the October 22 event. Filmmakers retain ownership of their work.
**GRAND PRIZE:** The Grand Prize winner receives the opportunity to pitch a feature project to representatives of Bloodstream TV and Studio Dome for potential development and financing consideration. Financing, production, acquisition, development, or distribution is not guaranteed.
**RIGHTS:** By submitting, you confirm that you own or control the necessary rights to your project and authorize Reaper to use approved project materials for festival promotion. Submission does not transfer ownership.
**ATTENDANCE:** Attendance is encouraged but never required for judging, Official Selection, awards, or applicable distribution.
**FESTIVAL EVENT:** October 22, 2026 at The Earl, Los Angeles. The event includes screenings, networking, Q&As, awards, prizes, and the screenplay competition winner announcement. Seating is limited.
Reaper reserves the right to make reasonable changes to festival programming, scheduling, deadlines, procedures, and rules when necessary. Submission constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these Terms.
Awards & Prizes
AT THE REAPER AWARDS, EVERYONE REAPS.
Every eligible film is scored by our jury from 1 to 10.
Every Official Film Selection receives distribution.
From there, the films that cut the deepest rise.
THE SCYTHE AWARD
Presented by WOMEN IN FILM
A crown of its own for the films made by women, the ones behind the camera as much as in front of it.
The honoree receives:
All-access VIP pass, every room, all night
10 drink tickets
Special prizes to be announced
One-on-one consultation with Heidi Honeycutt, Bloodstream TV programmer
One-on-one consultation with Kimberly Skyrme, producer and casting director
A professional pitch deck from Deck Syndicate
Official Selection laurel
Additional prizes to be announced!
ELIGIBILITY: Open to films produced and/or directed by a woman.
A film entered into The Scythe Award category without a female producer and/or director is disqualified.
GRAND PRIZE
The Grand Prize Winner receives:
The opportunity to pitch a feature film project directly to BLOODSTREAM TV and STUDIO DOME for potential financing and development consideration
All-access VIP pass, every room, all night
10 drink tickets
Everything included with the First Place award
The feature does not have to be based on the submitted short.
The winning filmmaker may pitch a feature adaptation of the submitted project or another eligible feature project, subject to applicable festival rules and the participating companies' submission requirements.
Bloodstream TV and Studio Dome independently evaluate the project following the pitch.
Financing, production, acquisition, development, or distribution is not guaranteed.
FIRST PLACE
First Place receives:
Non-exclusive distribution on Bloodstream TV
Official Selection laurel
Screening on October 21, 2026
The Reaper trophy
Four industry consultations with industry professionals including an executive producer, producer, and screenwriter
All-access VIP pass, every room, all night
8 drink tickets
Featured banner placement on the Bloodstream TV homepage for up to one week
SECOND PLACE
Second Place receives:
Non-exclusive distribution on Bloodstream TV
Official Selection laurel
Screening on October 21, 2026
Certificate of Achievement
All-access VIP pass, every room, all night
5 drink tickets
Three industry consultations with an executive producer, producer, and screenwriter
THIRD PLACE
Third Place receives:
Non-exclusive distribution on Bloodstream TV
Official Selection laurel
Screening on October 21, 2026
Certificate of Achievement
All-access VIP pass, every room, all night
3 drink tickets
Two industry consultations with a producer and screenwriter
EVERY OFFICIAL FILM SELECTION
Every Official Film Selection receives:
Non-exclusive distribution on Bloodstream TV
Official Selection laurel
All-access VIP pass, every room, all night
1 drink ticket
Screening on October 21, 2026
SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Every eligible screenplay is read and scored.
The Top Five Finalists receive:
One-on-one industry consultations
First-look consideration from the Reaper Film Festival team and partners
The winning screenplay is announced live at the festival.
THE WINNING SCREENPLAY ALSO RECEIVES:
Producer feedback
A professional pitch deck from Deck Syndicate
All-access VIP pass
Drink tickets
CRAFT HONORS
Additional honors may be awarded at the jury's discretion:
Best Directing
Best Cinematography
Best Acting
Best Screenplay
Best Score
Best Special Effects
Best Scare
Best Gore