The man who gave us Horror classics like Hellraiser and Candyman is looking for the next great horror filmmaker. Clive Barker has announced a new project that will see one lucky filmmaker given a $300,000 budget to create a new original horror film project. The winner will also receive a mentorship from Barker himself for the entirety of the production process.
Teaming up with Adaptive Studios, and Shudder, Barker hopes the project can give a new horror icon the chance to put themselves on the radar. Speaking with THR, the British author reveals there’s a personal element to this contest, recalling how he once struggled to get funding for his Hellraiser project.
“When I was looking for financing while making Hellraiser, I wish there was a studio like Project Greenlight Digital Studios behind me. Teaming up with Adaptive Studios and Shudder is a wonderful opportunity to support emerging filmmakers in finding the new horror icon. This is also a great chance to scare and entertain audiences at the same time.”
So, if you’ve got an idea brewing for the next great indie Horror flick, listen up, because here’s how you can enter Barker’s competition.
Starting February 13th, contestants can visit Project Greenlight to upload their 1-3 minute pitch for an original Horror movie concept. Submissions close on March 17th, after which 10 semifinalists will be chosen and put to a vote by a panel of judges and the public.
One public vote winner and four judging panel winners will enter the final, with each one given a production budget to shoot a scene from their Horror pitch. In June, those finalists will get to refine their scene production at the annual Shudder Lab, a creative retreat for up-and-coming horror filmmakers. From those five submissions, one winner will be selected to shoot their horror movie, with Barker serving as an executive producer.
Got what it takes to create the next Pinhead? Be sure to get your pitch ready, because this could be the leg-up into the filmmaking industry you’ve always dreamed of.
