JP LeRoux
2022 Horror Award Winner
The Psycho Killer’s Guide To Love
I lost my job the Monday before AFF29 under less-than-ideal circumstances. Leading up to the competition, I was going through a deep existential crisis, wondering if I even wanted to continue pursuing a creative career. Then, I won.
My bloody romcom, THE PSYCHO KILLER’S GUIDE TO LOVE (which is still available, btw), actually won! I can’t express what telling my story in front of a room packed with immense talent and getting a laugh, or at least a smile of recognition, out of none other than Stephen Merchant meant to me. It was a total confidence rebound that gave me emotional whiplash.
Since then, I’ve been writing nonstop. Emails. A pilot. A new feature. More emails. A director even hired me to write a short film! I’ve had some meetings with managers, but I was probably a little green. I felt like a chihuahua who’d gotten ahold of some coffee grounds, and it might’ve shown. But I’ve been learning—a lot. And I believe that I’ve found my path and am ready for my next meeting. So if any managers are reading this, I now come across as a chihuahua who’s been sipping on some nice herbal tea.
I know there’s still a steep mountain ahead of me, but I’m hopeful. And the friends I met at Austin have made that climb so much easier and more enjoyable. This win was clearly a pivotal moment in my life, I don’t know where it will take me, but I’m excited to find out. And don’t worry, I also found some freelance copywriting work to pay the bills. I do have a two-year-old, wife, and a hungry cat, after all.
— JP LeRoux
The Screenplay Competition’s Horror Feature Award is open to any feature horror script, including dark suspense, thriller, sci-fi, and macabre themes. Vertigo Entertainment will provide the winner with a mentorship for up to six months in 2024. The mentorship will include feedback and notes on the winning script, monthly calls giving advice and insight on networking, pitching, and workshopping, the opportunity to pitch the winning script to co-founder Roy Lee, and a possible option to produce the winning script or work on other Vertigo projects.
Entry Requirements:
- Requires additional $25 entry fee
- Must first be entered in either the Feature Drama or Comedy categories
Submit your Horror Script to our Horror Category sponsored with Vertigo Entertainment today before the Late Deadline NOW May 31 at 11:59 PM CT!