FINAL FRAME Horror Short Film Competition

The coveted StokerCon 2024 Final Frame Award and a cash prize will be presented to one film and filmmaker, the best film shown at our event, as decided upon by a panel of industry judges.

There will be also special prize packages and/or cash prizes for (1) Runner-Up film plus categories such as Best Writing in a Short Film, Audience Award and a special award through the George A. Romero Foundation, our premier sponsor for the event.

This year's judges will be announced closer to the event.

Previous judges include:

Daniel Kraus (NYT bestselling author of Whalefall, Co-Author of The Living Dead (with George Romero), The Shape of Water (with Guillermo del Toro) and writer of the graphic novel, The Autumnal

Jamie Flanagan (screenwriter, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, The Haunting of Bly Manor)

Izzy Lee (Award-winning filmmaker of Memento Mori, Re-Home and last year's Final Frame Audience Award Winner for Meat Friend) 

Jamal Hodge (writer/director, Mourning Meal, Alone, and the upcoming documentary Madness and Writers: The Untold Truth)

Lisa Morton (author of four novels and 150 short stories, a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award®, past President of the Horror Writers Association, and a world-class Halloween expert)

Grady Hendrix (author, The Final Girl Support Group, My Best Friend's Exorcism / screenwriter, Mohawk & Satanic Panic) 

Gemma Files (author, Experimental Film, In That Endlessness, Our End) 

Ernest Dickerson (director, Juice, Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight, The Walking Dead, as well as the distinctive cinematographer of Spike Lee's films from Do The Right Thing to Malcolm X and more)

Alejandro Brugués (writer/director, JUAN OF THE DEAD. Director, ABC’S OF DEATH 2 and NIGHTMARE CINEMA)

Ed Polgardy (producer of The Wretched)

Mick Garris (Hocus Pocus, The Stand, Masters of Horror, Nightmare Cinema)

Oscar-winning producer, Jennifer Handorf (Prevenge)

Screenwriter, novelist and comic-writer M.R. Carey (The Girl With All the Gifts)

Author Adam L.G. Nevill (The Ritual, No One Gets Out Alive)

Writer and award-winning filmmaker Frazer Lee (On Edge, Panic Button, The Lamplighters)

Novelist and film critic Kim Newman (Anno Dracula)

Novelist and screenwriter Sarah Pinborough (Behind Her Eyes, Cross Her Heart)

Mike Flanagan (writer/director, The Fall of the House of Usher, Doctor Sleep, Haunting of Hill House, Gerald's Game)

Josh Malerman (author of the international phenomenon, Bird Box and other books including Goblin, Spin A Black Yarn, and Daphne)

Jonathan Maberry (creator of the bestselling Joe Ledger series, author of The Pine Deep Trilogy, Mars One and more)

Lynne Hansen (award-winning filmmaker/ book cover artist)

Antonio D’Intino (Literary Manager, Circle of Confusion)

John Skipp (legendary horror author and filmmaker)

Craig Engler (co-creator, ZNation, and former GM of AMC’s Shudder)

Michael Gingold (horror journalist, writer, editor)

Mike McCarty (Makeup FX, formerly of KNB, currently with Autonomous FX)

Ryan Turek (Director of Development, Blumhouse / Producer, Halloween (2018-2022), Happy Death Day, and Truth or Dare)

Rebekah McKendry (FIlmmaker, Co-Host, Colors of the Dark podcast)