Apply for a special horror screenwriting mentorship with acclaimed filmmaker Mike Pecci, writer of the upcoming movie They Like The Dark, which is being produced by Ridley Scott's company Scott Free. Two selected writers will receive two rounds of direct feedback on a horror short script of up to 15 pages to help sharpen the story, the characters, the pacing, and the execution.

Horror is a genre where atmosphere, character, suspense, and visual storytelling have to work together to create an emotional response, and a great horror short can accomplish all of that with the right insight and perspective. This mentorship gives emerging writers the opportunity to work directly with filmmaker Mike Pecci, whose career has been formed with gritty, cinematic storytelling across sci-fi, horror, and surrealism.

Pecci is an award-winning filmmaker with more than two decades of experience in the film industry. His short film 12 Kilometers (2016) gained massive and viral attention, and is currently being developed as a feature film with Pecci attached to write & direct. His other work, including Who's There (2018), Come Home (2023), and the upcoming film They Like the Dark, with Liam Hemsworth and Ridley Scott's Scott Free producing. All of these showcase his ability to create suspenseful genre stories while working within the realities of independent filmmaking. Through his In Love with the Process podcast, Pecci has also built a reputation for openly discussing the creative, technical, and professional realities of filmmaking.

For this mentorship, two emerging horror writers will have the opportunity to submit a horror short film screenplay of no more than 15 pages and work directly with Pecci through two rounds of feedback, along with a $750 stipend. Mentees will have the opportunity to utilize Pecci's experience as a filmmaker to study how their screenplays can translate successfully from page to screen.

The mentorship will focus on the elements that make a successful horror short, establishing a strong premise, building atmosphere, creating suspense, developing characters, insight on pacing, and understanding how visual storytelling can communicate information without depending on dialogue. Mentees also have the opportunity to gain insight from Pecci in relation to the connection between a screenplay and the realities of production, including how choices on the page can affect budget, practical effects, and the feasibility of bringing a story to life.

By the end of the mentorship, each of the two selected writers will have developed a stronger draft of an original horror short screenplay and gained insight into the screenwriting and filmmaking process from an experienced genre filmmaker. This mentorship is intended for writers who are looking to receive candid creative feedback, are open to revising their work, and want to better understand how a horror screenplay can work as the blueprint for a successful short film.

Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

DELIVERABLES: There 1 total "deliverable" in the form of a short script segment, roughly 15 pages in length.

• Two creators will get the greenlight to work with Mike on developing their horror short film scripts.

EXPECTED TIMELINE: 

• There will be two workshop phases each greenlit creator will have with the mentor. The first will take place in the second half of September 2026, the second will take place in early to mid-November, with the final draft due before the end of December 2026. Due to the nature of the writing processes, the timeline will be customize to both Creator and Mentor availability after Greenlight.

AI USAGE: No AI usage of any kind is permitted on this project.

By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects do move forward, we'll notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any submissions via the Project Forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and project team.

Tongal's Creator Mentorship Program is designed to connect emerging and developing creatives with working, experiences professionals in an effort to further their knowledge and understanding of their trade.

In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period, but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): Up to 500 characters synopsizing your short film script.
  
  
• SCRIPT SAMPLE (REQUIRED): Submit your Short Film script; works in progress are encouraged as this program is designed to help you bring your short film script to its fullest potential.

• PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show what you're capable of. Consider a video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect, or consider test videos, proof-of-concept edits, animatics, etc. For examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery.
  
  

The most compelling pitch will be greenlit by the Sponsor, and the responsible creator will then receive an email from Tongal producers detailing next steps. All submitters will also receive an automated email notification that a selection has been announced. To ensure you’re receiving project updates, review your email settings to check that you haven’t unsubscribed.

Creators who’ve been selected will receive funding upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment. Payment of funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal, typically included with the project timeline.

1. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their Videos, as well as a photograph/headshot OR copy of a photo ID for all On-camera Talent releases. You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec to claim your earnings. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.
   
   
2. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.
   
   
3. In the event you utilize any third-party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider not provided by Tongal, you must obtain full written license and consent from the owner of such third-party materials and provide such license and consent forms to Tongal.
   
   
4. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor's organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.
   
   
5. In addition to the judging criteria stated in the OFFICIAL RULES, Pitches will also be evaluated on that member's ability to execute the final Video based on their prior work and experience as a creator.
   
   
6. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor, nor can Submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
   
   
7. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.
   
   
8. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
   
   
9. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail.