Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
Penned In Blood Screenwriting Competition
United States · Est. 2019 · Multiple structural red flags — exercise caution before submitting
WarningWatchlist
United States
26
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Pause before you pay
Warning-tier means structural red flags in our data — not a confirmed scam, but submit only with eyes open.
- Listed as 'competition' not 'festival' - likely online-only awards
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
Overview
Penned In Blood is a U.S.-based screenwriting competition focused on horror screenplays rather than a traditional film festival. It is notable for providing feedback from experienced judges to help writers improve formatting, marketing readiness, and draft quality, and it accepts short scripts, feature scripts, and loglines. Its significance lies in its genre focus and development-oriented approach, positioning it as a specialized contest for emerging horror writers seeking industry-facing critique and exposure.
Last updated Aug 27, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+12 pts)
- 7 years of verifiable history
- 1 verified pro signal
Red Flags (-36 pts)
- Listed as 'competition' not 'festival' - likely online-only awards
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
- On watchlist — negative reputation signals detected
Trust Signals
Risk Flags
- COMPETITION_NOT_FESTIVAL
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
Festival Details
Founded
2019
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
3.9/ 5
Reviews
9
Synced 19 days ago
Rating synced from FilmFreeway; individual review text not pulled yet for this festival.
View on FilmFreewayFilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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At a glance
How scoring works
Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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