‘Termite’ Wins Slamdance 2026 Screenplay Competition Grand Prize

A horror thriller about a homeless stranger secretly living inside a family’s walls has taken home the top prize at the 2026 Slamdance Screenplay Competition. James Oxyer’s Termite won the grand prize and also claimed first place in the horror/thriller category, putting the unsettling story of a teenager and his unexpected houseguest in the spotlight.

The winners were announced during an awards ceremony in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday night, with independent film studio AGBO hosting the event. Founded by Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo, AGBO welcomed this year’s winning screenwriters, with chief creative officer Angela Russo-Otstot presenting the grand prize, which comes with a $10,000 award.

‘Termite’ Takes Top Horror/Thriller Honors

Written by James Oxyer, Termite follows a lonely teenager who discovers that a homeless man has been secretly living inside the walls of his family home. Rather than exposing the stranger, the teenager allows him to stay, setting off a disturbing chain of events as their relationship develops and the balance of power begins to shift.

The screenplay won both the competition’s grand prize and first place in the horror/thriller category.

According to Anna Lee Lawson, Slamdance’s screenplay competition and festival manager, the script stood out for its ability to sustain tension throughout the story. Lawson also explained that Oxyer drew inspiration from the physical and psychological pressures he experienced while trying to make a sports team, channeling those experiences into a thriller exploring the pursuit of an idealized version of masculinity.

The premise combines psychological tension with an unsettling home-invasion concept, making Termite one of the notable horror projects to emerge from this year’s competition.

‘Citizens’ Wins Best Feature Screenplay

Wes Andre Goodrich’s Citizens took first place in the feature screenplay category.

The story centers on a burned-out social studies teacher working at a struggling high school who faces a difficult decision when immigration officers arrive to take a troublesome student into custody. He must choose between protecting the student and allowing the authorities to take him away.

As part of its award package, Citizens will receive script coverage from Sony Pictures Classics.

The second-place feature award went to They All Died Happy by W. Alex Reeves, while Zane Bhansali’s Participation Award claimed third place.

2026 Slamdance Screenplay Competition Winners

Now in its 29th year, the Slamdance Screenplay Competition received nearly 5,000 submissions from around the world in 2026. The program recognizes emerging writers across feature films, horror and thrillers, television pilots, short films, and mentorship opportunities.

This year’s competition distributed more than $18,000 in prizes. According to the organization, its screenplay awards program has awarded more than $450,000 to emerging filmmakers over the years.

Here is the complete list of the 2026 winners.

Grand Prize Winner

• 1st Place: Termite — James Oxyer

Stowe Fellowship/Mentorship

• Winner: The Redeemer — Aisha Amin
• Honorable Mention: Ravenous — Jake Allgeier

Amin’s The Redeemer follows a grieving widow and a struggling young mother whose relationship changes after a disturbing request blurs the boundaries between intimacy and control. The fellowship covers the costs and associated benefits of attending the Stowe Story Labs Narrative Lab in Vermont.

Best Feature

• 1st Place: Citizens — Wes Andre Goodrich
• 2nd Place: They All Died Happy — W. Alex Reeves
• 3rd Place: Participation Award — Zane Bhansali

Best Horror/Thriller

• 1st Place: Termite — James Oxyer
• 2nd Place: Bah Humbug — Jo Garrett
• 3rd Place: Aeternum — Jennifer Levinson, Nicholas Woods, and Almog Avidan Antonir

Best Pilot

• 1st Place: The Wild Life of Archer Dagwood — Madeline Brestal
• 2nd Place: Alfie and Friends — Kat Folker
• 3rd Place: Do I Know You From Somewhere? — Angela Wong Carbone

Best Short

• 1st Place: The Ashtray — Robert Pierosh
• 2nd Place: YOYO — Hongyu An and Hadley Rose
• 3rd Place: Subscribe — Christopher Glass

Additional Benefits for Slamdance Winners

Beyond the cash prizes, the 12 scripts that placed across the four ranked categories will receive legal services from Pessah Law Group, the competition’s official sponsor and festival legal counsel. Winners will also receive one-year memberships to Roadmap Writers, an industry platform connecting screenwriters with entertainment professionals.

With Termite securing both the grand prize and the top horror/thriller award, James Oxyer’s screenplay emerges as one of the competition’s standout projects. Its premise of a hidden stranger living within a family’s home offers a disturbing foundation for a psychological thriller, and its recognition at Slamdance puts the script on the radar of filmmakers and industry professionals looking for emerging genre talent.