A Christmas celebration becomes a fight for survival when an American couple stumbles upon the last cannibal tribe, the Sentinelese, on an Indian Ocean island, echoing true events.
Type:
Feature
Status:
For sale
Page Count:
77pp
Genre:
Horror
Budget:
Independent
Age Rating:
13+
Synopsis/Details
The Sanders are a happily married couple. John is a fireman, and Pamela is a makeup artist. To celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary, Pamela's friends Jess, Emy, and Sara suggest a romantic trip. They choose Tarmugli Island, a luxurious beach resort for couples, located in the Bay of Bengal. They bring along their beloved Chihuahua, Daisy. At the resort, they meet a friendly French couple, an Indian couple, and a Chinese couple. Everyone gets along well, enjoying karaoke and a beach party until midnight. The next morning, Mama Anjali, a likable 50-year-old Indian housekeeper, mysteriously disappears. Wendy Armstrong, the British host, assumes Mama Anjali is ill and brings in another maid from her team. The couples continue to enjoy their stay, sharing stories around a beach fire, eating steaks, and drinking red wine. Suddenly, Wendy and the French couple vanish. The guests start searching the island. John and Pam follow Daisy's barking and discover her barking at three Indian teens with primitive clothes around a fainting Western man. When John approaches, the teens turn with bloody faces—they are eating the Frenchman, Luc. Pam screams, and they flee back to the resort. More cannibals attack the resort, killing and eating the staff. John defends Pam from a young barbarian with a kayak paddle. They escape to Wendy's yacht moored offshore. Aditi, a young Indian maid, Claire, the French woman, and the Chinese couple manage to swim to the yacht, but others fall victim to the cannibals from North Sentinel Island. The survivors defend the yacht against cannibal attacks while waiting for rescue. Later, the cannibals retreat. Suddenly, John hears Daisy barking. Realizing they left her on the beach, John decides to rescue her alone. Pam tries to stop him, but he promises to return safely with Daisy. John paddles back to the beach, finds Daisy, but alerts the cannibal chief. A deadly chase ensues. John fights and kills the chief, escaping back to the yacht with Daisy. Pam is relieved and hugs them. At dawn, the Indian Navy arrives to rescue them.
All Accolades & Coverage

Melbourne International Screenplay Awards 2025 - Finalist: "A Christmas Survival shows a writer with clear technical skill and a confident command of the page — the descriptions are rich, the characters are crafted with care, and the world feels fully lived‑in. The opening sequences build a sense of warmth and intimacy, giving Pamela and John’s relationship depth and believability. This grounding is essential for horror; we need to truly care about the couple before their idyllic Christmas turns into a nightmare. The writing is smooth and cinematic, with a knack for small, specific details that make the characters feel human rather than stock figures in a genre setup. There’s also an elegance to the dialogue — restrained, natural, and unforced — that hints at a writer who trusts their audience to lean in and connect the dots."

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The Writer: Noureddine HIFAD

I hail from Essaouira/Morocco, the enchanting city where Orson Welles immortalized his cinematic masterpiece, 'Othello.' It's the very same locale that Ridley Scott skillfully transformed into the ancient Jerusalem for his epic 'Kingdom of Heaven.' Not to mention, it's the picturesque coastal city where the indomitable Daenerys Targaryen of 'Game of Thrones' assembled her formidable legion of mercenaries. My hometown has served as the backdrop for numerous other illustrious productions, and it's precisely these cinematic experiences that fueled my aspiration to one-day craft compelling stories for Hollywood. I enjoy writing spy thrillers and fantasy stories, and my writing is heavily… Go to bio
Noureddine HIFAD's picture
Agency: Midwest Talent Agency
Manager: Judith A Moose