Phoebe

Lily, a young woman battling depression and a crumbling relationship, reluctantly agrees to join three friends on a weekend backpacking trip.

As they hike deep into the remote wilderness, Lily struggles mentally and physically, realizing she's out of her element. She finds the woods rather ominous and begins to have feelings of dread.

But when the group stumbles upon a mysterious sinkhole, Lily perks up. She gazes down into its darkness and finds it strangely beautiful. She becomes drawn to it -- and obsessed by what may or may not lurk deep inside its depths.

The group moves on and finally reaches their campsite, but Lily is different now. Distracted. Alert. Hopeful. Something in the woods is calling her. Or perhaps someone?

* Note: The script is a throwback to 70's supernatural horror films that I love. Nature plays a big role in the story as well, which is inspired by my time as a wilderness guide and park ranger. The script has a female lead, diverse cast, five total characters, and limited locations (mostly set in a wooded area). A previous draft of my PHOEBE script was a semifinalist at BlueCat and Project Greenlight and won Best Screenplay at the Milledgeville Film Festival in Georgia.

My background: I'm a journalist, wilderness guide and horror movie aficionado. I've won three Associated Press Managing Editors awards for feature writing. As a screenwriter, my films have won 40+ awards at film festivals. My horror scripts POKING DEAD THINGS WITH STICKS and NIGHT OF THE SWINGIN' DEAD were finalists in the Killer Shorts Screenwriting Competition. You can view my full credits on IMDB under "Jason K. Allen."