2025 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards
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The Swarm

In a small decaying town overshadowed by an eerie wind farm, a teenage runaway, a local environmental writer, and a criminal couple on the run must unravel the mystery behind a swarm of deadly, flesh-eating beetles unleashed from a forgotten mine—all while battling personal demons and the growing terror of becoming the swarm’s next victims.

The screenplay "The Swarm" follows mysterious swarms of mutated flesh-eating beetles that emerge from an abandoned mine to terrorize the nearly deserted town of Sweetwater. Traci, a local struggling with past trauma, teams up with Gerry, a terminally ill teenage runaway, to survive the onslaught and stop the swarms. Along the way, they encounter other survivors including Traci's Aunt Rose, a couple on the run named Rick and Heather, and a waitress named Joan. The group seeks refuge in an old bomb shelter, but tensions rise as people begin to turn on each other. In the end, Traci, with Gerry’s help, manages to trap and destroy the beetle swarms and their queen by collapsing the mine, though not without several casualties. The screenplay explores themes of survival, trust, redemption and small town decay.

Script Excerpt
Written by:
Format:
Screenplay
Genres:
Budget:
Modest
In the Vein Of:
The Mist
A Quiet Place
Posted:
12/26/2024
Updated:
04/06/2025
Author Bio:
Michael Holliday honorably served in the United States armed forces and recently retired from the aerospace industry. He has an undergraduate degree in Government and Politics. He has written multiple award-winning screenplays with several more at various stages of development. Currently writes full-time.

Contest Results:
Santa Barbara International (First Place) [2025]
International Independent (First Place) [2025]
Wiki Contest (Semifinalist) [2024]
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