Oklahoman filmmaker's script in final round of contest with 'largest screenplay prize ever'

With his latest screenplay, Adam Hampton has conjured up a harrowing horror movie called "The Waif" that includes "a night of unspeakable evil."

But the longtime Oklahoma independent filmmaker can't stop thinking about Kevin Costner's 1996 sports comedy "Tin Cup," which follows a washed-up golf pro who gets an unlikely shot at making the U.S. Open.

That's because Hampton's script for "The Waif" has landed in the final round of online voting for Kinolime.com's feature film screenplay competition , with the winner getting what's billed as "the largest screenplay prize ever."

"I'm in love with Kevin Costner, but it really does feel like that. ... I've been around long enough to be fairly realistic growing into cynical. So, the idea of a contest like this, it's almost like a 'Tin Cup' shot for the U.S. Open of writing, because it was this open contest with the best stakes for a screenwriter, which is they're going to make your movie," Hampton said.

A prolific Shawnee-based actor, director and writer, Hampton's script for “The Waif” has advanced to the top three in the Kinolime.com contest, with the winner to be determined through public online votes. Voting ends Sept. 5, with the winner to be announced Sept. 6.

The grand prize is potentially worth millions of dollars, since Kinolime , a production company and community platform, has vowed to fully produce the winning feature film.

" Luke Wyckoff, my producing partner, he's gone in and invested in some of my scripts, and without even talking to me about it — because had he asked me, I would have said, 'Don't do it' — he submitted 'The Waif' to the contest. And here we are," Hampton told The Oklahoman.

How does Kinolime's screenplay contest work?

The three final screenplays — Hampton's horror thriller "The Waif," the historical action-adventure "Peking to Paris, 1907" and the romantic crime-drama "Something Like Molasses" — have been narrowed down from an initial pool of more than 600 script submissions.

Best known for his roles in homegrown movies like "The Jurassic Games" and "Out of Exile" as well as for hosting and writing the Heartland Emmy-winning music series "Play It Loud," Hampton has watched as "The Waif" script advanced through public voting through the Top 30 and Top 10.

Then, a judging panel picked it to be one of the top three finalists.

"I don't have a giant online presence. I'm not Instagram famous or anything like that. But the first few rounds, it's just been support from friends and family and the film community mostly in Oklahoma. That's what got us here. ... These were people that just were wanting, I think, to support a local guy, a hometown guy, so there's a part of that that I think is really romantic and inspiring," Hampton said.

Before being able to vote, film fans are required to experience the screenplays by reading them, listening to them, watching a provided interview or watching or listening to related podcast content. The voting interface buttons remain disabled until the user has somehow engaged with the actual scripts.

"I don't feel like you're a writer until you have a reader; otherwise you're just a person that's got a bunch of secrets," Hampton said. "It means the world to have it read and then for people to want to support it. It's pretty beautiful."

The winning screenplay will be based on the total amount of votes generated in the final round. The winner is awarded a fully funded Kinolime development deal. This involves taking the screenplay from pre-production through post-production and marketing, with all costs covered by Kinolime.

"I've never had an opportunity like this. ... They're talking about a seven- to eight-figure budget to make the film, so that's kind of insane. As a director, I don't think I've ever had a script that had a budget," Hampton said. "We've been fortunate to get some awards and stuff like that at festivals and whatnot. But this isn't like a trophy. This is to get a movie made. So, it really is the dream of a screenwriter."

Voting closes on at 1:59 a.m. CST Sept. 6. The first 500 users who read all three screenplays will get equity in the feature film and will have their votes weighted more heavily, potentially doubling the value of their vote. The equity gives them a partial ownership stake in the eventual feature film.

"It's been a great experience so far; if it doesn't work out, it's still been a tremendous experience. Knowing that people believed enough to sit down and read your script kind of means the world," Hampton said.

What is the Oklahoma horror screenplay 'The Waif' about?

A graduate of Dale High School and East Central University, Hampton's “The Waif” screenplay tells the harrowing story of a man who, after losing everything, arrives at his family cabin with suicidal intentions.

But his dark plans are upended when he encounters a mysterious woman who introduces him to her own twisted family. What follows is a night of unspeakable evil, forcing the man to confront his inner demons and ignite his innate will to survive.

"I'm really not a giant horror guy. ... I think I just grew up scared. I was cursed with an imagination that had werewolves hiding on Bethel Road and serial killers lurking in the ocean of dark between the Dale baseball fields and I-40," said Hampton, who considers "Jaws" his favorite movie.

"'The Waif' has some of the expectations of the horror genre, but it's really about redemption. And it's about loss and what compels us to fight through our lives."

Shawnee Film & Music Office Director Stacy Cramer Moore said she's rooting for Hampton in the screenplay contest.

"Adam's talent and dedication to his craft have always been impressive. We're thrilled to see him get this well-deserved recognition, and the Shawnee film community is behind him as he moves toward the possibility of turning 'The Waif' into a feature film," she said in an email.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoman filmmaker's script in final round of contest with 'largest screenplay prize ever'