The Sound of Fear | Presented by the

Silence can be more terrifying than a scream. A distant, unidentifiable scrape can evoke more dread than a monster on screen. In the world of horror, sound is a primal tool used to build atmosphere, manipulate emotions, and create an unshakable sense of terror. It is the unseen character that haunts every frame.

This challenge is not about writing a musical score; it's about building a world of auditory dread. We are challenging you, the sound artists and designers, to craft a truly horrifying soundscape. You will choose one of the two provided scenes from the upcoming found-footage horror film, Project MKHEXE, and design a soundscape that will haunt audiences long after the credits roll. Focus on atmosphere, foley, and environmental textures to tell the story through sound alone.

About the Film:

Project MKHEXE is a 2025 American found footage horror film written and directed by Gerald Robert Waddell and produced by Waddell, Sebla Demirbaş, and Ryan Binse. Officially, Project MKHEXE was a deep-earth geological survey. Unofficially, it was a clandestine operation to study a strange bio-acoustic anomaly discovered in a remote, abandoned mine. When the research team went silent, a recovery unit was sent in. They found the site in ruins and the team gone. All that remained were their fragmented data logs and harrowing audio-visual recordings. These fragments are all that's left to piece together the terrifying truth of what they found... or what found them.

Synopsis:

Tim, an amateur filmmaker, returns home to film his brother Sean's funeral after his apparent suicide. But in the days that follow, Tim discovers Sean's obsession with an Internet urban legend that does not exist about a secret government mind control experiment gone horrifically wrong, Project MKHEXE.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

• Atmosphere & Dread: The effectiveness of the soundscape in creating a sustained feeling of tension, unease, and fear.
• Originality: The creativity and inventiveness demonstrated in the crafting of unique, unsettling sounds and textures.
• Synergy: How effectively the soundscape merges with the visuals to create a unified and immersive sense of place and peril.
• Technical Proficiency: The technical quality, clarity, and polish of the final audio mix.

CHALLENGE RULES

Our challenges are open to everyone in the Sundance Collab community. If you are not a member of the Sundance Collab community, you can sign up for free. One entry per person, per challenge. All submissions will be viewable to the worldwide Sundance Collab community. All submissions will be given equal consideration and the final winner will be determined by the consensus of the designated Jury. Only those submissions that meet the criteria outlined in the submission guidelines are eligible to be selected as a winner.

The challenge closes on Wednesday, October 1st 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

If you have questions regarding the challenge, please email collabsupport@sundance.org. You may be disqualified if you contact members of the jury directly.

PRIZES

The Winner will receive:

1. Their work featured on Sundance Collab as part of the Dolby Creator Lab Series
2. Sundance Collab winner course package, which includes:

• (1) free self-paced course ($375)
• (3) free on-demand courses ($405)
• (5) free Master Classes ($150)
• Total value: $930

Two selected Runners-up will receive:

1. Their work featured on Sundance Collab as part of the Dolby Creator Lab Series
2. Sundance Collab runners-up course package, which includes:

• (1) free self-paced course ($375)
• (1) free on-demand course ($135)
• (1) free Master Class ($30)
• Total value: $540

SHOWCASE FOR WINNER AND RUNNERS-UP

• Winner and Runners-up will appear on the Challenge page once they’ve been chosen.
• Winner and Runners-up will be added to the Dolby Image and Sound Center.
• Winner will appear in the carousel on the Sundance Collab homepage for one month.

• You must download Clip #1 or Clip #2 for your submission. Note: these clips may contain strobe light effects. Synopsis: An amateur filmmaker uncovers his late brother's obsession with an urban legend that doesn't exist: Project MKHEXE.
• One entry per person.
• All sound and/or music must be original and submitted by the creator.
• The video cannot be used or published in any way outside of the Sundance Collab Dolby Creator Lab Horror Soundscape Challenge.

• All sound and music must be original and submitted by the creators.
• Participants will download the scene from our site and then submit a link or upload an MP4 file that marries their sound and/or music with the picture.
• Accepted video file formats: AVI, MOV, MP4, or MPEG-2.
• Note: If you choose to upload a .MOV file, make sure that it is not using the Apple ProRes compression. We do not support reading Apple ProRes files or raw camera formats like ARRI and RED at this time.
• The maximum file size you can upload is 4.9 GB.

Do not use copyrighted material as part of this monthly challenge (unless you are the copyright owner).

By submitting your work to the Sundance Collab Dolby Sound & Music Challenge, you grant to Sundance Institute and Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (together the “Licensees”) a perpetual, irrevocable, and non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, and publicly display and perform your submitted work (the “Submission”), including the newly created sound and/or score, on their respective official website and for the promotional, archival, and educational purpose of the Challenge. You further warrant and represent that you are the sole creator and owner of all rights, title, and interest in and to the original sound and/or score in your Submission, that you have the full rights to grant the license and rights to the Licensees as set forth herein, and that none of the sound elements or music in your work will violate the rights of any third party (including copyright).