INVASIVE SPECIES

An original screenplay by Daniel Shafer

A federal missing-persons team investigating a family’s disappearance on a remote California island discovers an ecosystem warped by alien evolution. Trapped and isolated, a veteran agent must confront the island’s highly adaptive human-animal hybrids and decide what he is willing to become to protect his daughter as the violent beings threaten the mainland.

This is a procedural mystery and family drama unfolding inside a looming sci-fi disaster movie, shot through with body horror. Think ALIENS meets STALKER meets THE FLY, with an interrogation framework reminiscent of THE USUAL SUSPECTS.

The story also explores the value — and limits — of idealism in an environment that rewards brutality and animalistic expediency.

Awards and Recognition:

One of 230 Semifinalists — and one of only 10 candidates for the Science Fiction Feature Award — in the 2025 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, a contest with over 11,500 entries.

One of 15 Finalists in the 2025 Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition, a contest with 3,120 entries.