As might be expected on Halloween, Jason Gregg will be hearing plenty of screams and shrieks tonight.

But he will also be hearing another sound – that of applause.

The Bristol-based film maker has had the horror movie he co-wrote and directed chosen for screening in front of an audience of more than 400 people.

His entry to the 2 Days Later film competition – which attracted entries from around the UK and even from Switzerland – will be shown on the big screen at the Theatre Royal in Margate, Kent.

Those entries that did not reach the shortlist for screening in the main theatre will be shown on monitors around the building, where film makers and actors have been invited to arrive in fancy dress on a horror and Halloween theme.

"The brief was to make a scary 10-minute film in just two days – hence the name of the competition," says Jason, 30, of Almondsbury.

"A lot of the films will have blood and gore, but our film isn't like that.

"We didn't want people covered in blood running through the woods screaming. You don't actually see anything happening. It's more of a psychological thriller."

The film, called Follyan Woods, was co-written and directed by Jason and his friend Michael Green, who is originally from Bristol but is now a drama student in London.

It stars Tony Banham, 38, who plays a driver who picks up a hitch-hiker late at night. The other actors in the film are Tim J. Henley, Dina Lees, and Rebecca Polydorou.

Jason says: "We saw Tony's photo on a casting website and thought he'd be perfect for the role. We needed someone who would be able to convey through their expressions the mounting tension, as this isn't a film that's full of dialogue."

Tony, of Staple Hill, explains: "The film starts with a black screen and a recording of a 999 call from a panic-stricken girl.

"You can't tell what it's about because the call cuts but you know that something awful is going to happen to someone. So the tension is there from the beginning.

"Then the audience sees a driver has been trying to get home to his wife and has been delayed because of an accident on the motorway. He decides to try to take a short cut down country roads but he doesn't have a map or sat-nav. Then he comes across a mysterious hitchiker."

As with any good horror film, there is an unexpected twist. However, anyone squeamish will not have to spend most of the screening of Follyan Woods with their hands over their eyes.

Tony says: "There's no blood – in fact you don't actually see anything. A lot of it is down to the imagination of the viewer."

Jason – who studied for a LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art ) exam at Bath College, and is also a trained chef – has appeared as an actor in shows such as Casualty and Gavin and Stacey.

However, he decided that rather than waiting around for auditions he would also make his own films.

He says: "I wanted to create some opportunities for myself and for other actors. My first film was Cheese and Pineapple, a romantic comedy about a relationship between two very different people.

"I've now set up my own film company called Cheese and Pineapple Productions, and the success of Follyan Woods in the 2 Days Later competition has been a great boost at this early stage."

There were more than 900 worldwide internet downloads for the brief for the competition, which was to produce a short horror film of no more than 10 minutes in length, within 48 hours. Entrants also had to feature three items from a given list as part of their film.

The competition culminates with the screening of 59 films today, of which 13 were selected for showing in the main theatre tonight.

As well as being chosen for viewing by an audience of more than 400 people, Follyan Woods could also be in line for prizes including Best Film, Best Writer and Best Performance. There will also be an audience vote for Most Popular Film.

The screenings will be followed by a party, for which guests have been invited to dress on a horror and Halloween theme.

"I'm going as Shaun of the Dead, complete with cricket bat, as people keep telling me that I look like Simon Pegg," says Jason.

Tony will be wearing his costume from Follyan Woods, together with special effects make-up that gives an idea of what might have happened by the end of the film.

He says: "I'm going to have lots of cuts and bruises. After filming Follyan Woods I'm going to be thinking twice about picking up hitchhikers!"

● Follyan Woods will be available to view on YouTube after November 1.