The Stephen King Dollar Baby program was a unique and generous initiative by the renowned author to support the next generation of aspiring filmmakers. For many years, King granted students and up-and-coming creatives the right to adapt one of his short stories for a symbolic fee of just one dollar.

This mentorship produced major talent. One of the most notable examples is three-time Oscar nominee Frank Darabont, who made a Dollar Baby short early in his career and went on to direct King adaptations like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist.

A Dollar Baby film is a powerful testament to raw, emerging talent working with quality source material, providing a rare glimpse into King's work as interpreted by independent voices. Since the program officially ended on December 31, 2023, the existing films are an even more exclusive and celebrated collection.

The contract came with specific stipulations, primarily that the finished film could not be exhibited commercially without King's approval. But you can see many of the greatest Dollar Baby films of the last four decades exclusively here, at King Con 2026 in Atlantic City!