MovieBytes - Screenwriting Contests & Markets Online

Out of The Can International Film Festival

Objective:
Please see website.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Your Script Produced! Drama

Objective:

Objective:

Get a head start on your career with the ISA Student Fellowship!

There's no better way to launch your screenwriting journey than with an experienced team behind you. We have created this program in an effort to uplift the next generation of screenwriters by introducing them to the industry and giving them access to resources to build their network. Now accepting features, pilots, web series, and shorts in all genres from ALL students, ages 18 and over.

Up to 3 Selected Fellows will be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate plus receive a $1,000 credit to use on the ISA platform for any ISA resource available! Fellows will also be featured in articles on Creative Screenwriting Magazine and Film Inquiry, plus they'll participate in a meeting with an ISA Development Exec, and have their projects shared with our industry partners.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

Missouri Stories Scriptwriting Fellowship

Objective:

The Missouri Stories Scriptwriting Fellowship is a national competition for screenplays and television pilot scripts with storylines set in Missouri. Winning writers receive entry to an immersive retreat with working industry writer/mentors. All submission writers will get their scoresheets and written feedback. Submission writers do not have to be from or based in Missouri, but the scripts must be set in Missouri.

Missouri Stories is proud to be in its 12th year.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

Berlin Sci-Fi Filmfest

Objective:
Berlin Sci-Fi Filmfest was the first genre film festival in Germany. Berlin is a metropolis that welcomes a better future. Berlin Sci-Fi Filmfest is looking for thought provoking science fiction that makes audiences think, feel, and reflect on our place in the universe and our future.

Deadline:

Objective:
Night Frights LA is a horror film festival held in the vibrant city of Los Angeles. We showcase both short and feature-length horror films and are committed to curating a dynamic and diverse slate.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Hollywood Genre Horror Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Our mission is to find undiscovered screenwriters and provide exposure in an industry that widely does not accept unsolicited submissions. Promoting writing talent over friends and family in the right places. This competition focuses on horror. Hollywood representation and production companies with credits will consider the winners and top placing scripts for reads.

Hollywood Genre's industry partners are actively seeking for the best undiscovered Horror writers. Horror genre material is always in demand. Widely considered the most commercial cross-cultural genre, a strong horror script is both a great calling card as well as a highly commercial project.

Ready to submit your most terrifying horror script?

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79

Scriptwriters Network's Hollywood Outreach Program (HOP)

Objective:

HELPING DISCOVER AND DEVELOP FEATURE SCREENWRITERS

The Hollywood Outreach Program (HOP) is Scriptwriters Network’s premier feature screenplay competition and writer development program.

Created to support emerging and undiscovered screenwriters, HOP combines professional script evaluations, educational feedback, industry exposure, and career development opportunities designed to help writers strengthen their craft and advance their writing careers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Scriptwriters Network's Television Outreach Program (TOP)

Objective:

HELPING DISCOVER AND DEVELOP TELEVISION WRITERS

The Television Outreach Program (TOP) is Scriptwriters Network’s premier television writing competition and writer development program.

Created to support emerging and undiscovered television writers, TOP combines professional script evaluations, educational feedback, industry exposure, and career development opportunities designed to help writers strengthen their craft and advance their writing careers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Scriptwriters Network's Short Story Film Program (SSFP)

Objective:

HELPING WRITERS BRING STORIES TO THE SCREEN

The Short Story Film Program (SSFP) is Scriptwriters Network’s screenplay-to-production program designed to help writers develop compelling short-form stories while providing a pathway toward possible production.

Built upon Scriptwriters Network’s Creative Writing Challenges and educational programs, SSFP encourages writers to strengthen their storytelling skills while creating short projects designed for production consideration.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

New York Science Fiction and Horror Film Festival

Objective:
We are looking for solid science fiction, and horror films that embody good storytelling excellent effects, and entertaining narratives. Bradbury to original pieces. From a serious exploration of dystopian worlds to screwball sci-fi comedies to supernatural, eerie, and horror films We are big fans of horror sci-f in the tradition of Predator or Terminator, Eli Roth, classic Gallo horror, vampires, etc

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$45

Kinolime Shorts Competition

Objective:
Submit your 5-20 page script to KinoLime’s inaugural Short-Film Competition for a chance to win a $7,500 production grant with an additional $500 for Film Festival submissions. KinoLime’s team will also provide hands-on support to help you make your Short-Film a reality. No entry fees. No gatekeepers. KinoLime members will vote to determine which screenplay is declared the winner!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

The Thing In The Basement Horror Fest

Objective:
You are cordially invited to take part in The Thing In The Basement Horror Fest! The aim is to celebrate independent artists within the horror community, whether they be filmmakers, photographers, screenwriters, animators, or painters, you have found a home with us!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Objective:

Dive deep down into the darkest depths of your fear. Unleash your darkest imaginings. Spin your spine-chilling tales and craft a story that'll haunt dreams and inspire shivers! Make our souls tremble. Let your words and images cast shadows that linger!

Objective:

Take Your Writing — and Your Career — to the Next Level.

The Story Farm Fellowship isn’t just any ordinary fellowship. It’s your chance to elevate a current project, develop a brand new one, and build lifelong creative momentum — all during a 5-day lakeside writing retreat in stunning Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Whether you’re a rising voice or an industry veteran, we’re looking for writers ready to dig deep, find their authentic voice, and make lasting connections.

Features and pilots of all genres are welcome.

BENEFITS SUMMARY:

A fully-catered, distraction-free retreat focused on real writing time, expert workshops, and industry access.
Hands-on development with veteran coach Max Timm.
Consideration for the ISA Development Slate and Creative Screenwriter Productions.
Professional workshops, pitch practice, executive feedback discounts, and more for Top 10 finalists.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Franzi Shorts

Objective:

Franzi Shorts is an international short film screenplay competition, organised by Franzi, a production studio based in Copenhagen. We're inviting writers to submit either a completed short film script or a treatment outlining the concept and characters. Scripts of any genre or style are welcome.

All submissions are reviewed by Franzi’s team of executive producers and directors. From these, ten finalists will be selected for individual feedback sessions. During these calls, the team will offer creative notes, discuss the script’s development potential, and introduce them to our network of directors and producers.

One script will be greenlit for production. The writer will collaborate with Franzi’s creative team to develop the project through script revisions and will be invited to Copenhagen to join the production on set. All production and post-production costs will be fully covered by Franzi.

All entrants are eligible for free resubmission of revised scripts until the final deadline. Multiple entries are accepted, with a separate submission required for each.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

The Inspired Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE STRONGEST VOICES IN SCREENWRITING.

We believe in the power of YOUR voice.

The stories we tell connect us, they move us, and when they’re really special, they change us.

Those special stories, the ones that make us think and feel, the ones that leave an indelible mark on our hearts and souls, they don’t come from the same pool of generic setups and one-dimensional characters we’ve seen over and over again.

They come from you.

Or, at least, that’s what we believe here at Inspired. We believe that it’s only through showing who you are with your writing can you truly reach your audience in a meaningful way.

We also love movies. We love writing movies, making movies, and watching movies. Which is why our competition is currently focused on feature length screenplays only.

As writers ourselves, we also hate it when people try to put us in a box. And we don’t want to put you in a box, either. That’s why we don’t have separate genre categories.

When you submit, we’ll be assessing your story on its own terms, rather than through the lens of a specific genre.

So, send us your best. Send us your personal. Send us the crazy out-there ideas that could have only come from (insert your name here).

Because, whether it’s a high concept comedy, historical drama, elevated horror or something in between (if anyone has that script, btw, def send it our way), if it came from you, we want to read it.

And when we do find that special script? That script that blows our minds?

WE ARE GONNA WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY.

So, use your voice and shout it from the rooftops because...

We’re listening.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35

Emerging Screenwriters Horror Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Do you have a spine-chilling horror story that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats?

We’re seeking entries in the horror genre. Could your script be the next Halloween or Hereditary? Is it a fresh, terrifying take on the genre, like Get Out or The Babadook?

Whether you’ve crafted a supernatural nightmare, or a psychological slasher script with a unique twist, we want to read it.

Enter today—if you dare!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59

Emerging Screenwriters Thriller Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Do you have a gripping thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats?

We’re seeking entries in the thriller genre. Is your script the next Gone Girl or Prisoners? Is it a fresh, pulse-pounding take on suspense, like Nightcrawler or A Quiet Place?

Whether you’ve crafted a psychological mind-bender, a high-stakes crime thriller, or a slow-burn mystery with a shocking twist, we want to read it.

Enter today—if you can handle the suspense!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59

The Great American Script Contest

Objective:

** Grand Prize: Access to Industry Representation in our network of producers, filmmakers, managers and alumni. **

Past winners have signed with top agencies like CAA, UTA, WME, ICM, The Cartel, Innovative and Zero Gravity.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$57

Kinolime Feature Screenplay Competition

Objective:
Kinolime is distinct in its approach to screenplay competitions, blending user-driven voting with expert panel reviews. In addition, Kinolime is committed to the holistic development of the winning screenplay, providing full funding from the page to pre-production and all the way through post-production and marketing.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

Red Flight Pictures Screenplay Awards

Objective:

Red Flight Pictures LLC and Revolving Artist Films are two multi-award winning production company specializing in film and television. Both are a self-sufficient entity producing creative content in its most unadulterated form.

Each year, Both companies host a screenplay contest that awards writers the chance to have their screenplay produced by the award-winning teams. Each screenplay is reviewed by our judges and all selected screenplays are reviewed by industry professionals who will handpick the top prizes.

Once submitted, our team of judges will read each screenplay and provide notes. Together they will select about 20 films to be passed on to our Tier 2 judges. Those judges will select our award winners.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Monkeypaw Productions’ NO DRAMA Powered by the Universal Filmmakers Project and TIFF

Objective:

What’s your biggest fear? What monsters lurk in the deepest corners of your inner thoughts? Monkeypaw Productions’ NO DRAMA Powered by the Universal Filmmakers Project and TIFF challenges filmmakers to produce a short film that explores monsters across genres, cultures, time, and society.

NO DRAMA is a global short-film development initiative for writer-directors with a passion for telling horror-centered stories. It builds upon the Studio’s and Monkeypaw’s commitment to providing access to breakout filmmakers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Hollywood Genre Comedy Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Our mission is to find undiscovered screenwriters and provide exposure in an industry that widely does not accept unsolicited submissions. Promoting writing talent over friends and family in the right places. This competition focuses on comedy. Hollywood representation and production companies with credits will consider the winners and top placing scripts for reads.

Hollywood Genre's industry partners are actively seeking for the best undiscovered Comedy writers. As one of the most challenging genres to write well, a strong comedy spec demonstrates another dimension of writing ability.

Ready to submit your funniest comedy script?

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

The Old Lady Project

Objective:

The Old Lady project is an initiative to encourage the development of plays and musicals that feature significant roles for female identifying characters over 50, a demographic that is mostly unseen in mainstream media.

Scripts/Screenplays will be submitted to a national panel of directors and producers and staged readings of the winners will occur at the historic Noyes Cultural Arts Center. A directory of works will be featured on the Old Lady Project webpage to facilitate connections between theatre companies, directors and producers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$5 reading fee

Hollywood Genre Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Our mission is to find undiscovered screenwriters and provide exposure in an industry that widely does not accept unsolicited submissions. Promoting writing talent over friends and family in the right places. This competition focuses on sci-fi movies, one of the top genres for international sales potential. Hollywood representation and production companies with credits will consider the winners and top placing scripts for reads.

Hollywood Genre's industry partners, each with years of experience in produced genre projects, are actively seeking for the best undiscovered Sci-Fi screenplays. Ready to submit your most polished sci-fi spec?

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Festival for Drama

Objective:
Showcasing the of best of DRAMA stories from around the world.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Culver City Film Festival

Objective:
Contest objective to give exposure in Los Angeles to screenwriters. We give awards for various types of screenplays ranging from features to television to shorts in a wide variety of categories and genres. We also invite all those screenwriters selected for the festival to all festival networking events and screenings.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Short Com Comedy and Genre Feature Screenplay Competition

Objective:

This is a joint venture between the Short Com Film And Animation Festival and our sister genre festival SI-FAN. We're looking for solid original genre and comedy feature scripts to put to our roster of esteemed industry contacts with the aim to help get a project off the ground and into production.

From low-budget indie films to larger-scale productions, we're open to all kinds of ideas. Whether it is comedy, horror, Sci-Fi, fantasy, action, thriller, dystopian, or even genre bending, if it has the potential to engage with an audience, it’s a fit for us.

Unsure if your project matches the remit? Get in touch to ask — we’re always open to exploring new ideas.

Judging panel

Natalie Metzger - VP of Development and Production at Vanishing Angle - Werewolves Within, Thunder Road, Queens of The Dead
Jenette Kahn - Partner at Double Nickel Entertainment - Gran Torino, Book of Henry, Grow
More judges TBA SOON

Previously, we have had industry judges from Utopia, Blue Finch Releasing and Protagonist Pictures.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$55

AoBFF Comedy Short Script Contest

Objective:

FUNNY PEOPLE: Enter your comedy TV and short film scripts to the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival's new COMEDY SHORTS contest!

The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival continues our 14th season with the launch of our first Genre Screenplay Contest! Enter your COMEDY scripts (pilot, episodic, or short film) and make sure they're no longer than 40 pages.

Our Policy on using AI to read and score screenplays:

A.I. SHOULD NEVER WRITE SCREENPLAYS. IT SHOULDN'T READ THEM, EITHER.

Technology — no matter how advanced — can never replace the human creative spirit. When a writer pours their heart and soul into a screenplay, they deserve consideration, respect, and constructive feedback from a real human expert… not artificial 'intellgence.'

At AoBFF we support independent artists every step of the way. We NEVER use A.I. in any of our Screenplay Contests or our Script Coverage Services — and we never will.

ABOUT THE ART OF BROOKLYN:
The future of narrative storytelling is in the hands of the next generation of writers — and THE ART OF BROOKLYN believes in celebrating diverse creative voices from all over the world.

AoBFF is a an award-winning international film festival and platform designed to connect Brooklyn's vibrant indie scene with their peers around the world. Founded by working artists in 2011, we are an event and showcase for emerging creators and established voices.

We are generating significant growth each year with an expanding international footprint among audiences, filmmakers, screenwriters, and the entertainment industry. Over 35 of our premieres have gained distribution — and one became an HBO series.

We are a fully hybrid festival, producing live, in person screenings in neighborhoods across Brooklyn and streaming encore screenings and panels to an international audience, with studio grade DRM protection via the Eventive Festival Platform.

Equity is organic to our mission. We bridge the opportunity divide by making media accessible to everyone, including those who are underrepresented on either side of the camera.

We have a Transparent and Ethical Submission Policy in which every film and screenplay we receive until midnight of the last day of late submissions is viewed in its entirety and considered for programming. We never pre-select films for competition, fill a template or set our schedule before submissions close.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Frights! Camera! Action! Horror Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Frights! Camera! Action! is a fun, affordable and recurring horror screenplay contest which is now entering its eighth year. It's run and judged by industry professionals and a horde of horror aficionados.

We're looking for all forms of horror. Whether your style is subtle and spine-chilling, blood-soaked and gory, psychologically twisted, or a unique blend of old-school scares and cutting-edge concepts, we welcome it all.

We accept short screenplays (up to 35 pages) and feature-length screenplays. Each entry we receive is read at least twice as part of the judging process. Writers will either win a category, place as a runner up, receive an honorable mention or not be selected.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$51 (feature); $31 (short)

Christian Faith, Hope, and Love Film Festival and Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

We are a faith based film festival for filmmakers with a higher purpose. Our festival aims to showcase a curated selection of entertaining, thought-provoking films that delve into the profound and often complex intersections of belief, culture, and identity.

At the Faith, Hope, and Love Film Festival, we believe in the power of film to inspire, challenge, and unite audiences from all walks of life. Our carefully curated lineup includes a variety of genres, from compelling dramas to enlightening documentaries, each offering a unique perspective on the role of faith in our ever-evolving world.

Whether exploring the personal journey of individuals on a quest for meaning, delving into the rich tapestry of religious traditions, or examining the impact of faith on society, these films provoke deep reflection and foster a sense of understanding and connection among our diverse audience.

We embrace filmmakers of any faith and of any nationality. This collaborative atmosphere fosters a sense of community and encourages the exchange of ideas and perspectives.

Join us for a cinematic journey that transcends boundaries, fosters dialogue, and celebrates the universal themes that connect us all.

Faith, Hope, and Love is a boutique film festival dedicated to promoting faith films and writers with a higher purpose. We want to create a platform to celebrate faith films and the artists who make them. We support artists from all over the world of all faiths, of any ethnicity, of any age, and of any gender. We love film and we are really just here to support filmmakers.

We are a destination film festival, where cinematic exploration meets the thrill of travel! Immerse yourself in a world of captivating films that transport you to breathtaking locations, diverse cultures, and untold stories. As such, we host our events in exotic locations that inspire creativity. Our festival is a celebration of the art of filmmaking that takes you on a visual journey around the globe. As such every year our festival will be held in exotic locations like Bali, Boracay, Arivaica, Fiji, Coron, Tubac, Sedona, or Maui.

Faith, Hope, and Love is more than just a movie experience; it's an opportunity to embark on a virtual voyage of discovery. Join us as we showcase a spectrum of genres, from breathtaking documentaries that highlight the wonders of the natural world to gripping narratives that unfold against the backdrop of iconic landmarks.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60

Cult Movies International Film Festival

Objective:
Online film and screenplay festival.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$100

Film Basement Horror Film Awards

Objective:
We are hosting this award showcase to elevate horror filmmakers from around the globe. Horror strikes at the very heart, reinvigorating us. When your pulse sky rockets from intense fear you know that you're alive. Horror filmmaking is something we're all deeply passionate about and we know you are too.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

BlueCat TV Writing Competition

Objective:

BlueCat has a long and distinguished history of discovering unknown TV writers, introducing them to the industry and launching their careers.

We have two categories: Hour Pilot and Half-Hour Pilot. The two winners will win $2,000 each and be introduced to over four hundred literary managers and agents.

Every pilot submitted will receive script analysis at no additional cost. After receiving feedback, all writers will be eligible to revise their scripts and resubmit.

Send us your pilot—-we want to help you develop your script!

Deadlines: * Early: April 2nd * Regular: May 7th * Final: June 4th * Late: June 25th * Resubmission: July 23rd Founded in 1998 by award-winning writer Gordy Hoffman, BlueCat has supported thousands of screenwriters through written analysis provided to all entrants, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in the film and television industry. BlueCat's Alumni include: Aaron Guzikowski (Verve/Madhouse) wrote PRISONERS, the remake of PAPILLON, and Ridley Scott's RAISED BY WOLVES. Fergal Rock wrote DEPARTURES starring Nina Dobrev and Maisie Williams. Ana Lily Amirpour (CAA), won Special Jury Prize at the 2016 Venice Film Festival for THE BAD BATCH, directed by Lyle Vincent (DREAMLAND) and starring Jason Momoa, Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves. She will direct CLIFFHANGERS produced by Neal Mortiz. Ashleigh Powell (Gersh/Good Fear Film), wrote THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS directed by Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston. She’s currently writing THE ATHENA PROJECT for Warner Bros and THE PAPER MAGICIAN for Disney.

Objective:

Welcome to B!tchFest—where Badass B!tches command the screen! Following the incredible success of B!tchFest Seasons 1 & 2—which featured a combined 47 film and screenplay award winners, a multitude of exceptionally talented runners-up, finalists, and semifinalists, 2 WINNING FILMS PICKED UP BY STREAMING PLATFORMS, 5 SCREENWRITERS WITH PROJECTS NOW IN PRODUCTION, a sold-out venue, and an unforgettable, emotional festival experience—we’re back for B!tchFest Season 3!

WHAT MAKES B!TCHFEST DIFFERENT?

B!tchFest is more than just a festival—it’s a COMMUNITY! One that extends beyond the festival event itself. We are invested in the success of your films and screenplays, offering a space for SUPPORT, CONNECTION, and COLLABORATION for all our past and present submitters. In a world where women and the LGBTQIA+ community often face challenges with equality and representation, we’re here to unite and empower minority creators!

B!tchFest is an INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & SCREENPLAY CONTEST featuring an impactful in-person festival event for screenwriters and filmmakers in the heart of Los Angeles—where stories that deserve to be heard finally get their moment! By providing a platform for RECOGNITION, AWARDS, PROMOTION, and making NEW CONNECTIONS, we aim to break barriers and help pave the way for a more inclusive entertainment industry.

Join us for a festival that goes beyond screenings—promote your projects, participate in panels, showcase your work to enthusiastic audiences, walk the red carpet, and connect with industry trailblazers who share our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We're on a mission to redefine the narrative by proudly showcasing the best screenplays, television and episodic scripts, stage play scripts, and independent films—including features, shorts, documentaries, student films, music videos, and TV pilots—crafted by the most BADASS WOMEN and LGBTQIA+ CREATORS in the industry.

Our esteemed panel of industry professionals, including directors, producers, agents, managers, executives, and casting directors, will carefully assess all submissions. Our jury consists of experts from various sectors within the entertainment and publishing industries. Established script readers, filmmakers, screenwriters, and story analysts review all entries. Top contenders are then advanced to our executive industry judges for final evaluation to determine the winners of each category.

We truly value your work and the courage it takes to submit your projects! Therefore, every screenplay and film submission is reviewed in its entirety by our judges. B!tchFest does NOT use AI to score or summarize your scripts in any way. Every word on the page is read by a real human, and every minute of every film is watched—from the first frame to the closing credits.

WHEN IS B!TCHFEST?

The 3rd annual B!tchFest Film Festival & Screenplay Contest will be held at the Eastwood Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, CA on Saturday, February 27, 2027.

Winning screenwriters and filmmakers will join our RED CARPET EVENT, SCREEN their films in front of a LIVE AUDIENCE, score TROPHIES and give SPEECHES at our AWARDS CEREMONY, PROMOTE their films and PITCH their scripts during our on-stage PANEL DISCUSSIONS (which will be recorded and streamed on our website for additional promotion), and engage in an INDUSTRY MEET-&-GREET EVENT designed to foster new connections with entertainment professionals who support our mission.

Submit your films and screenplays today and join a revolution that refuses to stay silent. Welcome to the B!tchFest family—together, we can rewrite the rules!

TO SUBMIT PLEASE VISIT OUR FESTIVAL'S FILMFREEWAY PAGE:
https://filmfreeway.com/BtchFestFilmFestivalandScreenplayContestwww.bitchfestla.com

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards & Pitch Deck-Sizzle Reel-Trailer Contest

Objective:
Discovering the best writers and filmmakers and showcasing their work. What happens to your script or your video when you enter The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards & Sizzle Reel-Trailer-Pitchdeck Contest?

Your script or video file is uploaded into our firewall-protected data portal.
Your script is read and evaluated against professional marketplace standards.
Your Sizzle Reel, Movie Trailer, or Pitchdeck is screened multiple times and judged on its marketability.
Scores are assigned; written analysis (far more than "coverage") is then composed, edited, and validated by members of the Senior Judging Panel.
There are no unpaid interns or amateur readers involved in our process at any time.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$39-$149

Hollywood Genre Action Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Our mission is to find undiscovered screenwriters and provide exposure in an industry that widely does not accept unsolicited submissions. Promoting writing talent over friends and family in the right places. This competition focuses on action movies, one of the top genres for international sales potential. Hollywood representation and production companies with credits will consider the winners and top placing scripts for reads.

Have a great action script finished? Submit it to the Hollywood Genre Action Screenplay Contest before the next deadline!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

We Script Competition Festival

Objective:

The script is the core of any project and any film, movie or series. Our main goal is to enlighten the unique talent of writing and the original skill of storytelling.

The We Script Competition is an International script and authors competition. It is a unique opportunity to meet, discuss and talk about your script. This Festival will give you the chance to share your craftsmanship, explain your point of view, unroll your writing process.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$25

4th Dimension Independent Film Festival

Objective:

Art, in all forms, inspires us. From the first drawings of the prehistoric man to Artificial Intelligence driven illustrations, the journey of art has been one of curiosity, progress and redemption. The form of cinema is the most impactful of them all. It is only this art-form that has the power to blend time with space. The real and the imaginary correspond to one another in films. It is only in cinema that we can reflect, introspect and often modify our realities as well as our history. It is a medium to look into our past and our future.

The transnationality of films often translates one civilization to another. Cinema is a calling card for universal values of humanity.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$99

Filmmatic Sci-Fi/Fantasy Awards

Objective:

The Filmmatic Sci-Fi/Fantasy Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming science fiction and fantasy screenwriters, as well as to empower and educate those talented writers still waiting for their invitation to the mainstream industry.

If you have an edgy science-fiction drama, an epic fantasy adventure, or anything in-between, we want to see your feature script, TV pilot or short! (We're accepting all projects and genres that have a significant sci-fi and/or fantasy element)

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59, $29

American Story Showcase

Objective:
Submissions Open: June 29, 2026. The American Story Showcase recognizes scripts, books, short stories, & stage plays in any genre that feature a story that captures the American spirit.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Pitch to Page

Objective:

Only the strongest pitches receive script reads in the film industry. Therefore, Pitch to Page focuses on a holistic approach by identifying the best scripts from "pitch to page." Since the logline is a writer's first key in opening the door to a read, all first round submissions are judged on their loglines. The next round of judging is based on synopses. Those submissions that have the strongest pitch package will finally be judged on their scripts. The goal is to not only find an excellent script, but to find a writer who has all the elements to take their script to the next level.

The current Pitch to Page contest is for Thriller scripts only. (Thrillers are characterized by suspense and high-stakes conflict, often involving crime or danger. They feature a tension-filled narrative with unexpected twists designed to keep the audience captivated and on edge.)

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Short Com TV Sitcom Writing Competition

Objective:

The comedy platform Short Com are pleased to announce the return of their popular TV Sitcom Writing Competition for the fifth consecutive year in a row. The competition aims to find the best new and emerging comedy writing talent. Judging the quality of writing first ahead of whether a script has a really marketable idea.

We have helped writers in the past to be optioned and find representation.

Short Com Film and Animation Festival is regarded as one of the world's leading comedy specific film festivals. We love finding new comedy writing, filmmaking and performing talent.

The competition is open to writers from anywhere providing they do not have a series broadcast credit for a comedy series.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
£25-£70

Creative Screenwriting Feature Competition

Objective:

Have you written the next Challengers, The Brutalist, Conclave, Heretic, The Six Triple Eight, or even an animation like Encanto? Or have you written something unlike anything we've seen before? We want to read it all!

We're seeking 10 incredible Features in all genres! Each Finalist will receive $250 and and go on to be considered for Grand Prize to win $2,500, an option consideration by Creative Screenwriter Productions, plus industry exposure through our other contacts. We're working hard to pair talented writers and their projects with our industry partners.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Emerging Screenwriters Animation Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Do you have a great animation script that’s ready for the industry?

From the ballroom dance in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, to the elemental combat of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, some of the greatest moments in cinema come from the world of animation. In recent years, the popularity of (and development interest in) animation has skyrocketed thanks to hits such as the subversive RICK AND MORTY to the heartwarming ENCANTO. The greatest animated works take full advantage of the medium. Their writers turn the challenges of animation into opportunities to tell unique stories within distinct worlds.

The Emerging Screenwriters team welcomes all genres within the Animation medium. Whether the material is inspired by classic princess adventure films, modern adult comedy series, anime dramas, or something new entirely, we want to read your story. Emerging Screenwriters: Animation winners will be shared with our mentors, partners, and industry connections (see below) for option or production consideration. Plus, the Top 10 will be considered for the ISA Development Slate.

Accepting Features and Pilots.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59.00

Horror2Comic Contest

Objective:

What do hit series like Creepshow, The Walking Dead and films like 30 Days of Night, The Crow, Hellboy & Blade all have in common? They all started as comic books.

The HORROR2COMIC Contest was created by the team at Script2Comic and features leading film, television and comic industry professionals from the horror space coming together to provide a platform for writers to see their scares brought to life.

Submit your screenplay, teleplay, short script, comic script or short story for a chance to have it brought to life as a comic book series or graphic novel and published by one of the top indie publishers in comics.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$95

Family Friendly Screenwriting Awards - Season TWO

Objective:

Let’s celebrate great storytelling! Family Friendly Screenwriting Academy wants to find the best of the best of unproduced features in the faith based and family friendly genres.

Do you have an amazing and entertaining story without profanity, vulgarity, nudity, or sexual content? If so, we want to read it!

There is a growing demand for Family Friendly films. The market is crying out for more conservative, yet still compelling content. Family Friendly Screenwriting Academy believes that when writers see growth both in their level of writing, and in their opportunities, they’re able to provide the content that the market is begging for.

FESTIVAL GOAL: To find and showcase quality writing; to raise the standard of scriptwriting in the Family Friendly film genre, and help launch and advance screenwriting careers.

FESTIVAL EVENT - JULY 30, 2023 (tickets purchased separately) provides advanced learning opportunities with the Family Friendly Screenwriting Bootcamp; Three Masterclasses on SPECIFIC screenwriting techniques that you can immediately use to analyze and improve your scripts. See upcoming Bootcamp classes and instructors here: https://www.familyfriendlyscreenwriting.com/bootcamp (July 30 classes and Instructors to be announced)

You have the option to order Script Notes with your submission for the reduced price of $100

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$69.90

Family Friendly Peer Review Screenwriting Festival - Season THREE

Objective:

Screenwriters often don't get the results they were hoping for from a script but don't know how to fix it, leaving them confused or frustrated. Family Friendly Peer Review Screenwriting Festival offers you affordable feedback from other writers and actionable techniques from professional instructors that you can immediately use to refine your script, increase your skill level, and advance your career!

Network with other writers in the Family Friendly genre.
Attend our Family Friendly Screenwriting Bootcamp which INCLUDES THREE SCREENWRITING MASTERCLASSES with professional instructors - learn actionable and immediately applicable techniques.
Learn and improve before spending money on more expensive screenwriting contests, professional coverage or a script consultant.
Get valuable feedback and insights from 3 other writers within your genre - both positive and constructive insights will help you know what’s working and what may need “fixing”.
Get direction to improve your scripts and get them ready to pitch to producers and/or other competitions and festivals.
Read other scripts and give feedback - increase your capacity to objectively recognize strengths and weaknesses (a skill you can apply to your own writing).
Learn how other writers approach various elements such as plot, structure, pacing, dialogue, formatting.

Learn more at www.familyfriendlyscreenwriting.com/peer-review-festival

Learn more about our Festivals, Bootcamps, and Professional Script Services at www.familyfriendlyscreenwriting.com

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59.90 (shorts); $64.90 (pilots); $69.90 (features)

ISA Diversity Initiative

Objective:

The International Screenwriters’ Association’s Diversity Initiative strives to elevate writers from underrepresented and marginalized communities. We are seeking writers with unique perspectives based on race, sexuality, gender, neurodiversity, disability, economic inequality, age and other. Our aim is to break down barriers and celebrate authentic narratives.

Exceptional writers will be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate, the top tier of ISA writers. The ISA supports, applauds and promotes these writers to producers, managers and agents in Hollywood and beyond, forging relationships and building careers. Selected writers will also receive an ISAConnect Membership plus other benefits.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

WRPN.tv Screenplay Competition

Objective:

A competition created for up-and-coming screenwriters. We accept produced and unproduced scripts.

Get your winning scripts/Novels submitted to Polaris Pictures, a film finance company. Polaris does not accept unsolicited submissions.

If your screenplay or novel is rejected, we will tell you the reason (s), and you’ll have a chance to re-submit up to 30 days before the last deadline or the following season for free.

WRPNSC accepts unproduced and produced feature-length screenplays between 70 and 130 pages, unproduced and produced short scripts under 40 pages, unproduced and produced Teleplays of 45 to 70 pages, and unproduced and produced Webisode pilots of 10 to 20 pages. Novels' word counts are in the 50,000 to 100,000 range.

Our founders are active Committee Members for the Universal Film and Festival Organization (UFFO.ORG), a U.K.-based non-profit founded to implement best business practices for festivals.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85.00

Pinnacle Film Awards

Objective:

Pinnacle Film Awards is an online bi-monthly contest platform that is dedicated to honoring projects from all over the world.

We are devoted to finding innovative independent artists who are creating groundbreaking work in their respective fields, and giving them a place to celebrate their artistry. We are looking for edgy, unique, and thought provoking pieces with a fresh voice.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Hollywood Diversity Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The values of Southern California reflect the diversity of gender, gender identity, and the many different cultures that reside within our region. And independent film has been the driver of change in the Hollywood mainstream, at times influencing and re-shaping the norms of studio and network content.

Both the 2019 winner Roisin Jones and 2020’S winner Alice McDowell have received development funding through Screen Ireland for their respective projects.

“Winning was unbelievable and very humbling…. I used some of the winnings to pay for a script editor which has been invaluable. The Fleadh folks have been really helpful and encouraging, checking in on my progress and connecting me with the industry. I’ve had some encouraging conversations with producers and agents. Everything is still in the early stages but the goal is to keep the momentum up and eventually debut the film at the Fleadh”

The regular deadline for entry to the Pitching Competition is Friday May 27th, 2022 at 5p.m. G.M.T. and the entry fee is €40. The late deadline is Friday June 3rd, 2022 at 5p.m. G.M.T. and the fee is €50.

For further information or to submit a pitch, visit www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/industry-the-galway-film-fair/pitching-competition/

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
50 euro

Creative Screenwriting TV Pilot Competition

Objective:

Have you written the next Yellow Jackets, Baby Reindeer, Abbott Elementary, Hacks, Shrinking, Only Murders in the Building or even an animation like Bojack Horseman? Or have you written something unlike anything we've seen before? We want to read it all!

We're seeking 10 incredible half-hour and one-hour pilots in all genres! Each Finalist will receive $250 and and go on to be considered for Grand Prize to win $2,500, an option consideration by Creative Screenwriter Productions, plus industry exposure through our other contacts. Pilots are in more demand than ever, and we're working hard to pair talented writers and their projects with our industry partners.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition

Objective:

We’re currently in a clear Golden Age of TV. With audiences’ increasing desires for escapism and purely bingeable TV, it has never been this good. And there have never been as many opportunities for screenwriters to write for TV. There were a record 532 scripted TV programs in 2019. That’s a lot of pages of TV that need to be written.

Some of the best writing happens for TV. Some of the best stories being told are being told on TV. When it comes to television, it’s a writer’s world. Writers become producers and showrunners of TV shows.

Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+ are eager to find TV writers with unique voices. That is what our competition is for. We want to find undiscovered talented TV writers and connect them with the industry, so one day they’ll be able to write for their favorite TV Show. So, finish your TV Pilot script, submit it to our competition and let us do the rest.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79

God Country Family Christian Film Festival

Objective:
od Country Family is a unique film festival established to showcase the work of filmmakers who deal with stories, themes, morals, and beliefs that are often ignored or even mocked by much of today's popular culture. As the fest's name suggests, we want to provide a welcoming space for cinema that deals with issues of faith; films that present the importance of patriotism; and stories that celebrate family life. Those ideals and relationships which are the foundations of a healthy and vibrant culture.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Script Studio Feature Screenwriting Contest

Objective:
To offer emerging screenwriters with unique voices and original ideas an opportunity to get their script in front of agents, managers, producers and development execs. Our annual feature contest aims to highlight the best international writing talent, circulate and promote the winning scripts and raise the profile of their writers. This year's total prize fund of $10,000 in cash and prizes will be distributed among the top 5 scripts in 7 genres, with genre category winners receiving $500 cash and the Grand Prize Winner walking away with $2,500 cash in total. We will also be offering a Guaranteed Option prize to one or more scripts.

Objective:
You have one week to write a 10-page or less script in proper screenplay format on the theme and genre to be announced noon (edt) October 14th.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
FREE

SunVale Script Contest

Objective:

Sunvale Screenplay Contest was developed to connect undiscovered screenwriters with filmmakers and offer them an opportunity to see their work on the screen!

We are going to our third season and accept features, TV pilots and short screenplays in 5 different categories (Action/Adventure, Horror/thriller, Drama, Comedy, Female screenwriters).

Every entry will be read by a producer.

The Grand Prize Winner will get a demo reel clip (also called proof of concept film) produced based on their screenplay.

Proof of concepts function like a trailer of your screenplay and can be used to sell the screenplay. Many famous movies were produced based on a proof-of-concept film, including Sin City, District 9, and Whiplash.

All 5 category winners will also get a free entry to the next Sunvale contest cycle (you can submit the same script or a different script).

ScreenReaders (https://www.myscreenreaders.com) are also sponsoring prizes for our finalists.

If you want to see you work produced at the highest quality standards, Sunvale Screenplay Contest is the choice for you!

You can watch our season 1 winner's proof of concept film here: https://youtu.be/3RX_i8MTtZQ

Fresh off the release of THE ACCOUNTANT 2, Zero Gravity founders Eric and Mark Williams are partnering with Stage 32 to find the next undiscovered action-thriller writing talents. The producers, who originally found screenwriter Bill Dubuque (THE ACCOUNTANT, OZARK, THE JUDGE) through a cold query, will work directly with Stage 32 through the Stage 32 Action/Thriller Screenwriting Contest.

Zero Gravity will be personally reviewing semi-finalist loglines and all top 10 finalist scripts, with winners selected based on both creative merit and commercial viability. The selected writers will receive script development, industry mentorship, and potential production pathways designed to fast-track emerging writers. Both Stage 32 and Zero Gravity will jointly package developed projects for production.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$84.50

Creative Screenwriting Animation Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Any story - great or small, western or futuristic, preschool or adult - can be told through the power of animation.

Animation is fast becoming one of Hollywood's favorite and most versatile mediums for storytelling, and there's no mystery as to why. It is an ever-evolving, perennial format that guarantees to become even more important as streamers fill their libraries. That's why Creative Screenwriting wants to champion the best and boldest animated features and tv pilots that you have to offer.

Do you have a live action script that could be produced in the world of animation? We want to read it. No genre nor intended age group is off limits.

Diverse voices are encouraged to apply; we strive to amplify underrepresented and marginalized voices.

Show us your most imaginative work!

Accepting Features & Pilots in 3 Categories

Kids: Ages 11 and Under

Comps like: Little Einsteins, Octonauts, Niko and the Sword of Light, Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts, The Dragon Prince, Owl House

Teen/YA: Ages 12 to 17

Comps like: Legend of Korra, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, Castlevania, most pure Anime

Adult: Ages 18+
Comps like: Bob's Burgers, The Great North, Venture Bros, Crossing Swords, Family Guy, Futurama

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards

Objective:

Paradise for writers ... and where every connection leads to Hollywood.

Winners enjoy 60-90 minutes of live online Line Notes & Consultation with WGA award-winning Sr. Judge.

Your script is personally analyzed by judges with a track record of helping writers break into the business and become super-star talents. You'll then join a 60-90 minute live Zoom conference to go through your script line-by-line, as the judge makes written notes directly on your script and offers suggestions for improvement.

This is a professional "notes" session with strategies for selling your script and getting paid writing gigs. You'll receive a video recording of your session. (Highly recommended for those seeking a career as a professional screen or television writer.)

Santa Barbara--where the film industry began--has always attracted Hollywood's leading writers, producers, agents, managers, stage, television, and movie talent. Featuring Oscar-Emmy-WGA Award-winning judges with vital industry connections. those decision-makers are HERE in search of today's most promising writers.

Every word of every page of your script will be analyzed by established Hollywood film and television professionals.

This is the place for the industry's #1-ranked written studio analysis by working industry professionals (no unpaid "interns" here!).

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$44-119

Nice International Film Festival

Objective:

Nice International Filmmaker Festival 2022 is strategically placed a few days before the Cannes International Film Festival in the south of France, naturally filling our venue with a wealth of talent from around the world. This is to provide our attendees with the best experience possible to grow and develop their careers.

Our Nice International Film Festival is all held in one convenient location; All of the screenings, workshops, meetings, networking, industry professionals, Awards Night and even hotel rooms. That means that we will always be there, supporting you and your project from before the Festival starts to the closing ceremony. So we won’t be hard to find, or difficult to locate, we know how important it is for Festival organisers to be on hand and to supply that all important personal touch. How do we know? We know because we already have huge experience in running other Film Festivals and from that we also know how to make it a better experience for you. With us, it will be.

Independent filmmakers and creatives face many challenges; the large competition for viewers’ attention, finding funding and getting a distributor can only be overcome by the industry coming together and creating opportunities for those who need and deserve it. Our Festival’s aim are to create an opportunity for filmmakers to show their work to the right audience at our intimate and relaxing events, and get one step closer to success by receiving recognition for their art.

Year after year we are praised by filmmakers for the opportunities that unlock upon entering and participating in our festival. Workshops, guest speakers, film premieres, financing talks, director Q&As, film screenings, networking events, industry professional panels and the chance to socialise with like-minded people will undoubtedly aid in future filmmaking ventures. This is perfect for either an individual seeking funding for an unproduced screenplay or a finished production seeking distribution - we are able to cater to all. All of this is neatly wrapped in a week-long showcasing of films that concludes with our spectacular awards ceremony gala dinner, where the winners from each of our categories walk away with a prestigious trophy award, in recognition of filmmakers' talents and achievements.

We have built a small by exceptional network and industry experts who offer invaluable business and commercial advice. In many past scenarios, our attending experts have distributed countless films into international marketplaces. We have the people and skills in our professional team to make this happen.

We can create a ripple effect for your movie to be seen around the world - it all starts here by entering today.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$90

Raindance Script Competition

Objective:

Now in its 31st year, Raindance Film Festival is Europe’s leading independent Film Festival showcasing feature films, shorts and docs, virtual reality, web series and music videos from around the world and specialising in independent films and directorial debuts. The festival has a strong legacy of showing alternative, edgy films. Since 1993 Raindance Film Festival has uncovered the hottest new filmmakers to hit the cinematic scene.

Raindance-premiered hits include Pulp Fiction, Memento and the Blair Witch Project, to name a few. Listed by Variety as one of the world’s top 50 ‘unmissable film festivals’, Raindance aims to nurture, support and promote independent films and filmmakers from the UK and around the world.

Raindance is dedicated to fostering and promoting independent film in the UK and around the world. Based in the heart of London, Raindance’s ecosystem includes Raindance Film Festival, Raindance Open Courses, the higher education institute Raindance Film School, and the prestigious British Independent Film Awards.

At Raindance, we believe in championing independents in every way. As such, our new script competition is designed to develop upon Raindance’s network and community, and offer greater opportunities to emerging screenwriters.

Similarly, Raindance Film Festival has always been proud to offer a fantastic opportunity to network amongst both established and emerging talent, for those looking to develop their network of collaborators and peers.

Raindance is proud to have supported an array of successful artists in their pursuit of creative goals. Much of this stems from the success of Raindance Film courses, available to independent artists. Such success stories include, but are not limited to: Christopher Nolan, Guy Ritchie, Andrea Arnold, Matthew Vaughn, David Yates, Gavin Hood, Tom Hooper, Edgar Wright, Sacha Baron Cohen, Julian Fellowes and Nick Hornby.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$152.43

Sedona International Film Festival

Objective:

The Sedona International Film Festival celebrates current independent film from around the world. The festival strives to bring the best in narrative features, documentaries, short subjects, animation and foreign language films in all genres to its indie audience. It provides a rich educational opportunity to filmmakers, students and the general public alike through its on-site workshops, panel discussions and seminars.

The Festival's mission statement: "Bringing people together to broaden the understanding of the human condition and celebrate the power of independent film through cinema and the Sedona experience. To educate and inspire filmmakers and audience members to make a difference around the world through film."

The Feature Screenplay competition category is for Feature-length films. We are looking for the best writing, page turners that hook the reader to create your movie in their heads.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Emerging Screenwriters Comedy Competition

Objective:

Do you have a great comedy script that will make executives and audiences laugh out loud?

Whether it’s family humor, rom-coms, dark satire, or something entirely unique, we want to read it. Great comedy screenplays are among the most sought-after in the industry, opening doors when characters, plot, and humor build to a genuine comedic climax.

The Emerging Screenwriters Comedy Competition welcomes all interpretations of the genre, and winners will be shared with our mentors, partners, and industry connections for option or production consideration. Plus, the Top 10 will be considered for the ISA Development Slate.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59

Emerging Screenwriters Drama Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Do you have a great drama script that’s ready for the industry?

The best dramas don’t just tug at emotions—they reshape the way audiences see the world.

Our Emerging Screenwriters Drama Competition is designed to celebrate both classic drama narratives and idiosyncratic, boundary-pushing works. We’re looking for scripts that move hearts, challenge perspectives, and connect with audiences.

Winners won’t just collect laurels—they’ll be shared with our network of mentors, partners, and industry connections for option or production consideration. And the Top 10 scripts will be considered for the ISA Development Slate, giving them a direct path toward representation and production.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59

Dallas International Film Festival

Objective:

Dallas International Film Festival, Event Horizon Films, and Torfoot Studios have come together for the DIFF 2023 Screenplay Competition.

Among the prizes, award-winning filmmaker Johnathan Brownlee at Torfoot Studios will produce and direct the winning short script for film festival screenings. Previous winning short scripts screened at Dallas Noir Fest, Dallas International Film Festival and ATX Short Film Showcase, and many others.

**The winner of Script to Screen will be announced at DIFF 2023, so the deadline for that category will be April 7.**

All scripts are reviewed by readers currently working at top representation companies with the potential to get signed at any time.

William Morris Endeavor (WME)
Creative Artists Agency
Zero Gravity
Artist First
Innovative Artists
Authentic Talent + Literary Management
GVA Talent Agency
And more

A harsh Hollywood reality is that most scripts are lost in the slush pile. Those who are lucky to have their scripts read by a producer, agent, manager or studio head may never know whether it was given the infamous pass, consider, recommend rating. We break the mold by providing these ratings on ever feature, pilot or short submitted to our team of readers, as well as offering detailed feedback to improve overall marketability.

Advancing scripts are read and judged by Oscar winners, Emmy winners and/or blockbuster screenwriters.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$105

Houston International Sports Film Festival Screenplay Championship

Objective:

Sports stories inspire audiences with hope for success in a world full of endless challenges. As the world could always use more hope, the Sports Script Championship, presented by Houston International Sports Film Fest and Event Horizon Films, works to drive more attention to sports stories in Hollywood by recognizing the unsung writers of these inspiring scripts.

In true sports fashion, advancing scripts will go head to head in a tournament bracket until one writer is named champion. The earlier the submission, the higher the seed.

From sports bio-pics and sports family to sports comedy and sports drama, the Sports Script Championship is now accepting shorts, pilots and feature screenplays that involve any sports setting, athlete or competitive event.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

The TITAN Awards

Objective:

The TITAN Awards was established in 2021 by leading script consultancy Industrial Scripts® to offer access to a rare level of Hollywood judge...

Judged only by heavyweight Hollywood producers, the prize discovers and champions exciting screenwriting talent and delivers it to people of stature who can genuinely give the project industry traction.

This year's judges are:

Georgia BROWN (Former Head of Amazon Studios, Europe)
Shannon MCINTOSH (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD; THE HATEFUL EIGHT, DJANGO UNCHAINED, CINDERELLA, DEATH PROOF)
Basil IWANYK (JOHN WICK; SICARIO; HOTEL MUMBAI; THE CONTINENTAL; THE TOWN; CLASH OF THE TITANS)

Previous judges include Basil Iwanyk (JOHN WICK), Patrick Crowley (JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION), Karen Moore (CHAMBERS), Ed McDonnell (ROBIN HOOD), Shannon Mcintosh (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD)

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
89.00

Orchard Project

Objective:

For more than ten years, the Orchard Project has become the go-to new work development workshop for many of America’s boldest companies and artists. Orchard Project’s flexible, form-fitting support has provided countless artists, companies, and productions a much needed kickstart through its programs ranging across forms. To date, the Orchard Project has supported more than 1,200 artists and 250 shows from All the Way and its sequel, The Great Society, to 33 Variations to Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus to Amelie:The Musical; from work of Savion Glover to Mike Bartlett to Annie Baker to Rachel Chavkin to Taylor Mac to Dave Malloy.

Even in a performance world stunted by COVID, new shows created at the Orchard Project have been keeping digital audiences engaged at theatres like the Center Theatre Group and American Repertory Theatre, and others, ranging from letter writing plays to immersive outdoor experiences, have been born out of recent labs. Since the launch of its labs, the OP has also played a significant role in the development of new works produced on and off Broadway and at theaters including St. Ann's Warehouse, The Geffen Playhouse, MCC Theatre, BAM, Arena Stage, Philly Live Arts, PS122, The Public Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, the Edinburgh Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Rep, the Royal Court, and more. Work created at the Orchard Project has also been turned into films distributed through HBO Films (All The Way), Universal (The Riot Club), and optioned into television projects at HBO, Netflix, and AMC Networks.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
FREE

Page Turner Awards

Objective:

Open until 31st May 2022

Giving you the chance to propel your writing career! Place your writing in front of successful authors, experts in publishing, literary agents, publishers and film producers.

Our Awards give writers the chance to enter their screenwriting to be read by a high-profile judging panel, including producers who are actively looking for work to option.

New For 2022 - We're excited to be bringing you new categories such as Best Genre, Best Series, Best Book Cover, Best Book Title.

2021 Success Stories Included: - A screenwriter won literary management and was signed by Sean Dubravac from Entertainment Lab LA. - Another seven had their full manuscript requested by literary agents, which hopefully will lead to agency representation - Four writers won a writing mentorship. - Six Indie Authors won an audiobook production - One Indie Authors won a highly valuable publicity campaign - Several other writers won various writing prizes. Wow, a fantastic second year for Page Turner Awards!

For 2022, we are so excited to be introducing a dedicated Screenplay Award, with a judging panel of carefully curated industry professionals including film producers actively seeking work to option, and the celebrated actor Paul Michael Glaser of Starsky and Hutch.

The 2022 Page Turner Awards prize fund is over £40K with valuable prizes for authors and writers.

Our successful awards programme has changed the lives and careers of many budding and aspiring writers with high-value support prizes. This is a super exciting opportunity for writers to share their work and potentially be offered life and career-changing opportunities in getting their screenwriting optioned.

Our mission is to change the lives and careers of as many writers as possible by providing high-value support prizes to writers at any stage of their career.

That's getting new unpublished writers discovered, helping published authors get their writing recognized and celebrated, so they can find new reading audiences and giving screenwriters the chance to have their scripts placed in front of film professionals.

Page Turner Awards is different from other writing awards. Beyond the life-changing prizes, Page Turner Awards writers have been most impressed with the scope of support offered to them — a rarity in the world of writing awards, which usually offer little beyond a letter confirming your submission. Page Turner Awards offers so much more than a simple prize, but instead has created a supportive writing community and a “movement” focused on author growth and development.

We look forward to seeing you at our awards

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
£30 Standard Entry

Screenwriting Staffing's Query Letter Contest (Season 2)

Objective:

Query letters are the backbone to screenwriting success, and our site is a testament to that. Unless you have a direct contact with a major studio or represented by a top agency, a query letter is needed to make an introduction.

Screenwriting Staffing is an online community that connects screenwriters with industry buyers and producers. With over 275+ success stories, our site has proven that query letters are effective.

When industry professionals post with us, they request a query letter first. A producer will not read a screenplay from someone they do not know. They want to make sure that your story matches their needs. A well-written query letter says the following about you:

You can tell your story in a short amount of time.
You can adequately compose a well-written pitch with no glaring grammar or syntax errors.
You understand and respect how the industry works.
You honor the industry pro’s time.

Will a query letter sell your script? No, although it has happened before. Will a query letter warrant a script request? Yes. You can’t sell your work unless someone reads your script. We want to reward and nurture the screenwriters who understand and respect the craft, so we are launching our the 2nd season of our query letter contest. Our goal is to find the best query letters out there to connect them with our extensive database of buyers and pros. We are also teaming up with other screenwriting sites so that you can access their industry network, too!

We believe, no matter your location, success is within reach. And we fully believe that a proper query letter is one of the first steps to getting your script made.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$24.99

Wiki: The World's FASTEST Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Is your script ready to show to agents...producers...studios?
Find out fast! A new contest every 30 days!
You don't need to have a finished script...
Just 10 pages...or a Treatment!

When you enter...

Your pages will be read by established Hollywood professionals, including:

Studio readers • Agents • Producers
WGA writers • DGA directors • SAG performers

Entries at the Executive Analysis Level receive 5-10 page studio-level professional analysis covering the ten major elements of a professional screenplay:

Concept • Dialogue • Structure
Character • Tone • Pacing
Conflict • Structure • Hook
Market Potential

Your written Executive Level Studio Analysis is GUARANTEED to improve your script. If it fails to do so, just let us know and we'll give you a FULL REFUND on your analysis fees.

Every entry receives Transparent Professional Studio Scoring. You'll know exactly how your script ranks in the contest quickly!

Winners receive Live Consultations, free listings at MovieBytes.com and SellingYourScreenplay.com. Winning screenplays are forwarded to our Literary Management and Agency contacts for full representation consideration.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$19-$99

Stage 32 New Voices in Animation Screenwriting Contest

Objective:

Stage 32 is excited to announce our 2nd Annual New Voices in Animation Screenwriting Contest!

Last year's winner signed with Zero Gravity Management for representation! This year the Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood (travel permitting) to have private one-on-one meetings with some of the most prolific and talented Animation artists, writers, filmmakers, producers, and executives from top companies!

The winner will meet industry pros from DISNEY, SKYDANCE ANIMATION, SONY PICTURES ANIMATION, WARNER BROS., NETFLIX, and APPLE+, as well as the creative minds behind Oscar-winner ZOOTOPIA, Oscar-nominated WRECK IT RALPH!, THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE, Oscar-nominated HERCULES, MEET THE ROBINSONS, Oscar-nominated THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG and many more!

There are even more mystery judges who will be announced in the coming weeks from A-list animation companies and productions!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Stage 32 Diverse Voices Springboard

Objective:

In our ongoing mission to democratize the entertainment industry for all creatives around the world, Stage 32 is thrilled to announce our 2nd Annual Diversity Springboard Screenwriting Contest!

This year's winner will be personally mentored by NAACP Image Award-Winner Doug Atchison, the filmmaker behind critically acclaimed films including AKEELAH AND THE BEE and BRIAN BANKS!

Our Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood to meet with some of the most connected and successful executives in the business from companies including Warner Bros. TV, ViacomCBS, Circle of Confusion, Stutton St. Productions, Entertainment One, The Kaplan Stahler Agency, Gidden Media and more!

ALL Finalists will not only receive exposure to our incredible panel of judges, and will also have their titles and loglines featured in the Stage 32's industry Look Book which will be sent to over 500 executives and professionals who work directly with Stage 32. If an executive requests your script or a meeting with you, we will facilitate!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Screenplay Awards: Elements of Story

Objective:

Screenwriting is a business and the best screenwriters have a brand. A special writing style or talent that makes them unique and easy to recognize. Filmmakers needing a story that centers on a big idea or great characterization or engaging dialogue or a compelling theme are able to seamlessly identify the best writer for the project when the writer is branded as a specialists in one of those needed areas. The DIFF 2020 Screenplay Awards recognizes writers who specialize on a specific writing element and works to elevate their overall brand awareness.

Through the 2020 “Screenplay Awards: Elements of Story” screenwriting competition, presented by Event Horizon Films, DIFF offers writers the opportunity to submit feature scripts to the category/categories they feel are strongest within their script, which will be reviewed by readers at top Hollywood talent agencies and management companies, such as:

Abrams Artists Agency
United Talent Agency
Gersh Agency
Innovative Artists
Circle of Confusion
Buchwald

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Dumbo Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

The DFF Screenwriting Competition is a collaborate effort with Event Horizon Films and the Dumbo Film Festival. This festival highlights both affirmed and emergent filmmakers by launching promising artists into the world film stage. The screenwriting competition is designed to inspire writers to keep writing. One great story simply isn't enough to advance in this industry.

Each reader is an experienced industry professional (award-winning writers, producers, managers and agents) who will evaluate each script based on the strength of plot, characterization, format, originality, style, dialogue, pacing and current market potential.

Scorecard will be provided after winners are announced.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$70

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Genre Lab

Objective:

The Lift-Off Global Network want to meet, inspire and support the next pioneers of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

This Genre Lab exists to provide huge opportunities featuring discussions, feedback on your work, workshops, and future support for your project. The lab accepts Shorts, Features, Animations, Scripts, Works in Development, Web Series, VR, Music Videos, and Treatments.

If you are selected, you will be invited to our HQ at Pinewood Studios, home of Star Wars, James Bond and countless other blockbuster films, where you will meet with the Lift-Off team and other selections for a unique event aimed at creatives, to provide an invaluable platform designed to support the next generation of genre-based content creators. The Lift-Off Global Network exists with the aim of supporting you, the grassroots filmmaker, through a variety of methods via these in-depth, highly valuable and insightful events. All selected projects will also be given their 'officially selected' laurels.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$30

Page Turner Screenplays - Feature & TV GENRE

Objective:

CONTEST DESCRIPTION
PAGE-TURNER: page–turn·er \ n.

A script so compelling or exciting that the reader is unable to put it down.

And that’s exactly what the PAGE-TURNER Screenplay Competition is looking for.

The 3rd ANNUAL FEATURE & TV PILOT GENRE COMPETITION is designed with the writer in mind.

This is a competition that is somewhat unique so please read everything carefully.

You will receive entry into the competition.
A full set of professional level notes.
Then you will receive a phone call from your writer-reader to go over your notes and answer any questions you might have regarding them.
You can then re-enter into the contest with your updated script at any time.

Most of our writers launched their careers with genre scripts. So, we love to read genre material!

As our GENRE COMPETITION is relatively new this is a great opportunity for writers to test their material, compete at a more intimate level where you will have a more thorough read as opposed to other competitions where you are competing against thousands and/or use the NOTES SPECIAL to get script notes that will elevate your script in the competition.

Regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or economic background, Page-Turner is focused on finding and supporting great original stories with a strong voice that grips the reader from the first page to the last.

Whether the story you tell is a genre film or an indie pic, a network procedural or an edgy cable drama, a sci-fi or a comedy, we want to find the most compelling, unique, page-turning scripts out there.

We are looking for scripts that we CAN’T put down.

Finally, our readers are all industry insiders.

We will not have students judging you or anyone outside of the entertainment industry. Our Judges and readers come from a variety of backgrounds within the industry that include Writers Guild of America members, Assistants to Agents, Managers and Producers as well as Managers and Producers.

Send us your best. We look forward to supporting and helping you grow as a writer.

WE BELIEVE that feedback from working writers in the entertainment industry can provide new writers with the most up to date information of how the business really works and the level their writing needs to reach for them to succeed.

We believe that although the price may seem steep, there is great value for the truly aspiring screenwriter. This is an opportunity to receive industry level notes from professional writers in the industry and improve your script and your skills!

Our readers are Writer’s Guild of America members who have pitched, sold and/or written television and features.

WE BELIEVE there is more to a competition than being judged, and that is why we created what we think is a UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY in SCREENWRITING COMPETITIONS.

We BELIEVE that your success is our success.

So… WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59

Mammoth Lakes Film Festival

Objective:

We are the west coast premier destination festival for films such as fest favorites like Damsel starring Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska, to world premiere new discoveries like Netflix favorite Abducted in Plain Sight and many more.

We are dedicated to discovering and supporting the next generation of filmmakers. There’s a reason MovieMaker magazine has named Mammoth Lakes Film Festival as one of the “Top 50 Film Festival’s Worth Your Entry Fee” for the last four years in a row¬: We put our filmmakers first!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards

Objective:

The Filmmatic Screenplay Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming screenwriters, as well as to empower and educate those talented writers still waiting for their invitation to the mainstream industry.

The Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Competition is open to feature-length and short works, screenplays and teleplays.

10 Honorees, 1 Overall-Winner, and 100 Finalists will be named!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59/$29

Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards

Objective:

"Short-form films can be great calling cards. They help writers and directors flesh out their unique voices without great expense of time or money. They allow artists to venture out of their comfort zone, show off their wares, and speak to the world without first having to obtain studio or distributor permission...."

The Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming screenwriters, as well as to empower and promote those talented writers still waiting for their invitation to the mainstream industry.

We are accepting short screenplays of all genres, including pilots and webisodes (limit 45 pages). Laurels will be awarded to 100 Finalists, 10 Winners and 1 Overall Winner.

“Hidden screenplays never get produced”…. Enter your work today (carpe diem!).

* ALL ENTRANTS are invited to Filmmatic's annual Sundance networking event "Monday on Main Street" (Jan. - Park City UT)

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$39

Filmmatic Horror Screenplay Awards

Objective:

The Filmmatic Horror Screenplay Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming horror/thriller screenwriters, as well as to empower and promote those talented writers still waiting for their invitation to the mainstream industry.

Competition is open to feature-length and short works, screenplays and teleplays. All types of horror and thriller projects are eligible. Laurels will be awarded to 100 Finalists and10 Winners (with 1 Overall Winner). See below for prize information.

*Dan Seco, lit manager/partner at Empirical Evidence will guest judge this season, and will also provide our overall winner with a zoom consultation regarding their project and career.

“Hidden screenplays never get produced”…. Enter your work today (carpe diem!).

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59 features; $29 shorts

Page Turner Screenplays - Feature & TV Drama

Objective:

PAGE-TURNER: page–turn·er

A script so compelling or exciting that the reader is unable to put it down.

And that's exactly what the PAGE-TURNER Screenplay Competition is looking for.

The 3rd ANNUAL FEATURE & TV PILOT COMPETITION is designed with the writer in mind.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$49.00 (TV); $59 (Feature)

Page Turner Screenplays - Faith Based Features & TV Pilots

Objective:

Currently, one of the most sought after genres in Hollywood!

Most of our writers launched their careers with genre scripts and hopefully you can too.

This is brand new competition for Page Turner which means that this is a great opportunity for writers to test their material, compete at a more intimate level where you will have a more thorough read as opposed to other competitions where you are competing against thousands and thousands of others across multiple genres. Here you will only be competing against other Faith Based stories.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59

Chandler International Film Festival

Objective:
The Chandler International Film Festival (CIFF) began in 2016 with a simple idea to share international films in a local setting. CIFF is proudly located in Chandler, Arizona and is one of the fastest-growing film festivals in Arizona. The festival is dedicated to uniting the community through the film.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$58

Stage 32 Microbudget Horror Script Contest

Objective:
Stage 32 has partnered with Trick Candle Productions and Glass House Distribution to launch a brand-new Microbudget Horror Script Competition for 2020. The winning script will receive a $5,000 option, be entered into a mentorship program with the film’s producers and be eligible for a production greenlit for up to $100,000 by Trick Candle and Glass House. This contest is open to all horror/thriller writers and writing teams around the world with microbudget screenplays that can be filmed for up to $100,000. Stage 32, Trick Candle, and Glass House are looking for unique ideas and original voices. Whether darkly comical, grindhouse gory, or classically conceived, all concepts are welcome. If you have a micro-buget horror/thriller screenplay that can be made for $100,000 or less, we want to see it!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Page Turner Screenplays - First 15

Objective:

FIRST 15 - FEATURE & TV PILOT

The FIRST 15 is a unique competition where your script will only be judged based upon your opening FIRST 15 pages.

As a “Thank You” to everyone for your support during our first two years we are giving anyone who applies on Filmfreeway FREE ENTRY for the FIRST 15 Days of the competition.

The FIRST 15 is a great way to kick off the New Year and jump-start your writing to prepare your script for all the upcoming top tier competitions, writers programs and residency applications. Should you choose to do the notes option, you will be provided feedback by one of our WGA professional working writer on tactical techniques to improve your craft throughout your script. Whether it’s improving the dialogue, description, emotional context, level of conflict, style or story itself, these notes have been considered invaluable from those that have received them through the PTS 100 competition. Please check the reviews!

These notes will be highly tactical, meaning that it will be hard, direct recommendations you can use to improve your script immediately. It WON’T be fluffy, screenwriting philosophy. It will be tangible advice you can implement immediately.

This competition is designed to help you get your script in the best possible shape you can should you choose to use the notes option and if not to test your script in competition before you may be submitting to or to prepare you to be read by managers and agents.

Our readers are Writer’s Guild of America members who have pitched, sold and/or written television and features.

WE BELIEVE there is more to a competition than being judged, and that is why we created what we think is a UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY in SCREENWRITING COMPETITIONS.

Whether the story you tell is a genre film or an indie pic, a network procedural or an edgy cable drama, we want to find the most compelling, unique, page-turning scripts out there.

We are looking for scripts that we CAN’T put down.

We BELIEVE that your success is our success.

All genres are welcome.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$39.00

Orlando International Film Festival

Objective:
The Orlando International Film Festival, Inc (OIFF) is a nonprofit organization seeking to bring unique and diverse stories to the beautiful setting of Orlando.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50-$60

Circa Historical Screenplay Competition

Objective:
Circa 2023 Historical Screenplay Competition accepts Historical Screenplays in three categories: Feature Screenplay, TV Pilot and Short Screenplay. All three categories compete for Circa Historical Screenplay Competition Award: "Best Historical Screenplay".

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$115/$105/$95

Scriptation Showcase Teleplay Category

Objective:

The Scriptation Showcase is officially open for submissions! Emerging writers can now enter their best screenplay, teleplay, or short.

The Scriptation Showcase is the screenwriting competition that circulates winners’ scripts to the directors, showrunners, and producers behind your favorite movies and TV shows.

Why submit to the Scriptation Showcase?

UNPRECENDENTED EXPOSURE
Never before has a screenwriting competition made your script so accessible to working industry professionals. Fifteen scripts will be featured for a full year in Scriptation, the Emmy® award winning script app used on thousands of productions worldwide.

ANNOTATED FEEDBACK
Script coverage doesn’t give your story the complete story. The competition offers feedback via PDF markup (highly recommended). Entrants have the unique opportunity to review notes directly within their script and better understand the thought process behind each suggestion. This is how script competition feedback was meant to be.

PROFESSIONAL READERS
All script competition entries are read by professional script readers and story analysts. All finalists are read by some of the best executives, managers, and writers who will determine winners for top overall screenplay, teleplay, and short.

WRITER FOUNDED
Having won script contests and written for shows like Black-ish and Hot in Cleveland, Steve Vitolo knows how hard it is to get noticed. That’s why he made a script competition that directly connects screenwriters to working industry talent.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$69.00

Stage 32 Feature Drama Screenwriting Contest

Objective:
Dramas have always held a place of prestige in feature film and Stage 32 is conducting a worldwide search for the best drama screenplays. No matter the size of your project's budget, whether you write indie or studio, it doesn’t matter. Our judges simply want to find the most talented writers and the most interesting drama projects from around the world! And this year, it could be you!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Hollywood Blood Horror Festival

Objective:
IMDb qualifier "Hollywood Blood Horror Festival" is a LA International online film festival designed for filmmakers to promote their work through an online platform. We accept independent projects from horror, gore, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, dark comedy, thriller, crime, action/adventure and animated genres, especially low or no-budget ones plus student films.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$30

Film Invasion Los Angeles

Objective:

The festival Film Invasion Los Angeles looks to showcase the best undiscovered movies in the heart of L.A.

FILA has a category for unproduced screenplays of any length, feature or short or in between. Both movie and television screenplays are accepted. Screenplays will be evaluated by the jury based on merit, and winners will receive passes to the film festival and be cheered on by an audience when they are brought up to receive their reward.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Get It Made

Objective:

GET IT MADE [GIM] IS A SHORT FILM PROGRAM THAT PRODUCES 3 TO 5 PAGE SCRIPTS, HELPING FOSTER THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCREENWRITERS & STORYTELLERS BY OFFERING A PROFESSIONAL FILM PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE WITH INDUSTRY PROS AND TOP BRANDS.

Final Deadline to submit is December 31st, 2020. Use exclusive MovieBytes promo code GIMxMB for $20 off submission fee.

The goal of GIM is to provide an opportunity for aspiring writers and content creators to see their work produced at the highest quality, connecting them directly to the industry standard process of filmmaking. Each season, GIM will select a grand prize-winning script and provide all the necessary resources to see it through production, editing, and final delivery.

This season’s Guest Judge, Jaime Paglia from SYFY Channel’s Eureka, is on board to help select and guide the winning script as well as veteran filmmaker, Mark Robinson, who will be Directing. Mark has released 3 Feature films worldwide with Lionsgate. The winning GIM script will be produced utilizing professional guidance from industry professionals - cinematographers, directors, set designers, sound recordists, actors and many more…

GIM is based in the heart of Los Angeles. Join the Get It Made Community for weekly industry newsletters, networking/event invites and program updates. Learn more by visiting our website.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Athena Lab

Objective:
This three-day lab consists of intensive script development with seasoned mentors. It is designed for women writers who have not yet had a feature-length fictional script produced. Screenplays must include one or more strong woman character(s) in leadership roles at the center of the story and must be feature-length narratives.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

The Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Killer Shorts: Short Scripts, Features, & Short Stories

Got a horror script or short story? We want to read it.

Killer Shorts is a premier launchpad dedicated to discovering, championing, and launching new voices in horror and dark genre filmmaking. Founded in 2019, our competition connects writers with the industry professionals who actually greenlight, manage, and cover genre cinema.

Whether you are a master of micro-budget proof-of-concepts or the creator of the next great studio franchise, your work belongs here.

Expanding to Feature Screenplays

We believe the short format is the ultimate industry equalizer. Hits like Lights Out and The Backrooms proved that Hollywood’s next viral obsession starts as a micro-budget proof of concept. Furthermore, the industry is actively mining short fiction for full-length adaptation.

Because transitioning to long-form IP is the next logical step for emerging talent, Killer Shorts is officially expanding to include FEATURE-LENGTH SCREENPLAYS. Whether your style is elevated horror, a studio slasher, a genre-bending creature feature, or a dark psychological thriller, we are looking for commercially viable premises that serve as undeniable industry calling cards. Bring us your killer vision, from short-form to feature-length. To celebrate this new chapter, our Feature Category Grand Prize Winner will take home a $5,000 cash prize, presented by Deep Cuts Coffee.

The Killer Shorts Jury

Our Top 10 finalists are read by a stellar jury of over a dozen literary managers, producers, filmmakers, and horror legends. Our panel includes:
Barbara Crampton (Horror Icon, Actress & Producer - Jakob's Wife, Suitable Flesh)
John Zaozirny (Literary Manager, Bellevue Productions)
Tananarive Due (Author, Producer, & Horror Historian)
Lucas Ford (Producer, Ford Films - The Backrooms)
John Squires (Editor-in-Chief, Bloody Disgusting)

Past prizes have included guaranteed industry reads, career consultations, mentorships, and our custom trophy.

The Scream List Integration

Looking for feedback? Check out Killer Shorts' Coverage Services at https://killershorts.com/notes/.

Screenplays that receive a “Recommend” rating may qualify for inclusion on The Scream List. The Scream List is the industry’s first real-time tracking board of recommended short genre screenplays.

Industry professionals from across the landscape have signed on to watch The Scream List, including Bellevue Productions, Circle Management + Production, Screambox, Chroma, Raven Banner Entertainment, Zero Gravity Management, Alibi Entertainment, Ford Films, Grey Matter Productions, Paper Street Pictures, and more.

Success Stories From Our Alumni

Our track record speaks for itself. Past winners and finalists have gone on to sign with top-tier literary representation, secure option deals, and gain worldwide festival recognition.

"Killer Shorts played a pivotal role in me finding representation at Bellevue. Thanks to the competition, I was connected with John who later connected me with my current manager, Maddy."
— Vanessa Võ, Season 2 2nd Place Winner, signed by Bellevue Productions

"Killer Shorts has changed my life. It is so much more than a contest. It is a network of brilliant writers working to hone their craft. Winning is always the goal, but even placing in Killer Shorts opens so many avenues for writers to connect and grow. If you want to be a better horror screenwriter, there is no other contest that compares.”
— Phillip Dishon, Season 6 1st Place Winner (1-Page Category)

"Because I placed as a top 10 finalist in the Killer Shorts contest, I was awarded a career consultation. Of all the contests I entered, Killer Shorts was the most helpful and tailored to me. The career consultation was great. They really took the time to get to know me and my voice, and helped connect me with a manager that understands exactly how to market me and the projects I'm interested in."
— Kelly Nugent, Season 3 Top 10 Finalist, signed by Wonder Street

"Winning Season 5 (and qualifying in the Top 10 with a different script in Season 4) has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in any screenplay competition I've participated in. Alison has been an ally, advocate, and advisor on my career, my writing, and me as a person. Her unwavering interest in helping emerging writers achieve their goals is clear in everything she does and how she runs Killer Shorts. I honestly could go and on, but yes, this is a MUST if you are a genre writer."
— Victor Ridaura, Season 5 1st Place Winner, signed by Endless Media

Is this the year you kill it? Submit your script today.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40.00

Stage 32 Grown Up Movies

Objective:

Gidden Media and Stage 32 are looking for a wide range of all genres designed to appeal to the 50 and over audience. They can be movies for moms (BAD MOMS) to movies for retirees (BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL). They can be comedies, historical dramas (like THE POST or GREEN BOOK), or mystery/crime stories (like MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS). Danny Boyle's recent box office success YESTERDAY is another example. Gidden is open to inspirational drama, comedy, romantic comedy movies about second chances or second acts, starting over in life, etc.

In short, we are looking for original, uplifting movies for the over 50 demographic!

According to an AARP study, moviegoers over 50 make up 1/3 of all theatre seats in the US! And if you can believe it, the oldest members of Gen X are in their 50s! Yet this audience is completely underserved with quality material! With your help, we aim to fix that problem!

If you have a story that you feel speaks to this audience- or been thinking about writing one - this is the perfect opportunity to get you and your screenplay the exposure you desire!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$72.50

Content: Film Festival and Media Summit

Objective:
Content is a Christian film festival and media summit that takes place on a real working film set at Capernaum Studios in the Dallas Texas area. Our purpose is Equipping and Networking Christian Filmmakers from All Nations, Tribes and Languages (Revelation 5:9,10).

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Seattle International Screenwriting Honors

Objective:

Seattle's burgeoning independent film community is home to artists, actors, writers, directors, producers, singers, dancers, musicians, storytellers, filmmakers, and multi-hyphenates of all shapes and sizes. People from all walks of life, from all over the world, call our city home. They come hear to learn, hone, and practice their craft. Unlike other major hubs, that are only interested in established talent, artists know they can come to Seattle and grow into their greatness. It’s a city where people become artists. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, Every artist was first an amateur.

Long anchored by a vibrant music scene, one rich in art, education, and cultural diversity, the city has evolved into a community like no other. One that is constantly re-inventing itself and over the past fifty years Seattle has become one of the most vital and vibrant cultural centers in the world.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

Holly Weird Film Festival Screenplay Contest

Objective:

The Holly Weird Film Festival (HWFF), founded by Festival Director Jack Truman, celebrates independent films of all genres that feature a distinct vision, a unique voice, or an avant-garde challenge to what is expected or accepted. HWFF provides a venue for narrative, documentary, experimental and avant-garde film and video. Holly Weird is dedicated to celebrating all types of creativity from the worldwide independent film community.

We make it our mission to showcase the work of filmmakers who defy independent visions.

The Holly Weird Film Festival has become a platform for artists to showcase their creativity through film and about the voices that need to be heard. We are looking for true original, visionary filmmakers with fresh voices to share with an audience hungry for true independent film. We are focused on the unique and innovative. HWFF showcases artists from all walks of life. We seek to screen under-represented emerging filmmakers and artists.

Enter your script to the Holly Weird Film Festival and join us for this unique celebration of indie films! And have your screenplay recognized in the entertainment capital of the world!!!

Holly Weird Film Festival is a showcase for truly original Independent and Do It Yourself (DIY) film and video.

All selected screenwriters will benefit from networking opportunities.

Located in the heart of Hollyweird (Hollywood, California).

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35.00

Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards

Objective:

The Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming TV and web-series writers, as well as to empower and educate passionate and talented screenwriters still waiting for their invitation into the mainstream industry.

Competition is open to TV pilots, webisodes and inventive TV-series scripts of all genres.

Thanks to our sponsors: Script Reader Pro, Screenwriting Staffing, Filmmatic, Monday on Main Street, The Script Coverage Co., and Jungle Software!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59/$39

Miami Screenplay Awards

Objective:

WELCOME TO THE MIAMI SCREENPLAY AWARDS!

We are an international screenwriting contest committed to discovering, cultivating, and endorsing talented new screenwriters from around the world. Our mission is to champion the best unknown screenwriters and help them reach their maximum potential on their way to a thriving career in the film industry. The quality of our contest is evident through the value we provide writers on a seasonal basis. Each screenplay is guaranteed a full read and feedback is provided as part of each and every entry fee. Join us this season and be a part of the Miami Screenplay Awards!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$20-$109

Genre Celebration Festival

Objective:
Genre colors all film, and we're here to celebrate that whether you create sci-fi works, horror, noir, westerns, etc. We love them all. Indie filmmakers are encouraged to submit. We don't have a premiere requirement or any made by dates so don't hesitate to submit. We're looking for the best genre films and scripts regardless of budget. Our jury consists of industry veterans and professionals around the world.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Golden Script Competition

Objective:

The Golden Script Competition is a yearly international competition for short, feature and TV pilot screenplays. Many of our writers have found success through the competition, securing industry representation, signing option agreements, and having their work shopped to major production companies.

Currently accepting screenplays for the 2026 edition. The winning scripts of this edition will be read by some of the best production companies and literary agencies (including some that have one several OSCARS and BAFTAS), giving you the chance to have your script produced or represented. 2026 Mentors include an OSCAR-nominee and a three-time EMMY-nominee. Our judges include producers and executive producers who have produced films like THE USUAL SUSPECTS and BIRDMAN. On top of all that, we will offer cash prizes totaling $10,000.

Who's reading our top scripts:

Scott Free Productions (Gladiator, The Martian)
Reliance Entertainment (1917, Ready Player One)
Killer Films (Still Alice, Carol)
Amblin Partners (Green Book, The Girl on the Train)
Benaroya Pictures (Lawless, Margin Call)
21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things, Arrival)
Davis Entertainment (The Blacklist, I, Robot)
Broken Road Productions (The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Next)
Shoreline Entertainment (The Man from Earth, The Signal)
Simon West Productions (The Expendables 2, Tomb Raider)
West Coast Film Partners (Olympus Has Fallen, Donnie Darko)
MadRiver Pictures (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ad Astra)
Lit Entertainment Group (Prisoners, Free Guy)
Fremantle (American Gods, The Young Pope)
Stone Village Productions (The Lincoln Lawyer, Runner Runner)
Knight Hall Agency (repr. writers of In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Signature Entertainment (Predestination, The Guilty)
Perfect World Pictures (50/50, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)
Salon Pictures (McQueen, Churchill)
Affirm Films (Hachi: A Dog's Tale, Soul Surfer)
Bellevue Productions (repr. writers of Mr. Robot, The Man in the High Castle)
Julia Tyrrell Management (repr. writers of Downtown Abbey, The Musketeers) +40 others

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$77.79

New York International Screenplay Awards

Objective:

New York International Screenplay Awards is an international screenplay competition for screenwriters who aspire to connect with the USA industry workers and explore the US markets.

NYISA winners will be connected to the US film industry by InkTip Magazine, iPitch. tv, and Script Mailer. They’ll be registered for free at CreatersVault, and will receive free screenwriting courses from Script Reader Pro, plus, detailed analysis and free consultations by Coverage Ink… And much more!

NYISA’s valued jury members are industry professionals such as Producers, Script Doctors, Directors, Actors and Screenwriters.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35 for shorts/ $60 for features

San Francisco International Screenwriting Competition & Film Awards

Objective:

We are San Francisco. We love film and we care so deeply about developing the next generation of filmmakers from the U.S. and abroad that we founded what we hope will be one of the most prestigious screenwriting competitions in the world for serious writers and serious subject matter.

San Francisco Int'l Screenwriting Competition & Film Awards is an online film festival and screenwriting competition.

We want to support serious writers who take on serious subject matter. That’s what we’re all about. We are located in the heart of California and are proud to be one of the only international screenwriting competition in the Bay Area. We are committed to finding the next generation of talent from around the world.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

New York New Stories

Objective:

New York New Stories Screenplay Contest is an exciting new script competition seeking submissions in the following categories: Short Film, TV/Web Pilot.

New York New Stories is dedicated to discovering and celebrating the work of screenwriters from all backgrounds and all levels of experience. Our mission is to elevate unique and creative stories that are ready to be told. With sponsorship from Brooklyn based production company Keep or Destroy, New York New Stories will award quality, original work and connect the winning screenwriter with a professional network of producers and filmmakers in order to produce their screenplay.

*NOTE* Scripts DO NOT have to be set in New York, from New York-based writers or New York centric in any way whatsoever.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Your Script Produced! 360

Objective:

Sponsored by "Your Script Produced!" INDEPENDENT (exclusively repped by United Talent Agency) INTRODUCING:

Objective:

We have teamed up with several creative partners looking for Features and TV Pilots with unique voices and original stories. Our goal is to build a slate of talented writers with clear voices to pitch to those contacts.

We are seeking unique perspectives in the following genres: Action/Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family/Holiday/Young Adult, Mystery/Crime, Historical/Biopic, Horror/Thriller, Sci-Fi/ Fantasy and Western

Some of our current industry mandates include but are not limited to: Female Thrillers, Contained Elevated Horror, Grounded Sci-Fi, Kaufman-esque Mind-Benders, Young Adult, Drama, Comedy and original Holiday Stories. We also encourage writers with diverse or LGBTQIA stories to submit.

Show us your most original work!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79

Filmmatic Pitch Now Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Filmmatic coined a slogan, "Hidden screenplays never get produced". As writers, we spend a lot of our precious time crafting unique scripts, yet we hardly ever employ an equal level of passion when attempting to get our work into the "right hands". The exposure and prestige one can gain from placing or winning a screenplay competition is invaluable, but what do you say this time around we also get you PITCHING!

Let's get proactive, let's pick a production company that makes sense for our project, tell them we were a Pitch Now Finalist or Winner, and get them to review our work, now not later ;)

All 100 finalists will be able to pitch to a studio or production company of their choice via Virtual Pitch Fest!

The competition is open to feature-length and short works, screenplays and teleplays. All Finalists and Winners will be announced by 12/15/19.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59/$29

Global Film Festival Awards

Objective:

There's nothing better than a great short. Why? Because writers need multiple paths to break in and shorts are a time-tested way to do that. Shorts are a challenging but satisfying art form when done well. So many legendary filmmakers broke in and made a splash via shorts it would be impossible to name them all here!

The Roadmap Writers Shorts Competition is another avenue for you to get industry professionals to experience your work!

The competition is open to any genre of:

Short Scripts: 30 pages or less, excluding the title page
Short Films: 35 minutes or less total runtime

This year, the winning Short Film will be screened at BraveMaker Film Festival!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$55

Roadmap Writers Kids Television Competition

Objective:

Do you have a heartwarming tale that brings families together? Do you have an innovative animation that pushes the boundaries of creativity? We're looking for original stories with new voices.

THINK: BLUEY, CRAIG OF THE CREEK, WEDNESDAY

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

New Orleans Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:

For the first time this year, the New Orleans Film Festival is launching a screenplay competition to take place in conjunction with the festival October 17-25, 2018, and is seeking to discover bold, passionate writers telling the stories of our time.

The Academy-qualifying festival has been named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” for seven years in a row and was named one of the “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” last year. Its growing reputation is built upon a commitment to discovering new and diverse voices. Paste Magazine praised the festival for offering “a platform to voices that still fight to be heard,” and last year, 53% of the film lineup came from female and gender non-conforming directors, and 45% from directors of color. For the past several years, the festival has played host to around 400 filmmakers who come to show their work and lend their artistic voice to the festival gumbo.

This year, the festival looks to expand our offerings to include more writers in the mix, seeking feature-length, short-form, and episodic screenplays, with cash prizes totaling $3,500.00 and festival passes available for finalists in each category.

The festival works hard to offer guests countless opportunities to connect with the industry presence at the fest, facilitating meetings with distributors like Array, Gunpowder & Sky, Paramount, and The Orchard; as well as funders, agencies, broadcasters, and other film organizations like Firelight Media, FX, Tribeca Film Institute, Women Make Movies, NBCUniversal, Cinereach, Vimeo, Kickstarter, Seed&Spark, and more.

Past attendees and speakers have included Gabourey Sidibe, Julie Dash, Rob Reiner, Lupita Nyong’o, Woody Harrelson, Alfre Woodard, Justin Timberlake, Steve McQueen, Sarah Paulson, and countless others.

The winner of the feature-length screenplay competition will receive $1000; the winner of the short-film screenplay will receive $500; and the winner of the episodic screenplay will receive $500. Additionally, the Louisiana Film & Entertainment Association are sponsoring a $1000 prize for the best screenplay from a Louisiana-based writer and a runner-up prize at $500.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40 for features / $30 for shorts, episodic, and Louisiana residents

Golden Gateway Contest

Objective:

Break into the Chinese market!

New company looking for scripts to market to Chinese film companies. No religious themes. No pornography. No excessive violence. No political themes. No teenage pregnancy. English only. Company will pay a small fee for long-term, non-exclusive rights to represent the script to the Chinese market. Sales will be negotiated separately if and when they occur. Writer retains all other rights.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

Write LA Screenplay & Pilot Competition

Objective:

**A Moviebytes Top Screenplay Contest**

Our winners have been signed by Literary Managers as a result of entering our competition!! Now in our ninth season, Write LA's 3 winners get read by multiple Los Angeles bases Literary Managers and considered for representation.

Semifinalists receive other prizes including notebooks and free feedback from our Head Judge - respected Script Coach and author Tim Schildberger.

Write LA was built by writers, for writers. We offer all the industry access we can because we know how hard it is to get your writing in front of the people who can launch your career. Getting representation is a huge step on your writing journey. So if you're entering competitions to attract attention, you should enter Write LA.

Write LA is open to writers around the world, accepts feature screenplays and pilots, any genre. We’re not looking for a particular genre or format – we’re looking for great writers. Get written feedback from our Head Judge Tim Schildberger (yes, he writes every word) for a small additional fee.

We look forward to reading your work!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Shore Scripts TV Pilot Mentorship Program

Objective:

The Shore Scripts TV Writer Mentorship Program prepares writers to get staffed or have their pilot picked up, while offering behind-the-scenes looks at working on top TV shows. This isn’t your typical screenwriting contest! It’s a one-of-a-kind game-changing experience to level up your TV writing career.

TV WRITER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

This year, SIX winners will be invited to attend our 8-week TV Writer Mentorship Program where writers will meet over a series of sessions that will include meeting with:

An A-List Showrunner revealing exactly what it takes to land – and keep – that coveted staff writing job
A top Development Executive at a major studio sharing insider strategies for pitching a series that sells
1:1 mentorship with working TV writers who were once in your shoes and have made the leap to the professional ranks
Agents and Managers pulling back the curtain on how to find (and sign with) the right representation for you
1:1 personalized guidance from our Writer Development Manager, delivering honest, actionable career feedback tailored to your goals
And more!

And that’s just the beginning. This isn’t a lecture series – it’s a series of personal meetings to help build a road map to a real TV writing career. If you’re serious about breaking in, you don’t want to watch this from the sidelines.

In an intimate, small group setting writers will get an insider’s look at what it’s really like to work in a TV writers' room, develop the pitch-perfect presentation to help them land rep and writing gigs alike, and get their most pressing questions answered with direct mentorship from established industry pros. Plus, writers will be part of a close-knit community of TV Pilot winners and Shore Script staff who will support you every step of the way. This experience is a career-defining opportunity that will open doors and shape writers’ future in the TV industry!

With the rise of TV since the advent of streaming, the prestige of the showrunner, and the growth of the writer's room, there has never been a better time to set your sights on a writing career in the industry. Backed by our unique Writer Development Program, our alumni have gone on to write and get staffed on shows for Netflix, HBO, HULU, Universal, SYFY, FOX, Sony, and SkyTV. Take a look at some of our successes.

This year’s panel of EMMY & BAFTA Judges will be selecting both ½-hour and 1-hour pilot script winners to attend our inaugural TV Writers Mentorship Program. We welcome submissions from writers around the world creating ongoing shows or limited series. Web series pilots should be entered in the ½-hour category.

The 2025 JUDGES PANEL includes:

Randall Keenan Winston, Emmy-nominated Writer & Producer - SHRINKING, GRACE & FRANKIE, COUGAR TOWN, SCRUBS.
Emma Luffingham, Development Exec and Producer – SHOWTRIAL, THE GOOD KARMA HOSPITAL, THE DIPLOMAT
Bill Thomas, Showrunner, Director, Prop Maker – STAR WARS, HARRY POTTER films, V FOR VENDETTA, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, JAMES BOND, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.
Joseph Mallozzi, Writer & Producer – STARGATE SG-1, DARK MATTER, TRANSPORTER: THE SERIES.

See the full list of our TV Pilot Judges here - http://www.shorescripts.com/judges/.

FOR ALL THE INFO: https://www.shorescripts.com/tv/.

SHORE SCRIPTS | DISCOVERING NEW SCREENWRITING TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$69 (half-hour pilot); $75 (one-hour pilot)

BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival

Objective:
The Cary Theater is pleased to present BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival, a celebration of the many facets of the art of storytelling through film. BEYOND: The Film Festival will highlight all aspects of filmmaking, featuring a short film competition and screenplay writing competition (length – 30 minutes or less). Each year, the festival will explore some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the filmmaking process. This year, the festival does not have a theme, but is open to all genres. The screenwriting competition, also for short films, will explore the foundational aspect of filmmaking – the script. A focus of this four-day event is to bring the community together to experience the best films they’ve never seen. Screenplays must have been completed after January 1, 2018. Submitted screenplays should be for short films and should not exceed 40 pages in length and written in English.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$15

Sun Valley Film Festival/High Scribe Screenplay Competition

Objective:
The High Scribe Screenplay Competition strives to match seasoned screenwriters and producers with the finalists, to help in the journey of taking script to screen. A committed group of mentors/advocates have been instrumental in not only securing management, but also screenwriting jobs and screenplay sales for High Scribe winner and even Finalists. The Sun Valley Film Festival, is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate and promote the art of filmmaking, and to use the power of storytelling to foster meaningful connections. Since 2012 SVFF has proven to be a concierge of opportunity connecting filmmakers with support both financially and through mentorship.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

New York City Horror Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:

New York City's longest running horror film festival. Established by MooDude Films CEO / Producer / Director / Michael J. Hein in 2001. The NYCHFF is a four-day event that takes place each December in New York City. The NYCHFF has grown to be a world recognized event, with industry, filmmakers, and press attention from around the globe. The Hein Family is committed to keeping the festival alive in memory of the truly missed and loved founder Michael J Hein. The festival is competitive, screening approximately 50-60 films each year.

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Seeking unproduced short and feature horror, horror-comedy, thriller, dark comedy or sci-fi screenplays. The goal is to find scripts that read well on the page and have the scares and sensibilities we often look for in the produced film submissions and official selections that screen. Horror continues to be on the rise and our judges are fans at heart.

Event date: December 4 - 7, 2025

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$74 (short); $77 (feature)

Script Summit

Objective:

Script Summit is a festival dedicated to supporting screenwriters. You will have the opportunity to connect with directors, producers, and other writers at the Script Summit Networking Event. The Summit also hosts Q&A panels, seminars, table reads of selected scripts, an awards dinner, and over $1,500 in cash prizes!

Entry Fee:
$59/$29

BOLT

Objective:

Bolt is an innovative screenplay competition from the creators of Barnstorm Fest. The rules are simple: Submit a short film screenplay or television pilot then Barnstorm Media chooses the winner and MAKES YOUR MOVIE OR PILOT!

You get to be the Executive Producer.

Every submission receives feedback from the producers at Barnstorm Media.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60

Grave Intentions Horror Anthology & Screenplay Contest

Objective:

One screenplay and up to ten short films will win $500 each!

As filmmakers, we know that outside of the film festival circuit, most shorts will die a lonely death in the bowels of the interwebs. So to help amazing shorts get the audience they deserve, we’re creating "Grave Intentions: An Anthology of Chills, Thrills, and Kills."

And your film could be a part of it!

If your short would be at home on The Twilight Zone, Tales From the Crypt, The Outer Limits, or Creep Show, we want to see it. Basically, we’re looking for anything that broadly fits the horror genre, including suspense, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, etc.

Up to 10 films will win $500 each and be included in "Grave Intentions," a feature length anthology with a creepy hostess, which will be distributed worldwide.

In addition to the $500, we also plan to award the winning filmmakers bonuses at various profit milestones for the anthology.

So if you want the chance to win at least 500 bucks and have your film shared with audiences around the world, submit to us now!

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

Since we’re screenwriters as well, we know how tough it is to get recognition for short screenplays, so we’re also hosting a contest to find great short scripts in this same horror-ish genre.

The winning screenplay will get $500, with the potential for Death Cat Entertainment to produce the script into a short film for the next volume of "Grave Intentions."

So if you have a script that will make us turn on all the lights and check under the bed, submit now for the chance to win 500 smackers and the possibility of seeing your script come to life!

Finally, when “Grave Intentions” is released in October of 2018, we’ll celebrate with a live screening event in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina!

"Grave Intentions" will be produced by Death Cat Entertainment, LLC. This organization is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now

Objective:

Our Manager Panel. Your Script.

From February 16th – August 2nd, 2026, all scripts submitted to www.coverageink.com or www.getreppednow.com for screenplay analysis ("coverage") which score a 'consider' (or better) for script are elevated to our panel of ten reps with our recommendations (appx. the top 3%.)

We work with the top literary managers in town, and they are looking for the best writers and freshest voices around. In the past we've gotten writers signed, we've gotten them hip-pocketed, and we even had a big spec sale to Disney ("Nottingham & Hood" by Brandon Barker, which also landed him at UTA and Benderspink.) In the past two years we've gotten writers repped, movies financed, and countless meetings for our considers. In fact, we've gotten writers signed four years in a row, and we can't wait to make this number five! Do you have the write stuff? To read about our past considers and to see this year's list of amazing reps, please see https://coverageink.com/get-repped-now/.

There are no prizes, and you are not competing against anyone else. Simply: all scripts that score a 'consider' for script will be elevated to our panel of top literary managers with our recommendations. After that, it's all about how much ass you kick. If the managers like the material, we set up a Zoom meeting, and after that it is up to you - and them. And even if you do not score a consider for script, you still get a thorough, empowering screenplay analysis by the industry experts, and if you wish, you can revise the script based on the notes and resubmit for another go before the deadline.

Our managers are looking for the best screenplays and pilots around. Genre is irrelevant -- it just needs to be good. That said, the more out-of-the-box your material the better, and of course, a strong/unique writer voice is key.

Get Repped Now is not a contest. We will present ALL the considers for script (or above) to our panel at the end of Get Repped Now. It could be 35 scripts; it could be three (in 2022, it was 6 features and 4 pilots). Our managers know we will be sending them the cream of the crop and all are excited to read. We open the door. The rest is up to you (and the reps.)

No submissions received after the final deadline will be considered for Get Repped Now! So get honing and toning, and then make sure to submit your features and pilots during the Get Repped Now window (February 16th – August 2nd, 2026). Please visit www.getreppednow.com for rules, info, tips and FAQ.

Bring it.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$165 feature; $139 1-hr pilots; $129 1/2-hr pilots

Athena List

Objective:
The Athena List is an annual script competition that selects exceptional scripts with women leaders at the heart of the story. As the central program in the Athena Film Festival’s Parity Pipeline program, The Athena List’s goal is to raise the profile of the scripts and the writers within the industry with the purpose of getting these movies made and elevating their careers to the next level.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

L.A. Femme International Film Festival

Objective:

To continually showcase and celebrate commercially viable films Written, Directed, or Produced by women.

A Femme International Film Festival is a premier festival that focuses on platforming women filmmakers "by women, for everyone". Our Festival was created in 2005, when it became apparent that there was a need to enhance women behind the camera as Directors, Producers, and Writers. We were the first in Los Angeles to host such an event and film festival empowering women. All those that followed are just duplicates of the movement we started over a decade ago.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$115

Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards

Objective:
Please see website.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Objective:
The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards is an awards body dedicated to independent film. With competitions every two months and a changing judge panel of film critics, actors and filmmakers working within the industry, The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards is dedicated to awarding films based on their originality and creativity, whilst considering their budget restrictions.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Stowe Narrative Labs

Objective:

Founded in 2013, Stowe Story Labs is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit working with screenwriters and filmmakers to help develop skills and projects, with the ultimate goal of helping to get work made and seen.

We do this work through labs, retreats, ongoing mentoring, market experience, and longform online writing programs.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60

Near Nazareth Festival

Objective:

Near Nazareth Festival ( NNF ) invites all film lovers to partake in our celebration.

Near Nazareth Festival hospitably opens its doors to filmmakers. Festival participants from around the world will show their works. We believe that the best place for them to present their work - is Near Nazareth Festival.

Our festival - NNF - is the first of its kind.

Our festival will serve to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the world. Through cooperation with movie lovers from around the world, we will make history.

Today filmmakers from 65 countries are participating in the festival, and presented his works

Near Nazareth Festival Online Film Market - Free of charge for all participants of the NNFestival.

We post your film info on Near Nazareth Festival Facebook page - post + image.

We'll set up info about your film on Near Nazareth Festival website.

Page is opened and distributed among national and international distributors.

We are inviting of you to join

We do not limit the categories of participants. All films are presented in their original language. There is no need for subtitles in a foreign language different from the original.

Every submitting will be reviewed by a qualified jury and the audience.

Event venue - The Poznak Community Centers, Givat Ha-More

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$32.49

San Francisco IndieFest Screenplay Competition

Objective:

For 25 years the San Francisco Independent Film Festival has developed a great reputation for filling theaters, getting press, and throwing great parties. Films at our fest regularly get Variety reviews, picked up at other fests, and find rabid groupies following the makers around town demanded autographs and buying them drinks.

This is our third year hosting a screenplay contest with the goal of expanding our filmmaker reach. We're so excited to invite screenwriters to participate in the festival and we'll be promoting them right alongside our films. Participants will enjoy live reads, parties, panels, film screenings and more!

Some feedback from competition participants:

"I believe you have identified my weaknesses that I have a difficult time seeing on my own,,, you did a nice job!" - Russel J

"...winning this festival helped me to secure a producer to finance the production of North Star...." -PJ, 2019 SF IndieFest Screenplay Award Winner

"I can’t thank you enough for your feedback and encouragement. Everything you’ve put in will help get this right. My experience is military and police work so I know breaking into the film world is tough so I appreciate everything you have gave me and I have the patience to get this right. " - Andrew K

"Thank you for the excellent coverage. Your notes are very helpful and well conceived. They are very much appreciated! It seems like most of the notes I’ve gotten simply tell me about my story- hence, not very helpful. The explanations and examples you provided really help steer me to a hopefully better rewrite. " - Tom F

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$80 (feature); $70 (short)

New York Metropolitan Screenwriting Competition & Film Awards

Objective:

We love New York and we love film! We especially love films shot, set, about, or written and produced and starring New Yorkers! And by New Yorker, we mean New Yorkers from the State, the City, and around the world. Even New Yorkers who haven’t made it here yet. We love you all. (And no, you don’t have to be from here to submit your scripts). You just have to have a great New York story to tell.

The object of our festival is to promote aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers in all genres.

See festival website for complete details.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

Stage 32 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Screenwriting Contest

Objective:

Past Winners/Finalists working with Good Fear + Film Management, Baker Entertainment Group, Wonder Woman producer Stephen Jones, talent agent Shawn Burns, producer Mitchell Peck and more!

Thanks to the plethora of streaming options and a renewed interest in the genres, fantasy and sci-fi films have never been hotter. More and more production companies, managers, and agents are looking for writers working with fantasy and sci-fi ideas. And with our 3rd Annual Fantasy and Sci-Fi contest, we’re once again ready to shine a light on the most talented undiscovered writers.

What are we looking for? Well, everything! From small budget contained, to mid-range worlds, to blockbuster new realms, we want your best.

As always, our finalists will be exposed to hundreds of executives. And this year’s winner will be flown to Los Angeles to meet with Fenrir Productions, Amasia Entertainment, Cruze & Company, The Octoberists, Kersey Management and John Crosby Management.

Our goal is to continue our streak of past winners/finalists getting represented, optioned. We look forward to working with you!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition

Objective:

As Austin Film Festival continues to grow and expand, our vision also widens with the addition of new avenues for storytellers. In 2017 we introduced the inaugural Playwriting Competition. It is open to full-length stage plays and gives playwrights a chance to explore our film and television conference. It will also allow film professionals to discover storytellers who have mastered the art and craft of stage drama.

AFF has always promoted story as the most important element of film and TV. So giving playwrights their own story exposure and a chance of crossover into film and TV only advances our mission. There are many other playwriting competitions out there, but AFF offers playwrights a broader access to successful writers and professionals in all of the other related fields.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35

Shore Scripts Short Film Fund

Objective:

The 2026 Spring Season of the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund will award a $15,000 cash production grant to one short script and $4,000 cash in finishing funds to one short film in post-production.

The Short Film Fund offers an opportunity for emerging screenwriters and filmmakers to receive much-needed financial support to get their work produced and distributed. Our partnerships with ARRI Rental, Oscar-nominated producer Maria Gracia Turgeon, and Tribeca short film programmer Kimberley Browning elevate the films that come through our Fund with free camera equipment, mentorship, and film festival strategy.

Many of our 26 previously funded short films have screened at some of the top film festivals in the world, including Sundance, Tribeca, BFI London, Austin, Cannes, Encounters, and Palm Springs. One even won a BAFTA! Several of those writers and writer/directors have gone on to gain representation, sell screenplays, get staffed on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, & BBC shows, and develop their shorts into features and TV shows.

Summary of Benefits:

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a cash production grant of $15,000, free camera equipment rental from ARRI Rental for the duration of production, and support from Shore Scripts from development to distribution.
The Finishing Funds Winner will receive a cash grant of $4,000 in finishing funds for a short film currently in post-production, and support from Shore Scripts through post-production and distribution.
Both Winners will connect with two-time Oscar-nominated producer MARIA GRACIA TURGEON for project and career guidance, receive a film festival strategy package from Tribeca programmer KIMBERLEY BROWNING, and have the opportunity to have their completed films circulated to select members of our Industry Roster.
Top 5 Finalists (unproduced scripts) will receive feedback on their script from one of our esteemed Judges.
Top 15 Finalists (unproduced scripts) will have the opportunity to have their scripts circulated to select members of our Industry Roster and Directors.
Finalists (finishing funds) will receive feedback on the rough cut of their film from one of our esteemed Judges.
The Short Film Fund accepts submissions from writers, directors, and producers from around the world for narrative short films (live-action & animation), including proof-of-concept shorts for TV series and features.

Projects submitting for the Production Grant must submit a screenplay written in English; however, the production can be filmed in any country and in any language (English subtitles in the finished film are required). We are open to working with writer/directors and directors already attached to the project, including first-time directors. If you are a standalone writer, we can assist in attaching a director and team to the project, if needed.

Projects submitting for Finishing Funds must submit a link to a rough cut, scene assembly, dailies, and/or trailer. For non-English language films, please provide English-language subtitles. You will also be asked to submit a screenplay of the project.

We do not seek to obtain any rights over your script or the finished film at any time. For those who take the funding, we ask for a production company credit and access to promotional material for the short film to promote the project and Fund in the future.

READ MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE SHORT FILM FUND: https://www.shorescripts.com/historyoftheshortfilmfund/

“Winning the Short Film Fund has brought so many gifts, the least of all being the financial support you provided. I can’t say how grateful I am for all of you and what you do for emerging filmmakers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” -Alexandra Qin (THIRSTYGIRL, Fall 2022 2nd Place Winner, Sundance 2024 Official Selection)

"I would just like to reiterate my gratitude to Shore Scripts. This isn't something that I would have believed possible and it was entirely enabled by the Short Film Fund. So thank you!" -Lindiwe Makgalemele, writer/director of THE TOWN, Spring 2021 Grand Prize Winner

"Getting to meet with Maria Gracia Turgeon was an amazing experience. The insight and expertise she was able to share with us about our upcoming short film was invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful to Shore Scripts for connecting us!" -Harvey John, writer/producer of TO CATCH A SIREN, Spring 2024 Grand Prize Winner

“We shot on an ARRI Alexa 35 and, man, it was such a bonus having ARRI as part of the prize package. Not just for the budget, but their team was great to work with.” -Eddie Mujica, writer/director of LOCO, Spring 2023 Grand Prize Winner

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59

WarnerMedia Access Writing Program

Objective:

The Warner Bros. Discovery Access Writers Program provides a pathway for writers who face inherent barriers entering the episodic television writing space. Such barriers can be due to, but not limited to, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, veterans status, socio-economic status or any other unintended barriers. Selected writers will undergo an extensive creative and business curriculum before being put up for staffing opportunities across WBD.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

Faith in Film: International Film Festival and Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

Mission: Faith in Film is dedicated to forging a film festival and screenwriting competition that will launch the careers of filmmakers focused on adding the element of faith to their films. Our aim is to inspire, showcase, and support filmmakers of all faith’s to make great faith based films that leave others touched, moved and inspired.

Military Story Showcase

Objective:

Submissions Open: August 31, 2026. The Military Story Showcase recognizes scripts, books, short stories & stage plays in any genre that feature a story about warfare or the military experience.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Cinema World Fest Awards

Objective:
Cinema World Fest Awards seeks out the best in independent films, both amateur and professional, believing you don't have to have a Hollywood budget to make a great movie. We’re a quarterly festival that showcases films and screenplays of all genres, short and long.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$45

Lake Charles Film Festival

Objective:

The Lake Charles Film Festival is an annual event founded to bring the very best of independent film and video to Calcasieu Parish (in Southwest Louisiana.) It was also founded to spotlight and award the achievements of the filmmakers behind these awesome films.

Three days of independent film screenings, seminars & workshops, celebrity appearances, parties, cajun food, live music, and much more!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Austin Comedy Film Festival

Objective:
The Austin Comedy Film Festival is a seasonal (Spring, Summer, Fall) on the Film Festival Circuit for comedy filmmakers, series creators and screenwriters from all over the world to showcase their creative works in Texas.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60 (feature); $50 (short)

GEMFest International Screenplay Competiton

Objective:

GEMFest International Screenplay Competition (Formerly the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival/VIWFF Screenplay Competition) accepts English-language screenplays written by women and gender-diverse people.

GEMFest/Gender Equity in Media Festival is organized by Gender Equity in Media Society Vancouver (GEMS) - Formerly Women in Film and Television Vancouver, a member-driven not-for-profit society based on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Nations, also known as Vancouver, BC. By addressing systemic barriers, GEMS works towards supporting more inclusive, representative media.

The festival is a forum for collaboration and networking with other women and gender-diverse screenwriters and filmmakers from around the world. GEMFest provides a platform for challenging gender inequity and the lack of diversity in the screen-based media industry, through a combination of film screenings, discussions, and professional development and networking opportunities.

We encourage you to submit a feature film script, or TV pilot script, of any genre, challenging the perceptions of what stories women and gender diverse people write, and what we want to see.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35-45

Stage 32 Short Film Script Contest

Objective:

Stage 32 has partnered with St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission to turn your short screenplay into a produced short film that will screen at 3 festivals. The amazing team at St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission are providing a $20,000 production grant to one lucky winner who will have the opportunity of a lifetime! The winning writer and director will be flown to Florida, cast & crew the film using Stage 32, be mentored on set by Sundance director JT Mollner and have the entire production professionally managed by production company Digital Caviar.

Short film content is on the rise and is steadily and successfully being used as a calling card, or as the insiders call it “proof of concept”, into the industry every day. Stage 32 has a proven track record of providing guidance, resources, opportunities and educating new voices. With this new contest offering, Stage 32 is guaranteeing a professionally produced short film that’ll be film festival ready and most importantly, that you’ll be proud of.

The Short Film Script Contest is your next ticket to success!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40.00

Feel The Reel International Film Festival

Objective:
Feel The Reel is a monthly international film festival founded in Glasgow, United Kingdom. FTR is not only an online film festival, but also a festival with live screenings, our friends from Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest making this possible.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Capital Fund Screenplay Competiton

Objective:

The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, now in its 11th year of successes, where your scripts are read direct by investors that buy projects and fund films at the studio level domestically and abroad. Our entrants have been optioned and sold at AFM, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Shanghai Film Markets.

A Different Screenplay Contest

Find out if your script can sell- is it commercial? Now get the answer with a CVR report. Due to popular demand we are now offering internal CVR’s direct to writers. And for a limited time will include a FREE FULLY EDITABLE EXCEL FEATURE FILM BUDGET TEMPLATE with each C.V.R. order. See home page for details.

The only screenplay contest that connects writers to Industry financiers.
Your script can get an offer anytime after you enter even if you don’t win a placement prize.
First screenplay contest? That’s okay, our film financiers are looking for new, fresh voices.
Earn Film Industry Recognition or Repeat Recognition on the “Hot 100” List.
Win an in-person table read on a major studio lot.
Gain visibility beyond the reach of your agents.
Directly access studio-level film fund and private equity managers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Thriller/Suspense Festival

Objective:
Monthly festival that showcases the best of Thriller/Suspense Genre Stories and Films from around the world.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Haunted Horror Film Festival

Objective:
The Goal of the I.H.H.F.F. is to provide a safe fair professional venue for both Horror Filmmaker and Horror Fans to come together and celebrate the Horror Cinema as a union for a small Genre of filmmaking both Independant and Big Budget. Horror Films are indeed a small Genre of modern day Cinema devided by several sub-genres but nevertheless has a very large diehard Fan Base.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$15

Los Angeles Feedback 1pg. Screenplay Contest

Objective:
Submit a screenplay that is only 1 page long and have it performed at the Writing Festival by professional actors. Also garner FULL FEEDBACK on your work.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Urban Mediamakers Film Festival

Objective:

Media images represents the most recognizable commodity in the world. The implied messages of media form the world views of millions. In the United States and globally, African, Asians, Blacks, Hispanics and Latinos are severely underrepresented in mass media, and are most often shown in marginal roles when featured. As independent content creators, we can the talents and creativity to change the narrative of the diaspora stories.

Founded in November 2001, the mission of the Urban Mediamakers Association is to promote and support diverse, independent digital/media arts content creation. Our annual signature event is the Urban Mediamakers Film Festival (UMFF) showcasing award-winning, global independent films. Join us October 14-27, 2024 for UMFF as we celebrate 23 years of showcasing award-winning content creations.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Depends on project length.

Paris Art and Movie Awards

Objective:

The Paris Art and Movie Awards is the leading independent film festival in Paris.

The « PAMA » has been ranked, as soon as its second year, the second festival not to miss in Paris, by The Culture Trip Magazine. It is also listed in the TOP 100 film festivals in the world by the leading platform FilmFreeway.

We accept short films and feature, in a wide range of categories. We close each year festival by an award ceremony, giving away trophies and certificates and gifts to films, and to filmmakers, cast and crew.

Our goal is to help independent filmmakers screening their films, awarding them, show their films to high level industry talents and public figures.

We keep supporting and promoting winners and nominees long after their nomination or their win : we follow you on Facebook and Instagram, we share your work… We also have a policy of inviting former winners to become Judges, and former nominees to walk on stage to give away awards to their fellow filmmakers.

We are a human scale festival, often compared to the hottest New-York underground and dynamic events. We have partnerships with medias, established companies, and the screening always take place in grand historic venues in Paris.

We are proud to work, since first year, with the French national charity CHILDREN’S VOICE. We offer free screening to very young kids, who often never went to a movie theatre before, and to young adults, some with difficult family backgrounds.

We have an office in Paris, and another in Burbank (Los Angeles).

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$90.00 (feature);$40.00 (short)

North Country (Snowtown) Screenplay Competition

Objective:

To highlight the work of screenwriters with a connection to Northern New York, work that is set in Northern New York, or that could use Northern New York as a filming location.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$15 ($10 for student)

Independent Horror Movie Awards

Objective:

Our mission is to help promote the criminally overlooked but creatively fertile field of indie horror by singling out top notch work with a wide variety of awards.

Movies, scripts, and web series are all welcome! We give special attention to low budget films especially no budget entries! We're sick to death of the endless barrage of remakes and sequels that so clearly signaled the demise of originality in mainstream horror. Most of the horror classics still beloved today were indie films: John Carpenter's Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Evil Dead, Night of the Living Dead, etc.

With all kinds of different awards including many unique to our beloved genre, you have more chances to win. Every two months, we choose nominees and winners so filmmakers don't have to wait an entire year for results. This enables you to quickly build buzz for your project. Winners and nominees will be announced by the 10th of the following month after the final bi-monthly deadline. For example, the results for April will be posted by May 10th.

We are an online competition that does not screen films to the public so you don't have to worry about ruining your premiere status. This also keeps submissions fees as low as possible.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Sanford Film Festival

Objective:

The Sanford International Film Festival is a world-wide-community event; we show some of the most compelling work from all over the world, and we invite that world in to become a part of our creative and compassionate Maine community.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$30

TV One Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The TV ONE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION 2018 is meant to encourage and promote the production of creative, contemporary, engaging and relatable screenplays that can be turned into original movies for television. The competition is meant to:

Encourage filmmakers to offer a fresh perspective and submit contemporary stories with a focus on the American black cultural experience with wide audience appeal.
Encourage filmmakers to creatively center around entertaining, heart-felt and relatable topics that resonate and appeal to African American audiences.
Expand upon the genres/formats that tell these entertaining stories. Genres include, but are not limited to comedies, romantic comedies, dramas, and family adventures (submissions should be non-period stories).

One (1) Grand Prize Winner will be selected from three (3) Finalists and announced at the ABFF Awards Presentation.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

GEFO Short Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The Greater Erie Film Office and the Greater Erie Arts Rental at Penn State Behrend Short Screenplay Competition is open to all Pennsylvania residents. This year’s screenwriting and filmmaking competition is themed immigration. Entry scripts must be the original work of the writer(s). The Greater Erie Film Office Screenwriting Competition is the first part of an annual two-contest combo. The Short Film Competition will be announced officially on June 8, 2016.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35.00

The Writers Lab US

Objective:

The Writers Lab, produced by IRIS and New York Women in Film & Television and supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, is open for submissions of screenplays by women over the age of 40

ABOUT THE LAB

The Writers Lab brings 12 women screenwriters over the age of 40 with promising scripts together with outstanding professional female filmmakers for an intensive four-day screenwriting development retreat of one-on-one meetings, panel discussions and other activities designed to inspire the artists; to prompt rigorous creative exploration; and, through revision, to cultivate first-rate cinematic stories.

We seek a broad selection of screenplays across all genres of fiction. Scripts by more than one writer will be considered, but all writers must be female, and only one writer can attend the Lab. We welcome submissions from professionals, amateurs, and everyone in between who has a story to tell and a cinematic vision. Selections are based on the script’s artistic merit and craftsmanship, not the applicant's level of professional experience. Now accepting international script submissions.

MISSION

The Writers Lab is dedicated to developing promising feature scripts of cinematic scope and imagination, in all genres, by women screenwriters over the age of 40, as part of the movement to amplify the female voice in narrative film. We are committed to female storytellers, yet do not limit our search to stories about women.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest

Objective:

Crimson Screen is a filmmakers film festival. You will get to meet other filmmakers from all over the globe, create lasting friendships and share your experiences with a captive audience. Professional to novice, first time filmmakers to well established, Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest showcases a wide variety of horror films from all over the globe.

We are seeking all genres of horror films and screenplays. We take pride in the variety of horror selections at our annual festival and encourage filmmakers to submit any type of film and screenplay with horror/thriller/suspense elements and themes!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Finish Line Script Competition

Objective:

The Finish Line redefines the screenwriting competition, embracing the rewrite as an essential component in any successful screenplay, and incentivizing every entrant to dig deeper, find their best draft, and win. With the guidance of a seasoned script consultant, you can work on your rewrites AFTER submitting your script to the competition and then, after reviewing their notes, RESUBMIT your script to us, having improved your draft and thus bettering your chances to WIN!

Our screenplay consultants will provide comprehensive development notes on your screenplay or pilot, for as many drafts as you choose, focusing on the fact that the STORY and WRITER are KING. Just as with development execs at studios, production companies or networks, we will go through draft after draft with you to get your script into TIPTOP shape. With the Finish Line, winning is always within reach, perhaps only a draft away.

Following our process, everyone who enters The Finish Line Script Competition comes out a winner. One writer will win our amazing Grand Prize, while two others will receive First and Second Runners Up prizes. Everyone else who takes advantage of our consulting services will leave the competition with the insight to get them to the real victory—the consideration of managers, agents, producers and studio or network execs.

If your script is already in perfect shape, great! Submit it as is. We are looking for the best writer in the bunch. Enter the Finish Line Script Competition and come out a winner!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$57

Veer West Screenplay Festival

Objective:
The Veer West Shorts Series encourages writers and artists to submit screenplays and stage plays under 8 pages. Having workshopped and produced scripts and new material in Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles, since 2003, our goal is to launch new work by exceptional screenwriters, writers, filmmakers, and artists.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

New Renaissance Film Fest (London, UK)

Objective:

Film is a unique medium, and the New Renaissance Film Festival’s mission is to support and champion the best upcoming filmmakers and screenwriters in this new era, to fulfill their dream in telling their stories.

We focus on the ARTIST, on the STORY and on building an international COMMUNITY of inspiring storytellers. We are not interested in following current fashions or politically motivated content. We seek out stories that are genuinely imaginative, emotional and or life-affirming. Our passion is to tell great stories.

ONE OF THE TOP UK FILM FESTIVALS TO KNOW ABOUT!

NRFF was featured recently in the London METRO’s list of TOP UK FILM FESTIVALS among some very distinguished company, including Raindance and Aesthetica.

As of September 2016, we were ranked in the top 100 best reviewed film festivals on FilmFreeway.

We have been privileged to screen world and UK premiers at our festival that went on to win an Oscar! We have also found that filmmakers, screenwriters and actors create new projects from meeting each other at the festival.

A FESTIVAL FOR INSPIRING ARTISTS, STORIES AND STORYTELLERS

This festival is organized by JAN HENDRIK VERSTRATEN and MASSIMO BARBATO who are themselves filmmakers and writers. They believe at the heart of every great film is a great story, one that will inspire an audience and hopefully help to shape culture in a positive way.

NRFF London has several categories for UK and International filmmakers and screenwriters, but very close to our hearts is the YOUNG TALENT AWARD. This is a special award for screenwriting, short films and acting that will be presented to young talent (up to 24 years of age). In 2018 the award was presented by First Flights, an initiative from Goldfinch Film Studios, a film production company which looks for new directors to work with.

NRFF LONDON 2020

2020 will be our fifth year in London, a city known for its diversity and innovation in the creative arts. We will screen around 120 narrative shorts, features, documentaries, animations and music videos over the course of the festival (as many as we can), finishing with an AWARDS CEREMONY.

Running alongside the festival will be a SCREENWRITING COMPETITION and a series of MASTERCLASSES by film industry experts, a filmmaker's PANEL DISCUSSION, Filmmaker Q&A's, and other networking opportunities.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$20, or higher, see website

Utah Film Awards

Objective:

The Utah Film Awards competition and film market recognizes the best films, series, and commercials at this red carpet event. The event is judged by film distributors worldwide that are looking to acquire new films.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$30

Los Angeles CineFest

Objective:
Los Angeles CineFest is an online, monthly event. Each month Hollywood film industry specialists watch, listen and vote for The Best of The Festival in each category. Every month, we'll announce Festival winners online.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$5

Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards

Objective:

The Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming comedic screenwriters, as well as to empower and educate those talented writers still waiting for their invitation into the mainstream film and television industries.

Competition is open to comedic feature-length and short works, screenplays and teleplays.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59 (feature), $29 (short)

Short Stop International Film Festival

Objective:
Short Stop International Film Festival is an online film festival based in the UK.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$44

12 Months Film Festival

Objective:
The 12 Months Film Festival (#12MFF) is an international online film event that attracts, displays and awards movie enthusiasts, and professionals from 6 continents, in the largest monthly qualification challenge for the Grand Prize. The 11 months editions will award and send 3 winners each in the #12MFF for the Grand Prize that takes place the end of April.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

13Horror.com Film & Screenplay Contest

Objective:

13Horror.com is back with THE go-to contest for horror screenwriters and film-makers!

The categories for the contest are:

Feature-length screenplays
Short screenplays
Feature-length movies
Short movies

Winning entrants will receive some truly awesome prizes, including:

Cash
Publishing deals
Movie distribution offer
Film-making classes
Contacts with horror movie industry insiders
Horror merchandise
And much more

Each screenplay and movie entrant receives a comprehensive feedback form from one of our Hollywood judges, explaining how their screenplay or film did against the judging criteria. This is included as part of your entry fee and is extremely popular with submitters.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$59 (features) $29 (short)

First 10 Pages Showcase

Objective:
Submissions Open: July 27, 2026. The First 10 Pages Showcase recognizes scripts, books, short stories & stage plays in any genre that set up an exciting and compelling story capable of "hooking" a reader within the first 10 pages.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85.00

Fan Fiction Screenplay Festival

Objective:

Submit a FAN FICTION Script of a classic television show, movie series, or iconic franchise. Any past TV show or movie in the history of cinema. For example: You can send in a Friends TV screenplay, or a feature script from the Star Wars universe.

Offers writers at all levels the fantastic opportunity to hear their scripts read aloud using TOP PROFESSIONAL ACTORS and showcased online for 1000s to see. Gives you, the writer, the opportunity to have your fan fiction read by professionals and showcased to the industry and world.

No matter what happens, you will receive full feedback on your script by our established reading committee. No other place in the world will you get coverage for the price you pay. Even if you’re just looking for feedback on your script, this is the festival for you.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35 (features);
$25 (shorts);
$35 (TV spec);
$20 (First Scene)

GenreBlast Film Festival

Objective:

GenreBlast is an international independent genre film festival coming to you from the awesome Alamo Drafthouse Winchester in beautiful Winchester, VA!

GB5 will happen LABOR DAY WEEKEND - 9/3-9/6 2020 and will feature the best of truly independent films from around the world - specializing in action, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, martial arts, grindhouse, exploitation, Korean thrillers, Japanese gangster flicks, Chinese action movies, French horror, midnight movies, shoestring budget weird cinema, and everything under the sun! We really welcome all genres of interesting, original, exciting and daring moviemaking! All countries and walks of life are welcome here!

We also have a fantastic screenplay contest that is growing larger every year!

Our discussion panels at GenreBlast have been a big hit and we're bringing them back for GB5! Raw, uncensored real talk about indie filmmaking, gender bias, distribution, criticism, and much more will come your way from the mouths of some of the best indie talent out there!

After-parties, lively conversation, networking galore, TONS of movies, informative Q&A's and the chance to make new lifelong industry friends - all nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley hamlet of Winchester, VA! Your movie will be shown in front of a lively, enthusiastic crowd of cinephiles and industry peers that don't walk around with their heads up their asses 24/7! What a refreshing way to attend a film fest!

Come Labor Day Weekend, you'll wish you were at GenreBlast!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40 short scripts, $50 feature scripts

Top Indie Film Awards

Objective:
No budget? No problem. We know how painstakingly difficult it is to make a movie. Heck, we even know how hard it is just to write a good script (it's one of the biggest, most horribly unappreciated but crucially important parts of the entire process) so don't worry if your budget was tiny (or non-existent). The fact is we're sick of Hollywood. They only care about brands and marketing. Forget originality, passion, or vision. It's all about cashing in on a built-in audience so they don't have to take any risks. This is why we respect independent filmmakers. We know what it takes, and we're here to reward you so you can get real recognition for your work. We want to help indie filmmakers find success by celebrating their achievements with a plethora of different awards.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival

Objective:
Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival Celebrates Short Films, Features, Television and New Media worldwide. Our mission is to support filmmakers, recognize their hard work, and Award them so they are more inspired to keep telling amazing stories.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50 (feature); $30 (short)

Just4Shorts Short Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The short film traces its roots to the very beginning of movie history, long before the concept of a feature films existed. Almost a century later, short films continue to strive as a new filmmaker's calling card in Hollywood. Short films serve as a quick, efficient medium to demonstrate a filmmaker's talent. And it all begins with a great script.

Objective:

VISIONFEST: The Other Festival promotes domestic filmmaking. All of the works showcased at VISIONFEST are created by U.S. filmmakers and by production entities that are based solely in the United States. The projects may be shot on international locations and have globally relevant storylines, but their origin must be rooted in the U.S.

VISIONFEST exists to provide an exhibition forum for the American auteur; one that is specialized and focused; one that does not dilute the presence of U.S. films within a sea of international product.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$80

Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival

Objective:
Whether you are a filmmaker, a distributor, or a film enthusiast – the Festival offers you an exciting look into the latest movies to hit the market. Our goal is to bring you the best in the latest films and TV episodes that will encourage, challenge and inspire us to positive values and a greater understanding of the human journey.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$30

Denver Film Festival

Objective:
It entertains. It educates. It provokes and persuades, moves and motivates. The cinema’s potential to transform as well as reflect society in all its diversity is what the Denver Film Society aims to recognize and realize. Since 1978, the DFS has worked to promote the medium as both an art form and a civic forum, developing a program that includes year-round screenings, community outreach projects and renowned special events. It is in fact the only nonprofit organization in Colorado dedicated to engaging both its members and the general public in a lifelong, life-altering relationship with and understanding of film and film culture. The twin pillars it has built on the foundation of this vision are the award-winning Denver Film Festival, now in its third decade, and the Sie FilmCenter.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$55

Universe Multicultural Film Festival

Objective:
Film has the power to bring history to life, open windows into other cultures and engage in a way that no other medium can duplicate. Universe multicultural film festival provides an equal stage for every culture to show and shine. For film lovers, it is a place for the unique movies that can open their mind and fresh their eyes. For film makers, it is a fantastic place to meet with the others to create cross cultural film project; For distributers, it is a market that have most diversify films to choice for; For locals, it is a wonderful festival that full of fun and cultural education.

Deadline:

Objective:

Submissions Open: November 3, 2025. The True Story Showcase recognizes scripts, books, short stories & stage plays in any genre that feature a story based on, or inspired by, true events.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Mockfest Film Festival of Hollywood

Objective:
Our mission at MOCKFEST is to showcase the best comedies and mockumentaries from around the world, gathering fans and filmmakers together to celebrate the beauty and brilliance of the mockumentary genre and all its comedy brothers at the center of it all, Hollywood, California.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$95

New York International Independent Film Festival

Objective:

The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIIFVF) is one of the largest independent film festivals in the world.

The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival was founded in 1993. NYIIFVF has been recognized by the film and entertainment industry as one of the leading film events on the independent festival circuit. The festival hosts film, music and art events in the two entertainment capitals of the United States: New York and Los Angeles.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$100

Carolina Film and Video Festival

Objective:
We want to be the first to exhibit your film. Whether it's narrative, documentary, animation, or experimental, great work has a place at this film festival. We've been showcasing original works like yours for longer than any other student-run film festival in North Carolina. The festival has separate student, independent, and North Carolina categories, as well as a script competition.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival

Objective:
The intent of MiSciFi is to showcase the best in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Comedy, and other imaginatively-themed films from around the world. This celebration is set in the trendy and progressively global megalopolis of Miami Florida. Our creative and inspirational environment is ideal to explore films that ponder the infinite possibilities our multiverse holds.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60

San Pedro International Film Festival

Objective:
The San Pedro International Film Festival was founded to celebrate the diverse culture and community of San Pedro with a wide spectrum of independent film, documentaries, and shorts. SPIFF is committed to exhibiting films that embody inspiring entertainment for all. Works that express fresh voices and differing global perspectives, with the intent that these films enlighten audiences while providing invaluable exposure for filmmakers, local and international.

Deadline:

Objective:
The Indie Horror Film Festival (formerly known as “Indy Horror Film Festival) returned from the dead in 2010 with hopes of swallowing mortals whole and filling their souls with a thirst for blood and horror. The Indie Horror Film Festival screens films from all over the world and brings the best of blood, gore and horror to the big screen for you to enjoy!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$110

Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood

Objective:
The goal of the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood is to recognize and award talented independent filmmakers and Writers, therefore helping them to increase their distribution and project funding opportunities.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival

Objective:

THE HOLLYWOOD REEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (HRIFF) was started to help support and promote independent cinema in Los Angeles, encouraging filmmakers with unique or non-mainstream visions to create films.

By offering cash, prizes and awards, the Festival's goal is to stimulate filmmakers in the creation of quality new work. Through offering multiple screenings of the best films to be viewed in theaters by industry professionals and fellow filmmakers, the Festival hopes to give these films an opportunity to find distribution and garner media attention, as well as to provide filmmakers a chance for their work to be shown on the big screen.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$80

Awareness Film Festival

Objective:

The Awareness Film Festival is organized by Heal One World, a non-profit charity serving the community surrounding West Pico blvd in Los Angeles, California.

As well as serving as a fundraiser, the mission of the Awareness Film Festival is to inform and inspire audiences through a program of films on Ecological, Political, Health/Well Being and Spiritual topics. We are honored to have the opportunity to spotlight film-makers committed to making positive change throughout the world.

We showcase both Documentary and Narrative Features,as well as Short Films, Music Videos and Public Service Announcements.? Our events include film-maker Q&A’s, film-maker Panels,as well as conscious art and music.????? Additionally, we also host the Zen Den, It is a unique gathering oasis for rejuvenation and transformation, the Zen Den offers daily wellness classes about healing therapies such as cranial-sacral, Feldenkrais, and more for socially conscious celebs, film-makers and global citizens.

Any net profits from this event will go completely to charity, including our partner organizations.

For more information on Heal One World and their initiatives, please visit: http://healoneworld.com/

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival

Objective:

Our festival specializes in Horror, SF, Fantasy, Action, Thriller, Crime Drama and Animation. We also have a categories for Original Un-Produced Screenplays (feature length only), Fan Films, Web Series and Music Videos. This year we are accepting Comedies and Family Films as well. Our Micro-Short category is specifically designed to accommodate short films under 7 mins in length, including those produced for the 48 Hr. Film Festival.

This year the team for each paid submission will receive two free passes for the entire festival whether their film is selected for screening or not, and the team for each selected film will receive four passes for the entire festival.

Local filmmakers with features that do not fit in the above categories – such as documentaries and experimental films, should contact Gregory Lamberson or Chris Scioli. Submissions can be made through Without a Box and Film Freeway.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

International Independent Film Awards

Objective:

The International Independent Film Awards is dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the many talented independent filmmakers and artists from around the world who share their visions in a powerful, creative and entertaining way.

The IIFA is looking forward to kicking off this Spring session by awarding many of the gifted, filmmakers, screenwriters and artist of our generation. The Independent film community is without a doubt the backbone of the industry. This is why it is so important for there to be opportunities for these independent geniuses to be recognized. The International Independent Film Awards provides a tremendous amount of opportunities for filmmakers, screenwriters, actors, editors, composers, etc.... to receive the accolades they deserve within our numerous judging categories and awards levels.

There’s a total of 41 categories (15 primary and 26 creative) and 7 award levels.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

CineStory TV/Digital Retreat & Fellowship

Objective:

The CineStory Foundation has always believed in helping writers find their voice. We’re entering a world in which the ways to tell stories are limitless. Those stories always begin with a blank page. Our goal with the TV/Digital Series Retreat is to assist writers, whether they long for the collaborative nature of Television or they dream of going out on their own to create their own web series.

Structured like the CineStory Feature Retreat, the CineStory TV/Digital Series Retreat will take place over three days in the beautiful mountains of Idyllwild, California. Attendees will receive three one-on-one, one and a half hour sessions with CineStory mentors during which they can discuss everything from the project they submitted for feedback to jump starting their writing careers.

TV Writers will experience what it’s like to sit in a professional writers room run by an experienced mentor. Digital Series will attend panels to discuss the best way to produce their projects. In addition, mentors and writers will gather for meals, drinks, screenings and other special events.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$95

Scriptapalooza Fellowship

Objective:

The fellowship program was developed to honor dedicated writers and to help further their creative process and skills. Writing in itself is a journey and we would like to facilitate the process by giving the fellows the opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded professionals and individuals.

EVERY ENTRANT GETS 4 PAGES OF FEEDBACK FOR FREE

Application Requirements:

Completed application and fee.
Your screenplay or pilot emailed to us in PDF format.
Applicant must answer the following essay question: Why are you interested in this fellowship and what do you hope to gain from it? (1 page maximum)

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$70

Norwich Film Festival

Objective:
2009 was the first Norwich Film Festival and was an unprecedented success. We had submissions from all over the world and some really quality films screened. Films such as Best Documentary winner 'Running To The Limits' (Alex Vero) have since gone on to be screened on Channel 4, while winner of Best Short and Best in Festival, 'Ana's Playground' (Eric D Howell) has gone on to be screened at international conferences around the world, including the Vancouver Winter Olympics, winning numerous other awards in the process. After a short break, the festival returned in 2012. We have an amazing array of celebrity patrons and judges (including Bernard Hill, Tim McInnerny, Olivia Colman and Martin Walsh) who are all eager to watch your films and read your screenplays. The people of Norwich are also committed to supporting artists of all media and have been wonderful throughout our four previous years, turning up in their droves to see the best the festival has to offer.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
See website.

Scriptwriters Network's High Concept Screenplay Program

Objective:

HELPING DISCOVER AND DEVELOP HIGH-CONCEPT SCREENWRITERS

The High Concept Screenplay Program (HCSP) is Scriptwriters Network’s screenplay competition and writer development program dedicated to recognizing outstanding high-concept feature screenplays.

HCSP was created to identify scripts with compelling premises, strong hooks, commercial appeal, and memorable storytelling concepts while helping writers strengthen their craft through professional feedback and educational support.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Adapted Story Showcase

Objective:

Submissions Open: December 1, 2025. The Adapted Story Showcase recognizes scripts, books, short stories, & stage plays in any genre that feature an adapted story.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85.00

Hang onto Your Shorts Film Festival

Objective:

Chris J. Cullen, Rich Lello and Brian Kopack are three Jersey boys who enjoy going to events on the Jersey Shore. After Hurricane Sandy the shore was hit very hard and many people came together to help rebuild the shore.

Though many artistic events and film festivals have left the area. We all work in the entertainment industry in some form and we all love the art of film making. We want to bring back film festivals to the Jersey Shore and also celebrate those who are trying to break into the industry with the Short Film.

We decided to create a small intimate short film festival in the amazing area of Asbury Park, NJ to start our festival.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
See website.

Sacramento International Film Festival

Objective:
As Sacramento's only festival dedicated solely to Cinema art, The Sacramento Film Festival's mission is to be a catalyst for greater appreciation of Cinema as art, build the local filmmaking community and work with Hollywood and independents alike to showcase Northern California as a dynamic place to shoot and screen movies.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Other Worlds Austin SciFi Screenwriting Contest

Objective:

The universe is an infinite expanse of limitless possibility, teeming with unknown worlds and untold stories. The blank page opens, a white inexhaustible void, punctuated only by the monolithic black cursor. What wonders lie in its indefinable depths?

Other Worlds is dedicated to fostering and promoting creativity in Science Fiction at every stage of development, so we are proud to announce our annual SciFi Screenwriting Contest is now currently open and accepting submissions! The contest runs concurrently with the film program, and will award prizes for the top feature, short or teleplay.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60 (feature); $55 (TV); $50 (short); $10 (Under 18 shorts)

ISA Fast Track Fellowship

Objective:

Looking for representation or to connect with working directors or producers? Get on the Fast Track!

For 22 seasons, the ISA Fast Track Fellowship has been the premier screenwriting fellowship for writers on the rise.

Fast Track Fellows have:

Signed with major agencies like CAA, Paradigm, and ICM.
Been introduced to and then signed with management companies.
Had their scripts optioned, leading to development deals.

Two ISA Fast Track Fellows meet with eight top level agents, managers, producers, and executives during a whirlwind week of career acceleration with guidance from an ISA Development Executive.

Past seasons' executive meetings include writers, producers, directors and execs from ICM, CAA, The Bear, Cross, Ted Lasso, LA LA Land, Whiplash, I Feel Pretty, Harriet, Lessons in Chemistry, Dear White People, The Walking Dead, and What Women Want, among others. Fellows are then accepted onto the ISA Development Slate for a minimum of one year. Throughout the year, ISA development executives champion and pitch these writers and their projects to our industry partners actively looking for material to produce.

Seven Category Selections will receive $500 cash each, be evaluated for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate, and go on to be considered for the two Fast Track Fellowships. We are looking for the freshest, most original, and most personal writing in all of these categories:

Action/Adventure
Comedy
Drama
Historical/Biographical
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Suspense (Mystery, Crime, Horror, Thriller)
Spec Scripts - NOW ACCEPTING SPECS!

Please note: We define a spec script as an episode based on an existing television show. If your script is not based on existing IP, please submit to the television category.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79

Scriptamation

Objective:
Scriptamation is a short screenplay and scene contest with

a very unique element - the winning screenplays and scenes will be voice recorded by actors and turned into a produced 3-D CG animation. If your screenplay wins and is chosen to be animated, you will own all of the rights to the finished product and are free to do whatever you want with it.

Scriptamation's team have worked as Screenwriters, Story Editors and other Production Staff for Paramount Pictures, Sony, The Hub Network, and Cartoon Network.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

The 5th Annual 1st TV Script Writing Competition: Presented by Filmmakers.com

Objective:

To make Hollywood more accessible than ever before to more aspiring screenwriters, 1st TV Script Writing Competition is forming strategic alliances with the powers that be in Film & TV, who are on the lookout for exceptional talent and TV scripts.

The 1st TV Script Writing Competition is presented by FilmMakers Magazine. It wasn't that long ago that for a writer to get discovered he or she had to reside in or around Hollywood. Not anymore. The Film Industry is changing rapidly and so are the players and the playground.

Launch Your Screenwriting Career Today. Enter one of the Top TV Script Contest Now! 1st TV Script Writing Contest is judged by Hollywood's Leading Film & TV Executives.

Submit your work to an organization that stood the test of time. Let our team at 1st TV Script Writing Competition Champion your creative property and be your ally in presenting same to the powers that be.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
1/2 Hr: from $35; 1 Hr: from $39 and Other Category from $35

Film Crash Screenplay Competition

Objective:
The mission of the Film Crash Screenplay Competition is to build community, create a platform for screenplays, and encourage writers to "crash" through barriers to self-expression. Founded by Sundance Jury Prize winning director Matthew Harrison in 1985, Film Crash has enjoyed playing a part in the creative life of stories, many of which have gone on to be produced as motion picture and television entertainment. We look forward to reading your scripts. Please Submit through Film Freeway at https://filmfreeway.com/festival/FilmCrashScreenplayCompetition

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Pennsylvania Short Screenplay Competition

Objective:
Pennsylvania residents: The Greater Erie Film Office, a program of the Film Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania (FSNWPA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is proud to debut its short screenwriting and filmmaking competition, in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association- Greater PA Chapter. The theme will be memory and/or dementia.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$20.00

Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards

Objective:
A monthly film festival that celebrates creative work from around the world with 40 awards in different categories.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$25 - $35

Objective:
The Catalina Film Festival Script Contest will award an outstanding screenplay that fully exemplifies a well-rounded and entertaining FEATURE story that is poised to be the next "green-lit" feature film in Hollywood. It will be read by professional script-readers with a discriminating eye for plotline, structure, and marketability. You must submit with the intent of putting it into consideration with prominent film professionals eager to find their next project.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Stage 32 Annual TV Writing Contest

Objective:

TV is bigger than ever, streaming has allowed more original voices to be broadcast around the world and with the future holding opportunity in an unnamed company's new streaming platform (rhymes with Bisney), there's no doubt going to be an even greater call for excellent TV writers and original shows!

No matter what format you write in – sitcom, drama, serialized, procedural, mini-series, limited series – we want your work! All 30 and 60 minute original pilots are eligible. NO SPECS OF PRE-EXISTING SHOWS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Williamsburg International Film & Music Competition

Objective:

Our Director of the Screenplay Competition is a working writer himself. We carefully select our Judges and try to assist the screenplay winners in their journey to sell their manuscripts. Exposure is half the battle. Our priority has always been the writer. Read our reviews on FilmFreeway and you'll see what past writers and filmmakers think of our competition.

We promote the winners of our competition to over 1000 media outlets worldwide and are always on the lookout for Producers looking for your genre.

Many of the award-winning screenplays and films in WILLiFEST have gone on to have theatrical releases, broadcasts on PBS and other media outlets, and to be nominated and awarded at the American Academy Awards.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$35 (standard);$32 (student)

Zed Fest Horror/Sci-Fi/Action/Suspense Screenplay Competition

Objective:
Screenplays must be feature length no less than 80 pages and no more than 120 pages. All screenplays must be written in English. Screenplays should be in 12 point Courier font and pages must be numbered. Only online PDF submissions will be accepted. Any revisions after submission will not be accepted. Genres may only be HORROR SCI-FI ACTION SUSPENSE

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Sunset Film Festival Los Angeles

Objective:
With so few spots available at the bigger film festivals, independent filmmakers struggle to get noticed. After all the hard work of making a movie, there's nothing like seeing it on the big screen. Sunset Film Festival seeks hidden gems bigger fests often overlook. Sunset Film Festival programmers are looking for visionary filmmakers with fresh voices to share with an audience hungry for independent film.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

APM Short Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The APM Short Screenplay Competition creates opportunities for screenwriters around the globe to get their short screenplay PRODUCED, made into a movie and SEEN by audiences and industry professionals all over the world! Our goal is to discover and promote the original works and talents of emerging screenwriters by making their scripts into films that get audiences talking.

APM Short Screenplay Competition is not the usual screenwriting competition, but a door to opportunity, as we are now searching for a best short script to produce. To do this we have enlisted the help of industry insiders, award winning directors, producers, professional writers and high-profile actors to read and select.

Writers can submit short film scripts only, a category open to all genres. We are open to receive submissions in the following languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, although if you are making a submission in any other language than English you should also include an English translation of your script as a standard. We will not be able to consider submissions not backed by an English translation.

This competition is opened to SHORT FILM SCRIPTS - Up to 30 pages (between 8-15 is recommended).

Avanti Productions & Management is dedicated to creating some of the world’s most original and exciting, mind-bending, visually stunning and brilliantly written independent films and we want you to be a part of the journey and the magic.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Objective:

The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will get into a script development incubator and packaging fast track with Stage 32 & Mammoth Pictures, the producers behind the successful horror/thrillers THE NIGHT, PARALLEL, and more!

Mammoth Pictures will review all Semi-Finalist loglines - eligible for script requests!

PLUS -- All Top 10 Finalists will be eligible for mentorships with execs from Amazon Studios & Producers on ORPHAN, ORPHAN KILL and SKINAMARINK.

Fresh off the release of the hit thriller PARALLEL, starring Aldis Hodge and Danielle Deadwyler, Mammoth Pictures founders Kourosh Ahari and Alex Bretow are partnering with Stage 32 to find the next undiscovered horror writing talents. The producers, who've built a company making prestige horror/thriller films for international markets, will work directly with Stage 32 through the Stage 32 Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest.

Mammoth Pictures will be personally reviewing semi-finalist loglines and all top 10 finalist scripts, with winners selected based on both creative merit and commercial viability. The selected writers will receive script development, industry mentorship, and potential production pathways designed to fast-track emerging writers. Both Stage 32 and Mammoth Pictures will jointly package developed projects for production.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$84.50

Amazing Logline Contest

Objective:
To assist talented screenwriters in getting their great loglines in front of Hollywood professionals, in order to get their scripts read by decision makers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$20.00

L.A. Neo Noir Novel, Film, & Script Festival

Objective:

FESTIVAL UPDATES:
CONGRATULATIONS to 37 of 2023's neo-noir creators, writers, and filmmakers that we helped to secure management, distribution, and production deals!! Last year was our biggest year ever! We thank you for your great work, talent, and you may thank us by showing your best neo noir talents to this world! We want to sincerely thank the hardest working staff in neo noir history, THE LANNEFF staff, along with the incomparable guidance / mentorship of Academy Award winner, our friends, Derek Cianfrance and Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling, SMG Distribution, Bill Murray, and all of our partners and advising talent agencies who wish to remain anonymous. We certainly could not produce this festival without you!

Until October 31st, C.L. Westbrook, LANNEFF director, will partner with The Haunt Walking Tours L.A. group to bring a neo noir themed haunted walking tour to LA and industry professionals. Enter our BEST HAUNTED NEO-NOIR SHORT STORY competition and be a part of this venture!

TWO NEW DISTRIBUTORS:

We are pleased to announce IPitch.TV as a major distributor of our winning films! This is in ADDITION to SMG Film Distribution AND three other award-winning major distributors of online / hotel/cruise short films.

We are pleased to announce we have added TWO new categories to our festival:

1.BEYOND L.A. NEO NOIR / SCI FI / FANTASY / ANIMATION NEO NOIR FILMS
2.BEYOND L.A. NEO NOIR / SCI FI / FANTASY / ANIMATION NEO NOIR SCRIPTS

See the category descriptions below for details!

We are only accepting 5 more VIP entries in the writing and film categories. So if you would like VIP privileges (three days 72 hours screening of films regardless of award placement, while everyone else has only one public screening, a video interview highlighted on our website, extensive consultation for your neo-noir project, and more) you need to secure your spot as soon as possible. Don't wait until it's too late.

LANNEFF is proud to announce that its most recent festival received ALL FIVE STAR reviews in the dozens! See our most recent LENGTHY reviews for yourself on LANNEFF.COM

LANNEFF was also ranked one of THE TOP 100 BEST REVIEWED FESTIVALS out of THOUSANDS of festivals by FilmFreeway!

L.A. NEO NOIR NEWS ALERT: NEW TOP FIVE IMPORTANT REASONS TO ENTER THIS FESTIVAL:

1. THIS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR YOUR SCRIPT: This year, Carey Westbrook himself will be a part of this year's script consultation team. Carey Westbrook has served as a script consultant for Derek Cianfrance, TWO TIME Academy Award winner, and George Tillman Jr., an Academy Award nominee. See Westbrook working with Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling on improvised dialogue on lanneff.com Westbrook's radio show was also featured in FOUR other film festivals in 2021. Enter your script in The V.I.P. Neo-Noir Writing category and Carey Westbrook will personally consult with YOU!

2. THIS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR YOUR FILM: THREE prominent film distribution companies will be partnering with our festival this year to offer distribution contracts to our film winners and runner-ups. We have secured distribution deals for dozens of filmmakers through the years and we expect to secure the most we've ever secured THIS YEAR!

3. THIS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR YOU: Our 2019 audience was over 200 people in a sold-out crowd at L.A.'s Downtown Independent Theater. This year's online festival has OVER ONE THOUSAND artists, producers, and distribution entities who have expressed interest in this year's online festival: that's FIVE TIMES more eyes on your work than three years ago.

4. WE MAKE YOUR VISION GO VIRAL: Carey Westbrook and his top-notch L.A. Neo Noir associates have co-produced numerous webisode series, including the highly successful RATE MY WEEKNIGHT and two radio shows that appeared in FOUR film festivals in 2021. Enter the V.I.P. Neo-Noir Writing category this year and we may fully produce your writing into a webisode series too!

5. EVERY screenplay submission that is a screenplay is eligible for an animated trailer. Visit lanneff.com/entertainment to see the trailers we have produced. If your work is a screenplay, short story, or novel we can make it a trailer / comic book / or webisode series episode in the V.I.P. Neo-Noir Writing category. No other festival IN THE ENTIRE WORLD offers these options. WE DO!!

Due to ongoing safety issues and crowd restraints, LANNEFF has decided to hold this year's festival online. We have secured the premiere technological apparatus and we're more ready than ever to produce the best film festival online. That being said...

CONGRATULATIONS TO US FOR BEING A TOP 100 BEST-REVIEWED FESTIVAL OUT OF OVER 10,000 FESTIVALS! WE ARE NOT GREAT BECAUSE WE SAY WE ARE. WE ARE GREAT BECAUSE YOU, NEO-NOIR CREATORS AND FANS, SAY WE ARE, AND YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME! QUITE WELCOME INDEED!

"DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS A MAN MUST GO...WHO IS NEITHER TARNISHED NOR AFRAID." - RAYMOND CHANDLER

It has been hailed by L.A. Weekly as the festival with "THE WORLD'S SEXIEST DARKEST CRIME SHORT FILMS." Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, November 29th to Sunday, December 1st, lanneff.com will be screening THE 2024 L.A. NEO NOIR, NOVEL, FILM, AND SCRIPT FESTIVAL 12 (LANNEFF)!

This festival is brought to you by Carey Westbrook and Associates, whose students include TWO TIME Academy Award winner, Derek Cianfrance, and Academy Award nominee George Tillman Jr. Westbrook has also worked with numerous Academy Award-nominated actors, including Ryan Gosling, Joaquin Phoenix, and Michelle Williams.

This year's festival once again features our favorite sponsor: SMG Films, the premiere online / airline distributor of neo-noir full-length and short films, as well as a launching pad for the world's best neo noir actors, actresses, and screenwriters. SMG is once again interested in our select group of winners from this year's festival and, based on our recommendations, they will be approaching that select few with online distribution opportunities!

We have also added TWO more distribution companies to our roster of interested purchasers. When you win a LANNEFF award, we will be sure to introduce them to you!

This year, we will also premiere TWO exciting webisode series produced by lanneff.com, and many other social media sites. These webisodes will star recent Best Femme Fatale winners, Miss Russian L.A. Katherine Pegova and Tracy Ann Chapel.

These two amazing starlets were discovered in our past festivals, and with many PAID leading roles still available in our series, it is our hope that we will bring to the neo-noir world even more great femme fatales and handsome P.I.'s, that is, actors and actresses like YOU!!

See one of many short webisode series co-produced by Westbrook on Facebook right now, like the hit webisode game show RATE MY WEEKNIGHT at lanneff.com:

L.A. Neo Noir also boasts the same old people coming back for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th time! How is that a good thing? L.A. Neo Noir has the highest number of return screenwriters, more than any other festival because most of our festival screenwriters come back the very next year with fully produced films based on their previously recognized screenplays. Amazing screenwriters, like Diana Lee Woody and David J. Schroeder, have returned with their neo-noir masterpiece fully produced films featuring well-known stars. See Woody's "A Menacing Proposal" and Schroeder's "This Modern Man is Beat." Look at the exhaustively long list of previous winners on lanneff.com to see the point being made here: L.A. Neo Noir Festival is so good you have to go back, Jack, and do it again and again...AND AGAIN!!

We fully produce animated trailers on all screenplay, novel, short story submissions, and present the best five as film festival selections. We also give you a copy of your trailer to use in any way you see fit. Whether you win or lose, whether you are selected or not, you get a produced trailer for your writing within three months after the festival and we promote your trailer on our website. No other film festival or screenplay/writing festival IN THE ENTIRE WORLD does that. V.I.P. Neo-Noir Writing category participants receive their trailers within 30 days after. Best Screenplay category screenplay writers receive their trailers within 90 days after the festival's end.

We have exciting neo-noir networking events in place that have reaped benefits for ALL of our past participants. We did the Downtown L.A. Neo Noir premiere of Robin Wright's directorial debut, THE DARK OF NIGHT at L.A.'s very own Downtown Independent Theater. We have many guests you'll recognize from film and TV this year, but the most important celebrity of this upcoming Thanksgiving weekend will be YOU.

Our objective: celebrate, showcase, AND sell the work of the greatest independent unknown neo-noir filmmakers and writers from L.A. and around the world. We have done this successfully NINE times. This tenth time plus YOU equals NEO-NOIR NOIRVEMBER MAGIC!

Join us online in the comfort and safety of your own home. Selected winners enjoy a $100 cash prize, a distribution deal, a webisode series deal, and many other prizes. So get that amazing neo-noir work-ready. Get your entry fee, get your best neo-noir screenplay, film, novel, short story, monologue, and get ready to make 2022 the best year of neo-noir ever. If you love L.A. neo-noir, your work MUST be represented here, and you MUST be ready for your close-up with the Mr. DeMille of L.A. neo-noir greatness, L.A. NEO NOIR NOVEL, FILM, & SCRIPT FESTIVAL 12!

Note: There are absolutely no fee waivers of any kind for any reason available for this festival. If your entire film production team cannot raise $35 to enter this festival, we recommend you participate in the plethora of free festivals already offered here in FilmFreeway. You should enter them in addition to this festival. Why not? They're free! We're not free, nor do we have any waivers...of any kind...for any reason. Best Wishes!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

HollyShorts Screenplay Contest

Objective:

HollyShorts Film Festival (HSFF) is an annual Academy Qualifying short film festival showcasing the best and brightest short films and short screenplays from around the globe. The festival showcases the top short films produced 40 minutes or less and is looking for the best short screenplays 30 pages or less.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75 (short); $80 (feature)

Snake Alley Festival of Film

Objective:

The Snake Alley Festival of Film is dedicated to showcasing the best short films from around the world. Films will screen at the beautifully restored Capitol Theater in the heart of downtown Burlington, Iowa. The theater boasts state of the art equipment and can comfortably seat more than 400 people.

A town with a rich history dramatically situated on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, Burlington is a growing center for commerce and culture. Known for fine dining, vibrant nightlife and blues-like atmosphere, it is a perfect host city for a film festival.

The festival derives its name from Snake Alley, a street constructed in 1884 and designed to connect an upscale residential neighborhood to the business district of downtown Burlington. Named by Ripley’s Believe It or Not as “The Crookedest Street in the World,” it remains the city’s #1 tourist attraction and draws visitors from around the world.

Deadline:

Objective:
The Los angeles International Underground Film Festival celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of true underground artists from around the world. Filmmakers, writers, etc., who capitalize on their creative intuition to create memorable and inspiring pieces of work when major budgets do not exist.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

Founded in 1969 as the Sinking Creek Film Celebration, Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) is one of the longest-running film festivals in the country and one of the most acclaimed festivals in the South. Hosted in Music City, NashFilm attracts enthusiastic film lovers from all across the country and has been praised by film-goers and filmmakers alike for its unique combination of big city festival atmosphere and laid back Southern hospitality. Showcasing hundreds of films from many countries, in addition to our screenplay competition, episodic competition, live music showcases, and a Creators Conference featuring networking opportunities with industry professionals including talent agents, producers, and other industry professionals. The live pitch competition has become an exciting event that allows writers to put their ideas in front of an industry panel and receive live feedback. Several of our previous participants received interest in their projects.

Screenwriting competition benefits include a full access festival pass for the finalists, a table read featuring a cutting from each attending finalist's screenplay performed by professional actors. There is a cash prize for each category. Scripts from the quarterfinalist level and up are hosted in our database for review by industry professionals who are invited or request access to fill open writing assignments or find material. Several of our writers have entered into shopping agreements, been awarded prestigious fellowships, and had their material produced.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$100

Script Competition New Media Film Festival Los Angeles

Objective:

New Media Film Festival® the film festival you’ll want to enter. Pushing the envelope is a big deal in the film industry but telling the same old stories will not get your name out there. You have to innovate and tell a new story. If this sounds like you, then the New Media Film Festival® is the perfect place to showcase your script. HBO has requested meetings with writers who have submitted to our festival.

“With industry-leading judges and a long history of featuring groundbreaking new content, the New Media Film Festival’s call for scripts is one that every screenwriter should be answering." - Film Daily

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$95

Stage 32 Comedy Writing Contest

Objective:

Whether you’re writing feature comedy screenplays or 30-60 minute teleplays, we want you to bring the funny!

This year, we will again be flying our winner out to Los Angeles for face-to-face meetings. Further, other winning writers will have online meetings with executives and all finalists will have their loglines exposed to a list of hundreds of executives for the possibility of having their scripts requested.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Stage 32 Romantic Comedy Screenwriting Contest

Objective:

What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with some love and laughter? We’re looking for Romantic Comedies like recent hits TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE, CRAZY RICH ASIANS, or THE BIG SICK to spread the joy this year. With 90’s nostalgia spreading through all of pop culture, it’s the perfect time for the next big rom-com! Our judges can’t wait to fall in love with your script. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your work read!

This year’s Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood to meet one-on-one with our judging and mentoring panel whose credits include the smash Romantic Comedy hits MAMMA MIA 2, MAN UP with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Lake Bell, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS with Zac Efron, I GIVE IT A YEAR with Anna Ferris and Rose Byrne, and more!

ALL Finalists will receive exposure to our incredible panel of judges and have their titles and loglines featured in the Stage 32's Industry LookBook, which is sent to over 500 executives and professionals who work directly with Stage 32! Previous Stage 32 contest finalists have had their projects optioned and been signed for representation as a result of our industry lookbooks!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Horror Hotel International Film Festival

Los Angeles Reel Film Festival

Objective:

The Los Angeles Reel Film Festival's aim is to seek out, acknowledge and award the many talented independent filmmakers and writers who may not get the recognition they deserve through many of the more political and commercial film festivals. The LARFF recognizes filmmakers and screenwriters who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity. All genres of film, music videos and scripts are accepted by the LARFF and up to 34 awards will be distributed, giving filmmakers and writers the opportunity to be noticed. 1st place films of each category will receive a trophy and screen at a theater in Los Angeles California. All other winners will receive award certificates for their accomplishments.

Deadline:
March 15, 2012 (early); April 11, 2012 (regular); May 9, 2012 (late); May 23, 2012 (extended late).

Entry Fee:
$40 (by March 15, 2012); $45 (by April 11, 2012); $50 (by May 9, 2012); $55 (by May 23, 2012).

NYLA International Film Festival

Objective:

The New York Los Angeles International Film Festival is a biannual event taking place in two of the biggest media cities in the world. We kicked off our first session with screenings in New York and Los Angeles all within 10 days. We now will resume with our normal screening sessions by having our New York screenings in May and our Los Angeles screenings in October. Thus, providing filmmakers with maximum exposure and networking opportunities for their projects. The NYLA humbly takes honor in providing such a platform for the many independent filmmakers and writers attempting to launch their careers and share their creative talents. With becoming one of the larger independent festivals on the horizon, we look forward to kicking off the New York Screening session of the NYLA this May and showcasing the expressive artistry of the stars of tomorrow.

Deadline:
February 15, 2012 (early); February 29, 2012 (regular); March 14, 2012 (late); March 28, 2012 (final).

Entry Fee:
$40 (by February 15, 2012); $45 (by February 29, 2012); $55 (by March 14, 2012); $60 (by March 28, 2012).

Sunscreen Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:
The number one question screenwriters ask is “How can I get my screenplay to a Hollywood agent that will read it? Well the answer is simple, submit it to the Sunscreen Screenplay competition! The top 6 screenplays in the Sunscreen Competition will be reviewed and considered by two top Hollywood agents, Mike Goldberg and Josh Adler. In addition the agents will sit down with the winners and give those winners their first real meeting with an agent to discuss their screenplay. Additionally anyone that submits their screenplay gets the option of having professional coverage done on their work by professional screenplay readers.

Deadline:
December 20, 2011

Entry Fee:
$70 (by December 20, 211)

Evolution International Film Festival

Objective:
The Evolution Film Festival welcomes submissions for Screenplay Feature in any genre transporting new visions of Art culture and tradition.

Deadline:
Rolling Deadline

Entry Fee:
$40

Carmarthen Bay Film Festival

Objective:

Our intention is to run an event that will be about encouraging Welsh independent film making and screenplay writing both in Welsh and English. Not only within Wales but also Internationally through working with Welsh expat film makers all over the world.Also we very much like to work with and encourage film makers and writers from the rest of the UK and internationally.

Deadline:
End of March 2012

Entry Fee:
General Submission £20.00
Wales Based Film Maker £10.00
Student £5.00
Screenplay Submission £15.00

Talentville Script of the Month

Objective:

A monthly competition for members of Talentville.com who have uploaded full length, drama or sitcom screenplays at the site. Script are reviewed and rated via a peer review system among the members, with the top three rated scripts becoming a finalist at the end of each month. All finalists receive professional coverage by Scriptapalooza, with the order of finish being judged solely by them.

Deadline:
Last day of each month

Entry Fee:
None

Shore Scripts Feature Screenplay Contest

Objective:

We are seeking emerging feature screenwriting talent across all genres.

Over the past fifteen years, we’ve built an unparalleled network of industry relationships, resulting in millions of dollars in spec sales, hundreds of writers signed and introduced to representation, and multiple films produced, including The Assessment, starring Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen, acquired by Amazon for mid-seven figures.

As the only contest with a dedicated Writer Development Manager, we provide ongoing, structured support while connecting our writers to a network of 300+ industry professionals.

Feature film production is a massive engine, made up of many moving parts and engaging the creative talents of a huge number of individuals, but as the well-known phrase goes, "It all starts with the script".

NEW in 2026 - Win a Mentorship Call with DEBBIE BERMAN (BLACK PANTHER, CAPTAIN MARVEL, SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING)

+ OUTSTANDING INDUSTRY MENTORSHIPS

Mentors will read and discuss your script with you, imparting expert advice on how to best position yourself to take the next step in your screenwriting career.

AND MORE!

This year, Shore Scripts will be awarding placings to three (3) Cash Prize Winners plus Top 10 Finalists, Semi-Finalists, and Quarter-Finalists.

Along with cash awards and development prizes, the Grand Prize Winner will have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in one-to-one calls with some of our Judges to get firsthand thoughts on how to polish their script and receive must-have career advice and industry guidance.

Get feedback in 2026 from:

Antony Johnston, Author & Screenwriter – ATOMIC BLONDE, RESIDENT EVIL, DEAD SPACE.
Tess McGuinness, Director of Development at Red Wagon – DIVERGENT, THE GREAT GATSBY, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA.
Mitchell Altieri, Screenwriter & Director – THE HAMILTONS, APRIL FOOL’S DAY.
Jack Donaldson, Atomic Monster – M3GAN, THE CONJURING.

FOR ALL THE INFO GO TO: https://www.shorescripts.com/feature/

SHORE SCRIPTS | DISCOVERING NEW SCREENWRITING TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.00

Stage 32 Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Stage 32's screenwriting contests have gained a reputation as some of the "most worthwhile screenwriting contests to enter." The reason for this is simple: We provide unparalleled access to industry executives and work directly with our winning writers in an never ending quest to help them find success.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Sidewrite Screenplay Competition

Objective:

A division of the Sidewalk Film Festival started in 2004, Sidewrite’s mission is to discover and reward talented screenwriters in Alabama and around the world. The short screenplay competition aims to foster community amongst emerging writers and reinforce cinematic artistry locally. Sidewrite allows passionate writers to enhance their craft and receive recognition for their work and creativity.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$20-$50

Ventura Film Festival

Objective:

The Ventura Film Festival is a 100% volunteer based organization that raises money and awareness for forest and ocean preservation.

Deadline:
June 1, 2011 (Withoutabox extended deadline)

Entry Fee:
$70 (Withoutabox fee $55), by June 1, 2011.

Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Ready to break through?

With $25,000 in cash prizes, we’re seeking the next generation of emerging screenwriters.

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro ready to take the next leap, this is your opportunity. We’re looking for bold, original features or pilots in any genre—that showcase your unique perspective and undeniable talent.

The Top 10 Screenwriters will receive $1,500 cash EACH and be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate, where the Development Team will get your script in front of top industry pros from companies like Max, 20th Century, Disney+, Amazon MGM Studios, Harpo, Paramount+, Lucky Chap, Hello Sunshine, Gidden Media, ICM, CAA, plus ISA vetted literary agents and managers.

Of the 10 scripts selected, one of you will go on to win the Grand Prize and receive an additional $10,000. That’s $11,500 to the Grand Prize Winner!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79

Zed Fest Schlock Horror Short Sreenplay Contest

Objective:

Zed Fest was formed to acknowledge and encourage new independent filmmakers and screenwriters.

We noticed that there are a lot of talented and promising filmmakers and screenwriters that tend to get snubbed by other festivals and competitions simply because they are low budget or less polished. We want to give them the recognition that they deserve and try to help them build upon their abilities.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$21

trackingb.com Original TV Pilot Contest

Objective:

We are looking to find the next generation of Sorkins, Rhimes, Gilligans, & Lorres by shining a spotlight on new, fresh voices writing for television. And we've enlisted a great industry judging panel from the TV world to help us.

THE INDUSTRY PANEL

Berry Welsh - SVP, Production & Development - Tribeca Film
Natalie Haack Flores, VP, Development - Nuyorican Productions
Karyn Smith-Forge - President - This Radical Act (Don Cheadle)
Jeff Portnoy - Lit Manager - Bellevue Productions
Dustin Davis - President - Bandera Entertainment
Anil Kurian - VP, Scripted Series - Onyx Collective/Disney
Brin Lukens - SVP, Programming, AwesomenessTV
Ryan Cunningham - Lit Manager - Anonymous Content
Raquelle David - Lit Manager - Lit Entertainment Group
Brooklyn Weaver/Angelina Chen - Lit Managers - Energy
Natalie Laine Williams - Producer, David Weil
Mike Goldberg - Producer - Story Kitchen
A.B. Fischer - Lit Manager/Producer - Literate Management & Production
Josh Goldenberg/Ben Neumann - Partner/Lit Managers - Kaplan/Perrone
Erin Betz - VP, Current Programming, Warner Brothers Television
Derrick Eppich - Lit Manager - Empirical Evidence
Daniel Vang - Lit Manager - 3Arts Entertainment

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$119

Writers Boot Camp Fellowship

Objective:

Each month, three $5000 full scholarships to the Writers Bootcamp Online Professional Membership (OPM) are awarded, including an opportunity to compete for an annual writing/development deal with Writers Boot Camp Productions and/or a studio, network or independent producer.

The Writers Boot Camp Fellowship is unlike any other. Aside from having three winners a month, Creative Categories change each month, reflecting viable genres and project parameters for both features and original TV series. And selection is only the beginning of the Fellowship process.

Monthly Creative Categories also include awards for diversity in subject matter and lead characters, as well as inspired writers based on personal experience and circumstances. After Fellows complete a project within the first six months of OPM coursework, they compete for the development deal with our sponsoring partner.

Deadline:
Monthly. Please visit website.

Entry Fee:
Please visit website.

Table Read My Screenplay AFM LA 26

Objective:

This isn't your typical table read.

The Grand Prize Winner receives a pass to pitch their project at the American Film Market® — to producers, agents, and executives who can move the needle on a career.

Top entries are considered for the ISA Development Slate, where our team champions your script to literary representatives and industry executives from companies like CAA, ICM, Sony, Netflix, Amazon MGM Studios, Lucky Chap, and more.

It all begins with a professionally directed live staged reading with seasoned actors that transforms your screenplay into a presentation-ready industry asset.

Past Table Read winners have been staffed and their projects have been optioned, premiered at Cannes and been nominated for Oscars among other successes.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79

Beverly Hills Film Festival

Objective:
The annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival was founded in 2001 by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The event is dedicated to showcasing and promoting non-studio films to the entertainment industry.

Deadline:
January 1, 2010

Entry Fee:
$25 (features); $25 (short scripts)

Screenplay Search Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

We are a group of story analysts based in Los Angeles. We're looking for talented screenwriters and will show winning scripts to producers, agents, and managers in LA and New York.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

trackingb.com Screenplay Contest

Objective:

We are looking to find the next generation of great feature screenwriters by shining a spotlight on new, fresh voices. And we've enlisted a great industry judging panel from the feature world to help us.

THE INDUSTRY PANEL:

Brooklyn Weaver/Angelina Chen – Manager/Producer - Energy Entertainment
Mike Goldberg - Producer - Story Kitchen
Ethan Neale - Lit Agent - Paradigm
John Campbell – Creative Executive - Bruckheimer Films
David Boxerbaum - Lit Agent/Partner - Verve
Ken Freimann - Manager/Producer - Circle of Confusion
Norm Todd – Creative Executive - Infinitum Nihil
Erin Westerman - EVP - Lionsgate
Chris Sablan - Lit Manager/Producer - Avenue 220
Anil Kurian - VP - Onyx Collective
Tara Farney - Vice President - Vinson Films
Janet Jeffries - Development Executive - Lawrence Bender Productions
Lucas Carter - VP, Film - Intrigue Entertainment
Josh Goldenberg/Ben Neumann - Lit Managers- Kaplan/Perrone
Raquelle David - Lit Manager - Lit Entertainment Group
Ryan Cunningham - Lit Manager/Producer - Anonymous Content
John Swetnam - Writer/Producer - Mad Horse Films

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$129

Kids First! Film Festival

Objective:
We do full recommendations by trained jurors, providing in-depth feedback for screenwriters. Our annual Best of Fest Award is for the first, second and third place winners for Best Screenplay for the previous year.

Deadline:
Quarterly deadlines: February 15; May 15; August 15; November 15.

Entry Fee:
$30-60, dependent upon date of submission. See website for details.

Wildsound TV SPEC and TV PILOT Screenplay Contest

Objective:

Submit a TV SPEC SCREENPLAY or ORIGINAL TV PILOT (monthly deadlines) and get the chance to see your script read out loud at our Screenplay Festival using professional actors. Shown online on the YouTube channel that garners 1000s of views. CLICK the website link for examples of past winners.

A great way to get your words out there and obtain the Agent you're looking for or just get your script seen by more people.

Deadline:
Ongoing - submit anytime.

Entry Fee:
$40

Great American Screenplay Competition (AceFest)

Objective:

BE SCENE - For 4 years now, ACEFEST has been one of the most anticipated annual events on the industry calendar. The American Cinematic Experience goes far beyond film exhibition and into the very most primitive stages of production - writing.

The Great American Screenplay Competition is seeking the best writers from coast to coast and it could be you! With an always impressive roster of judges, a growing bundle of rewards and nearly 55,000+ industry players waiting eagerly to see the winner's work, this is your chance to get your script seen!

Deadline:
February 10, 2010 (earlybird); April 21, 2010 (regular); June 2, 2010 (late);

Entry Fee:

Features: $15 (by Feb 10, 2010); $20 (by Apr. 21, 2010); $25 (by Jun. 2, 2010); $40 (WAB extended).

Shorts: $10 (by Feb 10, 2010); $15 (by Apr. 21, 2010); $20 (by Jun. 2, 2010); $35 (WAB extended).

Chicago Screenwriters Network

Objective:
To introduce Midwestern screenwriters to Hollywood production companies and representatives.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$55 (CSN Members)
$65 (non-members)

A Night of Horror International Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:

A Night of Horror International Film Festival is Sydney, Australia's leading genre film event, seeks to find and promote talented screenwriters working in the horror genre.

Submitted screenplays will be judged by industry professionals, with the three finalist feature scripts being read by a representative of Lionsgate, the world's leading distributor of horror cinema.

Deadline:
July 30, 2010 (early); October 1, 2010 (regular); December 17, 2010 (final).

Entry Fee:

Features: $45 (by 7/30); $50 (by 10/1); $55 (by 12/17). Shorts: $25 (by 7/30); $30 (by 10/1); $35 (by 12/17). (Students receive $5 discount on all fees)

International entries must pay via Withoutabox with credit card, or with an international money order made out in Australian dollars.

Canadian Short Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC) was established in 2008 by International Emmy Award-nominated Producer, Screenwriter and Showrunner, David Cormican. The festival was considered the top destination script contest for short film screenplays and produced five winning screenplays into short films which went on to premiere at festivals such as Cannes, Worldwide Short Film Festival, among countless others up until the last awarded edition of the competition in 2013. The CSSC re-launched in 2025 with renewed vigour, rekindling its legacy of championing emerging screenwriting talent from across Canada and abroad, and recently wrapped production on its 6th short film script from amongst the winning screenplays. Now launching for its 2026 7th Edition, the CSSC is looking to award the next winner of the Writers’ Block Crystal Award Grand Prize; a chance for screenwriters to have their winning short screenplay PRODUCED.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75 USD

Omaha Film Festival

Objective:

In 2019, the Omaha Film Festival was recognized as one of the 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee by MovieMaker Magazine.

The Omaha Film Festival celebrates the artistic, educational, and historical importance of motion pictures. It gives independent film artists a platform for sharing their work and creating a dialogue with the community. It promotes the discussion and study of filmmaking.

We do have a screenplay competition. During the festival we have a Writer's Theatre in which local actors will publicly read a few pages from the screenplay finalists.

Over the last 15 years, the OFF has made great strides toward becoming one of the most accomplished teaching festivals in the Central United States, offering opportunities for filmmakers, students, and those who value the artistry of film to learn more about the craft of filmmaking through panels, lectures, and workshops taught by seasoned professionals at our annual Filmmakers Conference.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50 features;$45 shorts

Objective:

When ReelHeART International Film Festival arrived On the scene in 2004, we promised to bring you films from hard-working, passionate talented indie filmmakers from around the world.

In 2006, when we introduced the Feature Screenplay Competition, we promised to bring you the same in the form of unproduced screenplays. Every year something exciting happens to out Top 3 Finalists. Will you be one of them...?

Deadline:
January 31, 2011

Entry Fee:
Range is $50-$75 depending on Deadline. Submissions all year long on scripts only.

Garden State Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:
The Garden State Film Festival was founded in 2008 to promote the art of filmmaking on all levels by showcasing a wide variety of film, video and animated works, as well as to provide educational programs in the creative arts to the public by industry leaders. Our goal is to present films of the highest quality in both production value and content.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

StoryPros Awards Contest

Objective:

To find the best GENRE scripts.

Genre scripts are bought and produced more than 10 to 1 over the serious drama, tentpole or quirky scripts that usually win screenplay contests.

This contest pits genre scripts only against scripts within their genre, and seeks to identify and promote to the industry the very best in each genre -- in other words, the scripts with the very best chances in the marketplace.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60

Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:

We are looking for innovative and compelling storytelling, for characters that surprise and challenge you, for words that pop off the page, and for narratives that twist and turn like a country back road. This year we’re accepting both feature scripts and pilot scripts; you’re more than welcome to submit in both categories.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$140

StoryPros International Screenplay Contest

Objective:
Open to writers of all levels and backgrounds, the StoryPros International's objective is to recognize, support and promote your work with financial rewards, software and services -- as well as providing an open door to industry professionals with guaranteed reads and promotion to our network of contacts. Past entrants and winners have gone on to representation, options, assignments and sales...and even just making the late rounds can get your script noticed!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$60

Wildsound Reading Series

Objective:

WILDsound Monthly Screenplay Festival offers screenwriters at all levels the fantastic opportunity of hearing their scripts read out loud using Top Professional Actors and seen by 10000s of people online, including producers and agents.

At least 5 winning readings done every single month. Click the website info and watch the winning videos. Site averages over 50,000 visitors a day as the winning scripts get showcased by millions of people a year.

Plus all submissions receive FULL FEEDBACK on their script by industry professionals. The goal of the festival is to showcase and help writers.

Go to the Wordpress WILDsound testimonials page and read past writers experience submitting to the festival. http://wildsoundwritingfestivalreview.wordpress.com/

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

Vail Film Festival Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

The Vail Screenplay Competition is a vehicle for aspiring screenwriters to have their scripts recommended to established film producers, managers, and agents who are actively working at the top level of the film industry.

The Vail Screenplay Competition is a signature program of the Colorado Film Institute, producer of the annual Vail Film Festival, now entering its 19th year. The Colorado Film Institute is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization, supported by sponsorships, donors, and grants, including support from Colorado Creative Industries and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Past Vail Film Festival special guests include Olivia Wilde, Aaron Paul, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Smith, Michelle Monaghan, Harold Ramis, Zach Braff, Julie Delpy, Jane Seymour, Christina Ricci, Tim Daly, Jesse Eisenberg, Luke Wilson, Allison Janney, Tate Taylor, Josh Lucas, Aya Cash, Michael Imperioli, Sophia Bush, Krysten Ritter, among others.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Rod Serling Short Script Competition

Objective:

Each script must be written in the same genre and style that would have been suitable to conform with episodes for either THE TWILIGHT ZONE or NIGHT GALLERY. More specifically this means displaying traits of either a horror or a science fiction genre, while exhibiting strong traditional or contemporary social themes.

Serling taught at Ithaca College from 1967 until his death in 1975. Ithaca College is also home to the Rod Serling Archives consisting of television scripts, movie screenplays, stage play scripts, films, published works by Serling, unproduced scripts, and secondary materials.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

Paramount Writers Mentoring Program

NYC Midnight Screenwriter's Challenge

Objective:
The mission of the Screenwriter's Challenge is to discover and support a new wave of talented storytellers from around the world. The Challenge is organized by NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness, LLC. NYC Midnight aims to provide the prizes and exposure necessary for writers to take their next big step towards writing professionally.

Deadline:
March 11, 2010 (early); April 14, 2010 (final)

Entry Fee:
$39* (by 3/11/10); $49* (by 4/14/10).
*Enter Discount Code SCREENTIME for $5 off Entry Fee

Project c2c - Turn Your Sceenplay into a Feature Film

Objective:
Screenwriting Competition wherein the Winning Screenplay will be Produced as a Low Budget Feature Film. All entries judged/written coverage by THREE studio or certified readers; all entries will will receive that coverage. 2nd Ovjective: to advance, educate and promote winners. Crewed by industry professionals; using the latest HD digital technology available. 100 training positions will be offered to train under professional crew.

Deadline:
June 30th, 2004

Entry Fee:
$45.00

Phoenix Film Festival Short Screenplay Search

Objective:
We want to see the best short screenplays from around the globe.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75.00

2026 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards

Objective:

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards competition was established in the fall of 2003 by an alliance of Hollywood producers, agents, and development execs. Our goal: to discover the most exciting new scripts by up-and-coming writers from across the country and around the world.

As a result of winning the contest, many dozens of PAGE Award winners have signed with top Hollywood agents and managers, optioned and sold their winning scripts, and seen their movies and television shows produced, and the PAGE Awards competition is now widely recognized as one of the industry's top sources for new screenwriting talent, both within the Hollywood community and internationally.

One of the most frustrating things about so many screenwriting contests - both for the writers and for the judges - is that scripts of different genres are in competition with each other. But how can you compare a comedy to an action script? How do you rank a family film against a thriller? Moreover, why is it that so many contests only reward the screenwriter who writes a powerful drama, while many of the most successful movies made in Hollywood are comedies, thrillers, action flicks and family films?

In order to address this problem, and to promote a wide variety of screenwriting talent, each year the PAGE judges present a total of 31 Awards in ten different genre categories:

Action/Adventure
Comedy
Drama
Family Film
Historical Film
Science Fiction
Thriller/Horror
Short Film Scripts
TV Drama Pilots
TV Comedy Pilots

This year's winning writers will receive a total of over $50,000 in cash and prizes, plus extensive industry exposure for their winning scripts! Most importantly, the PAGE Awards contest is judged entirely by working professionals in the film and television industry, so everyone who enters has the opportunity to get their scripts into the hands of Hollywood professionals currently in search of new talent.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$89

Rome Independent Film Festival

Objective:
The screenplay award is organized and promoted by the RIFF. The intent is to offer new filmmakers a concrete opportunity to grow professionally by developing their films, and making them accessible to the public.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
From 10 to 35 euro.

Cinequest Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

Cinequest voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers.

Cinequest voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers. The Cinequest Screenplay Competition empowers global screenwriters through discovery, recognition, and opportunity. Cinequest loves writers, and we welcome you to submit your screenplay or teleplay to our renowned competition. The Top 10 Finalists receive many empowering benefits including: passes to the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival and the exclusive Writers Celebration, plus exposure to leading industry players and inspiring luminaries.

Finalists are presented alongside high profile Maverick Spirit awardees like: J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, Philip Kaufman, Michael Arndt, Diablo Cody, Dennis Lehane, Jason Reitman and more at the highly anticipated Writers Celebration during the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$100 Features; $85 Shorts;
$90 Teleplay (60min); $85 Teleplay (30min)

American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest

Objective:

The mission of the American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition is to find and promote new and innovative voices in cinema. The competition considers feature-length film scripts, as well as pilot scripts for television/streaming services. Every script is read closely by a select handful of professional readers, and American Zoetrope staff and the guest judge choose a winner from among the ten finalists.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50

LA Shorts Screenplay Competition

Objective:

LA Shorts International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious and largest international short film festivals in the world.

The festival is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences OSCAR®, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT) presenters of the Canadian Screen Awards and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain (Goya Awards).

65 LA Shorts filmmakers have earned Academy Award® nominations.

Now in it's 27th year, LA Shorts is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles. The festival screens over 300 films and attracts over 10,000 attendees each year including Hollywood industry professionals and emerging independent filmmakers.

The LA Shorts Screenplay Competition is part of the LA Shorts International Film Festival.

Finalists are invited to attend LA Shorts International Film Festival for a reading of their scripts. The readings are performed by professional actors in front of an invited audience, who will vote on their favorites. These votes, along with the scores of the readers, determine the winner.

All genres welcome
Scripts must be under 30 pages
Original scripts that have not started film production are eligible.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$55

Script Pipeline Screenwriting and TV Writing Competition

Objective:
The Annual Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest is searching for extraordinary writers with feature screenplays across all genres.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$75

Script Pipeline Pitch Contest (Film/TV)

Objective:
The bi-annual Script Pipeline Pitch Contest is searching for original feature film and TV series ideas to be developed into screenplays and pilots.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$55

NHFX Screenwriting Competition

Objective:
This contest is restricted to new writers residing in New England and the Canadian Maritimes. It's objective is to identify local talent, and expose it to a broader market.

Deadline:
July 1. 2003

Entry Fee:
$35.00 US, $45.00 Canadian

Great Lakes Independent Film Festival Scriptwriting Competition

Objective:
The Great Lakes Scriptwriting Competition is now accepting entries of short and feature length screenplays, stage plays, and teleplays. The annual scriptwriting competition is a way for new and veteran scriptwriters to possibly get the break they need. Each year numerous agencies contact us about our winning scripts.

Deadline:
January 8, 2011 (first); March 26, 2011 (second); June 23, 2011 (third); July 30, 2011 (final).

Entry Fee:

Short Length Script:
$25.00 if postmarked by January 8, 2011 (U.S. Currency only); $35.00 if postmarked by March 26, 2011 (U.S. Currency only); $45.00 if postmarked by June 23, 2011 (U.S. Currency only); $55.00 if postmarked by July 30, 2011 (U.S. Currency only, Withoutabox entries ONLY)

Feature Length Script:
$35.00 if postmarked by January 8, 2011 (U.S. Currency only); $45.00 if postmarked by March 26, 2011 (U.S. Currency only); $55.00 if postmarked by June 23, 2011 (U.S. Currency only); $65.00 if postmarked by July 30, 2011 (U.S. Currency only, Withoutabox entries ONLY) ;

Screamfest Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition

Objective:

Screamfest was formed in order to give filmmakers and writers in the horror/sci-fi genres a venue to have their work showcased to people in the industry. We are very proud that the majority of the films showcased now have distribution. Writers have garnered representation due to the festival.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$77.00

OUTFEST Screenwriting Lab

Objective:
Nurturing emerging screenwriters and outstanding LGBT-themed screenplays.

Deadline:
January 27, 2006

Entry Fee:
$25.00

The 15th Annual American Gem Short Script & Literary Festival

Objective:

To promote and support new talent by creating real and original opportunities.

To make Hollywood more accessible than ever before to more aspiring screenwriters, American Gem Short Script Writing Contest: presented by Filmmakers Magazine and Write Brothers, is forming strategic alliances with the powers that be in Film, TV and Literary Publishing.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$47 / $26 students (3-19 pages); $49 / $29 students (20-65 pages)

The 18th Annual FilmMakers International Screenwriting Awards

Objective:

To make Hollywood more accessible than ever before to more aspiring global screenwriters, Filmmakers is forming strategic alliances with the powers that be in Film and TV Script Writing; who are in search of top Screenplays & Writers... Filmmakers Championing Emerging Artists.

FilmMakers International Screenwriting Awards has been in existence since 2000 (formerly known as The Radmin Company / FilmMakers.com Screenplay Contest) and its association with the Radmin Company has been going on since late 2000.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) New Writers Awards

Objective:

The CAPE New Writers Fellowship discovers and nurtures emerging writers launching their careers in television and film. Founded and co-chaired by Emmy Award-winning Creator and Showrunner Leo Chu and veteran film and TV executive Steve Tao, CAPE is one of few programs created by a creative and an executive. This immersive Fellowship arms each writer with the practical and business knowledge they need to succeed as a professional writer in the entertainment industry.

Over several weeks, CAPE brings in top television and film writers, producers, agents, managers, and executives for a series of intimate panels, workshops, and discussions. The Fellowship also features a Writing Lab where each Fellow is matched with a high-level industry mentor to help them revise their original script into professional level writing samples to get them noticed and land that all-important first staff job.

The Fellowship typically runs each year in early spring. Each Fellowship session and Writing Lab meeting takes place on weekday evenings for approximately 3 hours in the Los Angeles, CA area. Fellows must provide their own housing and transportation throughout the duration of the Fellowship.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

hollywoodscript.com monthly contest

Objective:

We pick the best and most marketable (in our opinion of course) CLIENT SCRIPT and announce it with shameless prominence on the MAIN page of our web site. Our winner will also be invited to POST their log line, link and even a scene or two (if you so choose) from your winning work to which we’ll add our GLOWING REVIEW and convert the whole thing into professional “COVERAGE” (FOR FREE) which can be used for submission purposes as well as being POSTED on our site. Another benefit is that, with the winner's permission, we will notify a select group of producers, agents, etc. who have expressed interest in examining new material. We'll forward the glowing coverage of the script for their review along with contact info re the writer.

Deadline:
Last Day of any calender month

Entry Fee:
Free to consultation clients

CinemaSpoke Screenplay Competition

Objective:
For more than a decade, CinemaSpoke has showcased the art and craft of local feature screenwriters by rewarding finalists with full readings and publicity. All entrants will receive written feedback from judges.

Deadline:
March 31, 2012

Entry Fee:
$30

WriteMovies' Writing Contest 80

Objective:

WriteMovies' Writing Contest 80 - our 80th major international screenwriting contest is now open!

The top three screenplays will win:

A year of script development (worth up to $3200).
Representation from our industry-facing partner TalentScout International Management.
Pitching of your developed script to the international industry.

Pitch Entry: For an additional opportunity to become a prize winner, submit a one-page pitch document alongside your script!

With each submission, you'll receive a feedback sheet about your script's first ten pages - and the chance to submit any redraft before the final deadline, for free. And as ever, the best way to get the most out of your entry is to combine it with a mentoring service:

Studio Coverage - see exactly how an analyst would currently assess your script with a summary and recommendations for studio executives. Discover how the industry would view your script and what key elements you need to focus on in the future.

Development Notes - clear, constructive, studio-quality guidance on the current state of your script and what to do next for it to fulfil its potential, looking at Concept, Structure, Characters, Dialogue and Commercial Viability.

For over 25 years, WriteMovies Contests (WMC) has been promoting great global storytelling to hundreds of senior decision makers in the international entertainment industry, opening doors and securing representation for hundreds of writers.

The screenwriting contest runs in our time-honored format, with 1 overall winner, 2 further winners, and up to 7 Honorable Mentions, up to 25+ Semi Finalists and up to 50+ Quarter Finalists. But this time round, we definitely won't have capacity for any extension periods - these are the definitive submission dates to plan for!

We're thrilled that a quarter of a century on, we're still flying the flag for new writing and launching new careers in the industry. Join us on the ride!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$69 (Screenplay, Stageplay, TV PIlot), $79 (Book and Video Game)

Kay Snow Writing Contest

Objective:

The purpose of this annual writing contest, named in honor of Willamette Writer's founder, Kay Snow, is to help writers reach professional goals in writing. Kay Snow Screenplay Writing contest is one of seven Kay Snow categories to support a broad array of writers and to encourage student writers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Screenplay Category: $10-15

FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:

To discover and honor the new voices of independent film. Screenplays will be judged on creativity, innovation, vision, originality and the use of language. The key element is that of communication and how it complements and is transformed by the language of film.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$85

Nickelodeon Writing Program

Objective:

Founded in the year 2000, the Nickelodeon Writing Program is a full-time, paid, yearlong development Program for television comedy writers with unique voices and from underrepresented communities. Join us at the studio in Burbank for classes and workshops to sharpen your skills, executive mentorship and networking to build your professional relationships, and the opportunity to work in the iconic live-action and animation writers’ rooms at Nick. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dedicate yourself to the craft of writing and build your career from the ground up.

The Nick Writing Program is not a writing contest – It’s a launching pad for diverse and emerging creatives. If you bring the unique voice and innovative ideas for kids’ and family content, we’ll help you launch a career with all the tools you’ll need to succeed in the industry for years to come.

We need your talent and perspective, so come tell us your story!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Free

Scriptapalooza TV Writing Competition

Objective:
Our intention is to help open doors for the aspiring television writer. There are four categories you can submit to, which include 1 hour existing spec scripts, 1/2 hour existing sitcom spec scripts, original pilots, and reality programs. This competition is designed with the TV writer and crossover screenwriter in mind.

The participants we have chosen to read the winning scripts are individuals from established production companies. Whether you are already an aspiring television writer or a writer interested in exploring other avenues, Scriptapalooza TV is here to promote careers in television and provide exposure for the undiscovered writer.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$55

Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest

Objective:

Final Draft, the Industry Standard Screenwriting Software, offers the annual Big Break Contest – a screenwriting competition that has been launching careers for over twenty years. Finalists and winners have signed with professional representation. Many have had scripts optioned, sold and produced. Others have found full-time work in television. Prizes include a trip to Hollywood to meet with industry professionals, meeting preparation with top career coach Lee Jessup, $10,000 in cash, a brand new Dell laptop, an iPad, a New York Film Academy Fellowship, and more! Is this YOUR year?

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65 (Shorts); $85 (Feature, TV & Diversity)

Moondance International Film Festival

Objective:

The objective of the Moondance International Film Festival is to inspire, motivate, promote and encourage the best writers & independent filmmakers, from every country in the world, and to inspire a greater understanding about the vital role of the arts in enhancing creativity, community spirit, and the preservation of our cultural heritage. Moondance also promotes & rewards work which depicts women & girls in a positive light, &/or has lead roles for women actors over 40. We strongly encourage films, TV movies & pilots & written works which show viable alternatives to gratuitous violence & that depict non-violent conflict resolution, which we actively promote within the international film community.

The Moondance International Film Festival is much more than an annual film festival! It is a unique community, a supportive, productive, and creative year-round collaboration between independent filmmakers and movie audiences, between writers, composers and the world of filmed entertainment.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$50.00

Ohio Independent Screenplay Awards

Objective:

Personal coverage and feedback from programmers and readers on your screenplay will be available to every screenplay entrant. Cash prizes are awarded in each of three categories: Best Screenplay, Best Voice of Color Screenplay (written by or about people of color), and Best Northcoast Screenplay (set in or about northern Ohio).

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$90

Slamdance Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The Slamdance Screenplay Competition is dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging screenwriters. Since 1997, the competition has established a strong track record for introducing writers to members of the entertainment industry who have gone on to produce, option, and represent submitted work. Like the Film Festival, the Screenplay Competition is a place for new, bold, and raw voices. We are looking for scripts that take risks, refuse compromise, and go places where Hollywood hacks fear to tread.

Recent success stories include Tyler Tice, whose 2018 Grand Prize-winning horror feature Day Shift was released in 2022 as a Netflix original film starring Jamie Foxx. Day Shift became the most watched film in the world during the third week of August 2022. Recent winners Neil Ferron and Jessica Sinyard found representation and management directly through their involvement with the competition.

In addition to awarding the best screenplays submitted to Slamdance, our readers nominate bold scripts for the Slamdance Screenplay Mentorship Award, which offers one-on-one coaching and feedback to a burgeoning writer whose script could, with a little more support, turn into an award-winning film.

BlueCat has a long and distinguished history of discovering unknown screenwriters, introducing them to the industry, and launching their careers. Some of BlueCat's Alumni include:

Amy Wang, who wrote the upcoming CRAZY RICH ASIANS 2 and is attached to write and direct a horror film for Paramount Players.

Ana Lily Amirpour, who wrote and directed the modern classic A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT and the cult favorite THE BAD BATCH.

Benjamin Cleary, who won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short for STUTTERER in 2016. He has since written and directed SWAN SONG for Apple TV+ starring Mahershala Ali.

Aaron Guzikowski, who wrote PRISONERS starring Jake Gyllenhaal and has THE DWELLING in development with Michael B. Jordan attached.

Jane Barr, who has developed projects at Amazon, Chernin, and Lionsgate.

We want to help you develop your script! Submit to BlueCat today!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Feature $95, Short $50

Austin Film Festival Script Competition

Objective:

Why Submit

For over thirty years, Austin Film Festival’s annual Script Competitions serve as a launchpad, providing emerging talent with meaningful opportunities, mentorship, and real access. With one of the most noteworthy competitions among Hollywood tastemakers, AFF’s Competitions has a rich history of connecting creatives with industry leaders and fostering meaningful opportunities for writers at all stages of their career.

With an incredible alumni network, the industry consistently looks to AFF’s competitions to identify emerging talent and distinct voices.

Invest In Your Writing Career

The 2026 Screenplay Competition features 12 categories of competition, including feature (drama, comedy, horror, & sci-fi) and short screenplays, teleplays (both drama & comedy pilot & spec), playwriting, fiction podcast, and scripted digital series.

Each year AFF partners with Industry leading companies who share a passion for connecting vetted emerging talent to invaluable career opportunities. Through tailored fellowships and awards, writers recognized through the competition are met with professional guidance to open doors and move the career needle forward. Partners have included AMC Networks, Valhalla Entertainment, Big Indie Pictures, The Donners’ Company, Enderby Entertainment, YMH Studios, Starburns Industries, Sony Entertainment, The Wonder Project, Writers Guild of America, East, Warner Bros, and more.

A Handcrafted Competition

Though AFF is one of the largest and most respected screenplay competitions, every entrant receives personalized attention and multiple reads throughout the process. All entrants can opt in to receive FREE “Reader Comments” which are a brief, overall summary of their notes. AFF sends e-mailed notifications in September to ensure everyone knows their placement in the competition. Second Rounders may also find a personalized note in their notification letter from the Screenplay Competition Director!

You’ll Get Back Way More Than You Bargained For

Not only do all entrants receive registration discounts, but you get larger discounts when you place in the competition. Unlike other screenplay competitions, your experience with AFF doesn’t end after making the first cut. Second Rounders, Semifinalists, and Finalists attend exclusive panels, industry lunches, intimate roundtable discussions, script reading workshops, and are afforded special access to working writers, agents, managers, producers, and executives who are actively looking to open doors for new voices. Through AFF’s programing, conversations may include how to find representation, demystifying the development process, how to pitch yourself and your project, and how successful alumni from the competition made the most of their placement.

Additionally, Semifinalists and Finalists’ loglines and contact information are also included in the annual Producer’s Book, distributed to all AFF panelists as well as over 800 agents, managers, producers, and other industry professionals.

At the Semifinalist level and above industry judges are actively seeking scripts and new talent to sign. In past years, these judges have included representatives from Sony, Disney Entertainment, Range Media, AMC, NBC Universal, Paradigm Agency, Untitled Entertainment, Grandview Management, Lit Entertainment, Showtime, Mosaic Media, Big Indie Pictures, Donners’ Company, Nickelodeon, UTA, CAA, WME, DreamWorks, and Pixar among others.

Signing Deals and Launching Projects

AFF’s Screenplay Competition is one of the most acclaimed contests within the industry for establishing the careers of up-and-coming writers. Countless past competition entrants have signed with major agencies and have had their scripts optioned, acquired, and produced by signatory production companies.

In 2023, following a competitive bidding war, AFF winner Mac Smullen’s winning script Souvenir Alaska was optioned by Warner Brothers and is currently in production. At the 2023 Festival, Drama pilot winner Austin Elliott met 2008 AFF winner Oren Uziel, who was speaking at the Conference, and was later staffed on Uziel’s upcoming series Spider-Noir, starring Nicholas Cage, premiering May 2026. Winner of the Drama Feature and Enderby Entertainment Award, Becca Hurd, signed with Verve Agency immediately following her win, and 2025 Horror Feature Award Winner Danny Salemme signed with Untitled Entertainment. Wes Brown, 2014 winner of the AMC One-Hour Pilot Award, was hired as a staff writer for AMC, Amy Aniobi, 2011 Semifinalist, has been hired to write for HBO’s Silicon Valley. 2013 Finalist LaToya Morgan co-created and EP’d HBO’s Duster (2025) with J.J. Abrams.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Feature Screenplay: $90 // Teleplay & Shorts: $75

Euroscript Screenwriting Competition

Objective:

Win $1,600 worth of script development with one of Euroscript's team of expert editors. Every single entry will receive a detailed bullet-point report, so you'll get feedback on your work even if you don't win. The competition is open to filmmakers of all nationalities, but entries must be written in English. The winner will also get expert advice on how to market their script.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$57.50

Worldfest - Houston Int'l Film Festival

Objective:
Contest founded in 1988 to provide an opportunity to compete with talent from around the world. The 42nd Annual WorldFest offers Cash Awards, Special Screenplay Master Classes, significant mentoring and project development opportunities during the ten-day festival. More than 550 international filmmakers and writers attend each year. All Remi Nominees receive VIP Gold All Access Passes to the Festival and the Master Classes (A $800 value). Each festival finds new partnerships, options on scripts, development deals and new friends and contacts in the international film industry.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$150

Sundance Feature Film Program

Objective:
The Sundance Institute is interested in supporting original, compelling, human stories that reflect the independent vision of the writer and/or writer/director.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website.

Disney Television Writing Program

Objective:

The primary goal of the Disney Entertainment Television Writing Program is to staff Program Writers on Disney Entertainment Television (“DET”) series as staff writers during the Program year. Staffing is not guaranteed.

For the first few months of the Program, Program Writers participate in a professional development curriculum designed to better prepare them for staffing consideration, including developing, writing, and polishing at least one (1) original pilot script to be used as a staffing sample. The Program also aims to provide engagement with executives, producers and/or showrunners, which is designed to facilitate relationships that can prove invaluable in developing a television writing career. Additional past activities have included: workshops led by veteran television writers, producers and Program alumni and networking mixers with executives.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
None

CineStory Foundation Feature Retreat and Fellowship

Objective:

CineStory is a national non-profit dedicated to nurturing emerging screenwriters through mentorship programs. Winners of our competition have gone on to pen films such as IRON MAN, CAKE, THE CHILDREN OF MEN, BALLAST, KING OF CALIFORNIA and 11:14.

One of the main goals of the CineStory Feature Retreat is to select up-and-coming screenwriters for our four-day intensive program held in the Fall.

THE CINESTORY FEATURE RETREAT

CineStory's Retreat is dedicated to the advancement of great new voices in screenwriting. Retreat attendees are chosen from the top writers of our annual competition, the CineStory Screenwriting Awards. For four days, writers enjoy direct access to working Hollywood professionals.

Past retreat mentors include: Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby (IRON MAN, CHILDREN OF MEN), writer/director Joe Forte (FIREWALL, OUT), producer Nana Greenwald (SEVEN), producer Michelle Sy (FINDING NEVERLAND), producer and former head of Jodie's Foster prod co MEG LEFAUVE (THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS), writer Philip Eisner (EVENT HORIZON, MUTANT CHRONICLES) and writer/director Keith Gordon (DEXTER, WAKING THE DEAD). And many, many others.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$95

Nantucket Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Objective:

The Nantucket Film Festival - unique in its dedication to supporting and promoting the art of screenwriting - launched the Showtime Tony Cox Screenplay Competition in 1996. The Festival's screenwriting focus was inspired by Nantucket's rich history as a writer's retreat and is one of the main reasons for the event's distinction as an important cultural institution.

The competition is named after the late Winston ''Tony'' Cox, former Showtime Networks Chairman and longtime Nantucket summer resident. Throughout his career, Cox was devoted to highlighting the important role of the writer in bringing high-quality original content to cable television. Tony's legacy has helped establish a prestigious reputation for the Competition whose highly vetted finalists command notice from producers and development executives nation wide. Previous Competition jurors include Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lili Taylor, Tom McCarthy, Diana Ossana, Bobby and Peter Farrelly, Stanley Tucci, Rosie Perez, Kit Carson, Greg Mottola, Nancy Tenenbaum, Nancy Savoca, Lee Daniels, Anthony Swofford, and Donna Giglotti.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$65

Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

Objective:

The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting is a vital program that identifies and nurtures talented emerging screenwriters.

The program will now exclusively partner with global university programs, screenwriting labs and filmmaker programs to identify potential Nicholl fellows.

Each partner will vet and submit scripts for consideration for an Academy Nicholl Fellowship, and the Black List will serve as a portal for public submissions.

Objective:

If the last few years are any indication, sometimes reality is even stranger than fiction - and certainly more dramatic. Some of the most interesting and unbelievable stories come straight from true life experiences. Recent hits like “HALSTON”, SPENCER, THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE and NOMADLAND prove that True Stories and Biopics continue to capture the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere.

Whether your true story or biopic is meant to inspire, educate, or give audiences a glimpse into a world or a history they know nothing about - we want to hear from you!

It’s time to tell our outstanding judging panel your most unique and personal stories, or your take on history’s most prominent figures. Don’t miss this chance to have them read your work! This competition is open to both Feature Scripts and Television Pilots!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Imaginarium Convention

Objective:

Now in our 6th year, the Imaginarium Convention is a three day annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky centered entirely around creatives and the world of storytelling, including the worlds of movies, books, gaming, music, cosplay, art, and comics/graphic novels.

The Imaginarium Convention features extensive programming content, with panels and workshops presented by over 200 professional guests, including our Guest of Honor Jeffrey Reddick, the creator of the Final Destination Franchise!

Our panel and workshop programming covers topics in indie film, screenwriting, the craft of writing, a range of various genres, industry-specific topics, publishing, game design, and social media/publicity.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$40

Stage 32 TV Drama Writing Contest

Objective:

Television Drama is crushing right now. Television Drama has expanded the possibilities for character exploration and led to storytelling that is beyond what any feature film could achieve. That is why series like THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT and BRIDGERTON on Netflix, EUPHORIA on HBO, YELLOWSTONE on Paramount, DEXTER on Showtime, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, and upcoming series like GENERATION on HBOMax are blowing away critics. Writers and producers of Television Drama are on the cutting edge of entertainment. And the next iteration of Television Drama will need to meet and exceed the expectations of an audience who are already enjoying television the likes of which have never been seen before.

And Stage 32 is ready to answer the call. In a first ever for Stage 32 - we are shining a light on writers who work in Television Drama. And we have once again blown the doors of the industry open and brought in executives from the most prolific producers in television to read your work. Your work could be read by executives at companies behind series including Emmy-winning “THE NIGHT OF”, “YELLOWSTONE’, Emmy-winning “DEXTER”, Emmy-winning “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK”, Emmy-winning “SUCCESSION”, the upcoming series “GENERATION” on HBOMax, “DOPESICK” on Hulu, and many more!

Our panel of judges are not only experts in the field of understanding Television Drama writing, but are on the hunt for new writers and material.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

Stage 32 TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest

Objective:
It’s no secret that we’re in a new Golden Age of Television. With audiences’ increasing desires for escapism and purely bingeable TV, there is perhaps no greater demand for new material than within Televised Comedies. Series like TED LASSO on Apple+, PEN15 and RAMY on Hulu, BARRY and INSECURE on HBO, ASTRONOMY CLUB on Netflix, THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL on Amazon, critics and global audiences alike can’t get enough. Not only are these shows changing the way that we watch television but, in many cases, they’re actually changing the way that we view the world. Hilarious writers and ingenious creators have dramatically upped the game with televised comedic storytelling. The next batch of new TV comedies needs to be even better, even bolder and even more groundbreaking. As always, Stage 32 is on the cutting edge of the industry and invites you to answer the call for gut-busting, thought provoking comedy pilots!

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$79.50

San Diego Movie Awards

Objective:
We are quarterly festival with a mission to recognize filmmakers from all over the globe.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
Please see website

Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition

Objective:

An unparalleled jury of the world's top producers. CEOs of the most renowned production companies. The winner receives a $10,000 GUARANTEED option.

What is your end goal as a writer of a Spec Feature Screenplay? The end goal is to get your screenplay MADE INTO A FEATURE FILM right? Of course, there are interim goals of getting recognition, to get feedback, to get writing assignments, to sign with an agent or a manager,... and with our competition, you’ll get all these things. But the END goal should always be to get your screenplay PRODUCED.

Well, here is your chance. Most of our judges are CEOs of the world’s most renowned film production companies. Almost all of them are Academy Award Nominated producers! They ALL actually have the Power, Resources and access to Hollywood A-listers to get your script made into an Award-Winning Feature Film.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$89.00

Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition

Objective:
Your Short Screenplay PRODUCED for a GUARANTEED budget of $10,000. Written feedback from our 8 Academy Award Winning/Nominated judges. Getting your Short Script written and produced is the quickest way into the industry.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:
$69

Portland Screenplay Awards

Objective:
Portland Screenplay Awards is dedicated to discovering the best emerging writers and advancing careers.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Northern Virginia International Film & Music Festival

Objective:
Please see website.

Deadline:

Entry Fee:

Los Angeles Comedy Film Festival

Objective:

Join us for:

Connections at top agencies, our elite alumni network + production companies
Laurels, awards, exposure
Decades of Hollywood experience
Networking, Red Carpet events

LACFF will function as a showcase. Live screenings in a symposium-style setting. IMDb qualifying.

We have had our hand in producing comedy for over 15 years and this is not our first rodeo. In 2010 we began the Chicago Comedy Film Festival. After 9 years successfully running in Chicago we are expanding based on feedback that filmmakers want a strong comedy film festival in Los Angeles. As filmmakers and producers ourselves, we have produced short and feature films. We know how sacred it is to produce your own content and then ask a committee of people to review your work. We will be an inclusive, welcoming festival, and we promise to make your experience with us memorable. The Los Angeles Comedy Film Festival is a film festival for the comedy filmmaker. Let’s have a laugh!

Deadline:

Entry Fee: