A list of categorized screenplay contests, ranked and sorted by screenwriters. Find the best contest for your screenplay or television script.
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Final Deadline: 01/27/2019
Enter now for a chance to have your script read by professional actors! Every script submitted is in the running to be one of 2 scripts chosen to be read in front of our audience and and Industry Insider at a West Hollywood Theatre. Our event can also be Live Streamed. So if a writer is selected from outside LA they will be able to watch online and receive feedback live from the Insider, the audience, and the online viewers - as if they are sitting in the theatre.
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Final Deadline: 01/31/2019
Nickelodeon's Writing Program offers aspiring television writers from around the globe, with diverse backgrounds and experiences, the opportunity to hone their skills while writing for our live action and animated shows. Participants will have hands-on interaction with executives writing spec scripts and pitching story ideas. The Program's General Track, developed to broaden Nickelodeon’s outreach efforts, provides a salaried position for up to one year (for Domestic writers) and up to six months (for International writers).
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Final Deadline: 02/12/2019
Do you have a great script but don't have the access to the industry to move it forward? That's what we're here for. The ISA Fast Track Fellowship gives two undiscovered screenwriters a direct line to meet with and be mentored by eight top executives in Los Angeles. We'll fly you to LA and provide you the experience of a lifetime by connecting you to top industry contacts seeking to work with writers like you.
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Final Deadline: 02/13/2019
The HBO Access Writing Fellowship provides mentorship for up to eight diverse, emerging storytellers. Following a one-week intensive of Master Classes, participants are immersed in eight months of mentoring by HBO Creative Executives, as each participant develops a script suitable for HBO or Cinemax.
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Final Deadline: 02/14/2019
We are a team of artists that want nothing more than to support the next generation of filmmakers and screenwriters from around the world. Specifically, those storytellers that passionate about telling stories about our communities in the U.S. and abroad, from inner city Atlanta, LA, New York, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee to Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean, to Wall Street and the streets of London to the NBA.
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Final Deadline: 02/28/2019
The ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship has quickly become one of the most important screenwriting talent discovery platforms for the entertainment industry. The chosen recipients will receive ongoing professional support and a special trip to Los Angeles for meetings and introductions to key entertainment executives, producers and representatives.
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Final Deadline: 02/28/2019
Nice International Film Festival in our 8th Year held a few days before the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France. One of the greatest festival in the world to help filmmakers find a market to support their aims with people attending that can give good solid advice to work with established film industry professionals if you wish, screening, meetings, networking, world famous international awards ceremony, just some of what we have created over the years a unique festival with our other festivals a real platform for filmmakers to meet, network, do business festival week.
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Final Deadline: 02/28/2019
Introducing the Emerging Screenwriters SHOOT YOUR SIZZLE Competition Brought to you by the International Screenwriters’ Association Not only does this contest catapult you right onto the ISA Development Slate, but you’ll receive over $25,000 in funds, equipment and the support you need to shoot a proof of concept, otherwise known as a sizzle reel.
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Final Deadline: 03/01/2019
The International Horror Hotel fosters creativity within genre writers and filmmakers, providing a platform for them to share their work and gain recognition. Our main focus is in connecting those working within the horror (and sub-genre) community, helping them to expand their network and gain contacts to strengthen their work.
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Final Deadline: 03/14/2019
Mission: Faith in Film is dedicated to forging a screenwriting competition that will launch the careers of filmmakers focused on adding the element of faith to their films and facilitate established filmmakers in transitioning into making more faith films. Our aim is to build a festival that will introduce faith based films to mass audiences, ultimately, giving them the same multi platform release schedules and revenue streams that traditional studio films and high end independent films enjoy; and to inspire, showcase, support, and develop filmmakers of all faith’s to make great faith based films that leave others touched, moved and inspired; and filmmakers and distributors empowered to make and distribute more faith and family films.
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Final Deadline: 03/27/2019
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.
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Final Deadline: 03/31/2019
It has been hailed by L.A. Weekly as the festival with "THE WORLD'S SEXIEST DARKEST CRIME SHORT FILMS." Saturday, May 25th, LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, Downtown Independent Theater hosts THE 2019 L.A. NEO NOIR, NOVEL, FILM, AND SCRIPT FEST 7 (LANNEFF)! This is the ONLY FESTIVAL IN THE ENTIRE WORLD that makes a short film of EVERY writing submission and screens the best of those submissions AT THE FESTIVAL and gives every writing submission a copy of their fully produced short film based on their script, story, or novel.
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Final Deadline: 03/31/2019
The Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship competition was created to locate, expose and nurture up-and-coming screenwriters who have yet to receive their invitation to the mainstream industry. The competition is proudly sponsored by InkTip, The Script Coverage Co., and Filmmatic, and is open to all screenplays and pilots.
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Final Deadline: 04/03/2019
Honoring Stories Worth Telling. All Ages, All Cultures, All written formats. The rationale behind the festival is clear. New media continues to show its lasting power and potential to evolve - there is scope for truly groundbreaking and compelling work in the world of storytelling. The festival is designed to both discover and cultivate highly creative work from emerging and seasoned content creators.
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Final Deadline: 04/05/2019
The Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition leverages one of the oldest and largest film festivals in the U.S. Each year, NashFilm draws hundreds of filmmakers, musicians and industry to ten days of films, panels, red carpet events, live music showcases and parties. NashFilm is an Academy® Award Qualifying Festival in three short film categories.
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Final Deadline: 04/10/2019
Creative World Awards (CWA) is an international screenwriting contest that is well known for having the writer's interest at heart when it comes to development and industry promotion. Production: CWA brings an exciting production opportunity to the Grand Prize Winner. This year’s winner will have a short version of their script produced by The MIX, and the film will then get a guaranteed premiere at the Richmond International Film Festival.
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Final Deadline: 04/15/2019
The PAGE 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. And due to the success of our winning writers, the PAGE Awards competition has rapidly become one of the most important sources for new screenwriting talent within the Hollywood community and worldwide.
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Final Deadline: 04/22/2019
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.
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Final Deadline: 04/23/2019
The True Story Screenplay Competition recognizes and showcases feature screenplays and television scripts based on, or inspired by, true stories.
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Final Deadline: 04/29/2019
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 Tyler Knell - Manager of Development - Circle of Confusion Television Studios Peter Dealbert - Lit Manager - Pacific View Management Jeff Portnoy - Lit Manager - Bellevue Productions Dustin Davis - Head of Comedy - Youtube Originals Amanda Krentzman - International Originals - Netflix Jillian Apfelbaum - VP - Imperative Entertainment Ryan Cunningham - Lit Manager - Madhouse Entertainment Chris Mills - Lit Manager - Magnet Management Justin Killion - Head of Premium Programming & Development - COMPLEX Carly Kahane - Vice-President - Topple Productions Mike Goldberg - TV Lit Agent - APA A.
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Final Deadline: 04/30/2019
We love New York and we love film! We especially loves 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). We are a passionate group of artists who care deeply about nurturing, developing, and furthering the careers of the next generation of New York City filmmakers and screenwriters from the U.
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Final Deadline: 05/01/2019
Working with top industry mentors, annual four-day intensive lab is designed to help participants develop film and TV projects in an intensive and supportive environment. You will learn skills and be exposed to opportunities to get your work made and seen. The four-day lab is enrolled through competitive application process. All other elements of Stowe Story Labs programming (writers' retreats, ongoing mentoring, market experiences, fiscal agency) are available by invitation only.
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Final Deadline: 05/04/2019
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.
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Final Deadline: 05/08/2019
To recognize excellence in screenwriting of shorts and features in a wide variety of genres.
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Final Deadline: 05/15/2019
The Ultimate Runway Now in our 25th year, the Austin Film Festival has been catapulting writers into life-changing careers for over two decades. Whether your dream is to sign a contract, land an agent, learn from an industry icon, or take home the coveted Bronze Typewriter Award, it’s simple: you can’t win if you don’t enter.
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Final Deadline: 05/23/2019
The Diversity Film & Script Showcase recognizes and showcases screenplays with a PERSON OF COLOR REPRESENTED or a WOMAN REPRESENTED as one of the following: Lead Character OR Filmmaker (Writer or Co-Writer, or Director, or Producer).
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Final Deadline: 06/01/2019
The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, now in its fifth 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 Congratulations to the 2018 Winners at Universal 2019 Competition opens September 30, 2018.
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Final Deadline: 06/14/2019
Guaranteed distributor review by World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation (WWMPC.COM) for features, Adler & Associates for features and shorts, and Polaris Pictures (for Screenplays) among others, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU, for our select few ‘Best Of’ and "Award of Outstanding Excellence" winners in the 20 Major categories, based on sufficient qualified entries.
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Final Deadline: 06/23/2019
The ONLY screenplay competition focused exclusively on adapted material. The Adapted Screenplay Competition recognizes and showcases adapted feature and television scripts in ALL genres.
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Final Deadline: 06/24/2019
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. Application Requirements: Completed application and fee.
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Final Deadline: 06/30/2019
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! We are very excited to announce that we have partnered with the famous Action on Film MEGAfest! This allows all of our writers with officially selected scripts, the chance to attend the AoF.
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Final Deadline: 07/11/2019
It’s a fact that rewriting your screenplay or television pilot is an absolutely essential part of the successful process of perfecting story, character, structure, tone and theme. It’s from that reality that The Finish Line Script Competition was created. 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.
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Final Deadline: 08/18/2019
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.
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Final Deadline: 08/30/2019
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.
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Final Deadline: 08/31/2019
OUR FOCUS IS TO DISCOVER THE BEST NEW SCREENWRITING TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD How do we do that? 36 Oscar, Golden Globe, EMMY & BAFTA Winning Judges will read the final round of submissions. 100+ Production Companies, Agents & Managers are signed up to read each year’s best scripts. 50+ Directors are on our roster to read the best Feature screenplays.
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Final Deadline: 08/31/2019
OUR FOCUS IS TO DISCOVER THE BEST NEW SCREENWRITING TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD How do we do that? 36 Oscar, Golden Globe, EMMY & BAFTA Winning Judges will read the final round of submissions. 100+ Production Companies, Agents & Managers are signed up to read each year’s best scripts. 50+ Directors are on our roster to read the best TV Pilot scripts.
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Final Deadline: 09/21/2019
Welcome to the WRPN Women's International Film Festival, where distribution and feedback opportunities abound for films made by women, or films that carry subject matter relating to concerns particular to women's issues. WWIFF is a sister festival to the Depth of Field International Film Festival, a FilmFreeway “Top 100 Reviewed” festival alumni.
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
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.
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Final Deadline: Ongoing - submit anytime.
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.
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Final Deadline: Last day of each month
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.
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
FULL FEEDBACK on the first moments of your screenplay from our committee of Professional Screenwriters, Production Heads and Script Consultants. Are you just starting off your screenplay and want immediate feedback on your first scenes/first moments of your script?
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
To provide a great platform that allows screenwriters to compete against each other for recognition, and prizes.
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
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.
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
The script is the core of any project. We want to enlight the raw talent of writing. Not everyone knows how to write. We reward ideas, talent, and structure. If in the wrong hands, a good script may end up as a flat movie, but a bad script never, ever is going to make a groundbreaking film. The Script and Storyboard Showcase is the one contest of Talent Factory 100% focused on scripts, and scriptwriting.
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