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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: 11/01/2017
We are all about giving agents, showrunners, and executives exactly what they now are looking for: Spec pilot teleplays that showcase you, the new writer operating at your very best. If the suits love the writing of a spec pilot, they have the best reason in the world to trust the writer to come through in the development process. A strongly-written spec pilot shows you’re ready for the gig.
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Final Deadline: 11/03/2017
Cinequest voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers. Submissions open May 1st, 2017! The Cinequest Screenwriting Competition continues to empower global screenwriters through discovery, recognition and opportunity. Cinequest loves writers, and we welcome you to submit your screenplay or teleplay to our renowned competition.
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Final Deadline: 11/03/2017
Every great film or series starts with a great script. We want to read yours, and help you succeed. PRIZES: Our winning screenplay will be chosen by professional story analyst Dan Calvisi and will receive laurels and a digital certificate. But that's just the beginning! You'll also get an hour-long video consultation with Dan and free downloads of his e-books: ‘Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay,’ ‘Story Maps: TV Drama,’ ‘Story Maps: 12 Great Screenplays’, and ‘Story Maps: The Films of Christopher Nolan.
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Final Deadline: 11/05/2017
Eight Managers. Your Script. Coverage Ink's Get Repped Now is not actually a contest - it's a promotion. From Oct. 2 through Nov. 5, all scripts submitted to www.coverageink.com for coverage which score a 'consider' or better for script are elevated to our manager panel. That's about the top 5%. We've assembled eight of the top literary managers in town, and they are looking for the best writers around.
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Final Deadline: 11/06/2017
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.
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Final Deadline: 11/10/2017
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: 11/15/2017
The Women’s Script Showcase recognizes and showcases feature screenplays, shorts, and television scripts that feature one of the following: Female Lead Character OR Female Writer or Co-Writer, and provides opportunities for writers to showcase their projects to development executives, producers, agents, and managers. ALL SCRIPT ENTRIES RECEIVE.
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Final Deadline: 11/30/2017
This season we're taking the Feature/Pilot winner to Park City during Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals. Like those Table Read winners who have received Oscar Nominations, or have premiered their produced scripts at a major film festival like Cannes, Table Read My Screenplay will help to motivate your passion for writing through the film festival and showcase experience, put some cash in your pocket, give you the opportunity to confidently network with the title of “Grand Prize Winner,” and a support mechanism for layering a long-term career with an invitation to be a part of the elite ISA Development Program Slate.
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Final Deadline: 11/30/2017
LIMBO screenplay contest is now open for the second year! This year LIMBO will announce two winners. Submit your screenplay for a chance to win $500 cash and a chance to sell your screenplay to the producers. 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 LIMBO Script Competition and come out a winner!
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Final Deadline: 12/06/2017
Roadmap Writers and Route One Entertainment are looking for the next great feature, pilot or short script, from un-produced screenwriters. Winning Script will be optioned by Route One Entertainment, put on their high profile development slate for production and, to further show commitment to the project, Route One will also have a proof of concept short produced.
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Final Deadline: 12/14/2017
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: 12/14/2017
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 entertainment professionals 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: 12/14/2017
We are a team of artists, writers, directors, and producers 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: 12/15/2017
The Military Script Showcase recognizes and showcases feature screenplays and television scripts that feature military stories, and provides opportunities for writers to showcase their projects to development executives, producers, agents, and managers. ALL ENTRIES RECEIVE... SCRIPT SHOWCASE A custom project page on the website to showcase your script to development executives, producers, managers and agents.
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Final Deadline: 12/27/2017
To discover original, high-concept TV show ideas and develop the winning material with the writer for circulation network execs and television producers.
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Final Deadline: 12/30/2017
Now accepting Features, Shorts, Pilots and Docs! Every 6 months, at least one filmmaker will be awarded this production grant of up to $30,000 in production funds. We announce the winner(s) 6 weeks after each final deadline. We are accepting applications from around the world (in English). Whether you have a simple screenplay or a film, pilot or documentary that’s already in production, we want to consider your short screenplay or in-production short film project.
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Final Deadline: 12/31/2017
Due to overwhelming demand, we're opening our competition to Television Pilots as well as feature scripts this year! CrowdSource Studios Script Competition was created by professional screenwriters, actors, directors & producers to give unknown screenwriters a real, fair opportunity to be discovered & have your script or pilot produced! Most script competitions offer prizes including publicity, connections & merchandise.
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Final Deadline: 01/12/2018
The Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition leverages one of the oldest and largest film festivals in the U.S. Each year, NaFF draws hundreds of filmmakers, musicians and industry to ten days of films, panels, red carpet events, live music showcases and parties. NaFF draws more film entries than almost every other film festival in the country, in part, because it is an Academy® Award Qualifying Festival in three short film categories.
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Final Deadline: 01/15/2018
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: 01/31/2018
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, 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: 03/01/2018
Recognition for bloody good scripts and writers.
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Final Deadline: 03/01/2018
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: 03/15/2018
We are looking for standout screenplays by women. The competition awards the writer who pushes the boundaries of cinema with her original, nuanced characters and dynamic storytelling and dialogue. There are no limitations on content or genre. The main character does not have to be female, but the screenwriter does. Cash awards, as well as a Skype pitch with an executive and pitch preparation for the winning entry.
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Final Deadline: 03/15/2018
The First 10 Pages Script Competition recognizes and showcases exceptional feature and television writing in all genres, and provides opportunities for writers to showcase their projects to industry executives, producers, agents, and managers. ALL SCRIPT ENTRIES RECEIVE... SCRIPT SHOWCASE A custom project page on the website to showcase your script to development executives, producers, managers and agents.
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Final Deadline: 03/31/2018
The Diversity Film & Script Showcase recognizes and showcases screenplays with a PERSON OF COLOR REPRESENTED as one of the following: Lead Character OR Writer or Co-Writer. The competition recognizes and showcases feature screenplays, shorts, and television scripts, and provides opportunities for writers to showcase their projects to development executives, producers, agents, and managers.
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Final Deadline: 04/29/2018
The True Story Screenplay Competition recognizes and showcases true story feature screenplays and television scripts, and provides opportunities for writers to showcase their projects to development executives, producers, agents, and managers. ALL SCRIPT ENTRIES RECEIVE... SCRIPT SHOWCASE A custom project page on the website to showcase your script to development executives, producers, managers and agents.
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Final Deadline: 05/08/2018
To recognize excellence in screenwriting of shorts and features in a wide variety of genres.
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Final Deadline: 05/15/2018
The ONLY screenplay competition focused exclusively on adapted material. The Adapted Screenplay Competition recognizes and showcases adapted feature and television scripts in ALL genres, and provides opportunities for writers to showcase their projects to industry executives, producers, agents, and managers. ALL SCRIPT ENTRIES RECEIVE.
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Final Deadline: 05/20/2018
The Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest has a single goal: to find the next extraordinary television writer. The talent level has risen dramatically in recent contest seasons, as a fast-growing community of aspiring TV writers have proven their skills with both specs and original pilots.
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
With two cycles of our main competition clashing almost directly with the deadline dates of our Monthly Contest, we’ve decided to delay relaunching our Monthly Contest again until at least January 2017. Anyone who has submitted to our Monthly contest since the start of August will be offered a free entry to the main contest (representing a significant discount on its current entry price), which currently closes at the same time as the September competition would have done anyway! In place of the Monthly Contest, we’d like to introduce our new FEATURED SCRIPT OF THE MONTH.
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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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