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Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Final Draft/Big Break
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Report Card |
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| Overall: |
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(3.7/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
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(3.0/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
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(2.6/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
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(3.7/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
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Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
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Categories
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 Fees
| Deadline | Date Days till: |
Entry Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early | April 27, 2026 45 |
$35 (Shorts); $45 (Feature, TV & Diversity) |
| Regular | May 18, 2026 66 |
$45 (Shorts); $65 (Feature, TV & Diversity) |
| Final | June 8, 2026 87 |
$55 (Shorts); $75 (Feature, TV & Diversity) |
| Extended | June 29, 2026 108 |
$65 (Shorts); $85 (Feature, TV & Diversity) |
See website for feedback fees, and other options.
Dates reflect deadlines for electronic submission of scripts. All entries must be electronically submitted by their respective deadlines at midnight Pacific Time.
Eligibility
18 years of age or older. See website for details: https://www.finaldraft.com/big-break-screenwriting-contestRules
Visit website for contest rules and conditions: https://www.finaldraft.com/big-break-screenwriting-contest/rules/Awards
2 Grand Prize Award Winners- One Feature Grand Prize and one TV Grand Prize winner will be chosen from the 12 category award winners
- These two Grand Prize Award Winners are flown to Hollywood for meetings and networking with executives, producers, agents, and managers. See the full prize package here: https://www.finaldraft.com/big-break-screenwriting-contest/prizes
Final Draft/Big Break
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(3.7/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(3.0/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(2.6/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(3.7/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Contest Comments
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First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(3.7/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(3.0/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(2.6/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(3.7/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Contest News
Final Draft Announces 2025 Big Break Screenwriting Contest Finalists
Final Draft has announced the winners and finalists of the 2025 Big Break Screenwriting Contest, its annual competition aimed at discovering emerging film and television writers.
Two writers received the competition’s top honors this year. Heather Farlinger won the Feature Grand Prize for Unshakeable, while Khalid Abdulqaadir earned the TV Grand Prize for his pilot Affection of a Tiger.
Unshakeable follows a polarizing governor racing to save her state as a catastrophic volcanic eruption approaches, while Affection of a Tiger tells the true story of a high school student who must become a government informant after his family is charged with terrorism in the aftermath of 9/11.
The Big Break competition, presented by Final Draft, awards more than $80,000 in cash and prizes and offers winners industry exposure, including meetings with agents, managers, producers, and executives.
Category Winners
In addition to the Grand Prize winners, the contest recognized scripts across multiple feature and television categories.
Feature Category Winners
Action/Adventure: Unshakeable — Heather Farlinger
Comedy/Rom-Com: Career Day — Joshua Bullock & David Kushner
Diversity: The Manatee — Abi Perpall
Drama: Breaker — Elliott Giarola
Family/Animated: Gristle — Heidi Hornbacher
Period/Historical/War: Leave Luck to Heaven — Alex Kain
Sci-Fi/Fantasy: See You See Me — Erin Galey
Thriller/Horror: Transgressions — Tim Daly
Television Category Winners
Diversity: High Strung — Lee Johnson
Half-Hour Pilot: World of Hurt — Mason Gersh
Hour-Long Pilot: Affection of a Tiger — Khalid Abdulqaadir
Short Script Winner
Devil’s Instrument — Frederik Ehrhardt
Updated: 03/13/2026
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(3.7/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(3.0/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(2.6/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(3.7/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Submit Report Card
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First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
