Screenplay contests offered in conjuntion with film festivals.
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Final Deadline: 02/02/2020
The 4th annual Bigfork Independent Film Festival's first Montana Screenwriting Competition is eager to find narrative screenplays that demonstrate the exceptional talents and skills of Montana writers &/or highlight the special qualities of Montana locations. This Montana-focused writing competition accepts ONLY narrative Feature and Short Film screenplays (no documentary film scripts, teleplays or stageplays).
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Final Deadline: 02/03/2020
Taking place in Sun Valley, Idaho in the days leading up to the 2020 Sun Valley Film Festival (March 18-22), the High Scribe residency will offer four finalists rare opportunities including Industry roundtables, insider access during the Sun Valley Film Festival, and personalized face time with Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan. During the Festival, Gaghan will host the Sun Valley Screenwriters Lab, which will include a moderated discussion with Gaghan, live table read, and the announcement of the 2020 High Scribe winner, selected by High Scribe judge, Jennifer Todd.
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Final Deadline: 02/20/2020
Welcome to the Edinburgh International Screenwriting Competition. We are the world’s foremost screenwriting competition dedicated to the odd and insane. Because as Jack Kerouac once said, “the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue center light pop and everybody goes “Awww!” Our aim is to launch the careers of cinema’s most original screenwriters by creating the world’s most prestigious screenwriting competition.
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Final Deadline: 02/29/2020
The Houston Comedy Film Festival opened for submissions in 2008 and we had our first event in 2009. We are looking for a diverse palette of comedy screenplays with the following categories. 1-40 pages is considered a short and 41-150 pages is considered a feature in our world. 1) Comedy Short & Comedy Features 2) Dark Comedy Short & Dark Comedy Feature 3) Comedy TV Episode, Sitcom, or Webisode: Short & Feature (commonly called a Teleplay) 4) Romantic Comedy Short and Romantic Comedy Feature 80% of the submissions go to the Comedy Short & Feature Categories, which are the most competitive.
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Final Deadline: 02/29/2020
The Austin Comedy Short Film Festival held our first event in 2015. This event has been bi-annual since the beginning. We are looking for a diverse palette of comedy screenplays with the following categories. 1-40 pages is considered a short and 41-150 pages is considered a feature in our world. 1) Comedy Short & Comedy Features Screenplays 2) Dark Comedy Short & Dark Comedy Feature Screenplays 3) Comedy TV Episode, Sitcom, or Webisode: Short & Feature (commonly called a Teleplay) 4) Romantic Comedy Short and Romantic Comedy Feature Screenplays 80% of the submissions go to the Comedy Short & Feature Categories, which are the most competitive.
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Final Deadline: 03/08/2020
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. The 2020 festival will be held June 11th-14th at Mentor Holiday Inn - 20 minutes from downtown Cleveland (OH).
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Final Deadline: 03/13/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 03/15/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 03/19/2020
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: 03/31/2020
The Portland Comedy Film Festival, ranked in the Top 100 on FilmFreeway, is a unique forum for international independent comedy filmmakers to showcase their comedy films in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Comedy Film Festival is a bi-annual event, searching for funny and engaging films and screenplays to entertain a comedy loving audience.
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Final Deadline: 03/31/2020
The Austin After Dark Film Festival screens at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Lakeline in Austin, Texas. This event will focus on films that are created for a mature audience. Enjoy a great slate of films in large cushioned seating, a massive theater screen, with access to 50 beers on tap and full restaurant while you watch films. Austin is a great independent film town and this event will be a lot of fun as well as a great opportunity to network with filmmakers and screenwriters.
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Final Deadline: 03/31/2020
The 14th annual Dallas International Film Festival, powered by Capital One, is the largest in North Texas, committed to providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television, screenwriting and digital media. Through the 2020 "Broaden Your Horizons" screenwriting competition, presented by Event Horizon Films, DIFF offers writers the opportunity to submit scripts for feature films, television pilots and short films, which will be reviewed by readers at top Hollywood talent agencies and management companies, such as: Abrams Artists Agency WME United Talent Agency Gersh Agency Innovative Artists Circle of Confusion Buschwald DIFF's all-star lineup of judges includes: Ken Estin, 3-time Emmy winning screenwriter and producer (Taxi, Cheers, The Tracey Ullman Show, Beverly Hills Cop) Teresa Cheng, animation producer and production manager (Shrek Forever After, Madagascar, Batman & Robin, True Lies) Lisa Furfine, CEO of the Furfine Network, connecting sports and entertainment industry professionals (The New Celebrity Apprentice, SportsTravel magazine) Johnathan Brownlee, director, producer, writer, actor and executive director for DIFF (Three Days In August, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, Decoding Annie Parker)
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Final Deadline: 04/01/2020
The Orlando International Film Festival, Inc (OIFF) is a nonprofit organization seeking to bring unique and diverse stories to the beautiful setting of Orlando. The festival will be taking place at the Orange County Convention Center May 23rd to May 26th.
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Final Deadline: 04/03/2020
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: 04/24/2020
The SENE Film Festival Screenplay Competition seeks to encourage, recognize and promote talented screenwriters.
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Final Deadline: 05/15/2020
The Ultimate Runway Now in our 27th 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: 05/15/2020
To recognize excellence in screenwriting of shorts and features in a wide variety of genres.
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Final Deadline: 05/15/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 05/15/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 05/19/2020
The Diversity Film & Script Showcase recognizes and showcases screenplays featuring an Under Represented Lead Character OR Filmmaker (Writer or Co-Writer, or Director, or Producer).
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Final Deadline: 05/22/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 05/28/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 06/15/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 06/26/2020
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: 07/10/2020
CALL FOR ENTRIES! Shriekfest, the Los Angeles Horror/SciFi Film Festival continues its tradition as Los Angeles' Premier horror film event, presenting an exciting program of films each fall with beautiful Los Angeles as its backdrop. Now, in its 20th year, Shriekfest takes place at the legendary Raleigh Studios, which is the largest independent studio operator in the country.
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Final Deadline: 07/28/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 07/31/2020
Awards Ceremony at a Film Festival! Screenplay Festival winners get that rarest of experiences for a writer; applause from an audience. Our winners get to come out from behind the keyboard and be celebrated! Now Accepting Television Scripts! The writers spoke, and we listened. We have now added four categories to our contest for television scripts.
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Final Deadline: 08/15/2020
Founded by longtime residents and movie veterans alike, the Sherman Oaks Film Festival looks to showcase the best undiscovered movies in the heart of Los Angeles. The neighborhood that was home the mall in Fast Times At Ridgemont High deserves a world class film festival! The Sherman Oaks Film Festival has a category for unproduced screenplays of any length, feature or short or in between.
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Final Deadline: 08/30/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 08/31/2020
Introducing Season 2 / 2020 of “Your Script Produced!” International Film / TV / Short Film Screenwriting Competition sponsored by Doval Bacall Films. The sponsor will fully finance, develop, package and produce the Grand Prize Winning Feature Script for $250,000.00. We've raised the stakes! Season 2 will accept Features, TV Scripts, AND SHORT FILM SCRIPTS! Winners will be promoted in the Variety Magazine and/or THR! Grand Prize winners can direct their own script! (Feature grand prize winner must have valid experience and approved by our sponsor.
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Final Deadline: 09/20/2020
We like "quirky" scifi and fantasy characters including monsters, aliens, space invaders, body snatchers and zombies. We like space-related fantasies along the lines of Gravity (2013) and Daniel Espinosa's Life (2017). We like SciFi Thrillers like The Thirteenth Floor (1999). We would love to showcase your expose similar to Peter Hyams' Capricorn One, a 1977 government conspiracy thriller film about a Mars landing hoax.
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Final Deadline: 10/25/2020
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.
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Final Deadline: 10/31/2020
LA LIVE FILM FESTIVAL's mission is to provide a festival where filmmakers are treated with respect and given opportunities that empower the filmmaker’s career while being showcased at the most prestigious location in Los Angeles, Regal Cinemas at LA LIVE. We strive to do things differently than other festivals and part of how we do this is the way we market the selected films.
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Final Deadline: 01/07/2019 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
IFFF builds a peaceful global family through the discovery and sharing of quality stories by emerging artists and productions companies.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
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).
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Final Deadline: 07/29/2019 (expired)
The Slamdance Screenplay Competition is dedicated to discovering and supporting emerging writing talent. We welcome screenplays in every genre, on any topic, from anywhere in the world. A unique feature of the competition is providing constructive feedback for every entrant. In addition to this, we also offer a more intensive coverage service for a supplementary fee.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
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).
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
We champion the struggling independent Auteur who literally does it all or who gathers a close team who contributes what's needed to get their movie make. By having in attendance, mediamakers from all across the U.S. and Canada and by bringing in experienced and award winning directors, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and stunt professionals to conduct workshops and discussion groups, thus sharing their knowledge, we are paving the way for an independent movie explosion in Oklahoma.
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Final Deadline: 07/31/2019 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: 08/30/2019 (expired)
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: 07/15/2019 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: 07/30/2019 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
This festival is designed to promote Independent Media and Writing. Awards for Film, Video, Audio, Scriptwriting, Outdoor Journalism and Videos made on a Macintosh Computer. Categories include, Animation, Feature, Drama, Narrative, Experimental, Commercial, Documentary, and Outdoor Subjects.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
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.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
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.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
After several years of hiatus we are proud to bring back LA Shorts screenplay competition. Finalists are invited to attend a table reading of the script for a live audience during LA Shorts Fest. The readings are performed by professional actors and actresses in front of an audience, who will vote on their favorites. These votes, along with the scores of the readers, determine the winner.
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Final Deadline: 11/01/2019 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: 12/17/2018 (expired)
We want to see the best short screenplays from around the globe.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
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.
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