Screenwriting contests that don't charge an entry fee. There are more than you might think!
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Final Deadline: 10/01/2019
The Universal Writers Program identifies up-and-coming and experienced screenwriters with unique points of view that build upon the Studio’s commitment to telling stories and creating films that reflect the vast diversity of our audiences. The only feature film program sanctioned by the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), the Program develops storytellers who organically incorporate multicultural and global perspectives in screenwriting.
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Final Deadline: 10/15/2019
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.
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Final Deadline: 12/15/2019
The Screenwriters Network presents, the 1st Annual Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition! Prizes include guaranteed industry reads at Paradigm Talent Agency, Grey Matter Productions, Good Fear Content & Affirmative Entertainment! In the past few years, horror shorts have become a goldmine for Hollywood. Feature films such as The Babadook, Lights Out, Mama and Saw originated as proof-of-concept shorts.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
To provide a forum for Virigina screenwriters and promote the future of filmmaking in Virginia.
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Final Deadline: 06/03/2019 (expired)
To seek out and employ culturally and ethnically diverse new writers. The annual submission period for the Writing Program opens during the month of May. Specific dates vary year to year.
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Final Deadline: 01/31/2019 (expired)
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: 05/01/2019 (expired)
The focus of this eight month program is on opening doors: providing opportunities to build relationships with network executives and show runners; to support new and emerging writers in their efforts to improve their craft; and to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to break in and succeed. The Writers Mentoring Program is not employment and there is no monetary compensation.
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Final Deadline: 09/17/2018 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
MARZA ANIMATION PLANET INC. (CEO: Koichi Fukazawa), the new film production arm of Sega Sammy group, and 100 Meter Films (CEO: John Williams) are pleased to launch the MARZA Story Circus competition. MARZA's company vision is to produce "Delightful stories for children all over the world!" MARZA aims to produce feature-length CGI animated films for global distribution.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
To help aspiring writers connect with industry professionals and have their scripts read.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
The objective of Kuzmacinema Feature Script Competition to discover a great independent feature script for following production. Screenplays must meet standard feature-length screenplay format. Allusions and citations from the world culture legacy are allowed as well as elements of absurdity or poetic manner. The next genres are not allowed: Crime, Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
The Astana International Action Film Festival Screenplay and Short Film Competition is a holiday of fun-filled movies. Every summer famous actors, director and producers making dynamic action films gather in the capital city of Kazakhstan.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
We are looking for TV writers who want to get in on the ground floor (actually the sub-basement) of a new series. We are in the process of funding the venture through Kickstarter. Once we have the funds, we will need a writer's room. We'd like to get people familiar with the concept now so that we can hit the ground running. We will be accepting pitches for stand alone episodes for the series now.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
To find the student filmmaker in the UK with the best potential to gain the most benefit from a six-week, all-expenses-paid internship with a film production company near Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA. Entrants can submit a two-page synopsis and a five-page script extract as well as filling out the online entry form.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
Submission Requirements: 1. Must be a narrative short 2. Screenplay must be under 30 minutes 3. Can be produced on a micro-budget 4. Seeking screenplays that represent the millenial voice, whatever that means.
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Final Deadline: Contact contest for deadline info.
Visceral Films in association with Land of Illusions and BAO Productions - one of the largest, continuously running horror theme parks in the US, announces an international screenplay competition for an upcoming feature film to be produced in 2016. The story must be of any horror genre, be between 70-90 pages, contain a mixed ensemble cast of 5-6 characters, and take place at specific locations at Land of Illusions Theme Park.
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Final Deadline: 02/27/2018 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: 02/13/2019 (expired)
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: Contact contest for deadline info.
Movie Skits is Crowdsourced Skit and Sketch Entertainment. We’re running this contest to encourage talented aspiring script writers to share their short form scripts for skits with the growing Movie Skits community of mobile filmmakers to use for their video skit productions. Scriptwriters who publish their written scripts for skits to Movie Skits keep the copyright to their work, but are agreeing to allow the Movie Skits community to rate and comment on them, and to allow mobile filmmakers to use the scripts for their video skit productions, as long as they post their video skit creation back to Movie Skits next to the script and give the author credit.
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Final Deadline: 03/31/2019 (expired)
It’s easy. You send us a sample of your best piece of writing along with a short email explaining why this fellowship is right for you. Our judges select a winner who will receive 6 months of free 24/7* access to the space. This is equivalent to a Premium Membership, the highest level of membership we offer, worth upwards of $2700. Winner gets their own door code to access the space even when staff isn’t here.
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Final Deadline: 09/01/2019 (expired)
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.
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Final Deadline: 10/22/2017 (expired)
21st Century Fox Inclusion is excited to announce the launch of the 2018 Fox Writers Lab (“FWL”). Applications are open September 25th, and will close on October 22nd or once Fox has received 750 complete applications (whichever comes first). The Fox Writers Lab is a highly selective initiative designed to nurture experienced writers who have diverse voices, backgrounds, and life experiences.
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Final Deadline: 05/31/2019 (expired)
Writers on the Verge is a 12-week program focused on polishing writers and readying them for a staff writer position on a television series. We are looking for writers who are “almost there” but need that final bit of preparation with their writing and personal presentation skills. We particularly encourage writers of diverse backgrounds to apply.
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Final Deadline: 07/20/2019 (expired)
The NHMC Television Scriptwriter’s Program is designed to familiarize participants with the format, characters and storyline structure of specific shows that are currently on the air. The five-week, *total immersion workshop is mentored and guided by former NBC V.P of Script Development, Geoff Harris and is conducted in Sherman Oaks, CA. A total of 10 writers are accepted nationwide from an established network of non-profit agencies, schools, universities, guilds and media organizations.
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Final Deadline: 03/31/2018 (expired)
A free competition open to members of the Reddit Screenwriting Community.
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Final Deadline: 02/28/2019 (expired)
Part workshop and part contest, we’re searching for undiscovered writers interested in honing their skills across various mediums. The ideal writer has a unique, creative, innovative, and specific voice, as well as a collaborative spirit. While this contest is specifically geared toward audio dramas, we're looking to establish relationships with the next generation of writers interested in building a career in the entertainment field.
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Final Deadline: 09/15/2019 (expired)
The Script Lab and Coverfly are offering this FREE screenplay competition to help open talent-discovery to anyone and everyone, regardless of financial ability. This contest is open to feature, TV and short screenplays. Scripts must be in English and formatted with industry-standard screenwriting software. Only one entry per writer. Multiple submissions will be automatically eliminated.
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Final Deadline: Rolling Contest -- Each Month Winners Announced and Yearly Awards up to $500.
Think you have a good idea for a movie? Submit your Movie Idea and it will be uploaded online for everyone to vote on and review. Why LoglineFest? 1) So you know whether or not your idea is ready to be written into a screenplay before you spend days and months writing. 2) To perfect your Logline to prepare to pitch your script. 3) To win $500 in Awards!
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
To help writers hone their loglines by competing with and judging their peers.
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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.
To use a specified Story Plan screenplay template to define story structure in a compelling way.
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Final Deadline: Monthly.
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.
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