A list of upcoming screenplay contests, rated by screenwriters and sorted by deadline. Find the best contest for your screenplay or television script.
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Final Deadline: 11/19/2018
Transition Stage Company want to give as much opportunity as possible to writers who submit to Enter. Stage. Write in the competition and beyond the Competition. We believe in providing creatives with a 'hand up' and putting you in front and in touch with the right people to push your career in the right direction. Every writer wants to see their story come to life – with Enter Stage Write you get just that chance! Along with a £1000 prize for the overall winner, a select number of scripts will be produced and performed at the prestigious Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on December 1st.
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Final Deadline: 11/28/2018
This season we're taking the Feature/Pilot winner to Park City during during the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. 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 $1500 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: 11/30/2018
Filmmatic coined a slogan, "Hidden screenplays never get produced". As writers, we spend a lot of our precious time crafting unique scripts, yet we hardly ever employ an equal level of passion when attempting to get our work into the "right hands". The exposure and prestige one can gain from placing or winning a screenplay competition is invaluable, but what do you say this time around we also get you PITCHING! Let's get proactive, let's pick a production company that makes sense for our project, tell them we were a Pitch Now Finalist or Winner, and get them to review our work, now not later ;) All 100 finalists will be able to pitch to a studio or production company of their choice via Virtual Pitch Fest! The competition is open to feature-length and short works, screenplays and teleplays.
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Final Deadline: 12/01/2018
SUCCESS! We say we are looking for a film to produce and we mean it. Our 2017 winner completed principal photography in May 2018 and is in post-production! "Becoming" by Omar Naim won our Grand Prize and is going to hit the screens with Omar himself directing! We will keep sharing updates on "Becoming" as it progresses.. Circus Road wants to find a great project to produce.
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Final Deadline: 12/01/2018
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: 12/05/2018
Barnstorm is not just a screenplay competition, its goal is to help you develop your script for production. Every submission receives a letter of analysis from an industry professional and finalists receive a one-on-one consultation with a feature film producer as well as heaps of other rewards. THIS SEASON, RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF SUBMISSION.
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Final Deadline: 12/12/2018
The Military Script Showcase recognizes and showcases feature screenplays and television scripts that feature military stories.
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Final Deadline: 12/12/2018
With the tremendous box office success of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, BOOK CLUB and THE BIG SICK and the streaming successes of SET IT UP, SIERRA BURGESS IS A LOSER, and TO ALL THE BOYS I LOVED BEFORE, romantic comedies are making a huge comeback for all types of audiences. Variety called Rom-Com's the "Hottest genre" for 2018 and beyond. If you have been sitting on a Rom-Com script or been thinking about writing one, now's the time to get it exposure and we have the perfect opportunity for you! Stage 32 is honored to announce that we have partnered with Amy Baer's Gidden Media to find original, modern romantic comedy feature scripts in our first Romantic Comedy Screenwriting Contest partnership!
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Final Deadline: 12/16/2018
The BlueCat Screenplay Competition, now in its 21st year, is accepting submissions for its 2019 competition. Founded in 1998 by award-winning writer Gordy Hoffman, BlueCat has supported thousands of screenwriters through written analysis provided to all entrants, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in the film and television industry.
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Final Deadline: 12/17/2018
We want to see the best short screenplays from around the globe.
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Final Deadline: 12/17/2018
To discover the best un-produced short screenplays by talented writers and present their work to LEADING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.
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Final Deadline: 12/21/2018
$15,000 in Cash Prizes. $10,000 1st Place Cash Prize for Feature screenplays! The Vail Film Institute launched the Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition in order to find and foster the next generation of the film world's most innovative and creative screenwriters. With the realization that every great film needs a great story, the festival is dedicated to supporting talented screenwriters by utilizing the resources of the Vail Film Festival to foster the winning screenwriters through networking opportunities, and film industry access.
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Final Deadline: 12/21/2018
MISSION: To provide industry exposure and support to feature screenwriters who are looking to have their stories told. FEEDBACK: We believe that writers need feedback to improve, which is why every single entry receives FREE FEEDBACK PROMISE: We promise to give all scripts two rounds of scores and there will be a total of six rounds of scores to ensure fairness and transparency.
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Final Deadline: 12/21/2018
The Boomtown Film and Music Festival accepts Short (44 or less pages) and Feature (45+ pages) screenplays in any genre! Submit on Film Freeway!
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Final Deadline: 12/22/2018
Breaking Walls is a contest for thriller screenplays with contacts at established Hollywood literary representation and production companies who have agreed to consider the full winning script and the top finalists' loglines. Well-written thrillers are always an excellent way for writers to show Hollywood pros a combination of commerciality, unique voice, and a clear understanding of effective feature film narrative.
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Final Deadline: 12/30/2018
Calling all family-friendly feature film screenplays! Families are the most influential moviegoing audience, yet there’s a surprising lack of high-quality films that appeal to the WHOLE family. This contest avoids the genre-bias of some other contests by seeking exclusively screenplays that are life-affirming stories of faith, courage, hope and love.
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Final Deadline: 12/31/2018
The Oregon Short Film Festival is a showcase of independent short films from around the world. We accept short screenplays of all genres that are 30 pages or less. Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction, Horror and anything else that is well written with good character development is eligible.
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Final Deadline: 01/12/2019
The First 10 Pages Script Competition recognizes and showcases exceptional feature and television writing in all genres.
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Final Deadline: 01/13/2019
With an increased Grand Prize, discounted prices on our script report services, and more, enter our Winter 2019 Screenwriting Contest to win a major breakthrough in your writing career: Our Grand Prize is now $2500, up from $2000! A year of free script development worth up to $3200 Guaranteed pitching to industry Exclusive prizes from InkTip Get free entry to the contest when you commission a script report – discounted prices until January 13th! Through our exclusive arrangement with TALENTSCOUT INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT (TSIM) we can guarantee the contest winner representation.
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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: 02/13/2019
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: 02/13/2019
Founded on September 15, 2012, the International Christian Film Festival is one of the largest Christian Film Festival in the world. Our goal is to help filmmakers get to next level. This is the premiere choice for faith-based, family-friendly films and documentaries.
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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: 02/14/2019
We are Women Who Write and our goal is to be the world’s foremost screenwriting competition for women. We want to support female writers and producers of all shapes and sizes, but we don’t just want to support female writers. We want to be a springboard for your success. We want to forge a festival that will discover and recognize the best emerging female talent and the most original female voices from around the world.
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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
The Houston Comedy Film Festival is a unique forum for comedy filmmakers from all over the world to showcase their creative works in Houston, Texas. We are looking for fun comedy short and feature length screenplays with great characters, funny situations, clever dialogue and plenty of laughs.
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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: 02/28/2019
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: 02/28/2019
As one of the few screenwriting competitions for the LGBTQ community, our aim is to discover and recognize the best emerging talent and most original voices from our community in film and television writing from around the world. We are proud to be LGBTQ and even prouder to support the LGBTQ community. Members from our community have long been known for being the best artists in the world and we want to not only recognize them for that, but to support them in being talented as well as a member of our community.
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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
We are passionate about film and passionate about nurturing, developing, and supporting the next generation of great filmmakers and screenwriters from North America and around the world. Our mission is to forge a screenwriting competition that will launch the careers of cinema’s next generation of writers and filmmakers. We want our competition to be a bridge between up and coming artists and the talent agents and managers that will ultimately put them in front of studio executives in both Canada and the US.
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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: 03/31/2019
"100 Screenplays" is a unique contest brought to you by "Screenplay Festival," one of the longest running and highest rated screenplay competitions on MovieBytes. We accept one hundred scripts into each contest, and quickly get the results to you. "!00 Screenplays" is a fast, targeted screenplay contest where every writer who enters goes in knowing exactly how many scripts will be in the competition, and every writer knows that there will be results less than a month after the contest closes.
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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: 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: 04/18/2019
THE LATINO SCREENWRITING COMPETITION is designed to inspire and empower emerging Latino writers and producers, and any storyteller looking to tell great stories about our varied communities. We are a team of artists who are passionate about cinema and dedicated to the success of the next generation of talented Latino filmmakers from all over North and South America.
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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
Scriptapalooza was founded in 1998 with the goal of helping as many writers as possible through the competition. We have over 90 production companies, agents and managers reading all the entered scripts. (A complete list of participants is on Scriptapalooza's website.) We actively push the Semifinalists, Finalists, Runners-Up and Winners for a full year with the intention of creating opportunities for the writers.
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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: 04/29/2019
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: 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: 05/02/2019
Discovering screenwriting talent from around the world. The Shore Scripts Short Film Fund offers an opportunity for emerging screenwriters and filmmakers to have their short film financed and produced. 2019’s Fund will award production financing for at least one short film with an allocated budget of up to $15,000 per project, with a minimum budget of $9000.
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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
This competition honors emerging screenwriters from around the world with feature length screenplays worthy of production regardless of gender, race, religion or nationality.
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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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