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: 09/20/2019
The Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming TV and web-series writers, as well as to empower and educate passionate and talented screenwriters still waiting for their invitation into the mainstream industry. Competition is open to TV pilots, webisodes and inventive TV-series scripts of all genres. Season 4 results will post by November 15, 2019.
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Final Deadline: 09/21/2019
Welcome to the WRPN Women's International Film Festival, where distribution and feedback opportunities abound for films made by women, or films that carry subject matter relating to concerns particular to women's issues. WWIFF is a sister festival to the Depth of Field International Film Festival, a FilmFreeway “Top 100 Reviewed” festival alumni.
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Final Deadline: 09/29/2019
WriteMovies has been helping writers succeed since 1999! Now in our 20th anniversary year, we are currently accepting submissions for our Horror Award 2019! Following on from our highly successful Sci-Fi and Fantasy Award, we are continuing our series of genre prizes with an award for the Horror genre! The WriteMovies Horror Award is all about celebrating scripts that chill and scare us, tapping into our darkest and most primal fears… Whether your script features monsters and serial killers or just toys with our minds, we’d love to read it – and be terrified while doing so!
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Final Deadline: 09/30/2019
We are looking to find the next generation of great feature screenwriters by shining a spotlight on new, fresh voices. And we've enlisted a great industry judging panel from the feature world to help us. THE INDUSTRY PANEL: Brooklyn Weaver – Manager/Producer - Energy Entertainment Anna Culp – EVP – Imagine Jennifer Au – Lit Manager – Untitled Entertainment John Campbell – Creative Executive - Bruckheimer Films David Boxerbaum - Lit Agent/Partner - Verve Ken Freimann - Manager/Producer - Circle of Confusion Brin Lukens – Executive – AwesomenessTV Norm Todd – Creative Executive - Infinitum Nihil Erin Westerman - VP - Lionsgate Chris Sablan - Lit Manager/Producer - Avenue 220 Ava Jamshidi - Lit Manager - Industry Entertainment Tara Farney - Vice President - Vinson Films Janet Jeffries - Development Executive - Lawrence Bender Productions Lucas Carter - VP, Film - Intrigue Entertainment Josh Goldenberg - Lit Manager - Kaplan/Perrone Lucy Kitada - Executive - Michael De Luca Productions Ryan Cunningham - Lit Manager - Madhouse Entertainment John Swetnam - Writer/Producer - Mad Horse Films
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Final Deadline: 09/30/2019
Our panel of Hollywood industry professionals is looking for the next great drama and comedy TV pilots for network, cable and online platforms! Accepting web series and non-traditional series pilots as well. Three winners will receive cash awards and introductions to industry professionals. The Industry Jury: This year's jury is our best one yet! Our industry judges are looking for fresh voices in comedy and drama writing for television and web series! Our mission is to connect great TV writers with great TV producers, managers and development executives.
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Final Deadline: 09/30/2019
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: 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: 10/05/2019
The Middlebury Script Lab invites applications for its fellowships. Our tuition-free program provides emerging screenwriters a place to focus intensely on their craft with the support of accomplished industry professionals. Six emerging screenwriters — the Fellows — will be invited to spend one week at Middlebury, in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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Final Deadline: 10/13/2019
WriteMovies has been helping writers succeed since 1999! Now in our 20th anniversary year, we are currently accepting entries to our Fall 2019 Screenwriting Contest! Grand Prize: $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, with Judging Feedback from just $89 Through our exclusive arrangement with TALENTSCOUT INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT (TSIM) we can guarantee the contest winner representation.
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Final Deadline: 10/15/2019
Our intention is to help open doors for the aspiring television writer. There are four categories you can submit to, which include 1 hour existing spec scripts, 1/2 hour existing sitcom spec scripts, original pilots, and reality programs. This competition is designed with the TV writer and crossover screenwriter in mind. The participants we have chosen to read the winning scripts are individuals from established production companies.
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Final Deadline: 10/15/2019
Diverse Voices is a screenplay contest and lab that strives to encourage stories that are told from perspectives that are often underrepresented in Hollywood today. This includes writers of color, women writers, writers with disabilities, writers over 40, writers in the LGBTQ+ community, and any other voices that have historically been ignored by Hollywood.
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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: 10/26/2019
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: 10/28/2019
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: 10/30/2019
To discover innovative, marketable, high-concept projects for studio-level development, including feature screenplays, TV material, and media content.
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Final Deadline: 10/31/2019
Created by Dr. Ted Baehr, founder, publisher and executive producer of MOVIEGUIDE® and founder and chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, and Dr. Jack Templeton, the primary purpose of the prize is to further the influence of moral and spiritual values within the film and television industries. Seeking to promote a spiritually uplifting, redemptive worldview, MOVIEGUIDE® announces the Kairos Prize that will help inspire first-time and beginning screenwriters to produce compelling, entertaining, spiritually uplifting scripts that result in a greater increase in either man’s love or understanding of God.
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Final Deadline: 10/31/2019
Open to writers of all levels and backgrounds, the StoryPros International's objective is to recognize, support and promote your work with financial rewards, software and services -- as well as providing an open door to industry professionals with guaranteed reads and promotion to our network of contacts. Past entrants and winners have gone on to representation, options, assignments and sales.
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Final Deadline: 10/31/2019
Top scripts will be considered by our industry jury of executives, writers, and managers who focus on the action and thriller genres: Jenny Wood, Elevate Entertainment Manager of Taylor Sheridan, writer of Hell or High Water, Sicario and Sicario: Day of the Soledado. Belle Avery, Appelles Entertainment Producer of The Meg, a big budget action adventure starring Jason Statham in theaters August 10th.
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Final Deadline: 10/31/2019
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: 10/31/2019
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: 10/31/2019
The Atlanta Comedy Film Festival is a unique forum for comedy filmmakers and screenwriters from all over the world to showcase their creative works in Georgia. This bi-annual event opened in 2016 and is growing with every event. Television shows and films like Stranger Things, Coming to America 2, The Walking Dead and many others of all genres are shot on location in the state of Georgia, making it one of the busiest production hubs in the US.
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Final Deadline: 10/31/2019
Wanted! The Best Films And Screenplays In The Horror Film Genre Do you have a horror film, horror comedy film or experimental horror that you are submitting to festivals? Have you written a horror screenplay with scary situations, evil villains, creepy concepts and great characters? Our judges can't wait to watch your videos and read your stories.
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Final Deadline: 11/01/2019
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: 11/01/2019
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: 11/01/2019
The 8th annual Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) is a competitive festival that accepts feature and short screenplays, teleplays, and screens more than 120 international cutting edge film premiers making it one of the Mid-Atlantic's largest international competitive festivals. RIFF provides six days of industry panels, Q&As, industry mixers, live music performances, the FLOW Creative & Pitch Conference, and entertainment mixers that bring the spirit of Hollywood to beautiful Richmond, Virginia at the Bowtie Criterion/Movieland and the historic Byrd Theatre.
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Final Deadline: 11/03/2019
Our Manager Panel. Your Script. From Sept. 3 through Oct. 20, 2019, all scripts submitted to www.coverageink.com or www.getreppednow.com for coverage which score a 'consider' (or better) for script are elevated to our manager panel (appx. the top 5%.) We work with the top literary managers in town, and they are looking for the best writers around.
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Final Deadline: 11/06/2019
Gidden Media and Stage 32 are looking for a wide range of all genres designed to appeal to the 50 and over audience. They can be movies for moms (BAD MOMS) to movies for retirees (BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL). They can be comedies, historical dramas (like THE POST or GREEN BOOK), or mystery/crime stories (like MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS). Danny Boyle's recent box office success YESTERDAY is another example.
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Final Deadline: 11/07/2019
Since 2009, Fresh Voices has been proud to provide a microphone to exciting new voices that deserve to be heard and memorable stories that must be told. Now celebrating our big 10th Annual Screenplay Competition, we are grateful to have had the opportunity to help guide dozens of talented writers to secure literary representation, option agreements and other writing assignments, providing the stepping stones and advancing the careers of many of our winning writers.
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Final Deadline: 11/08/2019
The Destiny City Film Festival was founded in part because we want to show great movies. And we know that at the heart of every great movie is a great story – one that is destined to inspire and entertain. Screenplays are the foundation of every memorable film, and we are dedicated to supporting the writing community and the stories they create. Thus, we are thrilled to host Tacoma’s first short screenplay competition! We know that the Northwest film community is chock full of talented writers, thinkers, and artists.
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Final Deadline: 11/11/2019
In 2019, the Omaha Film Festival was recognized as one of the 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee by MovieMaker Magazine. The Omaha Film Festival celebrates the artistic, educational, and historical importance of motion pictures. It gives independent film artists a platform for sharing their work and creating a dialogue with the community.
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Final Deadline: 11/14/2019
We are looking for innovative and compelling storytelling, for characters that surprise and challenge you, for words that pop off the page, and for narratives that twist and turn like a country back road. This year we’re accepting both feature scripts and pilot scripts; you’re more than welcome to submit in both categories.
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Final Deadline: 11/20/2019
TV is bigger than ever, streaming has allowed more original voices to be broadcast around the world and with the future holding opportunity in an unnamed company's new streaming platform (rhymes with Bisney), there's no doubt going to be an even greater call for excellent TV writers and original shows! No matter what format you write in – sitcom, drama, serialized, procedural, mini-series, limited series – we want your work! All 30 and 60 minute original pilots are eligible.
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Final Deadline: 11/28/2019
Attend the 2020 Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals as the Table Read My Screenplay Grand Prize Winner! You'll receive cash, a trip to Park City, a table read of your winning script, and industry connections. Plus, an established director will workshop your script prior to your Table Read Showcase in Park City with professional actors.
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Final Deadline: 11/30/2019
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: 11/30/2019
ScreenCraft is dedicated to discovering and promoting writing talent, and our inaugural play competition is searching for emerging playwrights. Hollywood has a long history of adapting plays and embracing playwriting talent. We’re seeking to celebrate the craft of writing for the theater, and connect winning writers with career opportunities and participation in ScreenCraft’s thriving community of talented writers and mentors around the world.
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Final Deadline: 12/01/2019
For 21 years the San Francisco Independent Film Festival has developed a great reputation for filling theaters, getting press, and throwing great parties. Films at our fest regularly get Variety reviews, picked up at other fests, and find rabid groupies following the makers around town demanded autographs and buying them drinks. This is our third year hosting a screenplay contest with the goal of expanding our filmmaker reach.
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Final Deadline: 12/02/2019
The CAPE New Writers Fellowship discovers and nurtures emerging writers launching their careers in television and film. Founded and co-chaired by Emmy Award-winning Creator and Showrunner Leo Chu and veteran film and TV executive Steve Tao, CAPE is one of few programs created by a creative and an executive. This immersive Fellowship arms each writer with the practical and business knowledge they need to succeed as a professional writer in the entertainment industry.
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Final Deadline: 12/15/2019
The BlueCat Screenplay Competition, now in its 22nd year, is accepting submissions for its 2020 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: 12/15/2019
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: 12/15/2019
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: 12/31/2019
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: 12/31/2019
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 40 pages or less. Action Comedy Dark Comedy Drama Experimental Family Fantasy Horror Romantic Comedy Science Fiction
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Final Deadline: 01/07/2020
To discover original, high-concept feature film ideas and develop the winning material with the writer for industry circulation.
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Final Deadline: 01/07/2020
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: 01/09/2020
The Australian International Screenwriting Awards (AISA) is a screenwriting competition committed to the discerning selection, recognition, and professional growth of emerging screenwriters from all over the world. Australia, our home base, is a perfect merging of big cities and abundant nature. From big waves and rainforests to mountains and the massive outback.
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Final Deadline: 01/22/2020
The First 10 Pages Script Competition recognizes and showcases exceptional feature and television writing in all genres.
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Final Deadline: 01/23/2020
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: 01/23/2020
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: 01/24/2020
Winning screenplays recommended to leading Hollywood producers! The Colorado 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: 02/06/2020
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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