Not all competitions are created equal. There are plenty of contests out there that won't do much for you. They exist as a business to make money and that is it. We compiled a list of movie script competitions that can actually launch your career. In fact some of these are filled by submissions from professional writers. The first thing you want to do is determine your goal. What is the purposes of submitting to a competition? If you are looking for bragging rights look for one that has a fewer number of applicants which will increase your odds. Keep in mind the process is very subjective. A lot hinges on who ends up reading your script. Does the subject interest them. Do your strengths match what impresses them? Or does your main weakness fall under their pet peeve?
What we tried to do here is compile a list of contests that actually have merit. In order to make the list on this page you could get access industry insides if you win. Every competition has different rules and prizes. The prizes range from money to trips to Hollywood to meet and pitch your project and yourself. Another thing to note. If you are submitting your script because you want coverage we would suggest that it's not a good investment. Even some of the best contests on this page don't provide quality coverage for the additional submission fee. Worse if they provide coverage as part of the entry fee, keep in mind they are doing that as a courtesy and the main focus isn't helping you improve your story but to find a great winner. Another note about coverage. A lot of times the contest gets so many submissions that the results are delayed and they simply don't get to your script in a reasonable amount of time. These contests are the real deal and most of them get thousands of submissions. Six weeks can easily turn into 12 weeks. Our suggestion is to spend the money on a professional script consultant.
Another word of caution. If you submitted your script to every contest listed here, it would cost you more than $500. The winner in some cases only wins that much. We have heard stories from winner, who got rejected by one contest only to win from another one and actually get their script produced. Our take away is that it might make sense to submit to two or three contests but not all of them. The bad news you should consider is that your script might need more work or the concept simply doesn't hold up against 10,000 plus other entries. This doesn't mean the story isn't great. It might just need another big rewrite and it could end up being the next feature film to make a $100 million box office. Certain types of scripts work better as contest pieces and others work better as pitches in the hands of the right producer. Our advice is to write a second script and use that entry fee to submit more than one script. One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is only having one story. When you break in they are going to want to see what else you have. Don't be the person who misses an opportunity because they only have one story to sell. Be sure to have at least three. A lot of these contests take a lot of time to submit to. They require letters and biographies that take time to write. Spend your time working on having additional stories. You never know who you might meet and what kind of project they are looking for. Increase your odds by having something to match with the right person.
Warning: If you are thinking of entering a contest not listed here be sure to look for reviews or feedback about it's legitimacy. The film industry is notorious for taking money from starving artists. There are honest contests not listed here. These are the contests that can actually launch your career. The odds of winning any of these contests is extremely low. Many scripts have lost all these contests to go on to make millions of dollars.
Name | Early Deadline | Regular Deadline | Late Submission | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nicholl Fellowship (Editor’s Choice) | March 7 ($45) | April 10 ($60) | May 1 ($85) | Website |
PAGE Awards (Editor’s Choice) | January 17 ($39) | February 17 ($49) | April 17 ($69) | Website |
Sundance (Editor’s Choice) | March 15 ($40) | - | May 2 ($40) | Website |
Austin Film Fest | March 31 ($45) | April 20 ($55) | May 15 ($70) | Website |
Scriptapalooza | January 6 ($45) | March 10 ($55) | May 1 ($65) | Website |
Tracking Board Launching Pad | July ($65) | August ($75) | September ($95) | Website |
Universal Pictures’ Emerging Writers Fellowship | Closed | Website | ||
Final Draft Big Break | Early: March 13 ($40) | June ($50) | July 14 ($65) | Website |
Slamedance | April 10 ($55) | June 12 ($65) | July 24 ($70) | Website |
Script Pipeline | March 1 ($50) | - | May 1 ($55) | Website |
Screencraft | October 3 | - | January 15 ($59) | Website |
Bluecat | Mid June ($55) | Mid October ($60) | Mid November ($70) | Website |
Finish Line Script Competition | February 17th ($40) | April 28 ($45) | June 13th ($45) | Website |
1. Nicholl Fellowship – Career Changer
The first contest on our list is the famous Nicholl Fellowship.
Now in case you don’t know, the Nicholl Fellowship is part of the Academy that brings us the Oscars every year. Winners of this contest become a known name in the industry. Maybe not as well known as the winner of best original screen play of an Oscar but this is a big one and it's open to everyone. Amateur first time writers can enter. Judges have stated that the directive is to find 'great writing' which is vague, but that is the goal.
If you win you receive a stipend of $35,000 to write for a year. You are expected to complete one original screen play during that year. There are up to five winners but they reserve the right to not award anyone if they don't feel the talent is available from the submission pool. Last year there were 6,915 entries. If the number doesn't increase this year the odds are 5 in 6,915. They offer brief reader comments for an extra fee. The readers are not members of the Academy.
There are lots of success stories but I wanted to touch on an interview from No Film School. Sam Baron won in 2014 for his film The Science of Love and Laughter. The first thing that stands out is the pitch. It's interesting and unique. What happens if your life sucks and realize your in the wrong profession and in the wrong relationship, what do you do? Then you find out that your wife is dying from cancer. Out of some form of compassion are you supposed to stay or do you start to think about the reasons why you made these decisions in life. In doing so maybe you find love again. I'm sorry if you don't think that is good. This is a film I want to see. It has that interesting twist and I want to know. It finds the good in the bad. This rings out Manchester By The Sea. A premise that could make for a classic.
So what happened to the movie? I did a search on IMDB and I didn't find anything. I never heard about it before so it's safe to assume it has not been produced. What Sam did say in the interview was that after the top 10 finalists got announced he got 800 emails. Then when he won there where another 800 emails of people wanting to setup a meeting and read his script. He got an American Agent and manager. I pulled up his profile and there are a few shorts that he has written and directed but no features.
Pros
- Most Prestigious Contest
- Winners Get Contacted By 100's Industry People
- 5 Winners
- Paid to Write Another Script
- Big Bounty $35,000
- Mentorship provided
Cons
- Average of 7000 plus entries
- Winner Required To Write Original Script
- Four Quarterly Payments
- Work Is Monitored To Get Payments
- Not Every Winner Gets Produced
2. PAGE Awards – Game Changer
The reputation is top notch.
The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards is a must submit if you have a project that you are ready to use to get an Agent. There are a lot of finalists who state they got an agent here. That being said they are real industry people involved with this contest so the more polished and studio light your project the better your chances. Success here can be career changing. The grand prize is very generous at $25,000.
I want to make a note about this competition. I personally submitted a script in 2012. At the time we had just finished the first draft and I did something I advise you against and that is submitted it even before giving it a good proof reading. We simply ran out of time. We didn't write it to submit but instead we thought hey for a few bucks we can get coverage from an industry insider. The coverage was done by someone who said and I quote, "my company has a mandate that we only take on projects that we feel could move forward either in the studio system..." This was a no budget horror film project. So I can't attest to the selling point that they offer 31 awards and your script is reviewed by judges interested in that genre. The coverage was helpful in guiding us how to do a rewrite which was what we wanted because we had hit a wall with the project. Looking back on the notes I agree with a lot of what they said. Just that the reader clearly didn't get the genre and wasn't our audience. Some of the suggestions provided are formula Hollywood issues that just don't pertain to what we were trying to do.
I got an email from Screenwritting U from the administrative Director of The 2017 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards. She made a strong case for submitting to them and the main selling point is that the script will be read by a judge who is passionate about one of 31 genres. My assumption is that they recognized this flaw from 5 years ago and made changes. They certainly have one of the best reputations in the industry.
Pros
- Top Industry Judges
- Grand Prize $25,000
- 31 Awards ($50,000 Total)
- Judges Interested In Genre
- 1 in 200 win
- Professional Recognition
- Most Transparent
Cons
- Over 6000 entries
- eMeetings Upsell
- 31 winners split recognition
3. Sundance Writers Lab – Favorite
The is the cool one. Especially if you like Sundance film types.
The Screenwriters Lab has an Amazing track record. You might be familiar with the name. It organization was started by Robert Redford and as it grew they added a lab to help aspiring writers. The winners get to spend five days in an intensive workshop working with experienced industry greats. There has been an increasing number of films getting into the Sundance Film Festival that originated in the lab. The submission process is pretty extensive. It requires the first five pages of your script and a few documents about yourself including your vision and voice as an artist. Winners get an all expenses paid trip. Travel, food, and lodging.
I submitted a project to the Sundance Writers Lab. I actually spent an entire month working on the application. I took a trip to Los Angeles and stayed at a friends house while he was out of town for businesses. Everyday I spent hours at a very cool coffee shop next to the Beverly Center called Alfred Coffee {Melrose Place} and I enjoyed the atmosphere. It allowed me to focus on the task at hand. I rewrote the first five pages 100 times. I had an attorney friend of mine, proofread my stuff for typos. I called my mom in NY and had her double proofread it. I had what I thought was the perfect project. It was about a retiring NYPD detective who finds out his son is gay and has to combat a life time of homophobia for love of family. I added an interesting twist. His rookie year was during the Stonewall Riots and he had done some things during that experience that he isn't so proud of because he hurt men just like his son. The bad news I didn't get accepted.
I spent some time analyzing past Sundance film winners. What I found is a very high percentage of winners deal with immigration or race related stories. Maria Full Of Grace, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Precious and (My Favorite) Fruitville Station. So why not a movie dealing with coming out of the closet and homophobia. The past is not a prediction of the future. What I found disheartening is that you don't get any feedback. I waited for what seemed like such a long time I even forgot about it. The rejection letter was short. I vowed to submit again.
Pros
- High Chance Of Script Getting Produced
- You Get To Go To Sundance
- Real Guidance and Help From Professionals
- You will make new friends and connections
- High Probability Of Career Launch
- 5 Day Workshop
Cons
- No Feedback With Rejection
- Extensive Application Process
- Must Have Less than 2 Features
- Very Competitive
4. Austin Film Fest – Favorite
Everyone loves Austin. The self proclaimed music capital and probably the best independent film communities in the world.
If you submit they offer a discount on going to the Fest. Scripts are read by top Hollywood writers. Here is a quote from their website. "I’ve gotten meetings with production companies with first look deals at networks that I never would have gotten on my own." - Shelli Wright, 2015 Finalist. AFF has a reputation of pulling artists out of obscurity to landing agents or first look deals. The Bronze Typewriter Award is coveted by many. Semi-Finalists get in on the spoils with access to industry round tables and exclusive panels.
I don't have much experience or past exposure. I keep hearing about it. I listened to a podcast about someone raving about it. And then the typical complaint about the city that it's gotten so popular it has lost some of it's charm. Good things come with popularity especially if you win. More exposure is usually a good thing especially when it relates to media. This means expect it to be more competitive this year. My guess is if last year 2016 they had 9100 scripts this year it's going to be over 10,000. I took to twitter to see if I could find anything. I didn't find a ton of #Hashtags but they do have almost 30,000 followers on Twitter. The reputation is that this festival is known as "The Writers Festival."
Pros
- Career Launching
- Discounts For Festival
- Semi-Finalists Get Access To Professionals
Cons
- No Large Cash Prize
5. Final Draft Big Break – Reputable
Anyone who writes movie scripts at least knows about Final Draft. The software is amazing.
One of the things we really like about this competition is that they have 11 categories. The idea is to match judges to the genre's they are already involved in. It's nice to know your story is going to get a fair shake because it's at least being reviewed by someone who gets the niche. The winners get over $80,000 in prizes and cash. Two grand prize winners get flown out to Hollywood to meet with industry people. Past winners have scored A-List agents and options screen plays as well as had their projects produced. This year they are adding a diversity category. Let me add that television is also covered here. This contest isn't snake oil. A lot of really great things happen at the Writers Store in addition to just the Final Draft software. There is a nice track record of past winners launching careers so I'm not sure why this contest isn't on the top of all lists. We felt it deserved to by at the top half of our list. You should submit especial if your story matches on of their categories.
- Action/Adventure
- Comedy/Rom-Com
- Diversity
- Drama
- Family/Animated
- Period/Historical/War
- Sci-Fi/Fantasy
- Thriller/Horror
- Diversity Pilot
- Half-Hour Pilot
- Hour-Long Pilot
The top three winners usually get agents.
Pros
- Script Magazine Article About You
Cons
- The $80,000 in Prizes is not all cash
- Judges Announced As They Are Confirmed
6. Scriptapalooza – Reputable
This contest is endorsed by Robert McKee.
There are $50,000 in prizes awarded. The also have some impressive stats relating to the success of past winners. In addition to the contest they also have a Fellowship that is accepting applications until July 5. The winners receive a mentorship from 90-180 days.
The great exposure that this competition offers is fairly impressive. It's focus has always been about getting writers through the Hollywood door. Let's be honest what is really cool here is that they promote all top 100 entries for an entire year. You never know who is looking for your particular type of story. It makes sense and fills avoid. Placing in the top 100 is a great springboard for a writer to launch their career. Out of the thousands of entries the odds of there actually being 100 films worthy of production is realistic. Why limit the process to just one winner and leave other great stories out causing those opportunities to be missed.
I want to point out that basic searching turns up not only a rip off report but also a few negative reviews. The reviews in my opinion have no merit. If the reader couldn't follow the story, maybe you need to fix those issues. More importantly the issue was the timeliness of coverage. All these contests sell coverage as up sells or stand alone services. What they really are in the business of doing is picking winners. Submit a winner. Don't submit something that is less than perfect. If you need coverage go to a professional that specializes in coverage. I'm not saying the coverage will never help or be top quality. I'm saying look for that service from someone who is in the business or providing coverage to help you get ready to submit to a contest.
Pros
- Top 100 Scripts Promoted For Entire Year
- 90 Producers Read Every Entry
- Over $50,000 Worth Of Prizes
- $10,000 Grand Prize
- 91 writers have sold or optioned their script
- 79 writers have been hired to write on film or tv
- 68 writers have films in production or release
- 134 writers have gotten agent or manager
Cons
- How Are These 100 Scripts Promoted
- Who are The 90 Producers
- Same Prize as 2014
7. ScreenCraft – Reputable
This contest is sponsored by Robert McKee.
The big draw for this competition has to be the mentorship. The mentors are all legitimate Academy Award Winners. More importantly they have created movies you know and probably really love. Look up Geoffrey Fletcher, Diana Ossana, Robert Moresco, James V. Hart and you will be impressed. I would love to have anyone of these masters work with me on my project. More important possible than that opportunity is the Four Grand Prize winners get flown out to Los Angeles with a $1,000 stipend to hob knob. This features the opportunity to attend meetings at some of the studios mainly Universal, Paramount, Sony and Lionsgate.
- $1,000 Cash
- LA AirFare
- Hotel
- 1on1 Consultation
- Hollywood Meetings
- Prizes from Sponsors
While I don't want to diminish the potential this contest offers, let me point out that I submitted to it in January. The original email said coverage would be provided before the first round of finalists got announced by the end of February. On February 28 an email arrived that said "We'll be announcing the quarter-finalists on or before March 20. We will announce the semi-finalists on or before April 15. The winners will be announced by the end of April." This means they must have gotten so many submissions they simply couldn't get through them in time. They must have gotten more than they anticipated and with good reason. The annoying thing is that I submitted a first draft script really only because I wanted feedback because I was fishing for some ideas on how to start the next round of rewriting. Don't do what I did. If you want coverage pay a little extra and get someone who is going to be able to provide coverage in a timely manner. From my perspective it was a horrible waste of money to have to wait 3 months for coverage. And lets be honest they have more important screenplays that are farther along the development process that deserve their time. Submitting something that you know isn't worthy of winning is an injustice.
The other issue I want to point out. They have launched a Science Fiction contest. This offers a $2,000 cash prize. It doesn't offer the same set of perks mainly the opportunity to hold meetings in Hollywood. Which got me thinking that the meetings that you are going to have are probably not heavy weights who can greenlight a project. The list of judges on careful re-examination state that they are executives at studios that have produced blah blah and blah. That's great one of them is an assistant at the studio that made Passengers. His LinkedIn says story analyst but was he working as an analyst at the time the Passengers script came in? It does say they three judges love Science Fiction so we can take them at their word. I guess if you had been involved in the production of a Science Fiction film that grossed almost $300 million world wide you wouldn't be working as a judge for a competition that gets thousands of scripts each year. It's great that they are branching out to niche specific projects. I just wonder if this is an example of a contest that won't be able to provide the same benefit as their large competition. You should always wonder and ask these questions when you submit scripts and pay entry fees. Time will tell
Pros
- Academy Award Winning Mentor
- 4 Grand Prize Winners
- High Potential To Land Agent/Manager
- Screenplays Get Optioned
- Trip and Meetings In Hollywood
Cons
- Tons of Entries
- Cash Prize is $1000 (less than others)