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Our prestigious jury includes execs from Zero Gravity Management, Pride of Gypsies, and industry pros behind great franchises like STAR WARS and X-MEN. SEVERANCE writer Kari Stringham-Drake joins as Grand Prize Mentor!

Early Deadline in 12 days

Deadlines

Mar 31

Early

Apr 30

Regular

May 31

Final

Announcements

Jun 26

Quarterfinalist

Aug 7

Semifinalist

Aug 28

Finalist

Sep 18

Winner

Whether you’re weaving tales of interstellar adventures, dystopian futures, mystical lands, or encounters with the unknown, we’re looking for original scripts that captivate, intrigue, and transport audiences to the edges of imagination. This year’s competition features:

Grand Prize Mentorship: Kari Stringham-Drake (SEVERANCE, LOST IN SPACE) will meet with the winner of the competition

Development Prize: An opportunity to get insight from Daniel Perry at Buchwald

Industry Jury: Including execs from Zero Gravity Management, Pride of Gypsies, and pros behind great franchises like STAR WARS and X-MEN.

Prizes: Designed to jump start your career

Past winners and finalists have signed with reps at companies like CAA, Empirical Evidence and Circle of Confusion. Others have been hired to write features and signed shopping agreements for their projects. You could be next!

Grand Prize MENTOR

We welcome screenwriter Kari Stringham-Drake (SEVERANCE, LOST IN SPACE) as Grand Prize Mentor for this year's competition. Kari will select one writer or writing team from our finalists to connect with for virtual meetings and script feedback.

Jury

Rodrigo Moscoso

Development Executive, Zero Gravity Management
Rodrigo Moscoso started his career at VMI Worldwide, where he played a key role in launching a new development department. He immersed himself in management during his time at the Radmin Company, where he developed scripts alongside the co-producer of Marvel’s Moon Knight and The Falcon & Winter Soldier, among other showrunners. As creative executive at Zero Gravity Management, Rodrigo develops projects and talent from the ground up, with feet in both the production and management worlds.

MJ GROGAN

Director of Development, ACE Content
MJ is the Director of Development at ACE Content. ACE Content develops and produces premium original content for studios, distributors, media network and brands including feature film, episodic television, such as THE WAY I SEE IT.

PARIS HERBERT-TAYLOR

Creative Executive, Pride of Gypsies
Paris Herbert-Taylor is the Creative Executive at Pride of Gypsies, founded by Jason Momoa, star of beloved tentpole film and television series Aqua Man, Game of Thrones, and Dune.

Sean Aversa

Development Executive, Zero Gravity Management
Sean Aversa works in scripted development at Zero Gravity Management (OZARK, THE ACCOUNTANT). Sean currently has over a dozen features in development at Zero Gravity in a variety of genres ranging from action-thrillers, action-comedies, and grounded sci-fi. Sean strives to pair great hooks with great characters in the features he develops. Sean previously worked in the development department at Atchity Productions where he advised on and developed feature and television projects.

KATHLEEN GARDNER

Creative Executive, Jon Watts
Kathleen Gardner is a development executive for the director Jon Watts, helping to manage a slate of projects across both film and television. Upcoming projects include STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW for Disney+, WOLFS starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney for Apple, and FINAL DESTINATION 6 for New Line Cinema. Kathleen is a native of Virginia and a graduate of USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and the University of Virginia.

Prizes

Grand Prize

The overall grand prize winner in either feature or TV category will be welcomed to the Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top Hollywood literary manager(s), producers, or industry exec. who are looking for talented emerging Film & TV screenwriters.

ScreenCraft's genre specific relationships include companies like Scott Free Productions, MGM, Lionsgate, HBO Max, and over 150 other Hollywood managers, agents, producers, and development executives.

ScreenCraft has a proven track record for getting writers signed with managers, agents, and staffed in writing rooms.
Personal Introduction to industry professionals
Accepted into the Writer Development Program
$1,000 Cash
An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

Runner-Up Prizes

Feature Winner

$500 cash award

Accepted into Writer Development Program

An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

FINALISTS

Guaranteed Meeting with an Industry Professional

An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

TV PILOT WINNER

$500 cash award

Accepted into Writer Development Program

An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

Early Deadline in 12 days

Previous Success Stories

See More Successes

Calvin Starnes

Signed with a literary manager

"When the phone isn't ringing, and your work isn't selling, it's very easy to doubt — to wonder, "Am I good at this?" "Was I ever good at this?" And that's not something you may be able to answer. After some initial success and some near misses (hits?), I felt like my star had completely burnt out. And, just before the ScreenCraft win, I had parted ways with my long-time manager, so in many ways, I felt like I was back at the beginning, staring at this impossibly steep mountain, having to climb it all over again. I’ve been aware of ScreenCraft for a long time and have entered the competition over the years. And, in a crowded field, ScreenCraft has always come across as one of the legit organizations in the contest space. I enjoyed chatting and working with ScreenCraft."

Nicole Cohen

Signed with Manager at Heroes and Villains Entertainment

"This is my first script, so I was brand new! I’d always wanted to write, but hadn’t put myself out there yet. So taking the step to open my work up to contests was a vulnerable one. After winning, I grew confidence and a thicker skin. I spoke with a producer from my jury who was generous and encouraging, and found my manager whom I adore, as well as the producers who are developing my script into a feature. It is truly a lifelong dream realized. Put yourself out there. It is NEVER too late. I’d recommend ScreenCraft to anyone to hone their skills, work on receiving feedback, and find support and connections in the industry. The ScreenCraft staff and judges are amazingly kind, and their website and emails are a great source of education. What a precious resource for screenwriters starting in the industry!"

Jackson Murray

Hired to write a feature for an acclaimed director

"I grew up in a lower-middle-class household outside a God-fearing rural community in western Wisconsin. Both of my parents grew up on farms and most of my relatives still work in the agricultural field. Suffice to say, the career path of “screenwriter” seemed nothing more than an absurd pipe dream from the moment the thought entered my brain. I started at the very bottom of the proverbial barrel, with no connections, little in the way of support, and barely a sliver of light to give me hope down in the mire — the only thing I could do was write myself out.  The biggest things that drew me to ScreenCraft were the general word-of-mouth and the amount of genre specificity baked into the competitions to ensure you’re swimming in the right pool. Weeding through screenwriting contests to find the right ones, especially early on in your career, can be daunting; I’ve found that the ones with concrete anecdotal support from real people in your community are often the best bets and ScreenCraft was the cream of the crop in that regard. The most important thing I’d love to impart on myself a few years ago is to reach out to more peers. The connections that have been the most fruitful have been those with fellow filmmakers. "

Nabil Chowdhary

Signed with Manager at Sugar23

"I was in constant communication with the ScreenCraft team, seeking advice and looking for guidance on how to navigate this very new situation for me and they couldn’t have been more helpful. I was fortunate enough to win the Sci-Fi competition and within 24 hours had been contacted by several managers who had seen someone re-tweet the notification of my win. A few weeks later I signed with my manager. A month later I had agents. Three months after that, I was flying into LA where I took around 40 generals in the space of two weeks (!). And it all started by taking a chance, a lot of luck, and this competition."

Jonathan WC Mills

Finalist script, RUSALKA, now in casting and production

"I had some early success, that lead me to believe it all might come easy for me, but when it didn’t pan out and I faced the rather difficult realization I was not going to break early. This was was my first big hurdle, I had to answer the question, “Can I persevere? Am I in this for the long haul?" I persevered. And I am still grinding. Screencraft provided a real point of validation. As a repeat finalist it has offered me some “proof“ that my work can stand up to both scrutiny and competition. That’s a great feeling. Secondarily, it gave me another reason to reach out to potential agents and producers, which absolutely proved useful. "

Margaret MacDonald

Signed a shopping agreement

"I think my career has had a lot of little breakthrough moments. You encounter "No" all the time and the only way to get past all the "No" is to keep putting yourself and your work out there until someone says "Yes! I love it!". Every time I've encountered a road block I just go back to my work, remind myself what I found so exciting about it when I created it, and then take that enthusiasm on to the next opportunity. Your passion about your work is what breaks down any wall you encounter. That's how I've made my breakthroughs, and they've usually come from totally unexpected places. I was drawn to ScreenCraft because it offers such a diverse array of genre and format competitions and feedback. I write a lot of mixed genre material and getting ScreenCraft feedback is a great way to feel out if my scripts are leaning in any particular direction and how to maximize that through my storytelling."

As Featured In

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

This optional add-on prize category will grant one eligible writer the opportunity to learn, develop, and strengthen their project with guidance from an industry professional.

DANIEL PERRY

Film & TV Literary Agent, Buchwald
Daniel is a Film & TV Literary Agent at BUCHWALD, representing prolific, iconic, and award-winning writers, directors, producers, and multi-hyphenates. BUCHWALD was launched in 1977, and is an industry leader in representation.
This unique add-on benefit is separate from the ScreenCraft Sci-fi & Fantasy Competition prizes and placements. Only projects submitted to the ScreenCraft Sci-fi & Fantasy Competition AND that select this add-on are eligible for consideration in this category. Additionally, all projects that place in the Top 10 of the competition will automatically be considered.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Articles

Read More Articles
How to Write a Dystopian Movie or TV Show

How to Write a Dystopian Movie or TV Show

November 14 | by Ken Miyamoto

Utopia is a narrative term created by writer Sir Thomas More as the title of his fictional political satire published in 1516. It created the...

Antihero with a Heart: Analyzing Joel from 'The Last of Us'

Antihero with a Heart: Analyzing Joel from 'The Last of Us'

May 31 | by Ken Miyamoto

The central character in the TV adaptation of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi video game The Last of Us is Joel Miller. He is a multi-layered antihero...

The Biggest and Baddest

The Biggest and Baddest "Big Bads" of Sci-Fi & Fantasy

May 1 | by David Young

Sci-fi and fantasy move audiences because it shows reality in touch with something beyond their normal view. Worlds of these genres inspire wonder or even...

Rules
Eligibility
Selection Criteria
Additional Legal
  1. Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.
  2. Entry fees are as listed on the site and checkout form. No coupon or discount is applicable on a previous entry.
  3. Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback can be done through Coverfly.
  4. Entries may be any length -- the standard 1/2 hour is between 20 - 40 pages, and the standard hour long is between 40 - 70 pages, and the standard feature is between 85 - 120 pages. Any script submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $.50 per page overage fee for each page over 120 if it does not include feedback and $1 per page if the entry does include feedback.
  5. There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
  6. Entries must be received on or before the deadline dates by 11:59PM Pacific Time, and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.
  7. All submitted material must be owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.
  8. Material must be submitted by the writer. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).
  9. If a writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing any prizes awarded as they deem fair (whether there is a cash value or not).
  10. Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material will be allowed for a limited time with a $6 reentry fee through Coverfly. Please proofread your script carefully before submitting.
  11. It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition, however we do not require registration.
  12. Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required. ScreenCraft uses Coverfly to manage submissions and automatically removes cover pages before scripts are read by the judges.
  13. ScreenCraft claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders.
  14. The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.
  15. In the event a juror, partner organization, or prize partner is no longer able to serve in their specified capacity, ScreenCraft will make its best effort to secure a replacement. ScreenCraft is not responsible for the failed delivery of any prize package by a juror, sponsor, or partner organization.
  16. ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
  17. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.
  1. All writers at least 18 years of age are eligible. However, a writer who has earned more than $50,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding 12 months or $500,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional film or TV in the proceeding 10 years is not eligible. (Contest winnings not included.)
  2. All persons from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be in English (occasional dialogue in other languages is acceptable, if subtitle translation is provided).
  3. All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible for this contest.
  4. The material may have been written at any time.
  5. Material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.
  6. We have no preferences regarding title page content. Title and name of writer would suffice.
  7. All material must be submitted electronically as a PDF. Broken files or non-PDF files may be accepted, but if the file cannot be read ScreenCraft will not judge the submission.
  8. Prize winners may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and proper tax documentation before prizes are released.
  9. By entering the competition, user acknowledges their eligibility for the competition. ScreenCraft may verify all eligibility requirements at the finalist stage of the competition and before distributing any prizes.
  10. Scripts or projects based on underlying material not owned by the writer are accepted as samples, so long as the script itself is indisputably written by the writer and that the script does not contain any plagiarism.

The winners will be chosen based on the following criteria: 

  • Voice
  • Concept
  • Story
  • Structure
  • Characters
  • Dialogues
  • Genre Conventions

In addition to the scoring criteria for the script, ScreenCraft may conduct interviews and send questionnaires to learn more about the entrant, their voice, perspective, and goals to help identify the winning projects. Top scripts are read by the industry jury who votes for their favorite scripts at their sole discretion.

 

ScreenCraft Add-on Prize Selection:

  1. Only writers who submit to the competition and include this add-on at the time of entry or who make it to the Top 10 of the competition, are eligible to be considered for this prize opportunity.
  2. The winner of this prize will be selected at the discretion of the specified industry professional(s). The selected winner of this prize will engage with the specified industry professional(s) in an educational development capacity.
  3. Being selected as the winner of this prize does not constitute or guarantee representation by the industry professional or involvement of any kind by the company they work for.
  4. The approach and manner in which the industry professional(s) and winner interact is at their discretion. ScreenCraft will have no involvement in the process beyond facilitating an introduction.

 

Criteria for Winners and Finalists:

  1. The winners and top finalists may be contacted by interested industry representatives, such as managers, agents or producers.
  2. Entrants may be required to submit further information to assist in the judges’ verification of eligibility.
  3. Any entrant may be deemed ineligible as a Finalist or Winner at the sole discretion of ScreenCraft.
  4. All recognition, placements, and winners are chosen at the sole discretion of ScreenCraft.
  5. Finalists may be required to sign and return within seven (7) business days of receipt a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and a Release and Indemnification and proof of valid passport and any other documents that ScreenCraft or any other partner may require before receiving prize payment. Failure to respond to the initial notification within ten (10) days or return of notification may result in disqualification.
  6. We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time.
  1. COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP: ScreenCraft or any other partner, employee or agent associated with this contest claims no ownership nor first right of option to any original screenplay submitted to this contest. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made.
  2. PUBLICITY: Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to ScreenCraft and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of entrants' information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
  3. REFUND POLICY: All entries are non-refundable.
  4. SITE TERMS OF SERVICE. All ScreenCraft Terms of Service apply in addition to these rules and eligibility criteria.
  5. DATA MANAGEMENT AND PRIVACY. Entries for this competition are managed on the submission platform Coverfly, and ScreenCraft (a d/b/a of Red Ampersand, Inc) uses other data management tools, including but not limited to, Google Services and Amazon Web Services, to securely manage your data. ScreenCraft is not accountable for any data hacks (internal or external) or user errors that may release scripts or writer data unintentionally.
  6. ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE: BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless ScreenCraft, ScreenCraft.org, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, Prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, Sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the ScreenCraft.org and its Sponsor, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize. Employees of ScreenCraft and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified. ENTRY TO THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Voided entries will be refunded. Recipients’ eligibility will be verified before the grant is awarded and the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility. By entering the contest, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s). The governing law is California.

SCRIPTS WITH WONDERFUL WORLDS

Nope
Dune
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lovecraft Country
Station Eleven
The Boys
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WRITER RECOMMENDED FEEDBACK

Kelley Yakey Berberich

ScreenCraft judges are able to give constructive feedback that is beyond the quality of feedback we have had before. They definitely know your script before giving guidance. We really appreciate the written review!
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