With many screenplay contests out there, which is right for you?
The Top 5 Screenwriting Competitions You Should Consider Entering
Screenwriting can be an incredibly difficult field to break into. With heavy competition and the ever present “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” barrier standing in the way, getting your screenplay to screen is no easy task. Screenwriting contests can be a great place to showcase your talents and help you to build a reputation within the screenplay writing industry, but with so many competitions available picking the one that is going to work best for you can be challenging. For sure you will see contests like Nicholls, Page, Script Pipeline and others ranking in Top 10 Screenplay Contest listings but don’t forget that means a lot of entries along with yours. Don’t forget to look at reputable contests that can deliver a certain goal. To help make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 screenwriting contests that are worth entering that hit a specific need and are great if you’re looking to break out and make a name for yourself within the screenwriting field.
Top 5 Screenwriting Competitions
Be read by multiple Oscar winner writer and director Francis Ford Coppola:
American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest
What more can be said about Francis and his creative writing and directing…so if you are a fan and think your project is something he would love then this is the place to submit. On top of that opportunity the top ten finalists are considered by some of the top agencies like William Morris Endeavor, CAA, The Gersh Agency, Exile Entertainment, ICM, Oasis Media, UTA, The Radmin Company, Prolific Entertainment, Energy Entertainment, and Dontanville/Frattaroli. Their scripts will be considered for film option and development by leading production companies, including: American Zoetrope, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Fox Searchlight and more.
Win and get a short film produced to showcase your feature:
Creative World Awards Screenwriting Competition
The Creative World Awards Screenwriting Competition allows applicants to gain access to some of the most sought after organizations in the filmmaking industry. These companies get first looks at the entries given to this competition and can provide valuable networking opportunities for applicants. In addition, the competition offers over $30,000 in cash and prizes which, if you win, can help you to fund some of your next screenwriting projects as well.
Find a home for your thriller:
Breaking Walls: The Ultimate Thriller Screenplay Contest
Breaking Walls focuses in on the staple thriller screenplay that has dominated over the years. Breaking Walls works to connect applicants with important companies within the filmmaking industry specifically focused on the thriller genre. If writing screenplays for thrillers is where your interests lie, Breaking Walls may be the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your talents and network within the industry.
Get some film executive awareness:
The Launch Pad – By The Tracking Board
The Launch Pad is a series of screenplay competitions dedicated to launching the careers of new and emerging screenwriters. In addition to providing a competition that can connect you within the filmmaking industry, The Launch Pad simultaneously works to build a community of screenwriters, agents, managers and producers that places a special focus on the writer helping you to develop and build your skills in a supportive and positive environment.
Sell your film script and get it made:
Capital Fund Screenplay Competition
The screenplay contest that brings writers together with studio and independent film financiers and private equity investors that work with Warner Bros., Universal, Fox, Disney, Sony and Paramount and get your material to the international market making deals at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Shanghai and more. A contest started as a collaboration between writers and the film finance companies and fund managers in Los Angeles and abroad that are usually unreachable without a powerful agent or studio first look deal. Now you have the chance to be read by investors actively looking to greenlight your script.
Click to check out the unique opportunities with our Screenplay Contest and Short Film Script Contest.