Welcome to the 18th Cinequest Screenwriting Competition, presenting screenwriters with prestigious recognition, engagement with industry leaders, connection to encouraging community, plus the chance to win extraordinary acclaim and prizes. The Competition welcomes screenplays and teleplays of all genres and lengths. Cinequest inspires creative fervor and provides dynamic opportunities for writers to get discovered and have their work produced.

"I think the most important thing about Cinequest is it's definitely the first time I've ever come to a festival where my immediate reaction is, 'What do I have to do to be invited back?' and that's not normally my reaction. It's a perfect film festival in a glorious place."— Neil Gaiman, Maverick Spirit Award Winner

Cinequest is dedicated to launching new screenwriters’ careers and providing a platform from which their work can take flight. Cinequest was voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers. Set in the home of the world’s most influential media technology companies (Netflix, YouTube, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), Cinequest showcases premier films, renowned and emerging artists, and breakthrough technology—empowering global connectivity between creators, innovators, and audiences. Cinequest Film & VR Festival occurs in San Jose & Redwood City, California.

“What unites them all under the festival’s big tent is clear: Being a part of Cinequest is not to follow industry trends, but to witness the moment they’re being set.” — Max Weinstein, MovieMaker

Past Competition writer Matthew Dixon, with his script, THE GLASS HOTEL (optioned by HBO), recalls his experience: “Writers need all the support they can get and Cinequest gave it in abundance. Not only at the festival, with conferences and events for the writers, but long afterwards, when you’re back at the desk and find an email from one of the devoted people at Cinequest in your box. When they get behind you, they stay behind you and continue to do everything they can to help push your project forward.”

Amidst the energy and excitement of the festival, the Cinequest Screenwriting Competition empowers creative and innovative writers with the opportunity to interact with producers and industry professionals from around the world. Finalists will be honored during the Cinequest Writers Celebration, a day filled with a dynamic collection of Writer Meet Producer events, Business of Writing forums, Pitch Training, VIP Writers Lunch, and awards ceremony announcing the winners of the competition. The prestigious Maverick Spirit Award will also be presented to a renowned writer during the Celebration. Past honorees include: J.J. Abrams, Neil Gaiman, Darren Star, Lawrence Kasdan, Chuck Palahniuk, Michael Arndt, and Diablo Cody.

ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIALS
"I've been submitting to Cinequest since 2013. The Cinequest judges' feedback has always been top-notch. I had a fantastic experience attending this year. The producers and staff do an amazing job. It's incredible...I'm over the moon to be working with The Solution and with the crew at CAA. — Jeremy Rush, Cinequest Feature Winner, WHEELMAN (Sold to Netflix )"

"My cell was ringing with option interest before I even left San Jose. The Cinequest win helped me land representation in L.A., which resulted in attaching a seasoned producer who loves the script. I'm now being read by some of the most well-known production companies and all the major studios in Hollywood." — Bill Schreiber, SWITCHBACK

“Winning the Cinequest feature screenwriting competition gave me a chance to connect with other writers and filmmakers and provided me with amazing opportunities to open some doors. A top-notch competition!” — Stacie Shellner, SAINT CHLOE

"It's a surreal experience to see Our Lady Lupe go from CINEQUEST finalist script to screen with its premiere on national television! I learned so much from the writer's celebration, which definitely helped prepare me for this opportunity!" — Dominique Nieves, OUR LADY LUPE

"Cinequest offers the creme' de la creme' of screenplay competitions! All of the events were professionally run, and as a Screenwriting Finalist, I encountered wonderful networking situations, well thought out educational opportunities, and a warm embrace into this vibrant community." — Ashia Chacko, BLACK BOX

"I saw the word "maverick" and took a chance on a lark that maybe this was a venue that could help foster my own vision. I graduated from the USC Graduate Screenwriting program...whatever happens in my career from this point on, I will consider [Cinequest] as one of the key factors in my development as a writer." — George Chumo II, THE ICONOCLAST and THE BRIDGE

“I can honestly say that Cinequest is one of the most writer-friendly film festivals I've ever been to. It was such a pleasure to meet everyone and, most of all, hear all of the stories. Here's hoping we all get a green light someday!” — Donna Laemmlen, SHEILA THE GILA MONSTER

2022 Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition(Fall Edition),

Screenplay winners in each category will receive small group meetings with established producers and other industry representatives. These meetings are designed to provide winning screenwriters with direct access and live interaction with industry professionals to provide strategies, guidance and mentorship to emerging screenwriters. Conferences take place virtually allowing participants to join remotely. BAFF's network of speakers have included representatives from: HBO, NBCUniversal, Academy Award winning Killer Films, William Morris Endeavor Agency, The Gersh Agency, Magnolia Pictures, Film Rise(distributor of numerous Oscar Award winning and Emmy Award winning films), Emmy Award winning Gigantic Productions, Cinepointe Advisors(legal counsel on numerous Oscar nominated films), Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winning filmmakers, Academy Award and Emmy Award winning screenwriters, Fimmakers with projects released through Sony, Disney, Lions Gate, HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Hulu, and theatrically, as well as staff writers for CBS, ABC, Lifetime, and more...

Winning screenplays will be promoted to Big Apple Film Festival's list of alumni filmmakers, many of which include filmmakers who have had film released theatrically, as well as on numerous major distribution platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, iTunes, NBCUniveral and more...

Screenplay Competition winners will receive a complimentary all access badge to Big Apple Film Festival events, including screenings, networking conferences and receptions.

Winners will receive a complimentary InkTip Pro Membership, which will provide access to InkTip's entire database of producers, filmmakers and agents.

The Phoenix Film Festival is looking for the best unproduced short film scripts out there.

Screenplays must be yours, original, and under 25 pages. So let's see what you've got!

Prizes include $250 and VIP Passes to the 2023 Phoenix Film Festival.

The Bigfoot Script Challenge, in collaboration with Film Studies at Trinity College Dublin, awards over $10,000 and industry access to the next generation of screenwriters. Submit your feature, pilot, short screenplay, or documentary pitch deck, and have that work read by studio execs, producers, agents, managers, and WGA writers.

Entries into Bigfoot are automatically eligible for table reads, Works-In-Progress events, and a Fall 2022 awards ceremony at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

THE UK FILM FESTIVAL SCRIPT COMPETITIONS
3 exciting categories.
1) Feature Script
2) 3 Minute Script
3) 10 Minute Script
Unlike other script competitions UKFF doesn’t just give awards or money as a prize but aims to get their winning scripts into production. In fact, they are well known for successfully connecting scriptwriters to the film industry and getting the films made. With 8 of their winners’ scripts made in to films (2 of which went on to win Crystal Bears at the Berlin Film Festival); 2 in preproduction; and a further 4 optioned - their record speaks for itself.
As a previous feature script winner, Joadie Jurgova says -
“Entering The UK Film Festival’s screenplay competition was the best chance I have ever taken. It took my script and breathed new life into it, attaching an award-winning director and placing it with a prestigious international production company in less than a year. The support since winning has been phenomenal, respectful and generous. If you are looking for a script competition that you can place your trust in, this is it.“

The UK Film Festival does more than just support feature scripts. Ever since the Short script competitions began a winning script has gone into production or preproduction and 5 of the writers' resulting films have subsequently gone on to be multi-award winning at film festivals around the world including, the Berlinale, Aesthetica, Bilbao, Galway and Underwire. The films have been Official Selection in 41 other festivals and 3 have gained prestigious distribution deals.
Winners will receive immediate marketing to the industry, winner's laurels and the associated publicity. Winners and runners up in each category will also receive the latest version of Final Draft 12 (value $250) with many new features, as well as a free 4 month InkTip Pro Membership. As you know, producers have made more than 400 films from scripts and writers they found through InkTip.

For more details http://ukfilmfestival.com

We love New York and we love film! We especially love 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).

The object of our festival is to promote aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers in all genres.

Winners get introduced to 3 separate top industry pros

Currently in our 6th season! We are looking for thought-provoking, challenging, and engaging films, web series, and screenplays that are part of the changing face of film.

The leading screenplay competition for thriller screenwriters. Well-written thrillers demonstrate commerciality and effectively delivered narrative.

Hollywood managers and producers will receive the winning script and consider the top finalists' loglines for read requests, including:

Grindstone Entertainment, MadHorse, Magnet Management, Zero Gravity, and Morningstar Films.

Plus, the winning writer gets a free InkTip listing for more pros to find it and 10 free pitches to other pros at VPF.

The Silver State Film Festival will be held at Century Orleans 18 and XD October 27-31, 2022, at The Orleans Hotel and Casino The festival facilitates the screenings of independent films from around the world in Fabulous Las Vegas.

Century Orleans 18 and XD Screenings
October 28-31, 2022

Opening Night Party
October 27, 2022

Orleans Hotel and Casino
Century Orleans 18 and XD

Silver State Film Festival is an independent film festival held in Las Vegas Nevada every year. The Festival prides itself as a venue for independent filmmakers from around the world. The festival originators are proud to bring independent films and filmmakers from around the world to the Silver State of Nevada.

The London Independent Story Prize (LISP) aims to create a great networking opportunity for writers and a community that embraces multicultural differences, brave voices, unique writers, and extraordinary artistic approaches to story writing.

The Golden Script Competition is a yearly international competition for short, feature and TV pilot screenplays from all around the world. Recognized by MovieBytes as one of the 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮.

You will be submitting to the 2023 edition, and the best scripts of this edition will be read by some of the most renowned production companies and literary agencies (including some that have won several OSCARS and BAFTAS), giving you the chance to have your script produced or represented 🎬. Our mentors include OSCAR-winner Bobby Moresco and three-time EMMY-nominee Jessica Sharzer.

One script will receive a $10,000 option fund (TBC) from Lucky Elephant Media (Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Pieces of a Woman). The best scripts of 2023 will also be read and could be potentially considered for further options and development by the same company.

Festival and screenplay contest celebrating the best of indie crime and horror.

Scripts in the crime and horror sub-genres juggle genre-awareness, often times in order to subvert the expected, with natural talent and a unique voice. We aim to spotlight the voices of tomorrow's classics.

Winners will be considered by:

ZERO GRAVITY
BLOOD LIST / BRILLSTEIN
THINK TANK
TXL FILMS
... and more.

The top three screenplays also receive 4 months of free listings on InkTip!

$15,000 in Cash Grants. 2 Short Films are commissioned each season. Mentorship with an Oscar-nominated Producer. Winners screened at Tribeca, BFI London, won a BAFTA... Alumni working on Netflix & BBC Shows.

The Shore Scripts Short Film Fund offers you an opportunity to have your short film script financed and produced.

Our Industry Award-Winning Judges including former Fund Winners will decide this year’s Grand Prize Winners.

The 2022 Spring Season of our Short Film Fund will award production financing for two short films:
● Grand Prize Winner - A Production Cash Grant of $10K.
● 2nd Place Prize - A Production Cash Grant of $5K.

Both of our winners will each receive meetings and be mentored by Oscar-nominated Producer Maria Gracia Turgeon – FAUVE, IKHWÈNE.

Our sponsor ARRI Rental will provide free production equipment rental for the duration of production in any country in which they operate.

Our Judges include:

Jamie Brewer, Actress & Producer – AMERICAN HORROR STORY, THE TURNOVER.

Kimberley Browning, Producer & Tribeca Festival Programmer – CERTIFIED, ALL HAIL BETH, LADY BOUNCER.

Elena Ruscombe-King, BAFTA-winning Writer – A LOVE STORY.

Nora Kirkpatrick, Writer, Director & Actress – THE GOLDBERGS, DAISY JONES & THE SIX, THE OFFICE

The Fund welcomes submissions from screenwriters and filmmakers from around the world.

We accept short film scripts, web-series pilots, animations, and proof-of-concept shorts for TV series and Features. We also accept short film projects in production seeking Finishing Funds.

Screenplays must be in English; however, the production can be filmed in any country.

We can offer end-to-end support from script development to post-production and promotion.

We do not seek to obtain any rights over your script or the resulting film at any time. For those who take the funding, we ask for a production company credit and access to promotional material for the short film in order to promote the project and fund in the future.

Our previous 16 funded short films have played at some of the top film festivals in the world, including Tribeca, BFI London, Austin, Cannes, Encounters, Palm Springs, and many others. Our writers have gone on to gain representation, sold screenplays, and been staffed on TV shows as a direct result of entering.

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR PREVIOUS WINNERS’ FILMS
https://www.shorescripts.com/films/

Every writer who enters receives a FREE 18-page booklet on HOW TO GET YOUR SCREENPLAY PRODUCED.

Awards & Prizes
-Grand Prize Winner - A Production Cash Grant of $10K.
-2nd Place Prize - A Production Cash Grant of $5K.
-Both Winners will win Meetings & Mentorship with Maria Garcia Turgeon - FAUVE, IKHWÈNE.
-The resulting short films will be sent to our Judges, Industry, and Directors Roster. That’s over 300 of the best people working in the industry who will see your work.
-Our sponsor ARRI Rental will provide free production equipment rental for the duration of production in any country in which they operate.
-PLUS, the Grand Prize Winner will receive a FREE Online or In-Person All Access Festival Pass to HollyShorts 2023.
-And, our two Prize Winners will each receive a FREE copy of the latest Final Draft screenwriting software.
-Top 5 Finalists will also receive an exclusive feedback report from one of our Short Judges with suggestions on how you can further develop your screenplay and receive a FREE copy of Final Draft.
-Top 15 Finalists - Your script will be sent to our Judges, Directors, & specially chosen members of our Industry Roster AND you'll receive FREE access to our exclusive writers’ forum – The Script Hub.

Rules & Terms
* Scripts must be within 2-30 pages
* Writers from all countries are welcome to enter. All scripts must be in English.
* The winning scripts can be produced in any country.
* We accept short film scripts, web-series pilots, animations, and proof-of-concept shorts for TV series and Features.
* In addition to unproduced scripts, we accept shorts that have already been or are in the process of being filmed and need additional Finishing Funds. For finishing fund entries, please enter via our website. Select the format, “In Production Film,” and along with your script, enter the URL & password to a password-protected copy of the project for which you are applying. The password will be used internally to assess your submission and will not be shared externally.
* All ages can enter.
* All genres welcome.
* You may submit as many scripts as you wish.
* All screenplays submitted must be the writer's original work, or they own the copyright.
* If a writing team enters, then all the writers must consent.
* The filmmaking team will have the final call on cast, crew, and edit.
* To help the environment, Shore Scripts only accepts electronic entries.
* Each writer, or writing team, may not have earned more than $50,000 in screenwriting fees in the preceding 18 months. This clause is in place to help us support emerging talent.

The StoryPros International Screenplay Contest seeks to recognize 5 screenwriters for overall excellence and quality. The contest is open to any writer at any level, for any unproduced feature-length screenplay. Past entrants and winners have gone on to representation, options and sales...why not you?

The 16th Annual Creative World Awards is a leading international screenwriting contest well known for having the writer’s interest at heart when it comes to development and industry promotion.

The CWA vision is to help writers garner the exposure, development, and recognition they need to propel their projects and careers forward. CWA has built relationships with many of the industry’s most recognized companies.

At CWA, finalists get first looks from some of the most sought after companies in the industry such as Lionsgate/Mandate International, Inferno Entertainment, Morgan Creek and more.

Production Award: The Grand Prize Winner also receives the opportunity to have a short adaptation of their winning feature script produced by CWA in conjunction with The Moving Image Xchange. The film gets a guaranteed premiere at the Richmond International Film Festival.

VISIONFEST is an annual online screenwriting competition evolving from what began in 2001 as VISIONFEST: THE OTHER FESTIVAL (commonly referred to as VF) and founded by the Domani Vision Film Society LLC, an organization dedicated to bringing you tomorrow’s visionaries... today. The Screenwriting Competition accepts feature length and short screenplays for a chance to win cash prizes, commemorative certificates, and more... Top winning feature script gets $1k cash prize - winning short $350 cash!

We are San Francisco and we love film and we love writers. In fact, we care so deeply about developing the next generation of filmmakers from around the world that we founded what we hope will be one of the most prestigious screenwriting competitions in the world for serious writers and serious subject matter.

We are dedicated to promoting great cinema and we are only interested in recognizing great scripts based on serious subject matter like the Godfather, Shawshank, Frida, or Pulp Fiction.

Entering its seventh year, Festival of Cinema NYC will be taking place from August 4th - 13th, 2023. The festival welcomes filmmakers and attendees to the legendary Regal UA Midway theater in Forest Hills Queens, New York, with additional programming that includes workshops and panels at the Queens Library at Forest Hills.

As an IMDB qualifying festival who has consistently landed on FIlmFreeway's Top 100 reviewed list, Festival of Cinema NYC is quickly becoming New York City's premiere festival for the best in Independent Film. Festival of Cinema NYC is designed to get maximum exposure for todays emerging filmmakers and help those that are seeking distribution for their film. Our incredible PR team works around the clock to ensure a large attendance at each screening. In addition, every filmmaker is given a post screening Q&A and a chance to interact with attendees and distribution scouts.

From Red Carpet Press Events to Industry Networking Nights to the Opening, Closing and Awards party - filmmakers are offered numerous opportunities to get their film in front of the right the people, and screened before large audiences. To date Festival of Cinema NYC has helped over fifteen films, both short and feature length, land a distribution deal.

Our programmers look for the best in truly independent films. All films selected come from independent filmmakers that put their blood, sweat and tears into their productions. Every film selected and screened is eligible for an award.

Festival of Cinema NYC seeks independent films and un-produced scripts of all lengths, genres and subjects. Whether your film is a drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, documentary, experimental, LGBTQ, animation, even if it tackles social issues - we want to show it! Our Opening Night, Closing Night, and special screening events (like our Midnight Madness and Underground Films presentations) are all selected from the very best submissions we receive. Plus, every filmmaker that submits a film will automatically receive a one-year subscription to Videomaker Digital Magazine, a leading subscription service that focuses on guiding independent filmmakers with online tutorials and publications (a $20 value). All selected filmmakers get VIP passes that allow entry into all our screenings, events, and parties.

Because Festival of Cinema NYC was founded by independent filmmakers, we understand the needs and challenges that filmmakers face. Our festival staff is committed to offering filmmakers the opportunities they seek to promote and ultimately have their film seen and sold. Our festival’s growing reputation of top-notch independent films has consistently attracted more distributors every year, making it a possibility to interact with distributors directly! One of the key components to Festival of Cinema NYC's success, is making sure each filmmaker and their film get the proper attention and publicity that they deserve. Our publicity department works around the clock to ensure that filmmakers get as much coverage in news and local media. Filmmakers at the festival have had their films covered in various news publications around Queens and New York City, including the N.Y. Times, the NY Daily News, The NY Post, The Queens Chronicle, CBSN and NY1 News on Spectrum cable. Attending filmmakers each get a Q&A following their screening, giving them the chance to engage our audience.

Additionally, Festival of Cinema NYC hosts panels, workshops and seminars that strongly appeal to filmmakers and those looking to break into the film industry. In previous. years seminars on distribution and production resources, as well as workshops by industry leaders such as Sag-Aftra and Seed & Spark, were held.

Festival of Cinema NYC is a competitive festival that accepts films and media of all lengths, genres and subjects, with awards in 17 categories. Past Jury members have included Anna Garduno, Executive Producer at Netflix; Amy Peters, Emmy award winner; Doug LeClaire, founder of Asbury Shorts USA; Isil Bagdadi, president of distribution at Cavu Pictures; and David Josh Lawrence, head of acquisitions at Glass House Pictures . Winners walk away with an amazing custom statuette as well as prizes being offered from some of our amazing sponsors (prizes have included a cash prize towards your next production, screenwriting and budgeting software, a consultation with a distributor, and opt-in distribution deals.)

New York International Screenplay Awards is an international screenplay competition for screenwriters who aspire to connect with the USA industry workers and explore the US markets. NYISA 2022 winners will be connected to the US film industry by InkTip and Script Mailer. They’ll have free Screenwriting software by the Final Draft! They’ll be registered for free at CreatersVault, and will receive free screenwriting courses from Script Reader Pro, plus, page-by-page script analysis, a half-hour follow-up phone call, and an e-book, “Common Screenwriting Mistakes”, and some other services by UpLift Script… And much more!
NYISA’s valued jury members are industry professionals such as Producers, Script Doctors, Directors, Actors, and Screenwriters. We accept submissions via Filmfreeway!

Fresh. Indie. Anti-Niche.
We Believe In All Cultures Under One Roof.

ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival is a fully Registered 19 year-old Not-For-Profit Arts Organization.

ReelHeART Celebrates the Culture of Film from Around The Block and Around The World, and all Aspects of Indie Filmmaking From Acting, To Script, To Screen.

Each season we hold a Premiere Only, Worldwide, Fiercely Independent Week-long Festival generally during the 1st week of July in Toronto, Canada.

ReelHeART is Open Genre. Any Type of Film or Screenplay is Accepted. We are a Premiere Only Competition For Films And Screenplays. Please Make Sure Your film or Screenplay is (in the least) an Ontario and Quebec Premiere. Our Screenplay Competitions are very robust with Short and Feature Scripts as well as TV Pilots, Story Bibles and PitchDecks competing from Around The World Each Year. Each Script Entrant Receives Free and Extensive Feedback.

The 19th Annual ReelHeART runs either July 03-09, 2023 or July 29-30, 2023
(Online and 'possibly' a Hybrid Festival Event Weekend)

We are an IMDB Eligible festival. This means Filmmakers will be able to post their Nominations and Wins on their IMDB Profiles.