| Screenwriting Competition List updated 2 January 2021. Includes International and UK competitions for screenwriters and playwrights. Details are accurate as far as possible and updated monthly – bookmark this page! I can’t vouch for all these comps personally, but if you have experience of any of them, let us know in the comments. Good luck!
Please be sure to check the websites for more information, submission requirements and deadlines. BAFTA Rocliffe CompetitionsVarious competitions run through the year: TV Drama, Comedy, Writing for Children, and Film. Open to UK residents only. All entries receive feedback. Win in-depth script report, industry introductions, and more. Deadlines vary depending on script type. Competition opening dates: Film 9 March 2020; TV Comedy 27 July 2020; Children’s Media in 2021; TV Drama in 2021. NOTE: deadlines dates subject to change… Entry Fee: £42 Deadlines: Film 15 April 2020 *CLOSED*; TV Comedy 10 September 2020 *CLOSED* Submit: synopsis, treatment, character breakdown, script extract. Check website for full submission details and rules. BBC International Radio Playwriting CompetitionOpen to anyone who is NOT a resident of the UK for a play written in English with a maximum of 6 characters and length of about 53 minutes. Two entry categories: one for English as a first language, and one for English as a second language. Win £2,500 and a trip to London to see your play being recorded and broadcast. Entry Fee: Free Deadline: 31 January 2020 *CLOSED* Submit: full script and short synopsis plus entry form. Check website for full submission details and rules. BBC Writer’s RoomWriting opportunities and events from across the industry. Open to UK residents only. It’s worth checking regularly for the latest competitions in screenwriting and theatre. You can also submit scripts to the BBC from The Script Room which opens for submissions in two windows: either drama or comedy scripts. Drama and Comedy Drama scripts submissions open 7 December 2020. Entry Fee: Free Deadline: 6 January 2021 Submit: varies per opportunity. Check website for full submission details and rules. Blue Cat Screenplay CompetitionInternational contest with multiple awards. Win up to $10,000 cash prizes in various categories. Awards for Feature, TV Pilot and Short. Further prize of $1,000 for scripts from outside the US. All entrants receive a script analysis with constructive feedback. Fees vary by deadline and script type. Open for entries. Entry Fee: $35 – $80 Deadlines: Final Resubmission 15 February 2021 Submit: screenplay in pdf format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Channel 4 Screenwriting CompetitionContest run by 4 Talent for 12 writers to get an insight into how the TV drama industry works. Win a place at two script workshops and develop your screenplay with a script editor. Channel 4 may option the script for 6 months. Open to residents of UK and Ireland only. You must be available to attend two weekend workshops in January and June 2021. Re-opening for entries TBC. Entry Fee: Free Deadline: 2 October 2020 *CLOSED* Submit: screenplay in pdf format and CV. Check website for full submission details and rules. Euroscript Screenwriting CompetitionWin £1,000 worth of script development and work on 3 drafts of your screenplay with an editor. All entrants receive feedback. I won this competition in 2008 and it was definitely worth entering. Read about my experience here. Open for entries. Entry Fee: £40 Deadline: 31 March 2021 Submit: 2 page treatment for feature film and 10 page script sample and entry form. Check website for full submission details and rules. Film Festival Guild CompetitionsFour festivals with international screenplay contests: British Animation Film Festival (BAFF), British Horror Film Festival (BHFF), British Independent Film Festival (BIFF), and International Film Festival of Wales (IFFW). Awards are mostly for films, but you can submit a script to win Best Unproduced Screenplay. Fees vary by deadline. Entry Fee: $10-$45 Deadlines: BIFF – Regular 8 January 2021; Late 5 March 2021; Extended 23 April 2021 BAFF – Late 19 February 2021; Extended 9 April 2021 BHFF – Early Bird 5 March 2021; Regular 4 June 2021; Late 30 July 2021; Extended 29 October 2021 IFFW – Early Bird 27 March 2021; Regular 26 June 2021; Late 21 August 2021; Extended 30 October 2021 Submit: screenplay in pdf or doc format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting ContestInternational contest with various cash prizes, software, books, listings on InkTip, and meetings in Hollywood. Grand prizes for feature and TV. Feature screenplay categories: Action, Comedy, Drama, Family, Period, Sci-Fi, and Horror. TV scripts for half-hour, hour, specs, and pilots. Fees vary by deadline. Entry Fee: $45 – $75 Deadlines: Last Chance 29 July 2020 *CLOSED* Submit: screenplay in pdf or Final Draft format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Green Stories TV Series CompetitionOpen to screenplays for a TV series that uses ideas about environmental sustainability and building a sustainable society. Your script can be in any genre as long as it has a positive and inspiring vision rather than a dystopian one. Win appraisal by the Literary Consultancy and the script will be sent to production companies. BBC Writer’s Room will read the top 5 scripts. More details due April/May 2021. Entry Fee: Free Deadline: 26 August 2021 TBC Submit: first episode and 3 page outline of series. Check website for full submission details and rules. London Independent Film Festival ScreenplayTo recognise and support new and unrepresented screenwriters. Winning scripts are read by production companies, studios and agencies. Four entry categories: Best Feature Screenplay, Best UK Screenplay, Best Sci-Fi/Horror Screenplay, and Best Short Screenplay. Fees vary by deadline and script type. Entry Fee: $35-$80 Deadlines: Regular 8 January 2021; Late 31 January 2021; Final 21 February 2021 Submit: screenplay and 1-3 sentence synopsis plus entry form. Check website for full submission details and rules. PAGE International Screenwriting AwardsTo discover the most exciting new scripts from around the US and elsewhere. Ten award categories: Feature Scripts in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Historical, Sci-Fi, and Thriller/Horror, plus Short Film, TV Pilot, and TV Comedy Pilot. Win $25,000, an InkTip listing, and more. Fees vary by deadline. Open for entries. Entry Fee: $45-$75 Deadlines: Early 15 January 2021; Regular 15 February 2021; Late 15 March 2021; Last Minute 15 April 2021 Submit: screenplay in pdf format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Papatango New Writing PrizeAnnual award to guarantee an emerging playwright a full production on the professional stage. Open to residents of UK and Ireland only. Win a four week production at Southwark Playhouse in London and support for your next play. The play must be at least 60 mins long. Papatango accepts unsolicited submissions all year, but the New Writing Prize opens in December. In 2021 three winners will receive £2,000 and audio production. Entry Fee: Free Deadline: 7 February 2021 Submit: stage play in pdf or doc format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Red Planet PrizeIn partnership with ITV Drama. Competition for a TV pilot in the hope of finding a new hit series. Open to UK residents only. Win a script commission and development opportunities with ITV. Up to 10 shortlisted entrants will attend a pitching masterclass and 4 writers will have a final interview to choose the winner. Entry Fee: Free Deadline: 3 April 2020 *CLOSED* Submit: original spec script, 1-2 page pitch for series, plus writing CV. Check website for full submission details and rules. Screencraft ContestsMultiple contests dedicated to finding talented screenwriters and connecting them with producers and agents. Contests for feature, short, and TV scripts, plus cinematic short stories, film production funds, and more. Deadlines run through the year. Cash prizes vary by contest. Fees vary by deadlines. Entry Fee: $29-$59 Deadlines: check website for latest contests Submit: screenplay in pdf format. Check website for full submission details and rules. ScriptapaloozaScriptapalooza promotes and pitches the semi-finalists and winners for a full year to the industry. Prizes for feature and short scripts. Win $10,000, access to producers and more. Genre winners receive $500. Fees vary by deadline. Open for entries. Entry Fee: $45-$65 for features; $25-$45 for shorts Deadlines: First 4 January 2021; Regular 1 February 2021; Late 1 March 2021; Final 5 April 2021 Submit: screenplay in pdf, doc, or txt formats. Check website for full submission details and rules. Scriptation Showcase Script CompetitionRun by professional scriptwriters to connect screenwriters with the industry and circulate scripts to the directors, showrunners, and producers of your favourite movies and TV shows. Win cash prizes, a Scriptation Showcase, and industry access. For teleplays, screenplays, and shorts written in English. Fees vary by deadline. Open for entries. Entry Fee: $39 – $74 Deadlines: TV Script – Early 10 January 2021; Regular 7 February 2021; Final 14 March 2021 Screenplay & Shorts – Early 11 April 2021; Regular 16 May 2021; Late 27 June 2021; Final 25 July 2021 Submit: script in pdf format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Script PipelineThree contests: First Look Project, Screenwriting, and TV Writing. First Look scripts must be ‘studio level’ projects. Cash prizes vary by contest. Winners also receive industry circulation for their script. Deadlines and fees vary by contest. Entry Fee: $45-$55 Deadlines: check website for latest contests Submit: screenplay in pdf format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Shore ScriptsDiscovering new exciting screenwriting talent from around the world. Three contests: Feature, TV Pilot, and Short screenplays. Win cash prizes, software, script feedback, InkTip listing, and more. Cash prizes vary by contest. To enter you must not have earned more than $30,000 in writing fees since 2013. All genres accepted. Fees vary by deadline. Contests open 1 March 2021. Entry Fee: $45 – $60 ($40 – $50 for Short) Deadlines: TBC Submit: screenplay in pdf format. Check website for full submission details and rules. Tracking Board Launch PadDedicated to launching writing careers. Three competitions: Pilot, Feature, and Manuscript. Each competition has multiple possible prizes and categories and add-ons, or you can get an All Access Pass. Includes mentorship opportunities to develop your script. Fees vary by deadline and contest. Entry Fee: $50-$80 Deadlines: check website for latest contests Submit: 50 pages and 1 page synopsis in pdf format. Check website for full submission details and rules. UK Film Festival CompetitionsThis festival runs in November every year and has three screenwriting competitions to find new talent: Feature Script, 10 Minute (or less), and 3 Minute Script. Win UK Film Festival laurels and publicity, plus InkTip listing for producers to find your script. Fees vary by deadline and script type. Entry Fee: $20-$60 Deadline: Final 28 January 2021 Submit: screenplay in pdf format, plus treatment and synopsis for Feature. Check website for full submission details and rules. More Competition Lists:
Before entering any competition make sure you check the entry requirements and rules. If I’ve missed any good screenwriting competitions, please let me know in the comments below… Note: This is a list of competitions I’ve compiled from information available online. I have no connection to any of the companies. Any problems or queries should be directed to the companies concerned. |
