54 SPRING 2020 MOVIEMAKER.COM
SCREENCRAFT
ENTRY FEE: $49-$69
2020 DEADLINES: YEAR ROUND
ScreenCraft offers 14 screenwriting competi-
tions each year, separated by genre or format.
In the organization’s mind, that approach
helps eliminate any genre bias judges may
have. It also means that deadlines are coming
and going all year, so any interested screen-
writers will have to keep an eye on Screen-
craft’s busy calendar to see when contest op-
portunities that best suit their work open up.
Prizes are uniform across the genre spec-
trum. Grand-prize winners receive $1,000,
a personal introduction to literary repre-
sentatives seeking new talent, screenwriting
software, acceptance into the ScreenCraft
Development Program, and a Complimentary
Badge for the 2021 ScreenCraft Summit. The
runner-up gets $500 and is accepted into the
development program, receiving a 50 percent
discount off of the summit badge.
The annual ScreenCraft Summit offers
workshops, panels, cocktail parties, pitch
events and mentorship with some of Holly-
wood’s top screenwriters, agents and produc-
ers. This year’s speakers and mentors coming
to the Chicago event include Oscar winner
David Rabinowitz (BlacKkKlansman), Oscar
nominee Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) and
Max Borenstein (Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island).
The ScreenCraft Fellowship is another
opportunity worth considering. In addition to
ongoing professional support, recipients are
flown to Los Angeles for meetings, mentorship
and personal introductions to key entertain-
ment studio executives, producers, literary
managers and agents. According to the organi-
zation, every fellow in the 2019 class obtained
a literary manager through the process.
SCRIPTAPALOOZA
ENTRY FEE: $45-$65
2020 DEADLINES: CLOSED
Age of contests is often a good indication of
the quality, and this competition has been
discovering and promoting writers since 1998.
The first-place winner gets $10,000, and genre
winners get $500 per category, plus access to
a few services that have partnered with Scrip-
tapalooza —but again, written feedback is not
included. Four to five pages of notes will cost
entrants an additional $115.
This is another contest that works on be-
half of the writers, semifinalists and higher,
pushing their projects to a network of over
150 producers for an entire year. Another
attractive perk is the fact that this competi-
tion does not rely on readers, and sends
submissions straight to a working producer,
manager, or agent, who serve as judges.
“We do not use ‘readers’ or ‘regular people’
because they cannot do anything with your
script,” Scriptapalooza states on the website.
“We go right to the source—a producer, man-
ager or agent, they can make a difference, they
can option your script, buy it, set-up a meeting
or go straight to the studio with it.”
Robert McKee, a screenwriting authority
known for popular books and seminars on
storytelling, has given this contest his full
endorsement: “Despite its frivolous name,
Scriptapalooza is the best screenwriting
competition I know.” That’s probably why he
lets the grand-prize winner into one of his
seminars for free — a $965 value!SCRIPT PIPELINE
ENTRY FEE: $50-$70
2020 DEADLINES: MARCH 1 – MAY 15Script Pipeline launched in 1999 as a cover-
age service, and then expanded in 2003 with
a screenplay competition that has proven to
be one of the best. According to the company,
“$7 million in screenplays and pilots have
been sold by competition finalists and ‘Rec-
ommend’ writers.”
A prize of $25,000 awaits the grand-prize
winner and $2,500 goes to the runner-up.
Both are determined by a judging panel of
professionals.
But what really separates this competition
from the herd is the long-term industry cir-
culation that Script Pipeline facilitates. Script
Pipeline has access to top executives, agents,
managers, and talent, and the team prides
itself on connecting winning writers with
representation. Another plus is that all en-
trants may request a complimentary call with
a creative executive, who answers questions
about the contest, or the industry in general.
Written feedback costs entrants an additional
$115, but considering that coverage is Script
Pipeline’s specialty, it might be worth it.
Tripper Clancy, who wrote 2019 buddycop comedy Stuber, credited this contest for
kickstarting his career in 2010.
“After winning Script Pipeline, I connected
with my current manager and my current
agents and everything changed,” he said
in an interview with Script Pipeline. “The
mentality shifted from, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to
land a paid writing gig?’ to, ‘Let’s get you the
hell out of your day job.’ That shift took place
quickly, and within six months, I quit my day
job and focused on writing full time.”SLAMDANCE SCREENPLAY
COMPETITION
ENTRY FEE: $50-$90
2020 DEADLINES: FEBRUARY 19-JULY 27The Slamdance Film Festival has hosted
early work from some of the biggest names
in cinema before they were stars, including
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight),
Rian Johnson (Knives Out), The Russo Brothers
( Avengers: Endgame) and Bong Joon-ho
(Parasite). The screenplay competition is spon-
sored by the Writers Guild of America West,
which hosts the awards party in October, so
this is an opportunity to win some cash, receive
high-end validation, network with industry
professionals, and score a free pass to a film
festival that caters to new, bold, and raw voices.
A grand-prize winner takes home $8,000,
while winners of Feature and Horror catego-
ries receive $2,000 each, plus $2,500 in legal
services from Pierce Law Group, LLP. The top
three screenwriters in each category get passes
for all screenings and parties at the next
Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
In terms of industry circulation, the top three
screenwriters in each category will be includ-
ed in the festival program, and scripts will be
distributed to production companies, studios,
top agencies and managers by request.
Entrants can pay extra for more in-depth
coverage, but at least everyone is guaranteed LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH BY HOPPER STONE / COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS;
RIGHT: PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM NEWPORT-BERRA / A24(L-R) KUMAIL NANJIANI, TRIPPER CLANCY, DIRECTOR
MICHAEL DOWSE, AND DAVE BAUTISTA ON THE SET OF
STUBER