The screenwriting competitions directory.
Contests, fellowships and labs in one place: entry fees, every deadline, and who is actually eligible. Each entry is checked against the official site, dated, and given an honest verdict, so you spend your entry fees where your script has a real chance.
CineStory Foundation Retreat and Fellowship
Fellowship · 2026
9 Aug 20262 days left
Contest-fed Idyllwild retreats plus a $10,000 fellowship and a 12-month industry mentorship.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
BlueCat Screenplay Competition
Contest · 2027
18 Aug 202611 days left
Long-running screenplay comp. $3,000 cash for Feature and Short winners, plus a $2,000 Fellini Award for non-US writers.
FeatureShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Shore Scripts Short Film Fund
Contest · 2026
20 Aug 202612 days left
Short-script production fund: a US$15,000 grant to produce one winning short screenplay, plus US$4,000 finishing funds.
ShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards
Contest · 2026
20 Aug 202613 days left
TV-pilot-focused awards. $1,000 cash plus industry consultation and Sundance networking for the overall winner.
TV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
Sundance Institute Episodic Storytelling Lab
Lab · 2026
25 Aug 2026
Sundance's independent TV lab: develop an original pilot with mentorship and industry access.
TV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Shore Scripts Feature Screenplay Contest
Contest · 2026
28 Aug 2026
UK-based feature comp with $5,000 grand prize, mentorship from Debbie Berman (Black Panther, Captain Marvel), and industry circulation.
FeatureActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Film Independent Screenwriting and Episodic Labs
Lab · 2026
31 Aug 2026
Two respected Film Independent development labs: one for a feature script, one for a TV pilot.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Stowe Story Labs
Lab · 2026
2 Sept 2026
Vermont and online labs where emerging writers develop scripts with mentors. Fellowships can cover fees.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
Finish Line Script Competition
Contest · 2026
5 Sept 2026
Writer-friendly development contest for features, shorts and pilots, with free redrafts and a US$10,000 prize.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Contest · 2027
11 Sept 2026
Oscar-qualifying festival's screenplay contest with mentorship, live readings and worldwide entry.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Scriptapalooza
Contest · 2026
5 Oct 2026
Long-running open-to-all contest spanning feature, TV, short and a fellowship, with a year of industry promotion.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
BBC Writers Open Call
Programme · 2026
1 Dec 2026
The BBC's free flagship route for UK writers: drama or comedy-drama scripts assessed for development.
FeatureTV PilotComedyDrama
Checked 24 days ago
Euroscript Screen Story Competition
Contest · 2027
31 Mar 2027
UK development outfit's annual story contest. Every entrant gets feedback on their outline.
FeatureActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
4Screenwriting
Programme · 2027
Opens soon
Channel 4 has confirmed that entries for the 2027 course open in September 2026. The last window ran 22 September to 6 October, closing at 5pm.
Channel 4's free development course: 12 writers new to TV drama, paid to develop an original one-hour pilot.
TV PilotDrama
Checked 24 days ago
AFF Script Competition: Austin Film Festival
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 script competitions closed early after reaching capacity. A 2027 opening date has not been announced.
Premier US screenplay competition since 1994. Cash prizes, fellowships, and direct producer/rep access.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionDrama+16
Checked 24 days ago
Athena Film Festival Writers Lab
Lab · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2025-26 cycle has closed and a new window has not been announced; windows usually open in late spring, and the site still shows the previous cycle.
Virtual three-phase lab for woman-centred film and TV scripts, from Barnard's Athena Film Festival.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition
Contest · 2026
Opens soon
The 2026 TV Comedy call has not opened yet and key dates are to be announced. Early Bird pricing (£58) applies to entries before 9 August, £65 after, with a limited number of free bursary places (applications close 17 August).
BAFTA-backed new writing call. The 2026 strand is TV comedy, with three finalists showcased at BAFTA in London.
TV PilotComedy
Checked 24 days ago
BBC Writers: Pilot 2027/28
Programme
Open for applications
Applications are open now and close at 12 noon on Tuesday 4 August 2026. Sitcoms, sketch shows, adaptations and scripts for existing shows are not eligible, and only one application per writer is allowed.
BBC pilot commission scheme. The 2027/28 round is exclusively for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent writers.
TV PilotDrama
Checked 24 days ago
Disney Entertainment Television Writing Program
Programme · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2027 programme window ran 4 May to 1 June 2026 and is closed. The next application window has not been announced.
Disney's flagship paid TV writing pipeline toward staffing across Disney Entertainment Television.
TV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Big Break 2026 is closed for submissions. Winners are announced in stages from late August to 18 December 2026.
Final Draft's flagship contest. $10,000 cash, an LA industry trip, and a Dell laptop for the Feature and TV grand prize winners.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
HollyShorts Screenplay Contest
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Entries for the 2026 contest closed on 1 June (fees ran $40 to $75 by deadline). The last cycle opened in late August, so the 2027 window is likely to open around then.
Script contest of the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts festival. The winning short screenplay gets produced.
ShortTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
Humanitas New Voices Fellowship
Fellowship · 2027
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 window ran 18 February to 6 April and has closed, with fellows announced in August 2026. The next cycle has not been announced.
Six-month Humanitas mentorship for early-career TV and feature writers exploring the human condition.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Inevitable Foundation Accelerate Fellowship
Fellowship · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Applications for the 2026 cohort ran 28 May to 17 June and are now closed. The next window has not been announced.
Funded four-month rewriting sprint for disabled film and TV writers, with US$30,000 and mentorship.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
ISA Fast Track Fellowship
Fellowship · 2026
Open for applications
Runs twice a year. The spring season closes in early February and the fall season in late July.
Twice-yearly fellowship: a week of exec meetings plus a year on the ISA Development Slate.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition
Contest · 2027
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 competition closed on 10 May and winners are announced at the festival in late September. No 2027 dates have been announced.
Long-running festival screenwriting contest across genre features, shorts and 30/60-minute pilots, open worldwide.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
NBCUniversal Launch TV Writers Program
Programme · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The window for the January 2027 programme ran 1 to 21 June 2026 and is closed. No further window has been announced.
NBCU's network TV pipeline: develop a pilot and compete for staffing across NBCU and Universal.
TV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Registration for the 2026 challenge has closed and final results were announced on 29 July 2026. The next edition has not been dated.
Global prompt-based contest: short screenplays against tight deadlines over three rounds, with feedback on every entry.
ShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 contest is closed. Entries for the 2027 PAGE Awards open on 1 December.
Long-running US contest with a $25K Grand Prize and 10 genre categories across feature, short, and TV pilots.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionFantasy+15
Checked 24 days ago
Paramount Writers Mentoring Program
Programme · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 window ran 1 April to 1 May and is closed. The next window has not been announced.
Paramount's eight-month TV writing mentorship, now incorporating the Nickelodeon Writing Program as its kids, family and YA pathway.
TV PilotAnimationAdventure+5
Checked 24 days ago
Screamfest Screenplay Competition
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Screenplay entries for the 2026 festival closed on 15 June (fees ran $42 to $77 by deadline). The 2027 window has not been announced.
Horror feature contest at LA's Screamfest, with a $1,000 grand prize, industry reads and opt-in feedback.
FeatureHorrorThriller
Checked 24 days ago
Script Pipeline Screenwriting Competition
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Entries for 2026 have closed. Finalists are announced on 3 August and the winner on 9 August 2026.
24th annual screenwriting competition. $20,000 to the winner, $1,000 to each finalist, ongoing mentorship and industry circulation.
FeatureActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Script Pipeline TV Writing Competition
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
Entries for 2026 have closed. Finalists are announced on 3 August and the winner on 9 August 2026.
19th annual TV writing competition. $20,000 to the winner, $1,000 to each finalist, ongoing mentorship and industry circulation.
TV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 competition closed at noon Eastern on 1 July; the winner is announced in October. Entries typically reopen in late April.
The International Emmys' free award for non-US writers under 30: $2,500 and a New York festival trip.
TV PilotComedyDrama
Checked 8 days ago
Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab
Lab · 2027
Closed for this cycle
Applications for the January 2027 lab closed on 12 May 2026 (US$45 fee). The next Development Track window is expected to open in April 2027.
Sundance's flagship January lab: five days developing your first or second feature with world-class advisors.
FeatureActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
The Kay Mellor Fellowship
Fellowship · 2027
Open for applications
Applications for the 2027 Fellow close at 10am on Saturday 1 August 2026. The application has three parts (two online forms plus an emailed script sample), so leave time to complete all of them.
Paid year-long attachment for a Yorkshire and the Humber writer to develop a stage play and a TV pitch.
ActionAdventure+18
Checked 8 days ago
The Writers Lab
Lab · 2027
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 window closed on 30 April and selections are notified by mid-August. The next cycle has not been dated.
NYC script-development retreat for women and nonbinary screenwriters over 40, open internationally.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
TrackingB Script Contests
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 TV contest closed on 9 March with results due by 30 August (fees ran $99 to $119). A 2026 feature cycle has not been announced; previous feature contests opened between April and June.
Hollywood tracking board contests built on rep signings: industry reads instead of cash prizes.
FeatureTV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Warner Bros. Discovery Access Writers Program
Programme · 2027
Closed for this cycle
Applications for the 2027 cohort closed on 12 July 2026. Windows are announced on WBD Access's official social channels rather than the website.
WBD's episodic TV pipeline for early-career writers toward staffing across Warner Bros. Discovery.
TV PilotActionAdventure+16
Checked 24 days ago
Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
Contest · 2026
Next cycle to be confirmed
The Academy's flagship feature-screenplay fellowship: five US$35,000 awards for emerging writers.
FeatureActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards
Contest · 2026
Next cycle to be confirmed
Comedy-genre screenplay awards. $1,000 cash plus industry consultations and press exposure for the overall winner.
FeatureShortComedy
Checked 8 days ago
Slamdance Screenplay Competition
Contest · 2026
Next cycle to be confirmed
Indie-leaning screenplay competition since 1997. $18,000 total prize pool, strong track record placing unrepresented writers.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 24 days ago
Find Your Next Contest. Never Miss Another Deadline.
Browse a curated database of screenwriting competitions, fellowships, and labs. Filter by what matters to your script, track every deadline, and let Pro tell you which contests are actually worth entering.
- A curated directory of competitions, fellowships, and labs
- Filter by genre, format, prestige, and entry fee
- Track deadlines and set reminders
- Pro: the fit-meter scores how each contest matches your script
How the fit-meter works
Pro reads your script alongside each competition's genre, format, and track record, then scores how well the two match. Instead of entering everything and hoping, you focus your time and entry fees where your script has the best chance, across contests as well as the growing list of fellowships, labs and studio programmes.
New to contests? Start with Are screenwriting competitions worth it? for an honest look at when they pay off, see what closes soon, or check what entering really costs. All of it sits alongside our other free tools for screenwriters, no sign-up needed.