Resources
Past drama competition writers have signed with CAA, Brillstein, and Circle of Confusion, and have gone on to be nominated for Emmys, and staff on shows. The results speak for themselves: this is Hollywood’s best Drama Screenwriting Competition.

More info coming soon

Current Season Announcements

Oct 18

Quarterfinalist

Nov 15

Semifinalist

Dec 13

Finalist

Jan 24

Winner

Accepting TV and Feature Scripts

Drama is at the heart of great Hollywood storytelling. Nobody knows that better than this year's jury whose companies and clients are behind Oscar-winning and Emmy-nominated dramas that include shows and films like BETTER CALL SAUL, YOUR HONOR, GREEN BOOK, and many more.

Past drama competition writers have met with A24, MGM, HBO, Hello Sunshine, Bellevue, Ley Line, Ryan Murphy Productions, Anonymous Content, and dozens more - all through our introductions. Plus, ScreenCraft has helped over 275 writers sign with top management companies and agencies.

All finalists will be invited to an exclusive Finalist+ workshop on how you can best position yourself and your writing to the industry.

Grand Prize Mentors

2 Grand Prize Winners will be selected this year. One by Oscar-winning writer Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain) and the other by Matthew Lieberman (Free Guy). Each Grand Prize winner will receive from their respective mentor: a personalized round of notes, virtual meeting, and project development insight.

Notes

Receive feedback notes to strengthen your script

Meeting

Virtual meeting to discuss feedback and ask questions

Insight

Learn and gain perspective on next steps to take with your project

Jury

ROB GOLENBERG

Executive Producer & Partner, Silver Lining Entertainment
Robert Golenberg is an accomplished media executive, partner, and Executive Producer at Silver Lining Entertainment, as well as co-owner of Scripted-World, which produced the successful Showtime series, YOUR HONOR. In addition to his producing and ownership roles, Rob manages over a dozen Writer/Producers, including those behind popular TV shows such as BETTER CALL SAUL, STRANGER THINGS, ACCUSED and NCIS. Golenberg decided to leave the agency world behind and establish his own management company. Rob made a first-look deal at A+E Studios in 2020 where he has several projects in development.

KATE SHARP

Manager and Producer, Bellevue Productions
Kate Sharp is an Emmy nominated producer and manager with Bellevue Productions. Previously, Kate was the VP of Development and Production at Occupant Entertainment, produced short- form content for Showtime, MTV, Verizon, Facebook, and U2, and was an Executive Producer on the Hulu original, Emmy-nominated TV series BEHIND THE MASK. Her film credits include PEEP WORLD, BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY, MADAME BOVARY and THE HALLOW. Kate is currently producing FLEEING starring André Holland and Nicole Beharie which recently wrapped production. On the feature side, her client's projects have most recently appeared on the 2021 Black List and premiered at Sundance, TIFF and Cannes. On the TV side, her clients have written on such series as STAR TREK: PICARD, GENUIS: ARETHA FRANKLIN, ORDINARY JOE, PRIMO, CHUCKY, LIFE BY ELLA and NEVER HAVE I EVER.

ADÈLE BORDEN

Manager of Content Strategy, Participant
Adèle Borden is a Manager of Content Strategy at Participant, a leading global media company dedicated to entertainment that stands at the intersection of art and activism. In her role, she works across narrative film, documentary, and episodic projects at all stages, from consideration, to development/production, and sales. Before her move to Content Strategy, she spent 3 years in the Narrative Film group, contributing to the development and production of titles including Stillwater, Dark Waters, and the upcoming film from Disney+, Out of My Mind. Adèle is an MFA graduate of USC's Peter Stark Producing Program.

JOE FRONK

Literary Agent, APA
Joe Fronk is an Agent in the Scripted Literary department at APA. He joined the company in February 2021 after having worked at Artistry and as a Manager at Island Park Entertainment. Joe began his career in the mailroom at UTA and later worked at companies including Chris Morgan Productions and Epix.

JENNIFER AU

Literary Manager, JAM Literary
Jen Au is a literary manager and producer. She began her career working at an independent production company followed by time at The Firm and CAA, and was previously a literary manager at Caliber Media and Untitled Entertainment prior to launching her own company. She graduated with honors from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Jen is a firm believer in the magic and power of storytelling, in the ability of stories to heal and inspire, and in the responsibility we have to ourselves and to the audience with the stories we create and share.

Prizes

Grand Prize

The overall grand prize winner in either feature or TV category will be welcomed to the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top Hollywood literary manager(s) who are looking for talented emerging Film & TV screenwriters.

ScreenCraft's genre specific relationships include companies like Blumhouse, Netflix, HBO Max, AMC, and over 150 other Hollywood managers, agents, producers, and development executives.

ScreenCraft has a proven track record for getting writers signed with managers, agents, and staffed in writing rooms.
Personal Introduction to industry professionals
Accepted into the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program
$1,000 Cash
An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

Runner-Up Prizes

Feature Winner

$500 cash award

Accepted into ScreenCraft Development Program

An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

FINALISTS

An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

TV PILOT WINNER

$500 cash award

Accepted into ScreenCraft Development Program

An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

More info coming soon

Previous Success Stories

See More Successes

Michael Ouzas

Signed with agents at APA and managers at Industry Entertainment

"Write what you want to watch. If you’re passionate about it, there’s a good chance others will respond to it as well. If you’re not getting paid to write it, don’t put yourself through the agony of writing what you think the industry wants because the trend you’re chasing will have shifted by the time you finish. Screencraft was the first competition I ever entered and I’ve been drawn to them ever since for their quality notes and range of high-profile competitions. [They] expertly facilitated a meeting with a team of agents and advised me throughout the process. I now have a team of brilliant agents and I couldn’t be happier. In a marketplace saturated with competitions claiming to offer career advancement, Screencraft was the only one that led to tangible success."

Doro Nguyen

Signed with a literary manager at Story Driven

"There will be people who will respond to your voice. Trust your instincts and the people supporting you. ScreenCraft gave thorough and encouraging feedback for my scripts. I've placed highly in other competitions in the past but ScreenCraft was the only one that helped me get representation and guided me through the process of pitching and querying. I also appreciate the community of Finalists that I'm now a part of since I got to meet really cool people and be inspired by their amazing scripts. I just signed with Peter Katz at Story Driven (thank you ScreenCraft and at Coverfly!) so now we are trying to pitch my one hour dramedy, and also trying to get staffing work! "

Kenyetta Raelyn

Signed with literary managers at Circle of Confusion

"Winning ScreenCraft Drama competition has been a significant moment in my career so far. The moment I sat down to write “Borderline” in 2018, it started opening doors for me and turned a few heads. Proves that writing one good script can change everything."

Xavier Burgin

Signed with a Literary Manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners and repped at Kaplan/Perrone

"It’s been an amazing amount of work happening since I won the Screencraft Drama competition in 2018. The accomplishment I’m most proud of is directing Horror Noire, a documentary focusing on the history of black people within the horror genre from the 1900s to today. I met my agent a year or so ago after winning the Screencraft competition. I’d been on his radar for a good amount of time, but it was a combination of the work I was doing, plus mad love from his assistant that led me to partner with him. My manager has also been keeping up with me for nearly four years before we decided to work together. It’s a marathon, not a race. I’ve learned that building your career can be a slow climb. Unless you’re already rich, have rich parents, or rich connections, the industry is entirely different. Hollywood is not a meritocracy. You need talent (of course), but wealth plus connections can often overshadow this. As a writer and/or filmmaker, you need to be ready for this reality and never allow it to stop you from pushing for your projects and vision."

As Featured In

ADD-ON PRIZE OPPORTUNITY

This optional add-on prize category will grant one eligible writer the opportunity to learn, develop, and strengthen their project with guidance from an industry professional. This unique add-on benefit is separate from the ScreenCraft Drama Competition prizes and placements.

We welcome writer J. Holtham who will select one writer/writing team with an outstanding concept from the ScreenCraft Drama Competition for development guidance, including notes, strategy suggestions, and more.

Only projects submitted to the ScreenCraft Drama Competition AND that select this add-on are eligible for consideration. Additionally, all projects that place in the Top 10 of the competition will automatically be considered.

J. Holtham

Screenwriter, Playwright, Comic Book Writer and Blogger
J. HOLTHAM is a screenwriter, playwright, comic book writer and blogger. TV: PITCH (Fox), MARVEL’S CLOAK & DAGGER (Freeform), MARVEL’S JESSICA JONES (Netflix), SUPERGIRL (CW), THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu). Theatre: Ensemble Studio Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Second Stage Theater, Bespoke Plays. Essays and reporting: American Theatre, Thrillist, Slate. Comics: Bishop: War College (Marvel Comics), Star Trek: The Mirror War (IDW), Marvel Voices: Legacy (2022) (Marvel Comics), Spider-verse Unlimited (Marvel Unlimited). Podcasts: Marvel’s Wastelanders: Hawkeye, Marvel’s Wastelanders. Board member: The 24 Hour Plays, Ojai Playwrights Conference. He is a proud product of public education.

Drama Articles

Read More Articles
9 Types of Enneagram Personalities Writers Can Use for Characters

9 Types of Enneagram Personalities Writers Can Use for Characters

March 26 | by Ken Miyamoto

A trick that we've heard many professional writers using to create meaningful distinctions between characters' voice and underlying motivations is the Enneagram personality framework. The...

99 Drama Scripts That Screenwriters Can Download and Study

99 Drama Scripts That Screenwriters Can Download and Study

March 24 | by Ken Miyamoto

What are some of the best drama screenplays that screenwriters can learn from? Reading how-to books and articles about screenwriting can only take you so...

Screenwriting Wisdom from Sofia Coppola

Screenwriting Wisdom from Sofia Coppola

December 30 | by Ken Miyamoto

What screenwriting lessons can we draw from the words of one today's most celebrated female auteurs — Sofia Coppola? Sofia Coppola — daughter of iconic...

More info coming soon

Rules
Eligibility
Selection Criteria
Additional Legal
  1. Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.
  2. Entry fees are as listed on the site and checkout form. No coupon or discount is applicable on a previous entry.
  3. Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback can be done through Coverfly.
  4. TV pilots may be any length -- however the standard 1/2 hour is between 20 - 40 pages, and the standard hour-long is between 40 - 70 pages. Feature screenplays must be a minimum of 75 pages and a maximum of 150 pages. Any submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $1 per page overage fee for each page over 120.
  5. There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
  6. Entries must be received on or before the deadline dates by 11:59PM Pacific Time, and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.
  7. All submitted material must be owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.
  8. Material must be submitted by the writer. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).
  9. If a writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money.
  10. Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material will be allowed for a limited time with a $6 reentry fee through Coverfly. Please proofread your script carefully before submitting.
  11. It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition, however we do not require registration.
  12. Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required.
  13. ScreenCraft claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders.
  14. The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.
  15. In the event a juror, partner organization, mentor, or prize partner is no longer able to serve in their specified capacity, ScreenCraft will make its best effort to secure a replacement.
  16. ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
  17. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.
  1. All writers at least 18 years of age are eligible. However, a writer who has earned more than $50,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding 12 months or $500,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional film or TV in the proceeding 10 years is not eligible. (Contest winnings not included.)
  2. All persons from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be in English (occasional dialogue in other languages is acceptable, if subtitle translation is provided).
  3. All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible for this contest.
  4. There are no requirements as to when the material was written.
  5. Material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.
  6. We have no preferences regarding title page content. Title and name of writer would suffice.
  7. All material must be submitted electronically as a PDF. Broken files or non-PDF files may be accepted, but if the file cannot be read ScreenCraft will not judge the submission.
  8. Prize winners may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and proper tax documentation before prizes are released.
  9. By entering the competition, user acknowledges their eligibility for the competition. ScreenCraft will verify all eligibility requirements at the finalist stage of the competition and before distributing any prizes.
  10. Scripts or projects based on underlying material not owned by the writer are accepted as samples, so long as the script itself is indisputably written by the writer and that the script does not contain any plagiarism.
  11. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.

The winners will be chosen based on the following criteria: 

  • Voice
  • Concept
  • Story
  • Structure
  • Characters
  • Dialogues
  • Genre Conventions

In addition to the scoring criteria for the script, ScreenCraft may conduct interviews and send questionnaires to learn more about the entrant, their voice, perspective, and goals to help identify the winning projects. Top scripts are ready by the industry jury who votes for their favorite scripts at their sole discretion.

Mentorship Selection:

  1. Only writers who submit to the competition and include this add-on at the time of entry or who make it to the Top 10 of the competition, are eligible to be considered for this prize opportunity.
  2. The winner of this prize will be selected solely by the specified industry professional(s). The selected winner of this prize will engage with the specified industry professional(s) in an educational development capacity.
  3. The approach and manner in which the industry professional(s) and winner interact is at their discretion. ScreenCraft will have no involvement in the process beyond facilitating an introduction.

Criteria for Winners and Finalists:

  1. The winners and top finalists may be contacted by interested industry representatives, such as managers, agents or producers. 
  2. Entrants may be required to submit further information to assist in the judges’ verification of eligibility. 
  3. Any entrant may be deemed ineligible as a Finalist or Winner at the sole discretion of ScreenCraft. 
  4. All recognition, placements, and winners are chosen at the sole discretion of ScreenCraft.
  5. Finalists may be required to sign and return within seven (7) business days of receipt a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and a Release and Indemnification and proof of valid passport and any other documents that ScreenCraft or any other partner may require before receiving prize payment. Failure to respond to the initial notification within ten (10) days or return of notification will result in disqualification. 
  6. We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time.
  1. COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP: ScreenCraft or any other partner, employee or agent associated with this contest claims no ownership nor first right of option to any original screenplay submitted to this contest. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made.
  2. PUBLICITY: Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to ScreenCraft and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
  3. REFUND POLICY: All entries are non-refundable.
  4. SITE TERMS OF SERVICE. By entering this competition, the user agrees to all ScreenCraft Terms of Service in addition to these rules and eligibility criteria.
  5. DATA MANAGEMENT AND PRIVACY. Entries for this competition are managed on the submission platform Coverfly, and ScreenCraft (a d/b/a of Red Ampersand, Inc) uses other data management tools, including but not limited to, Google Services and Amazon Web Services, to securely manage your data. ScreenCraft is not accountable for any data hacks (internal or external) or user errors that may release scripts or writer data unintentionally.
  6. ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE: BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release and hold harmless ScreenCraft, ScreenCraft.org, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, Prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, Sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the ScreenCraft.org and its Sponsor, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize. Employees of ScreenCraft and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified. ENTRY TO THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Voided entries will be refunded. Recipients’ eligibility will be verified before the grant is awarded and the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility. By entering the contest, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s).
  7. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.

THRILLS AND SCARES

The Haunting of Hill House
It
The Shining
Lovecraft Country
Scream
Get Out
Array ( [0] => 36546 [1] => 36545 [2] => 36518 [3] => 45547 [4] => 37685 [5] => 36537 )

Open Competitions

Find the competition that is right for you!
Submit your best writing to a ScreenCraft competition today for an opportunity to get noticed, get access to our in-house executives’ Black Book of connections in Hollywood, and get signed and staffed.
See More Competitions
X

Deadline Reminders

We'll send you a simple email reminder through Coverfly a day before each deadline. No spam, promise.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

X

Maximize Your Entry

Add feedback to your entry for over a page of notes to further improve your project.

WRITER RECOMMENDED FEEDBACK

Amanda Dettrick

Screencraft provided insightful and detailed feedback for my drama - thanks again!
Your success is our #1 priority. We provide aspiring writers industry access, free resources and inspiration, and a community to support you through every step of your creative journey.

Writing Competitions

Success Stories

REMIND ME

More info coming soon