Still searching for that opportunity to see your short screenplay actually produced — and produced well? Do you have a short film already in development or production and need financing? Look no further! 

We're very excited to announce that ScreenCraft's Short Screenplay Contest will be merging with the quarterly ScreenCraft Short Film Production Fund. While this does mean that the Short Screenplay Contest will be no more, it lives on as we put more emphasis on the amazing Short Film Production Fund partnership with BondIt and Buffalo 8 Productions, both of whom have a combined four films premiering at Sundance this year!

The fund's first recipient, 13, written by Natasja Maria Fourie and Robyn Pete, is currently in pre-production with Fourie directing. ScreenCraft and Bondit awarded 13 with a $20,000 production grant and have been actively developing the project with Fourie and her creative team.

ScreenCraft has now decided to offer a new and improved Short Film Production Fund by attaching major name mentors and judges — as we do with all of our Screenwriting Contests — for each quarter of the production fund. 

That process has already begun, as we've added two esteemed mentors and judges to the mix with the likes of Ira Sachs and Alice Kharoubi, both of whom will serve as mentors for the first quarter. 

Alice Kharoubi

Alice is the Head of Cannes Court Métrage, an entity dedicated to Short Films developed by the Cannes Film Festival. She is also the short film programmer for the Abu Dhabi Film Festival since its creation, as well as the international shorts programmer for Festival Tous Ecrans in Geneva, Switzerland. She is continually a part of selection committees and has participated as a jury member at festivals all over the world.

Ira Sachs

Ira's films include The Delta (1997), Forty Shades of Blue (2005), Married Life (2007), and Keep the Lights On (2012). His most recent film, Love Is Strange, premiered at Sundance in 2014. His next film, Little Men, stars Greg Kinnear, Alfred Molina, Jason Sudeikis and Paulina García. 

Whether you have a short screenplay or a short film that’s already in production, we want to consider you for a possible grant to get this project produced, and produced well. In partnership with BondIt, ScreenCraft offers between four and ten production grants per year to talented filmmakers for short film and online series that display originality, vision, and exceptional potential. Grant amounts will vary from $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the scale and merit of the project. We also offer matching funds for crowd-funding campaigns. This program includes creative development from the ScreenCraft team and production guidance and resources from BondIt and Buffalo 8 Productions.

The Short Film Production Fund will be accepting submissions non-stop throughout the year for each of the following four quarters:

Short Film Production Fund

January 1 – March 31: 1st Quarter

April 1 – June 30: 2nd Quarter

July 1 – September 30: 3rd Quarter

October 1 – December 30: 4th Quarter 

ENTER YOUR SHORT SCREENPLAY NOW!