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

Contest opens on May 31, 2024

Accepting TV and Feature Scripts

Drama is at the heart of great Hollywood storytelling. Past ScreenCraft Drama competition writers have met with A24, MGM, HBO, Hello Sunshine, Bellevue, Ryan Murphy Productions, Anonymous Content, and dozens more -- all through our introductions.

This year’s jury includes managers from Citizen Skull, 42 Management and Production, Marathon Management and more. Plus, we are thrilled to present a guaranteed signing opportunity with Locus Entertainment!

All finalists will have a guaranteed meeting with an industry professional and be invited to an exclusive Finalist+ workshop on how to 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

ALEX BLOCH

Manager, 42 Management and Production
Alex is a Literary Manager based in London after coming from New York where she started her career working in production. At 42 Alex began working for partner Cathy King and now represents a diverse list of writers, directors, and creators across Television, Film, and Theatre. She is always looking for new ways for clients to work across various media and works to champion new and fresh voices internationally. Clients include 2022 BAFTA Breakthrough Marley Morrison (Sweetheart), Award-winning Berlin based filmmaker Natalia Sinelnikova (We Might As Well Be Dead), and BAFTA winners Neasa Hardiman (Happy Valley, Hit & Run, The Power, Sea Fever) and Keri Collins (Convenience), Michal Aviram (writer on Fauda and creator of Munich Games), Isla Van Tricht (Writer & EP on Concordia), BAFTA nominated Writer /Performer Yolanda Mercy.

LAMEESE HASSEN

Junior Manager, Marathon Management
Born and raised in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Lameese came out to Los Angeles five years ago to pursue the entertainment industry. She began as an assistant to Jai Khanna, a former manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, under their finance-production company, Oakhurst Entertainment. Lameese is currently a Junior Manager and Executive Assistant to Robert Lazar at Marathon Management.

JACOB HAYMAN

Literary Manager, Citizen Skull
An Executive Assistant at Endorse Management Group by 2019, Jacob was invited to join the CSA BIPOC Mentorship Program and HRTS Mentorship Programs in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Having begun his career in casting, he formerly served as a feature Assistant, commercial Coordinator, and unscripted Associate Casting Producer. The three features he has worked on as Casting Director have won Best Drama at Cinequest (Trust), Best Actress at DTLA Film Festival (This Is Your Song), and been nominated for Best Comedy Feature and [2x] Best Actor at the Smodcastle Film Festival (Wine Club). In 2023 he joined up with Citizen Skull as a Literary Manager/Producer, where his LGBTQIA+, genre, and comedy-heavy roster presently includes past winners of the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance, and WGA Awards, among many further placements and nominations. Occasionally, he also does research assignments and script coverage for Academy Award-winner Fred Roos. Most recently, his producing debut, Fudgie Freddie, premiered at Beyond Fest before being nominated for Best Midnight Short and Best Actor at FilmQuest.

Kathleen Gardner

Creative Executive, Jon Watts
Kathleen Gardner is a development executive for the director Jon Watts, helping to manage a slate of projects across both film and television. Upcoming projects include STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW for Disney+, WOLFS starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney for Apple, and FINAL DESTINATION 6 for New Line Cinema. Kathleen is a native of Virginia and a graduate of USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and the University of Virginia.

Scott Schulman

Manager, Scott Schulman Management
Scott Schulman is a Literary Manager who has staffed many writers. One of his clients sold one of their pilots to Netflix in 2022. He also went on to sell 2 more movies that year. He got his start working at Fremantle in business affairs in both scripted and non-scripted television. He then went to A3 Artist Agency for a year as a junior agent in below the line packaging. Scott then pivoted to management and joined More/Medavoy. Scott went off and started Schulman Management in 2018. He began representing actors and then transitioned to signing writers/directors/producers. He currently has a roster of emerging voices and is adamant about breaking the barrier for women by helping get their voices heard. He is currently doing business with 21 Laps, Sugar 23, Phoenix Pictures, Omaha Productions, Harpo, Yoruba Saxon, Megamix, Boatrocker, Mar Vista, CBS and Netflix. Scott served on the Board of Directors for the entertainment organization, HRTS Associates and was also nominated as a Visionary of the Year candidate in 2022 by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Scott also sits on the Los Angeles Hofstra University alumni chapter which mentors emerging industry talent.

Prizes

Grand Prize

The overall grand prize winner in either feature or TV category will be welcomed to the Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top Hollywood literary manager(s), producers, or industry execs 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 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 Writer Development Program

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

FINALISTS

Guaranteed Meeting with an Industry Professional

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

TV PILOT WINNER

$500 cash award

Accepted into Writer Development Program

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

Contest opens on May 31, 2024

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."

As Featured In

ADD-ON PRIZE OPPORTUNITY

This optional add-on prize category will grant one eligible writer the opportunity to work with Signing Partner Anders Lykke of Locus Entertainment. This unique add-on benefit is separate from the ScreenCraft Drama Competition prizes and placements.

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.

Anders Lykke

Manager and Founder, Locus Entertainment
Anders is the visionary behind Locus Entertainment, a boutique literary management company, and the creative force behind The Casino Theatre, an industry-acclaimed showcase.

With a rich background as an international attorney specializing in Antitrust and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), his career has spanned cities like Copenhagen, Brussels, and London. In 2015, he transitioned to UFuse Entertainment, taking on the role of literary manager and representing high-profile clients such as Josh Schwartz, James Vanderbilt, Matt Nix, Chris Fedak, and Dan Lin (Lin Pictures), among others.

In 2017, Anders established Locus Entertainment aimed at nurturing and promoting emerging screenwriters with a global perspective. In collaboration with CoverFly and Meindl Acting Studios, he founded the Casino Theatre in 2019. This innovative platform is dedicated to showcasing the finest unproduced screenplays, brought to life by skilled actors before a select audience of industry professionals.

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...

Contest opens on May 31, 2024

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. Entries may be any length --  the standard 1/2 hour is between 20 - 40 pages, and the standard hour long is between 40 - 70 pages, and the standard feature is between 85 - 120 pages. Any script submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $.50 per page overage fee for each page over 120 if it does not include feedback and $1 per page if the entry does include feedback.
  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 any prizes awarded as they deem fair (whether there is a cash value or not).
  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. ScreenCraft uses Coverfly to manage submissions and automatically removes cover pages before scripts are read by the judges.
  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, or prize partner is no longer able to serve in their specified capacity, ScreenCraft will make its best effort to secure a replacement. ScreenCraft is not responsible for the failed delivery of any prize package by a juror, sponsor, or partner organization.
  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. The material may have been written at any time.
  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 may 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.

The reading and judging of the scripts will be 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. Selected Finalist scripts are read by the industry jury who votes for their favorite scripts at their sole discretion.

 

ScreenCraft Add-on Prize 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 at the discretion of the specified industry professional(s).
  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 may 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 entrants' information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
  3. REFUND POLICY: All entries are non-refundable.
  4. SITE TERMS OF SERVICE. All ScreenCraft Terms of Service apply 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, indemnify 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). The governing law is California.
  7.  

THRILLS AND SCARES

The Haunting of Hill House
It
The Shining
Lovecraft Country
Scream
Get Out
Array ( [0] => 36537 [1] => 36519 [2] => 40968 [3] => 36547 [4] => 36546 [5] => 36543 [6] => 36540 )

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

Kelley Yakey Berberich

ScreenCraft judges are able to give constructive feedback that is beyond the quality of feedback we have had before. They definitely know your script before giving guidance. We really appreciate the written review!
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

Contest opens on May 31, 2024