Receive up to $30k in grant funds! Dan Gilroy (NIGHTCRAWLER, ANDOR) joins as Grand Juror. Open to a wide range of projects and formats. Winner's have screened at Cannes, Sundance, & SXSW.
Contest opens in 9 days
Current Season Announcements
Jan 18
Second Rounder
Feb 8
Semifinalist
Mar 1
Finalist
Mar 22
Grant Recipient
This unique grant program is designed to help fund your vision. We consider a range of projects, from treatments to standalone screenplays, to fully-packaged projects seeking finishing funds and will choose 1 - 4 projects to fund. ScreenCraft will offer production grants to talented creators for narrative features, short films, TV pilot series scripts, and documentaries that display originality, vision & exceptional potential. Grant amounts will vary up to $30,000 depending on the scale and merit of each project.
Jury
Becky Chalsen
Becky Chalsen is the creative executive in the film/TV development department at Sunday Night Productions, founded by John Krasinski of A QUIET PLACE. She is a novelist living in New York City and her debut novel KISMET will publish in summer 2023 by Dutton.
Yvette Yates
Yvette Yates is a partner at Impossible Dream Entertainment, which produced the popular film DAY SHIFT on Netflix.
Matthew Helderman
BondIt Media Capital is a world renowned film, television and media financier founded in 2014. Based in Santa Monica, BondIt has completed over 250+ film and television financing transactions resulting in $60M+ of invested capital and over $200M+ of aggregate production spending. Credits include the Oscar nominated Loving Vincent, the Arnold Schwarzenegger starring Aftermath from Lionsgate, the Netflix original film To The Bone starring Lily Collins, and the cult hit horror film The Invitation.
Prizes
Grand Prize Winner
Between 1 and 4 projects will be selected, depending on the quality of applicants as determined by our jury, for grants up to $30,000 in finishing funds.
Winners will also have the opportunity to work with the ScreenCraft Writer Development Team for creative development and personalized guidance for the projects needs.
ScreenCraft has a proven track record for helping writers generate career changing success.
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Grants up to $30,000 in finishing funds.
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Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program
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An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry
Runner-Up Prizes
Finalists
An exclusive invitation to a ScreenCraft Finalist+ only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry.
Contest opens in 9 days
Previous Successes
Nuhash Humayun
Signed with Agents and Managers
2022 ScreenCraft Film Fund Grant Recipient Nuhash Humayun signed with representation at Anonymous Content and CAA after the ScreenCraft team generated momentum with competing offers and career consultation.
"When my horror film MOSHARI won the SXSW Grand Jury [Award], I was suddenly thrust into a lot of attention. Agents, managers, general meetings. As a Bangladeshi filmmaker and an outsider, I was honestly overwhelmed. ScreenCraft was so supportive in that journey, ever since I became a Film Fund finalist. [A ScreenCraft Writer Development Executive] and I sat down multiple times. He connected me to some amazing reps as well. We made pros/cons lists, brainstormed strategies - it was just super cool to have a neutral perspective. Made this journey much easier."
Evelyn Lorena
Signed with a literary manager
2022 ScreenCraft Film Fund Finalist Evelyn Lorena signed with a literary manager at Snow Entertainment after she was discovered through the momentum of the competition and received consultation from the ScreenCraft team.
"Originally, I was super drawn to the film fund since our short film needed some additional finishing funds, but the more I looked into ScreenCraft, I really became drawn to the community and networking opportunities. I feel truly grateful to be part of this network of artists and development personnel - it was not disappointing. I feel very seen, heard and supported, not just in this current endeavor but in my future ones. [They] truly care about the artist and their futures. The team at Screencraft felt so helpful in vetting and helping me craft a process that would ensure my goals and needs were met. I really feel I can carry that knowledge into any meeting or situation I meet in the industry. I’m really grateful for that. "
Sarah Deakins
Attached a Producer to her project
2022 ScreenCraft Film Fund Finalist Sarah Deakins attached a producer from Speakesy to her feature VIOLET after ScreenCraft offered creative feedback on the lookbook that caught the attention of her producer.
"I had placed in a couple competitions and nothing had come of it, and I started looking for ones that had readers from the industry that I was excited about and ones where the prize was actually useful to me, ie: mentorship, feedback, advice for where I was at specifically. I entered the ScreenCraft Drama Competition first, and made the semifinals. Worked on the script more, entered in the ScreenCraft Feature Competition the following year and was a finalist and a runner up. I knew the script was getting better with each rewrite, but I didn’t know what to do to get it into the right hands. The Feature Competition was a great help because I had one on one consultations with [ScreenCraft], who had me put together lists of production companies, agents and actors I wanted to work with on this film specifically. He encouraged me to do an extensive lookbook in order to prove that I had the vision to direct this film as well, and guided me on that book to completion. When, through other means, I was able to attract producers to the script, it was the lookbook that convinced them I could also direct, and should be the one to do so. If you are willing to do your own work, with someone to guide you and offer thoughts and advice along the way, ScreenCraft really helps, as they invest in people who invest in themselves. They won’t do it for you. But they’ll guide you as you move forward so you don’t feel lost and alone in the journey."
Kiara C. Jones
Film world premiered at 2022 SXSW Festival
2021 ScreenCraft Film Fund Recipient Kiara C. Jones' film A WOMAN ON THE OUTSIDE premiered at the 2022 SXSW.
"Screenwriting can be a long dark journey, ScreenCraft has been a source of light providing inspiration, helping me to set new goals and providing much-needed monetary support through their grant program. ScreenCraft promoted my project and helped me to share my work with agencies, technicians, and film supporters to broaden my network of collaborators. "
Nardeep Khurmi
Signed w/ Chervine Naamani at Rain Management
2021 ScreenCraft Film Fund Recipient Nardeep Khurmi signed with a manager at Management 360 after premiering his film at Tribeca and receiving career consultation from the ScreenCraft team.
"Screencraft has always been such a supporter of film, and indie film in particular, so the chance to apply to the film fund was a no-brainer. We were in a position where our film, Land of Gold, was financed and needed some help getting over the finish line, and we really felt that Screencraft would respond to it. ScreenCraft has been so instrumental in helping me navigate this big career moment. We received funds to help finish Land of Gold, but more importantly, I received really lovely career consultation. So many doors have been opened, and with ScreenCraft’s support, I've had meetings with representation that really responded to my work. Folks that actually understood what I am trying to do, which is, unfortunately, a rarity in this business. It's all been so positive, and the process lead me to Rain and Chervine Naamani, who I'm excited to have just signed with."
Eve Van Dyke
Signed with a Literary Manager
2021 ScreenCraft Film Fund Finalist Eve Van Dyke has signed with a literary manager at Cinetic Media.
"I honestly didn’t know much about Screencraft. Frankly, I’m always leery of “online contests.” I have to say now that I’ve worked with Screencraft it’s been a wonderful experience. Screencraft was helpful when it came to deciding representation. [They] very patiently listened to me weighing various opportunities, and sometimes, when you’re figuring out this kind of thing, all you really need is someone to listen. "
Joanne Rose
Film produced by Buffalo 8 after they discovered it through the ScreenCraft Film Fund.
Buffalo 8 produced Joanne Rose's feature film LIFE OF GROUPIES after they discovered it through the ScreenCraft Film Fund.
"I had been offered two option agreements at one time from a well known production company in Canada but I was not going to be guaranteed a writer's credit for scripts I wrote. I turned down the offer and never regretted it. It just meant, the journey was going to be a little longer. The money didn't matter to me, receiving a writer's credit for a script I wrote was more valuable to me. I was never at a place that I was going to actually give up, it was more like a sign that I needed to take a break from the business so that I was coming from a place of feeling inspired again. Writing comedy is a lot of fun so as long as I was having fun that was all I needed to keep me going. I also like to set creative challenges which came in handy for writing a horror/thriller . What also motivated me was when a Screen Craft competition is coming up for a particular genre I write for. This super charges my energy. And of course, the breakthrough moment is the ultimate motivation. I am very excited to announce that I am currently in development with my very first comedy feature, Life of Groupies which is being produced by Buffalo 8. "
Tommy Wright
Signed with a literary manager at Bauman Management
2021 ScreenCraft Film Fund Finalist Tommy Wright signed with a literary manager at Bauman Management after the ScreenCraft team introduced them.
"As writers it’s always challenging to distinguish yourself from others. I think ScreenCraft does an excellent job of encouraging and identifying unique talent and can put them in very advantageous situations which in turn breeds success."
Fredrick Leach
Project picked up for distribution by UrbanflixTV.
Congratulations to 2021 ScreenCraft Film Fund Spring Finalist, Fredrick Leach, who's project 'Caged Birds' was just picked up for distribution by UrbanflixTV.
"The biggest obstacle to reaching my screenwriting goals was getting to/through the gatekeepers. As writers, we’re great at practicing the craft, but getting your work out there can often prove to be the harder part. Learning to advocate for yourself and persevere through the “no’s” is really hard. I was interested in the ScreenCraft Film Fund to earn finishing funds, and though we didn’t win, making it to be a finalist was a nice talking point to help legitimize what we had. My first feature film is currently playing in festivals and is set to debut exclusively on UrbanflixTV this fall. I’ve got another feature in development that I’m looking forward to getting started on in the next year. "
As Featured in
Film Fund Articles
9 Tips for Filmmakers Struggling to Make Their Short Film Jan 22 - The rite of passage for any filmmaker is making that first short film, which is where filmmakers cut their teeth and truly come of age. They learn about filmmaking by making a lot of mistakes —… ...
Rules and More
- Rules
- Eligibility
- Selection Criteria
- Additional Legal
- Please submit with:
- A Script or Treatment — this doesn’t have to be a completed screenplay if you’re applying for a documentary or if your film is already in production. It can be a treatment, a PDF with links to footage, or any other pitch document that shows the project’s potential.
- A Cover Letter — A letter that expresses your vision for your project. Help the judges get a sense of your creative vision and professional experience. Let us know if you’ve begun production and what you’d be able to use the funding for. We recommend 1-2 pages in length.
- Accepted formats for Film Fund include Narrative (Features, Series, Shorts), Documentaries (Features, Series, Shorts), and Unscripted (Features, Series)
- For Narrative format submissions, screenplays must be submitted in industry-standard formatting as a PDF file, along with a Cover Letter. Because different formats are accepted, scripts and submissions may be any page count. However, any submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $1 per page overage fee for each page over 120.
- For Documentaries, instead of a screenplay, a treatment about the project will be accepted, which can include links to video footage (YouTube, Vimeo, etc), along with the Cover Letter.
- For Unscripted format submissions, please submit a treatment about the project and highlight any exclusive access to intellectual property or a public figure. Links to video footage can be included, along with the Cover Letter.
- Optionally, you can include a PDF document that includes any other information. This can be anything from a full series bible to a line-item budget, to links to footage or a sizzle reel. We recommend only including information that gives a better sense of the specific project, but please include anything that will help our judges understand the creators and the project.
- When reviewing your submission we will consider your primary document (which varies depending on your project format) and your cover letter. Additional optional materials, will be reviewed as needed.
- Grants will range in size up to a maximum of $30,000 per project. Grant amount will be determined by the jury consisting of executives from ScreenCraft.
- Recipients will be announced within 12 weeks of the final deadline of each cycle. Please refer to the top of the page for announcement dates.
- Applications are accepted via electronic submission only.
- There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
- Applications must be received on or before the deadlines and application fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission.
- All application fees are non-refundable
- All submitted material must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).
- Material must be submitted by the author or owner of the material. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s). All writers must be credited on the title page.
- Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material are not allowed. Please proofread your script very carefully before submitting.
- Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required.
- Grant funding is conditional upon selected recipient going into production on selected project within twelve (12) months of when the grant was awarded.
Eligibility
- We welcome international applicants. All persons from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be in English.
- If an applicant is younger than 18 years old, a verifiable parental consent form must also be submitted with application.
- All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible for this production grant program.
- There are no requirements as to when the material was written.
- Screenplay must be owned and submitted by the writer or owner.
- Material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.
- We have no preferences regarding title page content. Title and name of writer would suffice.
- Adaptations are ineligible unless the underlying rights are owned by the writer or director or the work is in the public domain.
- Screenplays must be in generally accepted industry-standard formatting as a PDF file. Any popular software may be used for formatting, such as Final Draft.
- All material must be submitted electronically as a PDF or it will not be eligible.
The winners will be chosen based on the following criteria
- Concept
- Overall Impression
- Originality
- Professional Presentation
- Viability
Criteria for Winners and Finalists:
- The winners and top finalists may be contacted by interested industry representatives, such as managers, agents or producers.
- Entrants may be required to submit further information to assist in the judges’ verification of eligibility.
- Any entrant may be deemed ineligible as a Finalist or Winner at the sole discretion of ScreenCraft.
- 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.
- We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time.
- COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP: ScreenCraft may ask for (but not require) executive producer credit depending on the project, its needs, and ScreenCraft’s participation. Writer credit and director and producer credit will remain with the original filmmaking team. All ownership and rights to the material submitted to this grant program remains with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made. Should your project be awarded funding, you are not obligated to accept it until and unless other agreements are made.
- PUBLICITY: Except where prohibited by law, participation in this program constitutes each entrant’s consent to ScreenCraft and its agents’ and 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 an entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
- REFUND POLICY: All application fees are non-refundable.
- ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE: By applying for this production grant, each participant agrees to release and hold harmless ScreenCraft, Red Ampersand LLC, ScreenCraft.org, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, contributors, Sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting this ScreenCraft Film Fund and Grant Program and Promotion, 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 Promotion 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 all related parties including ScreenCraft, 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 Program and/or entrant’s use or misuse of awarded grant. Employees of ScreenCraft, and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified. This grant program is void where restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. 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).
Other Open Competitions
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