Aug 31
Early
Sep 30
Regular
Oct 31
Final
Dec 6
Quarterfinalist
Jan 17
Semifinalist
Feb 7
Finalist
Feb 28
Winner
The Grand Prize Winner this year will receive a mentorship with filmmaker, actor, and producer Jim Klock (Green Book) which includes a personalized round of notes, virtual meeting, and project development insight.
Signed with a literary manager at Affirmative Entertainment
"I didn’t go to film school and, especially at the beginning, I was super nervous about sharing my work. ScreenCraft was the first writing competition I submitted to, and I’ve continued to do so for several projects because they consistently work with amazing readers who give in depth, actionable notes. The quality of the feedback has just been incredibly valuable for bettering my craft and taking my scripts to the next level. Sometimes I feel like the path to a successful writing career is this weird, nebulous mystery, and it can be pretty intimidating trying to set an effective course. Which is why I sing such high praises about ScreenCraft’s writer development team!! They have this wonderfully hands-on approach that helps clarify how to take actual steps towards your goals. From strategizing on game plans, to answering questions and concerns, to connecting me with other finalists, I’ve just felt super supported throughout. They even got my script read by a number of reps, and facilitated a meeting with the manager that I’m now repped by. I’m just feeling super grateful — it’s been such a whirlwind experience, and ScreenCraft has really gone above and beyond in advancing my career. I can’t thank them enough."
Signed with a literary manager at Bellevue
"When I made the finals (and eventually won) the 2022 ScreenCraft Horror Competition, that completely changed the game for me. Being accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program, I was given the privilege of getting to work one-on-one with amazing folks who have put my name and work out to some incredible players in the industry, from reps to production companies I am looking to work with. This resulted in me finding my manager, Jeff Portnoy at Bellevue Productions, as well as getting me meetings with production companies who I am in talks with to produce my first feature. Having people like the folks at ScreenCraft champion your work takes a massive load off your plate as a writer, and allows you to keep working on your art while also getting it in the right hands of people who can actually get it produced."
Signed with Manager at Bellevue Productions.
"ScreenCraft really helped when I was seeking representation. Being new to the industry, it was good to have a team to offer insight on the representation process. Outside of that, I’ve found Screencraft’s Q&A’s very informative and inspirational."
Signed with a literary agent at Claire Best & Associates
"At the time I had only written and directed a small indie feature and was not repped in the USA. Australia (at the time) looked down upon genre films and TV shows and Amazon were demanding I pay extra for international shipping (we went back and forth - ultimately I lost). So I started to write the films and TV shows I wanted to see but wasn't allowed to make them. Having ScreenCraft recognise my work absolutely helped to boost my career and give me the motivation I required to keep my head down and write and just stick with it. Writing is what I really love to do more than anything else... well... directing too, but that's only because I'm just a little crazy. Every day I try to get 3-4 pages down. No matter what (Thanks C. Robert Cargill) and just try to have 1-2 screenplays banked at the end of each year. I hope that one will get picked up one day and I can finally buy that standing desk that Amazon keeps advertising to me. But I should probably just keep my head down and write."
Signed with Manager at & Agent and Staffed on multiple shows (QUEEN OF THE SOUTH, DEBRIS)
"The week of Fellowship meetings was invaluable; I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t have a career without it. I met with executives at Netflix, Universal, and Bad Robot (naming a few). The dozen-plus meetings I took taught me something that would have taken years to learn without ScreenCraft: meeting etiquette. I’m in awe of how comfortable I am in meetings now. I have ScreenCraft to thank for that."
Signed with Manager at Affirmative Entertainment
"I was working on several projects when I could find time outside of my day job in TV, and was starting to feel in need of some external confirmation. After placing as a finalist, I got the confidence boost I was looking for. A member of the ScreenCraft team knew a manager who he thought would like my work and made the introduction. It was that easy. I would tell anyone on the fence about submitting to go for it. ScreenCraft has gone out of their way to give me advice and help me sign with a rep!"
October 19 | by Ken Miyamoto
Welcome to the story den of horror, scares, and the macabre. Most writers are often asked, "Where do you get your ideas from?" A majority...
April 29 | by Valerie Kalfrin
Horror films are known for relentless evils like supernatural curses, ghosts, and ghouls, plus blood, gore and screams—but that’s not what really gets under our...
July 30 | by Ben Larned
One rarely comes across a consistently, satisfyingly scary work of fiction, whether literary or cinematic, that breaches 2 hours or 300 pages. Once the genre...
April 24 | by Ben Larned
Getting scared is cool again. With the current visibility of high-class horror films, the genre has found new life, and ScreenCraft’s horror screenplay contest provides...
The winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:
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:
Criteria for Winners and Finalists:
Regular Deadline in 8 days