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What do George Lucas, Neill Blomkamp, and Lynne Ramsay all have in common? They started their careers off of a short script. We want to help build new great careers for amazing short script writers.

More info coming soon

Current Season Announcements

Feb 28

Quarterfinalist

Mar 27

Semifinalist

Apr 24

Finalist

May 15

Winner

ScreenCraft's Short Screenplay Competition is one of Hollywood's top contests celebrating short-form screenwriting. 

With the rise in demand for high-quality short content across new platforms and devices, and the increased industry importance placed on short filmmaking worldwide, we’re honoring the craft of short-form narrative screenwriting with this competition, which features a prestigious jury of industry-leading professionals.

All finalists will receive a guaranteed meeting with an industry professional!

Grand Prize Mentor

The Grand Prize Winner this year will receive a mentorship with filmmaker Joe Russo which includes personalized feedback over the course of a year, two virtual meetings, and project development insights.

Joe Russo is a three-time BloodList screenwriter and producer whose recent feature film credits include the Mickey Rourke-starring horror anthology NIGHTMARE CINEMA, the Bruce Willis-starring HARD KILL, the Ryan Phillippe, Ving Rhames and Kate Bosworth-starring THE LOCKSMITH and the Zac Efron, Russell Crowe-starring THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER. 

Feedback

Receive feedback quarterly over the course of a year

Meeting

Virtual meetings to discuss feedback and ask questions

Insight

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

Jury

MITHRA ALAVI

Former Short Film Winner & Staff Writer SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE
MITHRA B. ALAVI is an Iranian American comedy writer/director and graduate of the MFA Film program at Florida State University. Mithra’s original pilot “Rules for Being a Mutt” based on her experience as an Iranian American Muslim teenager after 9/11, helped earn her a spot in Disney General Entertainment’s 2022 Writing Program, which led to her current position as a Staff Writer on Season 2 of Freeform’s “Single Drunk Female.” 

ayana anene

Development Executive
Ayanna Anene is former Director of the Writers’ Colony, a writers’ residency for emerging screenwriting talent based in Los Angeles. Before that, she touched all areas of development and production at story27 productions, an LA-based TV and film production company founded by Mara Brock Akil. Ayanna began her entertainment career at ABC Studios supporting deal development for above the line talent (Writers, Producers, Directors and Actors) for primetime television shows including THE GOOD DOCTOR, THE FIX, DOWNWARD DOG, THE MAYOR, REEF BREAK, TAKE TWO, among others. Having worked with colleagues at The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Apple, Fox Broadcasting Company, ABC Studios, Warner Brothers and beyond, Ayanna has garnered a wealth of knowledge about navigating the studio/streamer system and the deal development process. Hailing from the midwest, Ayanna is also a producer obsessed with character-driven stories that tackle big thematic questions.

JASON GOLDBERG

Head of Global Film, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios
Jason Goldberg is the Head of Film at Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. He was formally was the Vice President of Scripted Film and Television Development at the independent studio Gunpowder & Sky and worked at MTV Studios, HBO, & Lee Daniels Entertainment.

MICHAEL DAVIS

Manager - Citizen Skull Productions
Michael Jeffrey Davis is a Manager with Citizen Skull Productions and a prior Coordinator at Elevate Entertainment. A Master’s graduate from UCLA, Michael was the recipient of the Judges and Audience Awards at its annual Producers Marketplace. This spring, Michael was a producer on Tyler Taormina’s CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT, a spirited indie featuring Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Maria Dizzia, Francesca Scorsese, and more. 

KYLE BOWLES

Creative Executive, MACRO
An LA native from Inglewood, Kyle Bowles is a Creative Executive at MACRO where he realizes his dream of producing films that center people of color on both sides of the camera. His recent credits include serving as Associate Producer on the forthcoming features, FREAKY TALES from Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and YOUNG. WILD. FREE. directed by Thembi Banks. Prior to MACRO, Kyle began his career at Forward Pass, Gersh, and Mandalay Pictures. Kyle is a graduate of Villanova University, where he began his filmmaking journey making shorts.

Prizes

Runner-Up Prizes

FIRST RUNNER-UP

$500 cash award

Accepted into the 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

Previous Success Stories

See More Successes

Mithra Alavi

Staffed on a Freeform series

"When I was told I needed to prepare pitches for the final interview of the Disney Writers program, I asked the Screencraft team if I could practice on them. They were insightful and encouraging which was so helpful when I thought I was going to die of nerves. With every year you are going to learn more, experience more, and practice your craft more, all of which will make you better. Be kind to yourself, but be persistent and find ways to create your own opportunities, because there is no straight path. And never compare yourself to others, even though sometimes it's really hard not to."

Corey Hill

Signed with Manager at The Jackson Agency

"Before entering ScreenCraft, I was completely on the ground floor. Though I had some publishing history in other realms of fiction, I was completely starting out as a screenwriter. If you opt for their script feedback, you won’t regret it. Having folks inside the industry who actually know what they’re talking about provide structured feedback is invaluable. I submitted revised versions of scripts based on this feedback, and was able to place in the contest due in no small part to this feedback. I could not say more about how helpful ScreenCraft has been in moving me towards my screenwriting career goals. After placing in the top ten for the ScreenCraft TV Pilot contest, I received an offer for representation from an agency! The people who run the contest are genuinely interested in the careers of the folks who rise to the top."

Jennifer Dunn

Signed with Manager at Rascality Entertainment

"I was introduced to my rep by ScreenCraft after being a finalist in the ScreenCraft Fellowship. I’d received lots of advice from screenwriters a little more established than myself about signing with a manager, so I took that into account when meeting with David. We hit it off, he understood my voice and what I’m trying to accomplish with my scripts, and here we are."

As Featured In

ADD-ON PRIZE OPPORTUNITY

This optional add-on prize category will identify one winner to learn, workshop, and strengthen their project with guidance from an industry mentor. This year's mentor Nuhash Humayun will select one writer/writer team that includes this unique add-on benefit with their entry.

NUHASH HUMAYUN

Nuhash Humayun is a Bangladeshi writer/director with a love for combining genre with South Asian identity. A self-taught filmmaker, Nuhash wrote, directed and edited the short film MOSHARI (2022), which won the 2022 SXSW Jury Award as well as 10 awards at HollyShorts, Fantasia, Atlanta, Melbourne and many more. MOSHARI is the first Oscar qualifying film in Bangladesh history. After the short film's meteoric festival run, Jordan Peele and Riz Ahmed signed on as Executive Producers on MOSHARI. Nuhash's supernatural anthology PETT KATA SHAW (2023), widely touted to have reinvented Bangladeshi horror, premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival and the Rotterdam Film Festival. Nuhash also wrote and directed the Hulu original FOREIGNERS ONLY (2023), the first Bangladeshi original on a U.S. streaming service. FOREIGNERS ONLY won the Gold Audience Award at Fantasia, the Jury Award for Best Horror at HollyShorts and screened at festivals around the world including the prestigious BFI London Film Festival. Nuhash is currently developing his debut feature MOVING BANGLADESH, a coproduction between Bangladesh, Taiwan and USA.
Only projects submitted to the ScreenCraft Short Film Screenplay Competition AND that select this add-on are eligible for consideration in this category. Additionally, all projects that place in the Top 10 of the competition will automatically be considered.

Short Film Articles

Read More Articles
10 Things You're Doing Wrong When Pitching Your Script

10 Things You're Doing Wrong When Pitching Your Script

August 13 | by Ken Miyamoto

Screenwriters are always told what they should do during a pitch — but what are the things they should not do? Knowledge is power. You...

2015 Shorts Contest Winner Dante Russo Brings Winning Script GRIEF to Life

2015 Shorts Contest Winner Dante Russo Brings Winning Script GRIEF to Life

May 13 | by ScreenCraft

Writer, Director and Producer Dante Russo, winner of 2015's ScreenCraft Short Screenplay Contest (which is currently open for entries until August 15th), also a fellow from the 2016...

20 Horror Shorts You Can Watch Online Right Now (If You Dare)

20 Horror Shorts You Can Watch Online Right Now (If You Dare)

September 27 | by David Young

Everyone needs a good scare now and again. Over the years, we’ve all found a 6-minute or half-hour-long horror film that gave us pause, made...

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. While short scripts may be any length, we recommend scripts be between 2 - 30 pages. Any script submission longer than 30 pages will incur a $1 per page overage fee for each page over 30.
  5. 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.
  6. All submitted material must be owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.
  7. 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).
  8. 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).
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Short film scripts produced or soon to be produced by the writer are eligible to enter as long as it will be made by independent means.
  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. 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. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.
  9. Prize winners may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and proper tax documentation before prizes are released.
  10. 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.

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. Top 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 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. Being selected as the winner of this prize does not constitute or guarantee representation by the industry professional or the company they work for.
  4. 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 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
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Open Competitions

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WRITER RECOMMENDED FEEDBACK

Kevin Gibson

Incredible feedback! The analyst was so thorough, they found subtext in my script I hadn't even (consciously) considered. Really thoughtful and encouraging. Thanks, ScreenCraft!
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