Resources
Take advantage of a unique opportunity to pitch directly to an A-list jury of industry insiders online. Open to writers worldwide!

Regular Deadline in 16 days

Deadlines

Dec 31

Early

Jan 31

Regular

Feb 28

Final

Announcements

Mar 26

Semifinalist

Apr 23

Finalist

May 14

Winner

The ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Competition gives writers the chance to pitch to industry professionals! Here’s how it works:

1. Submit your best elevator pitch - a written, typed pitch of no more than 350 words.

2. Semifinalists will be asked to submit a 2-minute video pitch.

3. The selected finalists will pitch live and online, to a panel of A-list industry professionals.

Previous finalists have signed ON THE SPOT during the pitch competition with a Hollywood Lit Manager. Past winners and finalists have also landed meetings with companies like Verve, Page Boy Productions, and more.

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

Tess McGuinness

Creative Executive, Red Wagon Entertainment
Tess McGuinness is the Creative Executive at Red Wagon under Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher, where she runs point on and produces projects across Red Wagon’s film and television slates. She worked as a production assistant for two seasons of “Saturday Night Live” as well as an Associate Producer for MIRMADE Productions — where she helped produce music videos for Danny Brown and Weezer and commercials for Michael Kors, the NBA, Robitussin, and Away Luggage. In 2020, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue scripted film and television, where she worked for Janet Yang and Inspire Entertainment prior to joining the Red Wagon team. Her most recent film credit will be as the executive on Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR 2, starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington. She will also serve as Co-EP on a television adaptation of Peter Swanson’s THE KIND WORTH KILLING for Hulu/A+E.

Moera Ainai

Director of Development, 21 Laps Entertainment
21 Laps Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded and run by director-producer Shawn Levy. The company is best known as the producers of Deadpool & Wolverine, All the Light We Cannot See, Shadow and Bone, and Stranger Things. 

Saul Delcompare

Creative Executive, 1Community
Born and raised in Mexico, Saúl started his career as an assistant at Endeavor Content and worked in International TV sales and the indie film group. Additionally, he worked at CAA media finance group specializing in projects with LATINX attachments and projects from LATAM and Spain. 

Quincie Li

Literary Manager, Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment
Quincie Li is a literary manager at Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment, where she represents writers and directors in film and television. Her clients work across all genres at all of the major studios and streamers. She began her career as an assistant in the television literary department at ICM Partners and worked at Thruline Entertainment before joining Kaplan/Perrone. Quincie grew up in Orange County, California, and graduated from Vanderbilt University.

Marc Manus

Manager and Partner, Persist Ent
Marc Manus is a former award-winning photojournalist who attended USC film school before entering the field of artist representation.  His first job was with manager Cathryn Jaymes, who represented Academy Award-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino, among others. Over the last twenty years, Marc has held positions at various management companies including Zero Gravity (Netflix’s OZARK) and, most recently, World Builder Entertainment (DreamWorks Animation’s TROLLS franchise) as a founding partner. Now at Persistent, Marc continues to guide a select roster of creators from around the globe who have book, film and television projects at the major networks, streamers and studios. His credits as a producer include JOSIE, starring Sophie Turner, and the forthcoming horror-thriller DON’T MOVE, alongside Sam Raimi (EVIL DEAD) and Hammerstone Studios (BARBARIAN). 

Adrian Gonzalez

Manager, Yak Yak Mgmt
After graduating from the Radio-Television-Film program at The University of Texas at Austin, Adrian started as an intern at Culture Creative Entertainment and quickly worked his way up to EA, promoted to a literary coordinator, and then an agent at the agency. He was instrumental in developing the agency’s well regarded internship program, built a rapport with numerous execs across the industry, and has developed a passion for storytelling. Driven by his love for his clients and their material, he took a step back from the agent world and stepped into being a manager at Yak Yak MGMT; which has allowed him to immerse himself into the talent’s world and foster a community while redefining story telling for a global audience.

Cynthia Adarkwa

Screenwriter
Cynthia Adarkwa is a Ghanaian American TV writer and producer. She’s written for Legacies (CW), Saint X (Hulu) and the Forrest Whitaker starring Emperor of Ocean Park (MGM+). You’ll next see her work on Max’s upcoming medical series, The Pitt.

Prizes

PRIZES

Finalists will pitch to our jury of top writers and industry professionals.

The overall Grand Prize winner will receive a $500 prize, and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top Hollywood literary managers who are looking for talented emerging TV screenwriters.
Personal Introduction to industry professionals
$500 Cash
Finalist pitch to managers, screenwriters, and TV writers and producers

Runner-Up Prizes

FIRST RUNNER - UP

Project info and loglines will be circulated and recommended to our network of 150 Hollywood managers, agents, producers, and development executives.

FINALISTS

Finalists will have the exclusive opportunity to pitch live, over Zoom, to a panel of industry professionals.

SECOND  RUNNER-UP

Project info and loglines will be circulated and recommended to our network of 150 Hollywood managers, agents, producers, and development executives.

Previous Success Stories

See More Successes

Lizzie Perrin

Staffed on show for FOX

"I love storytelling; it helps me understand the world and myself. The organization genuinely seemed to care about helping emerging writers. I signed with my manager, Marc Manus, who was a judge in my [ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch] competition. I [also] recently was chosen for the Paramount Writers Mentoring Program. I'm so grateful and excited to make new connections and see what opportunities arise. "

LD Green

Signed with a literary manager

"I was a Finalist in [the Virtual Pitch Competition] that, and a few other contests too. But the Virtual Pitch contest helped hone my elevator pitch to an aerodynamic vessel. I pitched it to my agent about a month after the Finalist round contest (incorporating the feedback they gave me), and it really impressed her. She read my script and signed me about a month after that."

Dorie Chevlen

Signed with a literary manager

"Build yourself a supportive community. Writing is mostly a slog: it’s lonely, and frustrating, and the majority of the time you will fail at it. That’s just the nature of writing, and yes we do it because we love it, but it’s still quite difficult. Trying to enter the world of screenwriting as a journalist, I have had a lot of catching up to do and ScreenCraft has tremendously helped with that. From advice on what a query letter should look like to what I should include in my bio, I have found it hugely helpful to have the ScreenCraft team hold my hand through this early stage in my career. They facilitated introductions with development executives, agents, and managers that I would never have been able to secure on my own."

As Featured In

Virtual Pitch Articles

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Virtual Pitching Advice for Screenwriters

Virtual Pitching Advice for Screenwriters

January 11 | by Neha Dutta

Pitching is a crucial skillset for any screenwriter. A strong pitch is an effective and essential tool for a writer to provide a brief glimpse...

What You Can Learn from Watching 10 Writers Pitch on Zoom: ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Finale

What You Can Learn from Watching 10 Writers Pitch on Zoom: ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Finale

November 20 | by Shanee Edwards

Pitching your screenplay or TV show is an art unto itself. Not only must you know your story inside and out, express big conflict and...

5 Tips to Make Pitching Your Superpower

5 Tips to Make Pitching Your Superpower

February 10 | by Kyra Jones

Depending on who you ask, pitching is one of the most stressful parts of being a screenwriter. You spend months, sometimes even years of your...

Rules
Eligibility
Selection Criteria
Additional Legal
  1. 350-word pitch 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. There is no optional feedback option from a professional reader applicable to this competition. 
  4. All participants must first submit a written, typed pitch of no more than 350 words.  Your written pitch can include a brief description of characters, plot, themes, tone, writer background, comparable projects, etc. Any submission of more than 350 words will be disqualified from the competition. 
  5. Pitches should be for feature films, episodic series, or short film scripts only. 
  6. There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
  7. All semi-finalists will be required to submit a filmed video pitch of themselves, via a private link.
  8. Instructions for submission of video pitch will be sent only to Semifinalists. Only submissions with a filmed video pitch will be eligible to advance to the finals.
  9. Semifinalists will be selected from the written submissions. 
  10. Video submission guidelines for Semifinalists:  
    1. Video can be hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or any public-access video hosting platform.
    2. Video must be 3 minutes or less in total, including stop/start time and a brief introduction. We ask that the pitch itself be no more than 2 minutes, but if you go over by a few seconds you will not be automatically disqualified.
    3. There is no judging criteria based on video quality other than the clear ability to see/hear the writer(s).  Self-filmed pitches via your smartphone are fine. 
    4. No additional props, guests or support materials may be in the video, only the writer(s). 
    5. Writers should - and the judges will - consider this video pitch a rehearsal for pitching live. 
  11. The finalists will be invited to pitch live to the Panel of Judges, over Zoom.
  12. Finalists must be available for the Pitch Finals online event. Finalists who are not available for the event will be disqualified.  
  13. Winners will be selected and announced at the Finals Event .
  14. Pitch 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.
  15. All submitted material must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).
  16. 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). 
  17. If a writing team is chosen as a winner, both members of the writing team must be available to live-pitch at the Finals event. 
  18. It is recommended (but not required) that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress US Copyright Office before submitting to any competition.
  19. Contact info may be included on the pitch, however, it is not required.
  20. ScreenCraft claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remain with the original rights holder(s).
  21. 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.
  22. 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. ScreenCraft is not responsible for the failed delivery of any prize package by a juror, sponsor, or partner organization.
  23. ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
  24. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.
  1. The contest is open to entrants who will be 18 or older at the time of the winners’ announcement. However, a writer who has earned more than $50,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding year is not. (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. Material submitted to other competitions or contests may be submitted to this contest as well.
  4. Writers can submit a written pitch for a film or television project even if the script is not completed.
  5. Title page not required.
  6. Written material must be submitted electronically as a PDF or it will not be eligible.
  7. The Semifinalists will be invited to submit a simple video pitch. The video file cannot be uploaded and must be hosted on a free website such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc,  and easy to view with a single link. 
  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 will verify all eligibility requirements at the finalist stage of the competition and before distributing any prizes.
  10. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.

The winners will be chosen based on the following criteria: (i) originality, (ii) uniqueness and personality in voice in storytelling, (iii) characterization and (iv)overall professional presentation. 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 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.

  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 a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
  3. REFUND POLICY: All entries are non-refundable.
  4. SITE TERMS OF SERVICE. By entering this competition, the user agrees to all ScreenCraft Terms of Service 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 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).
  7. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.

THRILLS AND SCARES

The Haunting of Hill House
It
The Shining
Lovecraft Country
Scream
Get Out
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WRITER RECOMMENDED FEEDBACK

Joanne Bellew

I have just received very constructive and helpful feedback from ScreenCraft. A reader who had actually read the script properly. Very grateful! Thank you ScreenCraft.
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