By: Sarah Chaisson-Warner
Winning or placing in screenplay contests can be an effective strategy for getting noticed by industry insiders and breaking into the film industry. But not all screenplay contests are created equal, and pursuing this route can be an expensive and unfruitful endeavor if you’re not strategic about where you submit your script.
To help support your screenwriting journey, we compiled this list of the best screenplay contests to enter in 2026.
But before we get to the Top 5, let’s first look at the factors we considered in developing this list, and identifying which contests qualify as “the best!”
The list below takes into account several factors:
1. Prize packages: We looked at the depth and breadth of the prize packages. Does the contest offer at least three of the most valuable and sought-after prizes – cash, writer development, and access to industry professionals? Similarly, does the contest have prizes for writers who place, but do not win the Grand Prize?
2. History of success: We considered how successful the contest has been in helping writers meet goals. Does the contest have a consistent and solid history of helping writers get repped, get staffed, or sell their scripts?
3. Transparency: We looked at how much information the contest provides about the judging process. Do they have clear guidelines for entry? Is the judging process clear as well?
4. Judges’ credentials: We considered the role of the judges’ panel. Are the judges who make the final decisions respected members of the filmmaking community? Are they writers, directors, and producers in their own right? Do they have a solid body of work behind them?
5. Feedback: We also looked at what kind of feedback the contest provides. Does the contest offer opportunities for feedback on your script (either included in the entry fee or for an additional cost?)
Taking into account the above criteria, we offer the following as our Top 5 Best Screenplay Contests to enter in 2026:
SHORE SCRIPTS
Overview: We couldn’t list the Top 5 best screenplay contests without mentioning our own! Our Feature Contest has a proven track record of helping emerging writers achieve their goals of becoming full-time working screenwriters.
Prizes: The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, mentorship with a Marvel filmmaker, development with our writer development manager, script circulation to our Industry Roster, industry mentorship, and guaranteed meetings.
The Second Place Winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, will work with our Writer Development Manager, script circulation to our Industry Roster, Industry Mentorship and guaranteed meetings.
The Third Place Winner will receive a $500 cash prize, will work with our Writer Development Manager, and have script circulation to our Industry Roster.
All Winners & 10 Finalists will also receive 1:1 support from our Writer Development Manager. Unlike most contests, Shore Scripts carefully formulates a plan of action for every feature screenplay we send out. We start with the writer. We have a call with each winner, finalist, and even some semi-finalists to ascertain what they want for their project and their careers moving forward. This enables us to thoughtfully get you and your work in front of the right industry movers and shakers who are interested in the stories YOU want to tell!
This includes sending scripts to our Industry Roster (which includes over 300 Managers, Agents, Producers, and Directors) whose films and TV Shows have grossed billions of dollars and won numerous awards.
Successes: Through our Feature contest, writers have gained representation, had their projects produced with A-list actors, and gone on to write for Blumhouse, Netflix, Paramount, Film4, NBC, Hulu, & many others. Most recently, Mrs&MrThomas’ winning feature screenplay, THE ASSESSMENT was released earlier this year and starred Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen.
Judges: Our list of judges can be found here. Our judges are writers, directors, producers, and agents, and are looking for fresh, new talent.
Feedback and next deadline: The 2026 contest is now open! All entries receive short feedback detailing what is working and what could be improved in the script. Additional coverage options are available with purchase.
ZOETROPE
Overview: The mission of the American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition is to find and promote new and innovative voices in cinema. The competition considers feature-length film scripts, as well as pilot scripts for television/streaming services. Every script is read closely by a select handful of professional readers, and the American Zoetrope staff and Francis Ford Coppola choose a winner from among the ten finalists.
Prizes: The winner receives a grand prize of $5,000. The winner and nine finalists are considered for representation by several high-profile agencies, including CAA, Circle of Confusion, Energy Entertainment, Exile Entertainment, the Gersh Agency, ICM, Oasis Media Group, the Radmin Company, UTA, and William Morris Endeavor. Their scripts will be considered for option and development by the production companies including American Zoetrope, Anonymous Content, Array, Cats & Dogs Productions, and more.
Judges: A handful of American Zoetrope staff and paid professional readers, who are bound by confidentiality agreements, read the scripts. The American Zoetrope staff and Francis Coppola select the winner from 10 finalists.
Next deadline and feedback: The early deadline is July 15 and the contest closes on September 9. Unfortunately, they are unable to provide notes, coverage, or feedback to entrants. The purpose of the competition is to introduce new writers to industry professionals and thereby help launch or further careers in the industry.
SLAMDANCE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Overview: The Slamdance Screenplay Competition is dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging screenwriters. Since 1997, the competition has established a strong track record for introducing writers to members of the entertainment industry who have gone on to produce, option, and represent submitted work.
Prizes: The Grand Prize winner receives $10,000 in cash, but they also have winners in the Feature, Horror/Thriller, TV Pilot, and Shorts categories that receive $2,000 in cash. The top three screenwriters in each category receive prize packages that include Festival Passes good for all screenings and parties at the Slamdance Film Festival. Additionally, all submitted scripts are eligible for the Mentorship Award, which is an opportunity for one-on-one script development with a small group of professional advisors.
Successes: Recent success stories include Brian Schwab’s 2023 script “Purgatory” which just wrapped production in Wales. Slamdance’s 2018 Grand Prize-winning horror feature Day Shift was released in 2022 as a Netflix original film starring Jamie Foxx. Day Shift became the most watched film in the world during the third week of August 2022. Recent winners Neil Ferron and Jessica Sinyard found representation and management directly through their involvement with the competition.
Judges: Judges for Slamdance aren’t published, but they do note they use a series of readers to evaluate entries.
Feedback and next deadline: The contest opens on March 18 and closes on August 3 for submissions. Every entrant receives short feedback from one of their readers. It includes a genre suggestion, a logline, and a paragraph outlining the strengths and weaknesses of your screenplay. If you would like more extensive feedback, you can add-on the additional full coverage report.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE FEATURE FILM PROGRAM
Overview: The Sundance Institute Feature Film Program has championed leading independent filmmakers from the past 40 years whose distinctive films have engaged audiences worldwide. The Institute’s guiding values of risk-taking, community, and freedom of expression have broadened the FFP to include American and international artists in a more meaningful and vibrant dialogue across cultural, political, and geographic boundaries. For years, the program has provided year-round support to the next generation of filmmakers from development through distribution, becoming a global model for supporting artists everywhere.
Prizes: The Development Track application is open to emerging artists with a work-in-progress fiction feature screenplay to be considered for our Screenwriters Lab or Intensive, as well as program fellowships and grants. The Directors Lab gives eight first-time fiction feature directors the chance to workshop scenes under the guidance of experienced creative advisors, and is followed by a Screenwriters Lab that allows them to further advance their screenplays.
Next deadline and feedback: The Development Track application is open annually in mid-April, with a mid-May deadline, for the following year’s January Screenwriters Lab and Screenwriters Intensive. The application can be accessed at apply.sundance.org.
THE PAGE INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITING AWARDS
Overview: The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards competition was founded in the fall of 2003 to discover the most exciting new scripts by up-and-coming writers from across the country and around the world and introduce them to Hollywood executives.
Prizes: In the Final Round of competition, out of all the Finalists in all ten genre categories, the Judges will select the Grand Prize Winner. The winning writer will receive $25,000 Cash, free tuition to a Nostos Screenwriting Retreat in beautiful Tuscany, Italy, and a host of other great prizes. Gold Prize winners receive $1,000 in cash and promotional services from Inktip, Roadmap, and more. Silver prize winners and bronze winners receive $500 cash and $250 cash respectively, along with promotional services.
If you win one of the awards, a press release introducing you and your script will be sent to their list of industry contacts, including over 5,000 Hollywood agents, managers, producers, and executives. Any and all inquiries from this media blitz will be sent directly to you or your designated representative, so you will have the opportunity to communicate with these industry execs directly.
Successes: Over the past 20 years, the PAGE Awards competition has earned a reputation for discovering and promoting some of the most talented new screenwriters from across the country and around the world, and since receiving their Awards many of their winning writers are now building highly successful careers in the industry.
Judges: Your script is judged anonymously. When you enter the contest your script will be assigned a number, and the Judges will identify your entry by title and number only. Most importantly, in each round of competition their Judges are assigned scripts based on their personal interests and expertise, so your screenplay will always be evaluated by people who truly understand and appreciate the type of material you’ve written.
Next deadline and feedback: The 2026 deadline is April 15. PAGE allows for multiple reads by different judges. If you’d like to have your script reviewed by more than one Judge in the first round of competition, you may submit your script in up to two additional categories and have up to two additional Judges read your script for $20 each. Script feedback is also available for an additional cost.
We hope this list has been helpful and informative! And of course, if you have questions about the Shore Scripts Feature Contest, please reach out to our team: contact@shorescripts.com.
