Screenwriting contests 2026.
77 screenwriting contests open or opening soon — deadlines, entry fees, prizes and how well each one checks out. Every contest is marked, so you know which ones to look into before you pay.
- open or opening soon
- 77open or opening soon
- verified on the contest's own page
- 16verified on the contest's own page
- major contests returning in 2027
- 15major contests returning in 2027
Get all 77 contests, free.
- Every deadline, fee tier and prize
- Feedback add-ons, perks and eligibility
- The 15 big contests returning in 2027
The next deadlines.
The 15 soonest deadlines from today. The spreadsheet has all 77, with the later fee tiers, feedback add-ons, perks and eligibility for each.
| Contest | Deadline | Top prize | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstorm Fest Feature, pilot, short (per listing) | Sep 12, 2026 | $5,000 cash or $5,000 screenplay option (Grand Jury Prize) | Partly verified |
| Cinequest Screenwriting Competition (21st) 2026–27 Feature, short, teleplay (30/60 min); all lengths | Sep 13, 2026 | Grand Jury Prize: $5,000 cash or $5,000 option, winner's choice | Verified |
| Your Script Produced! Faith Based | Sep 13, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| Film Independent Screenwriting Lab | Sep 14, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| Stage 32 x Citizen Skull Global Feature Screenwriting Contest 2026 Feature | Sep 14, 2026 | Shopping/development and packaging deal with Citizen Skull plus $4,000 Career Accelerator package | Verified |
| Your Script Produced! 360 | Sep 14, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| Scriptwriters Network High Concept Screenplay Program | Sep 15, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| Scriptwriters Network Hollywood Outreach Program (HOP) | Sep 15, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| Scriptwriters Network Television Outreach Program (TOP) | Sep 15, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition Feature (70–120 pp); TV pilot (up to 70 pp) | Sep 17, 2026 | $15,000 Grand Prize on top of Top 10 award | Verified |
| Hollywood Genre Comedy Screenplay Contest | Sep 19, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| 100 Voices Grants | Sep 20, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| BlueCat Screenplay Competition 2027 Feature (65–125 pp); Short (1–29 pp) | Sep 22, 2026 | $3,000 Feature; $3,000 Short; $2,000 Fellini Award (non-US writer) | Verified |
| Oxford Script Awards | Sep 22, 2026 | Not published | Listing only |
| Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest (2027 cycle) Feature (80–120 pp) | Sep 25, 2026 | $25,000 Grand Prize; $1,000 each finalist | Verified |
+ 60 more upcoming and 1 with a date still to be announced in the spreadsheet.
How every contest was checked.
Fees and dates read from the contest's own page. 16 contests.
A mix of official and aggregator data. 6 contests.
A deadline from an aggregator listing and nothing else confirmed. 55 contests — open the source link before you pay.
Left out on purpose: monthly award mills — high-volume festivals that hand out laurels every month and carry no industry signal. A few “showcase” contests that share an organizer are included, but deserve a track-record check before you enter.
The big names return in 2027.
September is off-peak. These closed between May and August 2026; most reopen between January and June 2027. Use the gap to get a draft ready.
- Academy Nicholl Fellowships~June 2027
- Austin Film Festival Screenplay & Teleplay~March 2027
- PAGE International Screenwriting AwardsJan 15 2027
- Final Draft Big Break~March 2027
- Slamdance Screenplay Competition~March 2027 (opened Mar 18 2026)
- Shore Scripts Feature Contest~Spring 2027
- Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting~January 2027 (opened Dec 5 2025 last cycle)
- Write LAFall 2026 or early 2027 (unconfirmed)
- CineStory Feature Retreat & Fellowship~February 2027
- WriteMovies Spring 2026Fall 2026 cycle is open now (see Open tab)
- ScreenCraft Feature Competition~Spring 2027
- ScreenCraft Drama Competition2027
- Launch Pad Competitions (Feature / Pilot / Prose)Not published
- Sundance Institute Screenwriters LabVaries
- Coverfly (platform)n/a
Questions about screenwriting contests.
Which screenwriting contests are open right now?
As of Sep 9, 2026, 77 contests are open or opening soon. The table on this page lists the next deadlines; the free spreadsheet has every one, with fees, prizes, perks and eligibility.
When do the big screenwriting contests open?
September is off-peak. The Nicholl, Austin, PAGE, Final Draft Big Break and most of the other well-known contests closed between May and August 2026 and are expected to reopen between January and June 2027. The list further down this page shows each one's expected reopening.
How much does it cost to enter a screenwriting contest?
Most charge an entry fee that rises as the deadline approaches, usually in tiers — early, regular, late and final. Enter at an early tier when you can. The spreadsheet lists the fee at each contest's next deadline and the later tiers where they are published.
How do I know a screenwriting contest is legitimate?
Check the contest's own page before you pay. Every contest in this list is marked by how well it checks out: verified against the official page, partly verified, or found on an aggregator listing only. We also left out monthly award mills — high-volume festivals with no industry signal.
Is this list free?
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