How to Decide Which Screenwriting Contests to Submit To

If you’re ready to submit your feature film screenplay or TV pilot script to screenwriting competitions, here’s how to determine which labs, fellowships, and contests would be a good fit.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of screenwriting competitions, labs, and fellowships out there — so how do you decide which ones are worth your time and money?

1. Alignment with your goals

First, take a few minutes to jot down your main goals. What are you hoping to get out of the contests you submit to? Here are some examples:

• Industry connections

• Prestige

• Workshopping your script

• Pitching your project

• Learning how to pitch

• One-on-one meetings with industry members

• Getting your script read by industry members

• Learning about the industry

• Participating in a mock writers’ room

• Monetary prize

• Connections with fellow writers

• Direct opportunity to be hired as a staff writer or support staff

• Connections with agents and managers

• Building a budget for your project

• Selling your script

• Getting a script deal for a future script

• Space, time, and/or money to write your script

• Individualized attention from the program organizers

• Written feedback on your script from readers

• Attending exclusive industry mixers

Your goals will determine which competitions you put your time, energy, and money toward. For example, if you want direct hiring opportunities, those are usually provided by studios and networks such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Warner Bros., etc. If you want to workshop your screenplay, consider some of the Sundance labs that focus primarily on workshopping; meanwhile, if you’re looking for a monetary prize, you might look at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships.

As for our programs, the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator and Moonshot Feature Accelerator, benefits include one-on-one pitch meetings with studios, streamers, production companies, agents, managers, and producers; crafting, honing, and polishing your pitch with feedback from a development exec, a showrunner or feature writer who’s successfully pitched, and a speech coach; industry Q&As with an agent, a manager, and an entertainment lawyer; participating in a mock writers’ room as part of the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator; getting your script read by industry experts; connections with fellow writers and more. (Read more about what you can get out of our accelerators on our blog!)

2. Alignment with your project

Each lab, fellowship, or competition has its own goals, focus, and priorities. To best make use of your submission budget, try to focus on programs that feel like “slam dunks” for you and your project — and skip the ones that feel like a stretch. Look for programs that seem as if they were made for you, where your script checks all the boxes.

On the other hand, if you feel like you have to twist yourself into a pretzel to explain why your project is a good fit, it’s better to spend your money elsewhere. For example, you might not want to submit to a competition for horror films if you have a family drama with one mildly scary scene. You might squint at it and think that it could work in a certain light, but if you’re honest with yourself, is it really what the competition is looking for?

3. Trust in the organization

Make sure that you trust the organizers of any competition you’re submitting to. Is this a legitimate, trusted company or organization? Do you believe they’ll follow through on what they’re promising? Are you happy with their level of transparency about the application process? Do they have good ratings and reviews from past fellows? Who is associated with the program (i.e. well-known companies hearing pitches, workshop guests that have actual industry experience, successful writers or reputable agents/managers serving on the judging panel, etc.)?

If you have screenwriter friends who have placed in any competitions, a great place to start is to ask them about their experience! If not, do your research; most contests have FAQs you can peruse, and potentially even live Q&As or office hours where you can meet their team.

4. Budget

Once you have a general list of the programs you’re interested in applying to, prioritize how you should spend your limited budget. Which contests are super aligned with your career goals, a “slam dunk” in terms of alignment with your project, and reputable to boot?

Remember that even for the most talented writer, it’s difficult to get an acceptance, as so many writers are applying for the same opportunities. A “slam dunk” in terms of alignment may also be a reach in terms of your odds, just because of how competitive it is. And the more well-known and prestigious a fellowship is, the more competitive it will be. If it’s free, it doesn’t hurt to submit as long as you have the time — but it also means that the application pool will be larger. Try to give yourself a healthy mix of the giant, uber-recognizable contests plus smaller, grassroots competitions run by trusted organizations.

Make a calendar so that you submit by each program’s early deadline, since that’s the lowest-cost way to submit and your money will stretch a lot farther.

Best of luck with your applications!