Oct 272026
Manchester Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Penultimate (Oct 27): $60 short / $69–$79 TV / $95 feature / $109 long feature; final (Nov 24): $69 / $79–$89 / $99 / $119
4d left
Film festival screenplay competitions
8 screenplay and teleplay competitions run by film festivals, sorted by next deadline. Placing in a festival competition can come with things a stand-alone contest doesn't offer, such as a festival pass or a table read of your script, but each festival words its prizes differently. 5 list a prize (3 with cash), and 1 includes a festival pass for winners; the cards show the prize as the organizer describes it. 7 have confirmed upcoming dates; the rest are listed as TBA until their next cycle opens. Where the organizer has posted the festival dates, the card shows them (5 so far). For contests that aren't tied to a festival, see Feature screenplay contests.
All listings
Oct 292026
B!tchFest Film Festival & Screenplay Contest
Extended (Oct 29): $70 feature / $55 short / $60 TV pilot / $65 category entries (LGBTQIA+, female-driven, first-time, genre, stage play); final (Nov 17): $75 / $60 / $65 / $70
6d left
Oct 312026
Barnstorm Fest Screenplay Competition
Extended (Oct 31): $95 feature / $90 TV pilot or series / $90 short; last minute (Dec 1): $99 / $95 / $95; feedback included
8d left
Nov 62026
Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Extended tier (Nov 6): $110 pilot or short / $140 feature (students $90–$120)
14d left
Nov 132026
Cinequest Screenwriting Competition
Final tier (Nov 13): $85 short or half-hour teleplay / $90 one-hour teleplay / $100 feature
21d left
Nov 272026
New Hope Film Festival Script Competition
Late (Nov 27): $70 short / $85 pilot / $95 feature; extended (Dec 31): $80 / $95 / $105
35d left
Nov 302026
Sedona International Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Late (Nov 30): $75 feature or one-hour TV pilot / $65 short or half-hour pilot; extended (Dec 31): $85 / $75 (FilmFreeway standard fees)
38d left
TBA
Austin Film Festival Screenplay & Teleplay Competition
Feature: $60 early / $70 regular / $90 late; shorts & teleplays $50 / $60 / $75 (2026 cycle; 2027 dates and fees not yet posted)
Dates TBA