BlueCat Screenplay Competition

Contest · 2027Prestige 58/100Feedback included

Long-running screenplay comp. $3,000 cash for Feature and Short winners, plus a $2,000 Fellini Award for non-US writers.

Official site ↗

Deadlines & fees

EarlyNext deadline
21 Jul 2026America/Los_Angeles$65
Regular
18 Aug 2026America/Los_Angeles$75
Final
22 Sept 2026America/Los_Angeles$85
Late
10 Nov 2026America/Los_Angeles$95

Dates and fees checked against the official site 14 Jul 2026.

Entry categories

Feature
Feature · up to 125 pages
Feature screenplays, 65 to 125 pages.
Short
Short · up to 29 pages
Short scripts, 1 to 29 pages. Lower entry fee than Features.

Category	Early	Regular	Final	Late
Feature	$65	$75	$85	$95
Short	$30	$35	$40	$50

Key facts

Formats: Feature, Short
Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
Page limit: 125 pages
Required materials: PDF of the screenplay

Open internationally; scripts must be in English. Original work only, sole property of the applicant. Feature screenplays: 65 to 125 pages. Short screenplays: 1 to 29 pages. PDF format required. Scripts that have previously won any contest, competition, grant, lab, fellowship, mentorship, reading or award are not eligible. Excludes BlueCat judges, readers, and employees (past and present), and their immediate friends and families.

Prizes

Feature Screenplay Winner: $3,000 cash. Short Script Winner: $3,000 cash. Fellini Award (highest-placing non-US writer): $2,000 cash. All entrants receive free written analysis of their submission. Winners are introduced to over 400 literary managers and agents.

Judging

Every submission receives a full read and complimentary written analysis. Top scripts are selected for cash awards across Feature and Short categories. The Fellini Award is reserved for the highest-placing non-US writer.

The PreList verdict

BlueCat's founding promise is still its best argument: every single entry receives written feedback, included in the fee. Founded by screenwriter Gordy Hoffman, it is one of the few long-running contests that treats the also-rans as customers rather than fuel, and its resubmission pricing (enter a rewrite of the same script at a discount) actually encourages the redraft cycle most contests ignore.

The honest part: the feedback is one reader's notes, of variable depth, and BlueCat's laurel sits below the majors in industry weight. The prize money is modest against the big brands. If what you want is pure career signal per dollar, Nicholl or PAGE spend the same money harder.

Enter if you want a read with a guarantee attached: worst case, you paid US$65 to US$95 for professional notes and a lottery ticket on top. It is a particularly sensible first contest for a newer writer, and the short script track (US$25 to US$50) is one of the cheapest legitimate entries anywhere. Four deadlines remain for the 2027 competition, from early on 21 July to late on 10 November 2026.

Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 14 Jul 2026

Frequently asked questions

Does every BlueCat entry really get feedback?

Yes. Written feedback on every entry is included in the fee, and rewrites of the same script can be resubmitted at a discount (US$65 for features or US$30 for shorts by 10 November 2026).

What are the 2027 competition deadlines?

Early 21 July (US$65), regular 18 August (US$75), final 22 September (US$85) and late 10 November 2026 (US$95) for features. The short script track runs US$30 to US$50 across the same tiers.

Is BlueCat worth it compared with the bigger contests?

As a pure career signal, the majors carry more weight. As value for money, BlueCat is hard to beat: guaranteed professional notes plus contest consideration, which makes it a strong first contest for newer writers.