What closes soon.
Every dated deadline across the competitions, fellowships and labs we track, soonest first. Each entry is checked against the official site, and its directory page shows exactly when it was last verified. Fees shown are for the deadline listed; most rise at later deadlines.
July 2026
- ISA Fast Track Fellowship
Final deadline (Fall season) · $79
30 Jul 20261 day left
August 2026
- The Kay Mellor Fellowship
Application deadline (10am) · Free
1 Aug 20262 days left - Slamdance Screenplay Competition
Final · $95
3 Aug 20265 days left - BBC Writers: Pilot 2027/28
Application deadline (12 noon) · Free
4 Aug 20265 days left - CineStory Foundation Retreat and Fellowship
TV earlybird deadline · $50
9 Aug 202611 days left - BlueCat Screenplay Competition
Regular · $75
18 Aug 202620 days left - Shore Scripts Short Film Fund
Fall Season — Early · $39
20 Aug 20263 weeks out - Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards
Final · $59
20 Aug 20263 weeks out - Sundance Institute Episodic Storytelling Lab
Application deadline · $50
25 Aug 20264 weeks out - Shore Scripts Feature Screenplay Contest
Final · $79
28 Aug 20264 weeks out - Film Independent Screenwriting and Episodic Labs
Screenwriting Lab: non-member deadline · $65
31 Aug 20265 weeks out
September 2026
- Stowe Story Labs
Feature Campus and Writers Room deadline
2 Sept 20265 weeks out - Finish Line Script Competition
Regular · $58
5 Sept 20265 weeks out - Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Regular · $100
11 Sept 20266 weeks out - Film Independent Screenwriting and Episodic Labs
Screenwriting Lab: member extended deadline · $45
14 Sept 20267 weeks out - CineStory Foundation Retreat and Fellowship
TV regular deadline · $70
20 Sept 20268 weeks out - BlueCat Screenplay Competition
Final · $85
22 Sept 20268 weeks out - Shore Scripts Short Film Fund
Fall Season — Regular · $49
30 Sept 20269 weeks out
October 2026
- Scriptapalooza
TV — Early/Regular · $45
5 Oct 202610 weeks out - Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Late · $120
16 Oct 202611 weeks out - Scriptapalooza
TV — Final · $55
19 Oct 202612 weeks out - CineStory Foundation Retreat and Fellowship
TV late deadline · $80
25 Oct 202613 weeks out - Shore Scripts Short Film Fund
Fall Season — Final · $59
30 Oct 202613 weeks out
November 2026
- Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Extended · $140
6 Nov 202614 weeks out - Finish Line Script Competition
Latecomers · $58
7 Nov 202614 weeks out - BlueCat Screenplay Competition
Late · $95
10 Nov 202615 weeks out - CineStory Foundation Retreat and Fellowship
TV extended late deadline · $90
24 Nov 202617 weeks out
December 2026
- BBC Writers Open Call
Submissions close (window opens 3 November) · Free
1 Dec 202618 weeks out - CineStory Foundation Retreat and Fellowship
TV final deadline · $95
14 Dec 202620 weeks out - Finish Line Script Competition
Final Resubmissions Due
14 Dec 202620 weeks out
March 2027
- Euroscript Screen Story Competition
Final deadline (33rd competition) · £45
31 Mar 202735 weeks out
Rolling and between cycles
These do not publish a fixed deadline right now: some accept applications on a rolling basis, others are between cycles.
- 4ScreenwritingOpens soon
Channel 4 has confirmed that entries for the 2027 course open in September 2026. The last window ran 22 September to 6 October, closing at 5pm.
- AFF Script Competition: Austin Film FestivalClosed for this cycle
The 2026 script competitions closed early after reaching capacity. A 2027 opening date has not been announced.
- Athena Film Festival Writers LabClosed for this cycle
The 2025-26 cycle has closed and a new window has not been announced; windows usually open in late spring, and the site still shows the previous cycle.
- BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing CompetitionOpens soon
The 2026 TV Comedy call has not opened yet and key dates are to be announced. Early Bird pricing (£58) applies to entries before 9 August, £65 after, with a limited number of free bursary places (applications close 17 August).
- Disney Entertainment Television Writing ProgramClosed for this cycle
The 2027 programme window ran 4 May to 1 June 2026 and is closed. The next application window has not been announced.
- Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting ContestClosed for this cycle
Big Break 2026 is closed for submissions. Winners are announced in stages from late August to 18 December 2026.
- HollyShorts Screenplay ContestClosed for this cycle
Entries for the 2026 contest closed on 1 June (fees ran $40 to $75 by deadline). The last cycle opened in late August, so the 2027 window is likely to open around then.
- Humanitas New Voices FellowshipClosed for this cycle
The 2026 window ran 18 February to 6 April and has closed, with fellows announced in August 2026. The next cycle has not been announced.
- Inevitable Foundation Accelerate FellowshipClosed for this cycle
Applications for the 2026 cohort ran 28 May to 17 June and are now closed. The next window has not been announced.
- Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting CompetitionClosed for this cycle
The 2026 competition closed on 10 May and winners are announced at the festival in late September. No 2027 dates have been announced.
- NBCUniversal Launch TV Writers ProgramClosed for this cycle
The window for the January 2027 programme ran 1 to 21 June 2026 and is closed. No further window has been announced.
- NYC Midnight Screenwriting ChallengeClosed for this cycle
Registration for the 2026 challenge has closed, with final results due 29 July 2026. The next edition has not been dated.
- PAGE International Screenwriting AwardsClosed for this cycle
The 2026 contest is closed. Entries for the 2027 PAGE Awards open on 1 December.
- Paramount Writers Mentoring ProgramClosed for this cycle
The 2026 window ran 1 April to 1 May and is closed. The next window has not been announced.
- Screamfest Screenplay CompetitionClosed for this cycle
Screenplay entries for the 2026 festival closed on 15 June (fees ran $42 to $77 by deadline). The 2027 window has not been announced.
- Script Pipeline Screenwriting CompetitionClosed for this cycle
Entries for 2026 have closed. Finalists are announced on 3 August and the winner on 9 August 2026.
- Script Pipeline TV Writing CompetitionClosed for this cycle
Entries for 2026 have closed. Finalists are announced on 3 August and the winner on 9 August 2026.
- Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting AwardClosed for this cycle
The 2026 competition closed at noon Eastern on 1 July; the winner is announced in October. Entries typically reopen in late April.
- Sundance Institute Screenwriters LabClosed for this cycle
Applications for the January 2027 lab closed on 12 May 2026 (US$45 fee). The next Development Track window is expected to open in April 2027.
- The Writers LabClosed for this cycle
The 2026 window closed on 30 April and selections are notified by mid-August. The next cycle has not been dated.
- TrackingB Script ContestsClosed for this cycle
The 2026 TV contest closed on 9 March with results due by 30 August (fees ran $99 to $119). A 2026 feature cycle has not been announced; previous feature contests opened between April and June.
- Warner Bros. Discovery Access Writers ProgramClosed for this cycle
Applications for the 2027 cohort closed on 12 July 2026. Windows are announced on WBD Access's official social channels rather than the website.
Not sure which of these deserve your entry fee? Start with the free Contest Fit-Finder, or see what entering really costs in the cost of entry.