Finish Line Script Competition

Contest · 2026Prestige 52/100Feedback included

Writer-friendly development contest for features, shorts and pilots, with free redrafts and a US$10,000 prize.

Deadlines & fees

RegularNext deadline
5 Sept 2026America/Los_Angeles$58
Latecomers
7 Nov 2026America/Los_Angeles$58
Final Resubmissions Due
14 Dec 2026America/Los_Angeles

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

Key facts

Formats: Feature, TV Pilot, Short
Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
Required materials: Feature screenplay, short film script or TV pilot PDF (max 1.0 MB) · Completed online application · Front page showing the title only

Open to anyone writing in English from any country. Writers must not have earned more than US$50,000 as a working writer in the prior year. WGA members may enter if the material is not presently sold. Adaptations only of the writer's own book or play, or public domain. Submit with the title only on the front page (anonymous). PDF no larger than 1.0 MB.

Prizes

Grand Prize US$10,000 plus a year of consultation, meetings with 40-plus industry professionals, a filmed table read with Howard Fine acting students, a Script Hackr course and screenwriting software. First Runner-Up US$1,000; Second Runner-Up US$500.

Judging

Three readers score each entry. After quarterfinalists and semifinalists are named, writers may keep buying consultation notes until the final submission. A panel of three industry judges (producers, writers, agents, managers) selects the Grand Prize winner plus First and Second Runners-Up, independent of earlier readers.

The PreList verdict

Finish Line's premise is unique on this list: the contest is built around the rewrite. One flat US$58 fee buys entry plus the right to resubmit revised drafts of the same script free of charge all the way to mid-December, which turns the competition into a development deadline rather than a one-shot lottery. For writers who improve under pressure, that structure is worth more than the US$10,000 prize.

The honest part: it is a younger, smaller brand than the majors, so the laurel carries less independent weight, and the optional feedback packages (US$128 with notes, US$299 with a call) are where the economics tilt toward the organisers. The free resubmission only pays off if you actually do the rewrite.

Enter if you have a script that is close but not finished and a deadline would genuinely help you; nothing else in this directory rewards revision the same way. Skip it if your script is already locked, where a flat US$58 buys you more brand elsewhere. Regular submissions close on 5 September, latecomers on 7 November, and revised drafts are accepted until 14 December 2026.

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

Frequently asked questions

How does the free resubmission work?

The US$58 entry covers the original submission plus free resubmissions of revised drafts of the same script throughout the competition, until final resubmissions close on 14 December 2026.

What does entry cost?

A flat US$58 at every deadline tier. Optional feedback packages cost US$128 (six or more pages of notes) or US$299 (notes plus a 50 minute call with the founder).

What are the 2026 deadlines?

Regular submissions close on 5 September and latecomer entries on 7 November, with free resubmissions of revised drafts accepted until 14 December 2026.