Galway Film Fleadh Pitching Competition

Eligibility and project requirements

Open to screenwriters at any stage of their career, with the Fleadh stating plainly that no experience is required. Feature-length projects only, in any genre of drama, documentary or animation. All that is required is a 500-word written pitch of your project from beginning to end, with no cliffhangers; no script is submitted. Finalists must be available to attend the pitch event in Galway in person. Note that no residency or nationality requirement is published on any of the Fleadh's pages, so while the competition appears to be open internationally, that is an inference rather than a stated rule. No age gate, entry cap or produced-writer restriction is published either.

Formats

Feature

Deadlines & fees

Dates and fees checked against the official site 10 Aug 2026. That is longer ago than we aim for; confirm on the official site before entering.

Prepare your entry

Prizes

3,000 euro in cash to a single winner, sponsored by Wild Atlantic Pictures and announced at the Film Fleadh Awards Ceremony. No runner-up prizes are published. Nothing published restricts how the money is used. No development deal, mentorship or feedback is contractually attached to placing. Finalists must attend the pitch event in Galway in person and no travel or accommodation support is published, so that is an unpriced cost on the finalist. The event itself is free to attend, though registration is required. RIGHTS: nothing is published. The only terms and conditions on the Fleadh's site govern its film-rental streaming platform and say nothing about competition entries, so no option, first refusal or assignment clause exists on any page, though absence of published terms is not the same as absence of terms.

Judging

The 2026 panel was David Pope, a script consultant who designs and delivers programmes for Stowe Story Labs and advises at IFFR Pro, Sarah Cleary, Senior Development Executive at Wild Atlantic Pictures, and Síle Culley, an independent audience designer who advises Film i Väst, the Nederlands Film Fonds, VAF and the Estonian Film Institute. Judges are published per cycle. Ten finalists are selected and pitch for 90 seconds each. No feedback is offered or mentioned anywhere. The Fleadh cites downstream outcomes including films produced such as Deadly Cuts and My Brothers, Screen Ireland development funding, broadcaster options, and a 2024 winner invited to Stowe Story Labs.

Frequently asked questions