ISA Diversity Initiative
Contest · 2026Prestige 48/100
Free to enter and open worldwide, but there is no cash at all and the checkout sells notes up to 799 dollars.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 season closed on 19 March 2026, with no time of day or timezone published, and selected writers announced on 19 June. The pattern is consistent: a mid-March deadline every year, falling between the 14th and 19th, free every year, and three selections every year, with announcements in mid-to-late June. The 2025 season is confirmed to have run but its deadline could not be evidenced from any archived source.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature, TV Pilot
- Eligibility
- Open worldwide
- Required materials
- A screenplay as a PDF in standard spec format, 12-point Courier · A logline (a synopsis is not required) · A title page carrying your title, name, telephone number and email address · No name or contact information inside the body of the script
Open to writers from all countries, though scripts must be submitted in English and any fees paid in US dollars. The identity language is aspirational rather than a gate: ISA states it is seeking writers with unique perspectives based on race, sexuality, gender, neurodiversity, disability, economic inequality, age and other characteristics, but no proof, declaration or eligibility rule restricts entry by identity. Writers under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission. Features and television, in effectively all genres. Scripts that have been sold, produced for profit or are currently under option are ineligible, as are shorts, web series, novels, short stories, stage plays, musicals, treatments, synopses, reality concepts, documentaries and specs of existing series. Going over length is not disqualifying. Standard spec format in 12-point Courier, with the title page carrying your name and contact details but no name or contact information inside the body. You may enter as many scripts as you like, though only one script per writer can be selected.
Prizes
THERE IS NO CASH. Not one dollar of prize money is published for this season, and every listed benefit is either credit toward ISA's own services or a third-party membership: Development Slate consideration, a career consultation with ISA's VP of Development, a twelve-month ISAConnect membership, a logline review, a JHRTS membership and three months of iPitch.tv, plus consideration for option from the two sponsor production companies. Three writers are selected. No transfer, substitution or cash equivalent for prizes is allowed, and the ISAConnect membership must be used within 90 days and cannot be combined with an existing free membership. THE UPSELL LADDER RUNS FROM 29 TO 799 DOLLARS, sold at the bottom of the submission form across six tiers: notes on your first 20 pages at 29, full script notes at 49, deep dive notes at 75, a development evaluation at 129, an executive level evaluation at 499 and an accelerator at 799. Script notes are separate from contest judging, turnaround is within 45 days, and there are no refunds after 24 hours. RIGHTS: writers retain their rights and may submit elsewhere, with no first refusal or exclusivity. But entrants accept an explicit waiver of any claim that ISA, its staff or judges may have misappropriated ideas or portions of the submission, and submitting enrols your email in the ISA newsletter.
Judging
The 2026 season judges are named: Mark Maley of Big Swell Entertainment, Desa Larkin-Boutte, Randall Keenan Winston, Gabrielle Utsey, Katie Zdankus and Karyn Smith-Forge of This Radicle Act, alongside ISA's Felicity Wren, Max Timm and Jeffrey Ryan Morales, with Madeline Di Nonno of the Geena Davis Institute leading the second-round seminar. Sponsors are Creative Cypher and Creative Screenwriter Productions. All meetings and consultations are virtual. Two internal contradictions worth knowing: ISA's FAQ gives a 2 dollar per page surcharge over 120 pages while its rules say 1 dollar, and the FAQ gives a 10 to 70 page range for pilots while the rules say up to 70.
The PreList verdict
It is genuinely free at every tier, it is open to writers from all countries rather than the United States only, and three writers each year get real access: Development Slate consideration, a career consultation with ISA's VP of Development, and option consideration from two sponsor production companies. The 2026 judging panel is published by name, which is more than most free contests manage.
The honest part is that there is no cash. Not a dollar. Every single benefit is either credit toward ISA's own services or a membership of something, and the rules explicitly forbid any cash equivalent. If you enter expecting prize money you have misread the offer, and the ISAConnect membership expires in 90 days and cannot be stacked on an existing free one.
The other thing to see clearly is the checkout. A free entry sits directly in front of a six-tier notes ladder running from 29 dollars to 799, a spread of nearly thirty times, sold at the bottom of the submission form. ISA is upfront that script notes are separate from judging, and there are no refunds after 24 hours. Entering also enrols you in their newsletter and requires you to accept a waiver of any claim that ISA, its staff or judges may have misappropriated your ideas, which is common in this corner of the industry but worth reading before you agree to it. Enter for free, take the access if you win it, and treat the upsell ladder as entirely optional.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is there any prize money?
No, none at all. Every benefit is either credit toward ISA's own services or a third-party membership: Development Slate consideration, a career consultation, a twelve-month ISAConnect membership, a logline review, a JHRTS membership and iPitch.tv access. The rules forbid any cash equivalent.
Can I enter from outside the United States?
Yes. ISA states that writers from all countries are welcome to apply, though scripts must be in English and any fees paid in US dollars. There is no identity gate either: the diversity language is aspirational, with no proof or declaration required.
What are the paid add-ons?
Six tiers sold at the bottom of the submission form, from 29 dollars for notes on your first 20 pages up to 799 for an accelerator, with full script notes at 49, deep dive at 75, a development evaluation at 129 and an executive evaluation at 499. Notes are separate from judging and there are no refunds after 24 hours.
Do I keep my rights?
Yes. Writers retain the rights to their screenplay and may submit it anywhere else. But entering means accepting a waiver of any claim that ISA, its staff or judges misappropriated your ideas, and your email is added to the ISA newsletter.
Is your script right for ISA Diversity Initiative?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this contest: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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