NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge

Contest · 2026Prestige 42/100Feedback included

Global prompt-based contest: short screenplays against tight deadlines over three rounds, with feedback on every entry.

Deadlines & fees

Closed for this cycle

Registration for the 2026 challenge has closed, with final results due 29 July 2026. The next edition has not been dated.

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

Key facts

Formats: 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: 10 pages
Required materials: Original short screenplay PDF within the round's page limit · Submitted via the NYC Midnight portal during the assigned window

Open to screenwriters worldwide. Writers are placed in randomly assigned groups and given a genre, subject and character prompt each round, and retain all rights to their work.

Prizes

Over US$14,000 in total cash and prizes, with US$5,000 to first place, plus screenwriting software and an industry consultation in the prize package.

Judging

Three rounds: Round 1 (8 days, up to 10 pages), Round 2 (3 days, up to 7 pages) for the top five per group, and a Final Round (24 hours, up to 5 pages) for the top three per group. Judges provide written feedback on every submission; a peer review forum is also available.