Script Pipeline Pitch Contest
Contest · 2026Prestige 56/100
Pitches only, no screenplay accepted. Two and a half thousand dollars and development on a script you have not written.
Deadlines & fees
- Special entryPassed25 Feb 2026America/Los_Angeles$35
- Early deadlinePassed20 Apr 2026America/Los_Angeles$40
- Regular deadlinePassed15 Jun 2026America/Los_Angeles$45
- Late deadlinePassed30 Jun 2026America/Los_Angeles$50
- Extended deadlinePassed15 Jul 2026America/Los_Angeles$55
Closed for this cycle
The spring and summer 2026 cycle ran from 3 February to 15 July 2026 at 11:59pm Pacific, across five tiers: special entry on 25 February at 35 dollars, early on 20 April at 40, regular on 15 June at 45, late on 30 June at 50 and extended on 15 July at 55. Results are due on or after 20 August 2026. Joining the Script Pipeline mailing list takes 5 dollars off an entry. Bi-annual here means twice a year rather than every two years, and the pattern is stable: both cycles have run in each of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. No dates for the autumn and winter 2026 cycle have been published.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature, TV Pilot
- Eligibility
- Open worldwide18+
- Required materials
- A full story synopsis and logline at minimum, ranging from a page to a full treatment or pitch deck · A writing sample of three to five script pages, highly preferred but not required · No full-length screenplays: pitches only
Open to anyone worldwide aged 18 or over at the time of entry. Pitches only: do not send full-length screenplays. You must submit a full story synopsis and logline at minimum, ranging from a page to a full treatment or pitch deck, and a writing sample of three to five script pages is highly preferred though not required. Any genre including animation, but the pitch must be for a scripted film or television series: no reality or documentary ideas, and no AI-written material. Book adaptations are redirected to Book Pipeline. Pitches previously produced as a feature or television series are ineligible, as are those under option or an exclusive shopping agreement. No director, producer or production company attachment is required. Excluded: Pipeline employees, affiliates and their families; previous winners and finalists since 2025 across the Screenwriting, TV Writing, First Look Project and Pitch contests; and, in a clause worth noting because it is undefined and discretionary, well-established professional writers for scripted film and television as defined by Pipeline.
Prizes
2,500 US dollars to a single grand prize winner, as an outright prize with no repayment, loan or recoupment clause published anywhere. Alongside the cash: extensive development and assistance in completing a screenplay or pilot, long-term script circulation to industry with continuing guidance, mentorship from Pipeline executives on both the selected project and future scripts, review of additional pitches and completed film or television material for industry consideration, and invitations to private events hosted by Symposium. RIGHTS ARE EXPLICITLY DISCLAIMED: all writers retain the rights to their pitch and script, and you retain all rights to any creative materials submitted. No option, first refusal, exclusivity, profit participation, copyright share or premiere obligation appears anywhere, and Pipeline states that scripts will not circulate without the writer's explicit consent.
Judging
Judged by Pipeline's in-house creative executives, none of whom are named. Written feedback is not included, though entrants may add general one-page notes as an optional service during registration at a reduced rate, with turnaround of six to eight weeks depending on volume; the price of those notes is not published anywhere. Scripts are not circulated without the writer's explicit consent. Keep this contest distinct from Script Pipeline's Screenwriting Contest and TV Writing Contest, from its First Look Project, and from Film Pipeline's Short Script Contest, all of which are separate entries.
The PreList verdict
A contest for people who have the idea but not the script, which is genuinely rare. You submit a synopsis and logline, anything from a page to a full pitch deck, and full screenplays are explicitly not accepted. The winner takes 2,500 dollars plus something more useful than the cash: extensive development help actually writing the thing, long-term circulation to industry, and ongoing mentorship from Pipeline executives on this project and future ones. If you have five ideas and no finished draft, this is a sensible 35 to 55 dollars.
The rights position is among the best in the directory and stated twice: all writers retain the rights to their pitch and script, nothing is optioned, and Pipeline commits not to circulate anything without your explicit consent. No attachment of any kind is needed, so a writer applies entirely alone.
Two things to watch. Feedback is not included and costs extra as an optional add-on at registration, and Pipeline does not publish what that costs anywhere, which is unhelpful when you are deciding at checkout. And there is an eligibility clause worth reading before you pay: alongside the ordinary exclusions, the rules bar well-established professional writers for scripted film and television, as defined by Pipeline. That definition is not published, so it is a discretionary door. Note also that bi-annual here means twice a year, not every two years, so a missed cycle is a six-month wait rather than an eighteen-month one.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a finished screenplay?
No, and you must not send one. This is pitches only. You submit a full story synopsis and logline at minimum, which can be anything from a page to a full treatment or pitch deck, with a writing sample of three to five script pages highly preferred but not required.
Do I keep my rights?
Yes, and Pipeline says so twice. All writers retain the rights to their pitch and script, and you retain all rights to any creative materials submitted. There is no option, first refusal, exclusivity or copyright share, and scripts are not circulated without your explicit consent.
How often does it run?
Twice a year. Bi-annual here means two cycles annually rather than one every two years, and both cycles have run in each of the last four years. A missed deadline is a six-month wait rather than a full year.
Is there anything odd in the eligibility?
One clause worth knowing. Alongside the usual exclusions for staff and recent winners, the rules bar well-established professional writers for scripted film and television, as defined by Pipeline. That definition is not published, making it a discretionary exclusion.
Is your script right for Script Pipeline Pitch Contest?
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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