Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest
Contest · 2026Prestige 65/100Feedback included
24th annual screenwriting competition. $20,000 to the winner, $1,000 to each finalist, ongoing mentorship and industry circulation.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 contest (the 24th annual) closed on 31 May 2026 and no 2027 dates have been published. Across every cycle we could evidence, 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2026, the ladder has been strikingly stable: a Special Entry tier opens the preceding September, pre-registration closes at the end of December, an early tier lands in early March, and the regular deadline has fallen on 1 May with a late tier on 15 May in all four years. Results run through July into early August. On that pattern the 2027 contest would be expected to open around September 2026, but nothing is published yet, so confirm on the official site. Note the contest was renamed from Competition to Contest between 2024 and 2025, so older links may fail.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 10 Aug 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
- Page limit
- 120 pages
- Required materials
- PDF of the screenplay (80 to 120 pages)
Entrants must be 18 or older. Screenplays must be 80 to 120 pages, preferably. Scripts cannot have been fully produced. Previously selected winners and finalists from the past two years (since 2024) are not eligible.
Prizes
Grand Prize Winner: $20,000 cash, ongoing one-to-one development, long-term mentorship, career guidance, and circulation to Script Pipeline's industry roster of executives, managers, and production companies. Finalists: $1,000 cash each, additional feedback, and consideration for industry circulation. Quarterfinalists: additional feedback, a re-review opportunity, and CineStory mentorship.
Judging
Multi-round judging. All finalists and quarterfinalists receive additional written feedback. Winners and finalists are introduced to Script Pipeline's industry roster of executives, managers, and production companies.
The PreList verdict
Script Pipeline's pitch is what happens after the announcement. The company works with its winners long after the cheque clears: development notes, industry circulation and introductions that have produced a genuinely strong track record of spec sales and careers, which is rare in a field where most contests end at the press release.
The honest part: the value is concentrated at the very top. One winner takes US$20,000 and the sustained attention; five finalists take US$1,000 each; everyone else takes a laurel. There is no feedback with a standard entry, and fees are only published inside the entry window, which makes cost planning harder than it should be.
Enter if your feature is high-concept and marketable, because that is what their development team hunts for and what their buyer network responds to. Skip it if your script is a quiet character piece or needs notes first. The 2026 competition closed on 31 May; finalists are announced on 3 August and the winner on 9 August.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 7 Sept 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Competition open?
No. The 2026 competition closed on 31 May. Finalists are announced on 3 August and the winner on 9 August 2026, and the next cycle has not yet been dated.
What does the winner receive?
US$20,000, plus long-term development support and circulation to Script Pipeline's industry network. Five finalists receive US$1,000 each.
Does Script Pipeline also run a TV contest?
Yes, a separate TV Writing Competition for original pilots runs on the same calendar. It is listed separately in this directory.
Is your script right for Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this contest: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
Similar competitions
All contests
Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 contest (the 19th annual) closed on 31 May 2026 and no 2027 dates have been published. It has shared its deadline ladder with the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest in every year we could evidence: a Special Entry tier the preceding September, pre-registration at the end of December, an early tier in early March, regular on 1 May and late on 15 May. Results run July into early August. On that pattern the 2027 contest would be expected to open around September 2026, but nothing is published yet. Note the contest was renamed from Competition to Contest between 2024 and 2025, so older links may fail. Original pilots only: specs of existing shows are not accepted.
19th annual TV writing competition. $20,000 to the winner, $1,000 to each finalist, ongoing mentorship and industry circulation.
TV PilotActionAdventure+18
Checked 29 days ago
Scriptapalooza
Contest · 2026
5 Oct 2026
Long-running open-to-all contest spanning feature, TV, short and a fellowship, with a year of industry promotion.
FeatureTV PilotShortActionAdventure+18
Checked 29 days ago
Shore Scripts Feature Screenplay Contest
Contest · 2026
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 contest closed with the final deadline on 28 August (early 29 May at 59 US dollars, regular 14 July at 69, final 79). Quarter-finalists are announced on 6 October, semi-finalists on 13 November, and the finalists and winners on 9 December 2026. Shore's page lists 1 April as the opening date, so expect the 2027 contest to open around then.
UK-based feature comp with $5,000 grand prize, mentorship from Debbie Berman (Black Panther, Captain Marvel), and industry circulation.
FeatureActionAdventure+18
Checked 2 days ago
Black List x WIF Episodic Lab
Lab · 2027
15 Dec 2026
Four weeks of pilot development in Los Angeles, then a year as a WIF Fellow. No money attached.
TV Pilot
Checked 29 days ago
Festival de Cannes La Résidence
Fellowship · 2027
30 Sept 2026
Four and a half months writing in a Paris apartment, free, if you are under 35 and not French.
Feature
Checked 30 days ago
CAPE New Writers Fellowship
Fellowship · 2027
Closed for this cycle
Applications for the 2027 fellowship open in autumn 2026, with no date published. The 2026 round closed on Monday 15 December 2025 at 11:59pm Pacific. This runs genuinely annually, with four consecutive named cohorts, but the deadline has slipped roughly three weeks later each year, from 13 November for the 2024 cycle to 25 November for 2025 and 15 December for 2026, so do not project a date from that trend. The fee is 65 dollars per submission, non-refundable, with no waivers or discounts available, and CAPE notes it is subject to change.
Four fellows, a high-level mentor and a script CAPE actively markets to industry. Sixty-five dollars, no waivers.
TV Pilot
Checked 29 days ago
For organisers
Run Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest? You are welcome to use this badge on your own site. It links back to this listing, where writers see dates and fees checked against your official site.
<a href="https://www.theprelist.io/competitions/script-pipeline-screenwriting-competition"><img src="https://www.theprelist.io/badges/listed-on-theprelist.svg" alt="Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest is listed on The PreList" width="190" height="36" /></a>On a dark background, swap the image for /badges/listed-on-theprelist-light.svg. Using the badge makes no difference to your listing, ranking or verdict. Those stay editorial.