Scriptapalooza
Contest (2026)Prestige 52/100Feedback included
Long-running open-to-all contest spanning feature, TV, short and a fellowship, with a year of industry promotion.
Deadlines & fees
- TV — Early/RegularTV Pilot onlyPassed5 Oct 2026America/Los_Angeles$45
- TV — FinalTV Pilot onlyPassed19 Oct 2026America/Los_Angeles$55
- Screenplay: Early birdNext deadline
- Shorts: Early bird
- Screenplay: Regular
- Shorts: Regular
- Screenplay: Late
- Shorts: Late
- Screenplay: Final
- Shorts: Final
- Screenplay: Last minute
- Shorts: Last minute
Dates and fees checked against the official site 12 Sept 2026. That is longer ago than we aim for; confirm on the official site before entering.
Entry categories
Fellowship
Feature, TV Pilot, Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
International; features and pilots only; flat US$60; every entrant gets 4 pages of free feedback.
Screenplay Competition
Feature, Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
29th cycle dates and fees not yet published; figures shown are the most recent (28th) cycle. Seven genre award categories.
Shorts Competition
Short, Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western, up to 50 pages
29th cycle dates and fees not yet published; figures shown are the most recent (28th) cycle.
TV Writing Competition
TV Pilot, Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
Original pilot or spec of an existing one-hour or sitcom; reality accepted. Opens 5 Jun 2026. Feedback add-on $75.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature, TV Pilot, Short
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
- Required materials
- Screenplay, pilot or short PDF, Completed entry form, Cover page showing the title only, Fellowship: one-page essay on interest and goals
Open to writers aged 18 or over worldwide. Scripts must be the writer's original work with the title only on the cover page, and writers retain all rights. The Fellowship accepts features and pilots only and the entry cannot be under option at submission. Writing teams are accepted. Non-US entrants pay by PayPal or by phone.
Results
2026 winners
View results with a free accountPrizes
Screenplay: US$10,000 grand prize plus seven genre awards of US$500 each, with over US$50,000 in total prizes and industry circulation. TV: over US$3,000 in cash with winners sent to 50-plus producers, managers and agents. Fellowship: a place at the Robert McKee Story Seminar plus producer mentorship.
Judging
Reading rounds run from Quarterfinalist to Semifinalist, Finalist, Runners-Up and Winner, read by producers, managers and agents. Top scripts are promoted to the network for a year. Screenplay and TV winners are announced in August and February.
The PreList verdict
Scriptapalooza's distinguishing claim is who reads: the contest is judged by producers, managers and agents rather than hired readers, and it keeps promoting entrants to its industry list for a year after the contest. Over nearly three decades it has built a credible record of writers finding representation through it.
The honest part: it is really three contests wearing one name. The feature and shorts competition runs winter to spring, a fellowship runs early summer, and the TV competition runs to October, each with its own site and fee ladder, which makes the brand more confusing than it should be. Prizes skew modest against the majors, and as ever the meaningful outcomes concentrate near the top of the results.
Right now the TV competition is the live one: original pilots, one-hour, half-hour and reality specs, US$45 by 5 October and US$55 by the final deadline on 19 October. The next feature and shorts cycle is already priced, from US$45 postmarked by 1 December 2026 to US$65 by 5 April 2027, so the cheapest feature entry is the December one. Enter the TV track if you have a sharp original pilot and want producer eyes on it at a mid-tier fee. For features, aim at the 1 December early bird rather than paying more later.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList. Updated 19 Oct 2026
Frequently asked questions
Which Scriptapalooza tracks are open right now?
The TV competition is open, with deadlines on 5 October (US$45) and 19 October 2026 (US$55). The next feature and shorts cycle is published, with screenplays from US$45 postmarked by 1 December 2026 to US$65 by 5 April 2027, though the site does not say whether it is taking feature entries yet. The fellowship closed on 1 July.
Who judges Scriptapalooza?
Producers, managers and agents rather than contracted readers, and the company continues promoting entrants to its industry list for a year after the results.
What can I submit to the TV competition?
Original pilots, one-hour and half-hour specs, and reality formats. Entries run through the separate scriptapaloozatv.com site.
Is your script right for Scriptapalooza?
Find out free, before you spend anything. Upload your screenplay and The PreList checks whether its format can enter this contest, whether you meet the country rules and any regional limits, and scores the script. Pro adds a written read on how well it fits.
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