Scriptapalooza

Contest · 2026Prestige 52/100Feedback included

Long-running open-to-all contest spanning feature, TV, short and a fellowship, with a year of industry promotion.

Official site ↗

Deadlines & fees

TV — Early/RegularNext deadline
5 Oct 2026America/Los_Angeles$45
TV — Final
19 Oct 2026America/Los_Angeles$55

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

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.

Prizes

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 feature cycle has concluded for the year with quarterfinalists due in late July. Enter the TV track if you have a sharp original pilot and want producer eyes on it at a mid-tier fee. For features, put the winter reopening on your calendar rather than rushing anything now.

Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 14 Jul 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 feature and shorts cycle concluded in April and the fellowship closed on 1 July, with recipients announced in August.

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.