Screenwriting competitions offer winners cash prizes and the opportunity to get their scripts produced. There are many screenwriting competitions, to get an idea of how many enter screenwriting competitions into the search engines of Google or Vivisimo. Research any competitions you're considering entering and be aware that an entry fee should represent an amount that seems reasonable to cover the administrative costs of processing your application plus script readers' fees. Australian competitionsFor news of Australian competitions check key industry journals such as Encore and IF-Inside Film (see Bulletin Boards and Newsletters; Writers' Centres and newsletters published by Screen Culture, Development and Resource Organizations). Writers' centres run courses and workshops and list details of upcoming seminars, events and competitions.
Lexus IF Awards in conjunction with Ztudio: www.ifawards.com/ztudio.asp
The Lexus IF Awards and Ztudio run an Unproduced Screenplay Competition. Winners receive a travel and accommodation package to visit a destination of their choice and meet with studio executives, distributors or literary agents to discuss their film concept (see Pitching).
The Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE Awards: www.awg.com.au
Includes a competition for unproduced scripts called the Monte Miller Award. Although there is no prize for this competition, it is a prestigious award and winners traditionally get their scripts produced. The AWGIE Awards are the only peer-judged screenwriting awards in Australia.Overseas competitions"There are many screenwriting competitions but it's the Grand Slam trio that writers drool over: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowship; The Chesterfield Writer's Film Project; and The Walt Disney Studios' Fellowship. Although submission requirements differ a bit for each, they all run neck and neck when it comes to stature - and deadlines. All struggling screenwriters who have dipped their toes in the shark-infested submission waters will tell you how hard it is to get past the 'gatekeepers'. This includes filmmakers in bunkers as well as snarling agents and overworked assistants. As a result, many fatigued writers mail their scripts to competitions with a prayer that they be awarded a golden key. And the Grand Slammers hold an impressive key ring."
(Women in Film, USA, viewed February 2003, www.wif.org)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowship: www.oscars.org/nicholl
Chesterfield Writer's Film Project: www.chesterfield-co.com
Walt Disney Studios' Fellowship: www.abcnewtalent.disney.com/html/writmain.htm
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