Screenwriting : The most prestigious screenwriting contests are? by Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique

Seems there's a lot of competition for second best screenplay contest behind Nicholl. Not sure Page is second but I'm in it this year, in Nicholl too. Darts at the dartboard ...

Eric

Best of luck with both Page and Nicholl.

Entered 6: Page, Nicholl, Scriptapalooza, AFF, BlueCat, and Big Break.

Made the semi-finals of a few smaller contests (ScriptFest + ActOne) last year.

After the rewrite, who knows, maybe... I don't know.

Tamim: Good luck. It's sounds like you're right on track and refining your work. Good will all of them.

Good luck. I entered several myself including the Page. I finally feel that my work has reached a point of professionalism that may actually give me a chance of placing.

Arn't the same peeps who give out Oscars move you up in the Nicholls Fellowship Program?

Mr. Templeton:

Sure, I'll take a crack at it. Page, Nicholl and Austin Film Festival are the contests that industry folk seem to give a shit about. Past winners have obtained literary representation, work for hire and occasional spec screenplay sales. For example, Page and I believe Nicholl regularly post updates on their winning alumni. And in my experience, I've seen several producers advertise at Inktip for Page and Nicholl winners, semi-finalists and even quarter-finalists. And, all the "best of" screenplay contest lists I've read always list Page and Nicholl. See example links below from Huffington Post and Moviebytes. PS, Page and Nicholl readers are considered top notch and their written feedback very good.

https://www.moviebytes.com/significant-screenplay-contests.cfm

www.huffingtonpost.com/screenplay/top-ten-best-screenplay-c_b_9429900.html

I've entered just a couple, placing in one. My thinking has evolved in that for my limited financial resources (like many of us) I'm investing in professional reads/notes of my screenplays as well as education about the craft. When I have three scripts at the consider or better level, I'll focus on marketing venues like Inktip, Happy Writers, etc.

I have three done but they're not at the right level yet. Are they improving? Sure. But it's the opinion of the pros that count, not mine. I'm currently thinking through what I want to do for my next script and will start on that while multitasking to work on the rest - and doing the day job to pay the bills.

David D:

Your logic is sound. I've had success with Inktip and Happy Writers in connecting with producers and one director.

On my Prestig-o-meter, the Nicholl pegs out at the top closely followed by the Page & Austen. TIFF and Sundance Table Read followed by some others (Blue Cat...) ain't bad. I'm sure there are a few other reasonably strong contenders but by in large most of 'em are just junk. (I know nothing about the non US contests.)

I did NOT make the cut. You write from your heart and at a certain point, it turns to a race against the clock. Still, best 60 bucks I’ve ever spent. No regrets.

Tamim:

Take it with a grain my friend. I like your attitude.

Well, struck out again with Page. That's 3 years in a row. But less sting this time as the last two years running the same script that got shot down by Page advanced in Austin. Also, just last night something new for me: got a call from the vp of a Hollywood production company expressing interest in another of my scripts. To be continued ...

Eric

You have to look at contests as a you win some, you lose some proposition. Congrats on getting some interest on the script.

Nicholl, Final Draft Big Break, PAGE, and Austin are a few of the big ones. A million years ago, my spec was a top 20 in Nicholl and that was good enough to get agents and producers to read my script. I scored an agent and a year later the script was optioned, purchased and went on to be produced. So even losing but placing high can be a benefit.

Mark: Agreed

I agree with Mark. I never got into entering them but I would enter big ones if I was starting out today.

i wanna wish a big CONGRATS to the 17!! of My Clients (with 22 scripts total) who made the PAGE Awards Quarterfinals!! woohoo! Congrats to all the other writers who did as well. No BullScript clients kickin ass!

If you make it to the Semi-final level you often get readers who represent studios or agents, so it is an avenue to get your script in front of eyes that could possibly get your script(s) traction. Plus it doesn't hurt to be able to put major contest wins or placements on a Query.... At least that's how I view it, but I could be wrong.

I don't enter pay-for-entry competitions. Someone, somewhere, is getting rich of off your entrance fees with little/no hope of your screenplay actually making it to the screen. You're better off using the money to fund an agent to get your script in front of the right people.

David - how do you 'fund an agent'?

Normally an agent takes a cut of the business they help you get, you don't fund them - unless i'm missing something?

And certain comps, like Page, do advance careers and get scripts sold... so it is a very legitimate avenue.

I agree with Anthony C. I've worked with both Hollywood producers and a literary agent that solicited my work. If someone asked me for a fee for that, I would run for the hills.

Can't please everyone; there will always be complainers of contests, pitchfest, paid websites, seminars, feedback. Most of complainers fail to make the cut.

8000+ Page contest contestants. 800++ qtrr finalists. Congrats to the 800++ winners !

Anthony. Managers can do what they want but Agents can't charge anything up front. They get paid their 10% when you get paid. If they try to the WGA takes that rule very seriously.

>David - how do you 'fund an agent'?

By letting them take a fee/percentage of what they get you. Never pay a fee upfront.

I'm not saying the competition isn't legitimate. But there seems to be an awful lot of them that are simply money-making devices for the organisers. According to Dan MaxXx, 10% of people get to the finals. What do they win exactly apart from the ability to say "I got to the final 10%?" Is that worth the entry fee?

I have entered paid-for competitions. Most I didn't even receive acknowledgement they'd received or read my work. But they took the money and I never heard anything again.

"...I didn't even receive acknowledgement they'd received or read my work"

-- Solution: skip the competitions that offer no feedback, whether inclusive or for an extra fee.

"...simply money-making devices for the organisers." Assuming a competition is legitimate, its organizers have to pay readers, maintain websites, and if part of a film festival, rent facilities & hire staff. All that costs money.

The Tracking Board's Launch Pad Competition has been putting up some big success numbers. I think it should definitely be added as a "Must-Enter" contest for serious writers who are trying to break into the business - and it's open for entries right now.

David E:

"I have entered paid-for competitions. Most I didn't even receive acknowledgement they'd received or read my work. But they took the money and I never heard anything again."

If you go to www.filmfreeway.com or www.moviebytes.com, both of the those websites offer user reviews of most contests and film festivals that have screenplay contests. I have also entered some film festivals that never gave me a notification of getting my work or when they awarded the winner etc. Film Freeway's system is theoretically setup to prevent the competition from not notifying contestants about status. Film Freeway also sends you email notifications when the status of your entry changes such as whether your film or screenplay has been accepted to a film festival or placed at a contest. Finally, most of the bigger, better contests are pretty good about giving you info. It's in their best interest to do so if they want to stay in business. For example, I went back and forth with Blue Cat Screenplay Contest this season and they rejected a spec pilot entry I submitted. They were very nice about it and let me exchange the script for another feature screenplay. They also provided free feedback on the accepted screenplay within 3 weeks, maybe less. The feedback was generally first rate. I will definitely be able to use it to promote the screenplay, which was worth the price of admission.