Screenwriting Contests with Free Feedback

There are a number of screenwriting contests online that provide free feedback to submitters. Such feedback can be extremely valuable. Sure, we all want to win. But if we don’t win, or don’t make the semis, we’d like to know why. That gives us the option to re-write, to improve, to see a new perspective. Some competitions charge a large amount for written feedback. But there are a few that provide it for free.

Some of these “free-feedback” contests are in fact top contests which aspiring writers can use to gain industry recognition and contacts from agents, producers, and managers. Some are much smaller — and are not as prestigious in the industry, but they can provide a lower cost of entry, as well as an increased chance of winning or placing. We will start with the small and medium, and work up to the biggest! (Note that sometimes competitions close or change their links…)

Smaller Competitions with Free Feedback

Blue Draft Screenwriting Contest: https://www.facebook.com/bluedraftcontest/

London International Screenwriting Competition: www.londonswc.com

Page Turner Screenplay: http://www.pageturnerscreenplays.com/

Screamwriting Festival: https://www.facebook.com/Screamwriting-Festival-124837575781945/

LET’S MAKE IT! https://www.facebook.com/letsmakeit.screenwritingcontest/

ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival: http://www.reelheart.org/rh/

Barnstorm Film+TV Script Fest: https://www.barnstormfest.com/

Screamfest: https://screamfestla.com/

Virginia Screenwriting Competition: https://www.film.virginia.org/virginians/virginia-screenwriting-competition/

Larger Screenwriting Competitions

BlueCat Screenplay Competition: https://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/

Austin Film Festival: https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/screenplay-and-teleplay-submissions-2/

Script Pipeline: https://scriptpipeline.com/

The Script Lab: https://thescriptlab.com/

Wescreenplay Screenwriting Contest: https://www.wescreenplay.com/feature/

Chicago Screenplay Awards: https://chicagoscreenplayawards.com/

Atlanta Screenplay Awards: https://atlscreenplayawards.com/

Note: this article was partly inspired by research done by Anthony Osarfo