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There are tons of movie script contests but not all of them are reputable. Last year California indicted a few casting workshops. The LA City Attorney found that these workshops, run by legit casting directors where charging actors to audition. It was a violation of the state’s Talent Scam Prevention Act of 2009. The problem with writing competitions is there is no way to know if they actually read the submissions or have a fair winner selection process. There is little transparency behind the scenes.
The reason so many writers submit their screenplay to these contests is that some of the most prestigious contests are career changers. Emovienet.com has compiled a list of the most reputable contests. These are the contests that have a proven track record of at least helping the semi-finalist land an agent. It’s not uncommon for winners to see their story go into production after a win.
A few of the contests on the list are categorized as Fellowships. A fellowship differs from a contest because the winner receives money to write. The winners then get assigned a mentor to work with them to help them craft their story. Access to experienced industry writers is invaluable for first time writers. The Sundance Writers lab for example doesn’t even look at an entire screenplay but instead wants to see only the first five pages. The winners get to attend a 5 day writers lab at Sundance to work with experienced professionals who help them craft their story.
Every contest offers a different set of prizes some with fairly large cash bounties. In a lot of cases the real prize is access to industry leaders. Some contests have fairly good track records of launching careers. Winners often can use a win to gain writing gigs in the industry or obtain a literary agent. Most of the best contests are currently accepting submissions with final deadlines approaching fast.
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