Early Deadline: July 25th

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Accepting Features & TV Pilots

With $25,000 in cash prizes, we’re looking for this year’s emerging screenwriters! Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned writer ready to redefine your career, we can elevate you to the next level. We’re searching for the most authentic and unique features and pilots in all genre categories, the script that represents your genuine talent!

The Top 10 Screenwriters will receive $1,500 cash EACH and be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate, where the Development Team will get your script in front of top industry pros from companies like Max, 20th Century, Disney+, Amazon/MGM Studios, Harpo, Paramount+, Lucky Chap, Hello Sunshine, Gidden Media, ICM, CAA, plus ISA vetted literary agents and managers. Of the 10 scripts selected, one of you will go on to win the Grand Prize and receive an additional $10,000. That’s $11,500 to the Grand Prize Winner!

Accepting Features & TV Pilots

With $25,000 in cash prizes, we’re looking for this year’s emerging screenwriters! Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned writer ready to redefine your career, we can elevate you to the next level. We’re searching for the most authentic and unique features and pilots in all genre categories, the script that represents your genuine talent! That’s $11,500 to the Grand Prize Winner!

The Top 10 Screenwriters will receive $1,500 cash EACH and be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate, where the Development Team will get your script in front of top industry pros from companies like Max, 20th Century, Disney+, Amazon/MGM Studios, Harpo, Paramount+, Lucky Chap, Hello Sunshine, Gidden Media, ICM, CAA, plus ISA vetted literary agents and managers. Of the 10 scripts selected, one of you will go on to win the Grand Prize and receive an additional $10,000. That’s $11,500 to the Grand Prize Winner!

Deadlines

Early: July 25th – $39
Regular: Sept. 19th – $59
Final: Oct. 24th – $79

Announcements

Quarter-Finalists: Jan. 8th
Semi-Finalists: Jan. 22nd
Finalists: Feb. 5th
Grand Prize Winner: Feb. 26th

Prizes

Grand Prize Winner

(Selected from Top 10)

$11,500 Cash

(Including $1,500 from Top 10 Prizes)

Top 10 Finalists

(Selected from Semi-Finalists)

$1,500 Cash Each

Semi-Finalists

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The Top 10 will be considered for  acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate for a full year, where the ISA Team will work to promote them and their scripts to top agents, managers and producers. Over 80 scripts from Development Slate writers have been produced or optioned, and over 60 writers have been repped.

FEATURE PRODUCED
Wendy Wilkins

EMMY NOMINATED
Peres Owino

NICHOLL FELLOWSHIP
Brent Delaney

STAFFED
Carolyn Kras

HIRED
Ariane Hahusseau

PRODUCED
M Rowan Meyer

PRODUCED
Jon-Carlos Evans

SOLD SCRIPT
Mugs Cahill

PRODUCED
Annika Pampel

PRODUCED
Andrea Berting

HIRED
Brian Schwab

SCRIPT OPTIONED
Ned Farr

SIGNED WITH MANAGER
Seth Michael Donsky

SHOPPING AGREEMENT
Phoenix Black

STAFFED
Sean Collins-Smith

More Success Stories

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  • All writers from all countries are welcome to enter the competition; however, all scripts must be submitted in English, and entry fees must be paid in U.S. dollars.
  • Emerging Screenwriters Grand Prize Winners and their screenplays are ineligible to enter into any future contest season.
  • If you place as a Finalist 3 times with 3 different screenplays, you will no longer be eligible to submit.
  • Scripts must be the original work of the author(s) and may not be encumbered by any third party.
  • Scripts that have been sold, produced for a profit, or are currently under option are not eligible.
  • Novels, short stories, stage plays, treatments, synopses, reality show concepts, and/or spec scripts for existing TV series are not eligible. Your script must be an original screenplay or teleplay.
  • Screenplays adapted from your own self-published books, plays, or other source material are eligible if you have retained all rights to your work.
  • Adaptations from other works are permissible, provided all rights have been secured to adapt the work.
  • Adaptations of works in the public domain are permissible.
  • Collaborative work is eligible; the writers are responsible for the distribution of the competition prize(s).
  • Those that receive a free script feedback are not eligible to receive a free resubmission, which may come as an option with purchased script analyses or unless otherwise stated in a promotion.
  • You understand that a script analysis can take up to 90-days turn-around time and may not be received before the end of the contest.
  • Entries and payments are accepted online only. We’re GREEN!
  • Promotions must be used at the time of submission and will not be added to previous submissions.
  • Multiple entries are permissible and get a discount.
  • Once a script has been entered into the competition, we will only accept substitutions of new drafts or corrected pages if you contact us within 24 hours. After that, under no circumstances will we accept changes. If you wish to submit a revised draft of your script, you must enter it as a new submission and pay the appropriate entry fee.
  • Writers under the age of 18 years old must have parent or legal guardian’s permission to participate.
  • Competition applicants must accept without reservation the decisions rendered by the judges.
  • You understand that it is your sole responsibility to register Material with the U.S. Copyright Office and/or with the Writer’s Guild of America or the appropriate agency in his/her country.
  • Payments to be accepted via Paypal or through registrations on the ISA website. All major credit cards accepted.
  • By entering this competition, and in the event you are declared a finalist and/or winner, you understand and accept that Emerging Screenwriters and the ISA will be free to use your name, likeness and voice for advertising or promotional purposes without additional consideration.
  • You are under no obligation to participate therein.
  • You may submit your screenplay to any other person, competition, producer, agent, publisher, and/or organization.
  • If you submit to the Emerging Screenwriters Competition, you will retain all rights to your screenplay.
  • No agreement for compensation, other than the prizes, has been implied.
  • Prizes may be distributed in the rate of 1 package per person based on the highest placement and not per winning screenplay, depending on the request of the sponsor.
  • The cash prizes will be distributed 3 months from the date of the final announcement.
  • ISAConnect Membership prizes expire after 90 days and cannot be combined with a current free ISAConnect membership.
  • Decisions of the Judges are final and may not be disputed. The Judges will adhere to our competition guidelines; however, the competition and its administrators may not be held responsible for any errors or omissions on the part of the Judges.
  • Length requirements are as follows: 1). Full-Length Features: 70-120 pages. 2). TV Pilots: Up to 70 pages.
  • If you order a script analysis you may be charged separately $1 for each page over 120 pages, or the reader may only read the first 120 pages.
  • Please do not enclose synopses, casting suggestions, letters, resumes or photos with your submission. They will not be forwarded to the Judges. However, standard supplementary materials, such as lists of recurring characters and future episodes, may be included with a TV Pilot submission. Email them to: Submissions@EmergingScreenwriters.com.
  • You understand that your logline and screenplay will be reviewed by our staff and/or our panel of Industry Judges for evaluation. You also understand that any one of the staff or judges may have been or may be exploring ideas similar to yours, and you hereby waive any claim that the Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition, its staff or judges may have misappropriated any ideas or portions of your submission logline or screenplay.
  • You understand and accept without reservation that you are an independent contractor and that Competition Administrators are not responsible for withholding any taxes or payments to any government agency, at any level, be it state, local or federal.
  • By entering the Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition, you agree to the rules.
  • For more inquiries, please email us at Info@EmergingScreenwriters.com