Screenplay Contests: Are They Worth It?

There are literally hundreds of screenplay contests out there to choose from. But should you spend your hard earned shekels to enter your script? Which ones are worth your time and money? Screenplay contest season is upon us, here's what you need to know.


What's the point? Why bother entering contests at all?

There are three good reasons: Feedback, Connections, and Buzz. Yeah sure, that cash prize would sure come in handy, but the real value is in furthering your writing career.


Feedback
Not all screenplay competitions offer feedback, but many do. As you are trying to decide on which contest(s) to enter, look for ones that either include feedback in the submission price such as the Bluecat but most of the time you will have to pay an additional fee. If you are going to pay for professional level screenplay notes (and you should!) why not have the chance to win recognition and prizes as well?


Connections

Getting past the gatekeepers and getting your script into the hands of someone who can do something with it is the second biggest challenge to being a professional screenwriter. The first is writing a great script! Contests not only help you see what others think of your script but many also help open Hollywood doors.

The best screenplay competitions offer more than just money for the top prizes; they offer meetings with industry professionals or other keys to the kingdom as well. Some offer guaranteed representation to the winners, others offer one on one pitch meetings with producers, and some promise to at least get your script in front of people who can do something with it. The Script Pipeline contest not only has one of the biggest cash prizes but also awards the winners in each genre meetings with film production execs.


Buzz
Producers, agents, managers, etc need to know you exist and that's why creating buzz for yourself is vital for your career. Doing well in the right competitions is one of the best ways to get your name tossed around.

You don't have to win a screenplay competition (and with several thousand entries all vying for the gold medal, the odds are against that) to get recognized as a noteworthy writer. Even coming in as a semi-finalist in one of the bigger competitions will garner you the attention of some of Hollywood's top players.
Not all screenplay competitions are created equal


If you have been hanging around the screenwriter's water cooler for any length of time, you have probably heard that there are only 3 big competitions that Hollywood takes seriously. It's true that placing in one of those top contests will immediately boost your street cred and open doors you might never have otherwise gotten access to, but there are other competitions that are worth submitting your baby to.

These three contests not only have impeccable reputations but have been around for decades so you know you're not just throwing your money at some fly-by-night scammer.

The Big 3

The Nicholl's - officially known as the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and is arguably the most prestigious script contest available. With over 7,000 scripts entered in 2013, it is certainly the most popular among up and coming writers. You can bet that if you beat out the majority of the other thousands of scripts entered, someone important is going to sit up and take notice.




The Page Awards - This competition offers over $50,000 in cash and prizes but, just as important, it does a lot to boost the careers of those who do well. Most of their past finalists and winners have gone onto get representation and production of their scripts.


    Austin Film Festival - The AFF prides itself in discovering new talent. Unlike the other 2 big competitions, the Austin is attached to a very popular film festival that draws talent from all over the industry. That means, when you show up for your award, you'll be rubbing elbows with the movers and shakers of La-La Land.


These three are the granddaddy of the screenplay comp world but does that mean none of the other hundreds of contests out there are worth entering?

Actually, there are quite a few smaller competitions that could be worth your time and money, depending on what you hope to get out of the experience. If what you are wanting is to get noticed as a screenwriter worth the attention of movie making folks, then stick to the Big 3, but if you want to see how your script will hold up against others of the same genre, consider entering niche competitions like Screamfest. If your local film fest offers a script competition, why not enter? You might make some contacts and maybe even get some good free press out of it.

I have heard of more than one writer who actually makes a living entering his well written scripts in smaller contests that offer decent prize money. There are worse ways to earn a paycheck!