FEATURE SCREENPLAY COMP

What Is It?

This is a joint venture between the Short Com Film And Animation Festival and our sister genre festival SI-FAN. We're looking for solid original genre and comedy feature scripts to put to our roster of esteemed industry contacts with the aim to help get a project off the ground and into production.

What are we looking for?

Like our TV Sitcom Writing Competition, we're continuing to search for exciting new screenwriters, but this time, we’re placing a stronger emphasis on a project's commercial potential. Don’t worry, that doesn't mean we're only looking for ideas with big budget potential. We love indie movies just as much, if not more!

From low-budget indie films to larger-scale productions, we're open to all kinds of ideas. Whether it is comedy, horror, Sci-Fi, fantasy, action, thriller, dystopian, or even genre bending, if it has the potential to engage with an audience, it’s a fit for us.

This is an international competition. Entries can come from anywhere just as much as the stories you are telling.

Unsure if your project matches the remit? Get in touch to ask — we’re always open to exploring new ideas.

judging panel

We're delighted to have three industry judges on board from some of the most exciting distributors, producers and sales agents company.

Sydney Brumfield is part of the Acquisition and Talent Management at XYZ Films. An American independent film production and sales company: Raid, Tusk, Blackberry.

Fatima Hayward is the Director of Marketing and Operations for Blue Finch Films. A dynamic company specialising in the release of feature films and documentaries, both in the UK/Ireland market and internationally: Oddity, Birdeater, Frances Ha.

Kyle Greenberg is head of marketing and distribution at Utopia. A film distribution and sales company that specialises in independent and documentary cinema: Shiva Baby, Femme, Holy Spider.

Prizes

The top five entries are passed on to our industry judges to assess a winner.

Further consultation to the top three placed entrants.

The top five entries will be included in our SHORTLIST and circulated around our industry contacts.

how to enter?

Ready to submit? Here’s what you’ll need:

A fully written feature script in industry format.
A pitch deck/look book OR a treatment (both max 10-pages).

We’ll begin by reading the first 15-pages of the script as a writing sample, we’ll then dive into your pitch deck or treatment to get a sense of the story’s full potential, as well as your vision for how it’ll come to life on screen.

Pitch Deck or Treatment - What’s the Difference?

Both of these supporting documents help quickly bring the script to life. While there’s no set layout or format, in general, a pitch deck is a visual aid that uses imagery, a treatment is solely a text-based document.

If you’re a hands on creative, creating a pitch deck that visually sums up the look and feel of your movie might be the choice for you.

But if you’re more of a wordsmith, and love using test to conjure up others imagination and to evoke emotion, writing a treatment may suit you more.

Here’s the lowdown on each to help you decide:

A PITCH DECK can include the following:

The title of the project.
A log-line that screams “Make this movie now!”
A synopsis of the entire story giving summaries of all acts and plot points.
Character bios. Who are these characters, what are their arcs, and what makes them interesting?
A mood board that visually communicates theme, tone, and the visual style.
List key locations, why they matter, and how they help shape the story.
Who is this story for and why will they love it? (market demographics, movie comparisons, proposed budget etc.)
Any additional relevant info, such as who you are, why you’re passionate about this story, why you are the only person that can write it, etc.
Name and contact info of the writer/team.

N.B. A pitch deck can be portrait or landscape.

A TREATMENT can include the following:

The title of the project.
A log-line that screams “Make this movie now!”
A synopsis of the entire story giving summaries of all acts and plot points.
Character bios. Who are these characters, what are their arcs, and what makes them interesting?
Main themes.
Who is this story for and why will they love it? (market demographics, movie comparisons, proposed budget etc.)
Any additional relevant info, such as who you are, why you’re passionate about this story, why you are the only person that can write it, etc.
Name and contact info of the writer/team.

Send your documents as a PDF to info@shortcom.org with the title of your script submission in the subject headline.

Entry fees

Rules

There are three entry options. There is an entry only option with no feedback. One page feedback option on your idea submission. Or a feedback service with a minimum three pages of feedback coverage on your script and idea. Payment can be made in GBP or USD. Payment details will be sent once the submission has been screened and approved for entry.

Early Bird Deadline – 01/12/24 - £30 ($40)/ £45 ($60)/ £100 ($130)

Regular Deadline – 16/02/24 – £35 ($45) / £55 ($70) / £110 ($140)

Final Deadline - 15/03/25 - £40 ($50) / £65 ($85)/ £120 ($155)

Scripts must be written in industry screenplay format. If you don’t know what that is… https://screenwriting.io/what-is-standard-screenplay-format/

Scripts should be between 75 - 130 pages. No more, no less! (Title page does not count).

International submissions are welcome but all submissions must be in English (US or UK)

Material is your own original writing. (Writing teams are permitted) Breach of copyright is not permitted unless prior permission is sought and granted.

Entrants cannot approach readers or the judging panel enquiring the judging status of their script. Entrants can be immediately disqualified if found to have broken this rule.

FAQ

Can we send more than one script?

Yes you can. Though we recommend that it’s only worth getting feedback on one script.

Why does it have to be in industry format?

Screenwriting is a craft. You can be a good writer but being a good screenwriter is a totally different ball game. And that is what we and the industry are looking for. If early in your screenwriting career, we recommend using screenwriting software than work office software. It will help you a great deal! Final Draft is the industry leader but other software such as Celtxt. Highland, Fade In are good screenwriting software also.

What makes our competition different from others?

We value offering a good service to those who enter and that we act fairly. We have and will continue to do so, offer partial refunds to those who request feedback but do not feel they need it. Our readers are experienced and are paid fairly. A lot better than most other competitions that don't even pay what would be considered minimum wage. As a film festival, we have a good reputation for programming and discovering exciting emerging talent but also promoting them. So we have a proven reputation for recognising talent.

Will my script be evaluated less worthy if I opt for a no feedback option?

Absolutely not. First and foremost, we want to champion good scripts and good writers. The longevity of this competition is dependent of the quality of entries and not how much money can be made. We also understand that some people face financial barriers to entering competitions like these so we want to try and make it accessible to all.

Will poor grammar and spelling cost me?

It can but we will try to see past it. If dyslexic/neurodivergent, please notify us in your submission. We will take it into consideration. Especially if you do not have someone to proofread your work. Do check out the site Grammarly that can really help to smooth out those kinks.

I've never made a pitch deck before and not sure of what to do?

Don't worry. There's plenty of examples on the net. ScreenCraft have some handy tips here as do Industrial Scripts here

We do not require you to know your financial breakdown or speculative budget.

Do you keep any rights for our scripts if we enter?

Absolutely not.

Any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.

All the best,