Grand Prize Announced!

Features & TV Pilots in 7 Genres

We’re looking for ALL 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 scripts in seven broad genre categories. For example, your script can be straight drama or a crossover script with dramatic elements. Mix and match any of the genres and surprise us to win cash in any category! This year we want to read your best work, the script that represents your genuine talent!

The winner of each genre category will receive $2,500 cash 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 MGM, Gidden Media, ICM, plus ISA vetted literary agents and managers. Of the seven scripts selected, one of you will go on to win the Grand Prize and receive an additional $7,500 for a total of $10,000.

GENRES:

Action/Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Family/Holiday

Historical/Bio

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Suspense (Mystery/Crime /Thriller/Horror)

 7 Genre Winners Will Meet With Industry Executives

Executives will include:

Showrunner – Craig Doyle

Craig Doyle is one of the most prolific comedy voices working today in television and film. Craig has been with GROWNISH on Freeform since its first episode as an EP and now serves as its Showrunner in its upcoming sixth season.  Previously, he was a Co-EP on BLACKISH on ABC, a Co-EP on THE GREAT INDOORS on CBS, and before that was a Co-EP on NBC’s UNDATEABLE for all 3 seasons. He was also previously a Consulting Producer on ABC’s FAMILY TOOLS.

Motion Picture Talent Agent – Niki Montazaran (WME)

Niki Montazaran is a Motion Picture agent at WME, where she focuses her business on representing directors, writers, actors, and producers.
Her clients include Babak Anvari (who is in post on his most recent feature for Netflix called I CAME BY), Eva Longoria (whose documentary LA GUERRA CIVIL premiered at Sundance this year and who is currently in post on her feature directorial debut FLAMIN’ HOT for Searchlight), Eugene Lee Yang (who is best known as a member of the Try Guys and is currently writing a feature he will direct with Christine Vachon producing), Kalinda Vazquez (who is currently writing the next installment of the STAR TREK franchise for Paramount Pictures), Katori Hall (Pulitzer-winning playwright and creator of P-VALLEY for Starz), Nida Manzoor (who created WE ARE LADY PARTS and is currently in production on her first feature), and Roshan Sethi (who co-created THE RESIDENT on Fox and is beginning prep on his sophomore film for Disney+). Montazaran was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Arts and Entertainment section in 2019 for her work amplifying the voices of artists from underrepresented communities.

Director – Star Victoria (Lust, Death of a Telemarketer)

Star Victoria is a 2020 DGA jury award-winning director. She graduated with her MFA in Production from the University of Southern California in 2019. Star directed her first feature film in 2021 for A&E Networks/Lifetime called Lust starring Tank and Keri Hilson. She is a Director mentee of the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Director Diversity Program where she shadowed veteran director Loni Peristere on an episode of Fox’s Scream Queens. Star is also an invaluable 1st Assistant Director. She has AD’d over 15 feature films and several Shorts/music videos and commercials. One such short, Lalo’s House, a USC thesis film won the Student Oscar in October 2018. Star is also a Mentee of Director Mike Listo, Loni Peristere, Robert Townsend, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Cindy Cowan, Garcelle Beauvais and the late John Singleton. She is currently repped by Anthony Marotto at APA.

Director/Producer/Editor – Alrik Bursell (The Alternate, Red Snow, Making Movies is Hard)

Alrik Bursell is a freelance director/producer/editor who’s worked on feature films and corporate videos. He has directed seven short films including Strange Thing, which played a film festivals worldwide. Alrik’s first feature film The Alternate played at over 25 film festivals and brought in awards for best director, best sci-fi feature and won the gold ring at the Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival in Italy. The film has world wide distribution and will be released in North America on September 13th. Alrik has also worked on commercial videos for brands such as the NFL, Comcast Xfinity and HBO. Alrik is currently working as a Post Production Producer at Glass & Marker in Oakland, California. Alrik is also one of the hosts of Making Movies is Hard a popular indie filmmaking podcast and he is currently development on his next feature film.

President, Producer – Navid McIlhargey (Vandal Entertainment)

Navid Mcllhargey has been a studio executive and producer for over 20 years. In 2000, McIlhargey became an executive at Joe Roth’s Revolution Studios, where he oversaw production on the feature films such as WHITE CHICKS, PETER PAN, and TEARS OF THE SUN. He also worked on films such as BLACKHAWK DOWN, XXX, and ANGER MANAGEMENT.

In 2004, he moved to Joel Silver’s Silver Pictures where he was a producer on the Guy Ritchie directed ROCKNROLLA as well as ECHELON CONSPIRACY. While there, Navid also oversaw development on much of Silver’s larger action movies, including THE FORBIDDEN PLANET, LOGAN’S RUN, THE DIRTY DOZEN, ALTERED CARBON, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, HOT WHEELS, TIME AND AGAIN, and Orson Scott Card’s EMPIRE. In 2008 Navid became Executive Vice President at New Regency, a film studio where he oversaw production of THE DARKEST HOUR starring Emile Hirsch and Joel Kinneman as well as BROKEN CITY starring Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe. He developed his favorite slate of projects alongside Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, James Grey, James Mangold, Rob Cohen, Joseph Kosinski, Kurtzman and Orci, Simon Kinberg, Zak Penn among many others. In 2015, Navid started his own consulting and production shingle, Vandal Entertainment. As a media consultancy, McIlhargey is currently working with several entertainment and tech-based companies.

As a production entity, Vandal focuses primarily on elevated thematic and character based/high-concept genre fare. The company released its first film entitled THE HUNTER’S PRAYER directed by Jonathan Mostow and staring Sam Worthington. McIlhargey most recently produced MODERN LOVE for Amazon. Vandal currently has over 40 film and television projects in development, is casting 7 movies (including one with Sam Jackson) and producing even more with the likes of Will Smith, Kevin Hart, and others.

Literary Manager, Producer – Lee Stobby (Lee Stobby Entertainment)

Lee Stobby is a producer, literary manager, and principal of Lee Stobby Entertainment who has over 10 years of management and producing experience. Some of his client highlights include: Shay Hatten (JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3, JOHN WICK 4, ARMY OF THE DEAD, ARMY OF THIEVES), Kate Trefry (made the Black List in 2013 (PURE O) and 2016 (REVOLVER) who has an overall deal at Netflix and currently writes on STRANGER THINGS), Isaac Adamson (#1 Black List script BUBBLES), Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237, THE NIGHTMARE, A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX), and Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (Cannes winner THE TRIBE).

Stobby’s Producing highlights and credits include SISTER AIMEE, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival; WILDLING starring Bel Powley, Liv Tyler and Brad Dourif and premiered at the 2017 SXSW; as well as development set up with Matt Reeves’ 6th and Idaho, Universal, and Netflix.

Creative Exec Braxton Rickert (Lee Stobby Entertainment)

More to be announced.

Prizes

Grand Prize
Winner

(Selected from 7 Genre Award Winners)

$10,000 Cash

(Includes $2,500 from Genre Award)

Genre Awards
Winners

(1 Winner from Each Genre Category)

$2,500 Cash Each

(7 Winners Selected from 7 Genres)

Finalists

(Top 10 of Each Genre)

All Entrants Receive a 1-Month Introductory ISAConnect Membership

*Please note that current ISAConnect members are not eligible for this offer.

DEADLINES

Mega Early: June 30th – $25
Early: July 31st – $39
Regular: Sept. 8th – $49
Final: Oct. 27th – $69

GENRES

Action/Adventure
Comedy
Drama
Family/Holiday
Historical/Bio
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Suspense (Mystery/Crime /Thriller/Horror)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Quarter-Finalists: Dec. 6th

Semi-Finalists: Jan. 3rd

Finalists: Jan. 24th

Grand Prize Winner: Feb. 7th

Our Industry Partners Include

Genre Winners will be considered for  acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate for a full year, where our team will work to promote 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

Over 80 Scripts From Development Slate Writers Have Been Produced or Optioned and Over 60 Writers Have Been Repped

FEATURE PRODUCED
Wendy Wilkins

Gaining some traction after her screenplay Alone Today became a quarter finalist in the Emerging Screenwriters Competition, Wendy was able to raise investor funds, and attract some wonderful talent including Eric Roberts and Danny Trejo to direct this feature, which just completed principal photography.

WON BEST WRITING AWARD
Peres Owino

Produced by Taraji P Henson, starring Gladys Knight and Method Man, Seasons of Love garnered Peres and co-writer Sharon Brathwaite, an NAACP Nomination for Best Writing in a TV movie.

SHORT PRODUCED
Denise E Meyers

Denise’s short The Dark of Night, directed by Robin Wright and starring Leslie Bibb, premiered at Cannes. Denise has also recently won an inaugural Sloan Foundation Grant to further develop her screenplay Lucky 13.

PRODUCED GLORIOUS ON SHUDDER
Jason Scott Goldberg

He recently produced Glorious, which was named a Top FiIm to Watch at Fantasia by Forbes and is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Ryan Kruger (Fried Barry) is attached to direct his bonkers buddy/body horror film Gums, and Aaron Koontz’s Paper Street Pictures boarded his Hit List project, Flatwoods with Barbara Crampton attached to star; Padraig Reynolds (Open 24 Hours, Darklight) is helming the project.

REPPED
Lucy Luna

Lucy was accepted into the HBO Access Program, and is signed with Brillstein Entertainment Partners and APA.

Order Feedback with Your Entry

Add high quality feedback and receive up to 5 pages of notes from our experienced readers.

Sponsored by

Rules
  • 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 Genre Winner 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
FAQ

When are the competition deadlines and announcements?

Deadlines
Mega Early: June 30th – $25
Early: July 31st – $39
Regular: Sept. 8th – $49
Final: Nov. 3rd – $69

Announcements
Quarter-Finalists: Dec. 6th
Semi-Finalists: Jan. 3rd
Finalists: Jan. 24th
Grand Prize Winner: Feb. 7th

Do you accept entries via snail mail?

No. In an attempt to be green, we’re not accepting hard copies via the postal service. We’re accepting online entries and online payments via Paypal only. This includes all major credit cards.

Do I have to enter my script as a PDF?

Yes. We only accept scripts in PDF format.

Should I include my title page with my screenplay?

While you are welcome to include a title page with your title, author(s) name, telephone number and email address, the full title page is not required and will not have any effect on your placement.

Can I submit a screenplay under a pen name?

Yes.

Does my script have to be registered?

No, but we DO recommend registering your work with the WGA and/or the Library of Congress Copyright office.

Does the writer maintain rights to the screenplay?

Yes, always!

When will I receive my feedback?

Feedback is completed in the order in which it is received and will be emailed to you within 90 days of your submission date.

What if I make a mistake and send the wrong script?

If you make a legitimate mistake entering and recognize this within 24 hours, email us here, and we’ll send you instructions on replacing your screenplay: Info@EmergingScreenwriters.com

What genres do you accept?

We accept all genres. We understand scripts can be categorized in many genres. Please pick from the genre grouping below that best reflects your screenplay. You are welcome to enter in more than one genre, but another entry fee is required.

Action/Adventure
Comedy
Drama
Family/Holiday
Historical/Bio
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Suspense (Mystery/Crime /Thriller/Horror)

What if my script does not fall into one of the accepted genres?

We understand scripts can be categorized in many genres. We offer what we think is a wide variety of “umbrella” genres which most scripts will fall under. Please pick from the genre that best reflects your screenplay. If your script is a Western, for example, you should decide if it best fits into the Action/Adventure category, or the Drama category (or whichever genre represents your script outside of Western). If your script is an animated film, does it fit into the comedy category, or the fantasy category? Since this is a genre competition, our professional readers will read and score your script in the context of which genre you submit it as, while of course also being aware that a script can be multiple genres at once.

If I place in the competition, may I submit an updated draft for consideration?

At this time, we do not accept new drafts once the competition has closed.

Do I need to submit a logline? Synopsis?

Logline: YES / Synopsis: NO

Do you accept short screenplays?

No, not at this time.

Will my screenplay be accepted if it’s not in the traditional format?

Scripts should be written in standard spec screenplay or teleplay format, set in 12-point Courier font. Common programs for this format include: Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter, or Celtx. Scripts should be standard length. While your entry will still be fully considered if it is either formatted differently or longer or shorter than these specified page counts, for your own benefit we recommend that you adhere to the page length and formatting guidelines.

What’s the minimum/maximum required page length?

Features: 70 – 120 pages. TV Pilots: Up to 70 pages.

My screenplay is longer than 120 pages. Will it be disqualified?

No, but we urge you to stay within the guidelines. It’s rare that a good screenplay requires more than the standard number of pages.

If I’m over 120 pages and receiving feedback, will my full script be read?

If you order feedback, you will be charged $1 for each page over 120 pages. You will be emailed to discuss and billed separately, or you are welcome to just have your feedback done on the first 120 pages of your screenplay at the regular price.

Do you accept novels, short stories, stage plays, treatments or synopses, reality show concepts, musicals or spec scripts for existing TV series?

No, we’re sorry; we do not. We accept ORIGINAL feature length screenplays and TV pilots only.

Can I submit an adaptation of a book or play?

Absolutely, as long as you have full rights to the material and either are the author or have a written agreement with the author allowing this script to be written and marketed.

Can I submit more than one screenplay?

You can submit up to 4 screenplays per submission form. When you do, you will receive a discount for your 2nd and 3rd script entries.

Will entering early increase or decrease my chance of winning?

Entering early will neither increase nor decrease your chance of winning, but it will save you money!

How will I know if you received my script?

You will receive an email confirming your entry immediately upon submitting. If you do not, please email us here: Info@EmergingScreenwriters.com.

What if my script is optioned or sold after I enter the competition?

As long as your script was not optioned for a contract that is still in effect or sold prior to the date you submitted it to the competition, you are still eligible for an award.

I don’t live in the United States. Can I still enter the competition?

International entries are absolutely welcome, but all scripts must be in English. No other languages are accepted at this time.

Does Paypal accept currencies other than the American Dollar?

Yes! Paypal is set up to exchange most currencies into the American Dollar. Please visit www.Paypal.com if you have any questions.