With so many screenwriting competitions and fellowships out there, emerging screenwriters would be wise to consider what a competition is truly offering, along with its track record of delivering results, before applying. The Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship is worth your time.

Now in its fourth year, the Fellowship receives approximately 2,000 submissions a year and has mentored past fellows who have moved on to option their scripts and sign with agents and managers at 3Arts, Anonymous Content, Paradigm Talent Agency, ICM, Bellevue Productions, and more. The fellowship has also brought back three Academy Award-winning screenwriters as judges and mentors from last year; plus, there are two more noteworthy additions.


Check out all of the details below, including eligibility and how to enter:

Judges and Mentors

  • Geoffrey Fletcher, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Precious and Violet & Daisy
  • Diana Ossana, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Brokeback Mountain
  • Robert Moresco, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Crash and producer of Million Dollar Baby
  • James V. Hart, screenwriter of HookContact, and Bram Stoker's Dracula
  • Kristina Reed, Academy Award-winning producer of Disney's Feast plus Big Hero 6Kung Fu Panda and studio executive on Frozen

Prizes (4 winners)

  • $1,000 writing stipend
  • Round-trip airfare to Los Angeles (up to $700) plus two nights at the historic Culver Hotel
  • Three months of one-on-one consultation and creative development with the ScreenCraft team and network of entertainment industry mentors
  • Meetings with literary agents from WME, CAA, UTA, ICM and Paradigm
  • Mentor dinner with judges
  • Meeting with top production companies and studios including Universal, Sony, Paramount, and Lionsgate
  • Complimentary passes to Robert McKee's STORY seminar in either LA, New York, or London
  • Complimentary screenwriting software from WriterDuet

Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship accepts feature-length screenplays (75-140 pages), comedy TV pilots (25-40 pages) and drama TV pilots (45-65 pages). Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Entrants must not have earned more than $50,000 in the previous year from professional writing services for film or television. International entries are welcome, but screenplays must be primarily in English.

The final deadline to submit is January 15, 2017, 11:59 PM PST and the final submission fee is $59. You can check out the complete rules and submit your screenplay here.