Screenwriting Competition

Cinequest voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers.
The Cinequest Screenplay Competition empowers global screenwriters through discovery, recognition, and opportunity. Cinequest loves writers, and we welcome you to submit your screenplay or teleplay to our renowned competition. The Top 10 Finalists receive many empowering benefits including: passes to the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival and the exclusive Writers Celebration, plus exposure to leading industry players and inspiring luminaries.

Finalists are presented alongside high profile Maverick Spirit awardees like: J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, Philip Kaufman, Michael Arndt, Diablo Cody, Dennis Lehane, Jason Reitman and more at the highly anticipated Writers Celebration during the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT
Submissions through FilmFreeway. Fee schedule and all deadline dates below.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Top 50 and Top 10 Notified in December 2019.
Top 10 Finalists listed on Website January 22nd, 2020.
Top 3 and Winners Announced in March 2020 at Script to Screen Event and in the Festival Awards Press Release.
TESTIMONIALS
Click here for screenplay finalist testimonials.
2018-2019 SCREENWRITING - FINALISTS & WINNERS
Please join us in celebrating this year's finalists!
FEATURE FINALISTS & WINNERS
FIRST PLACE - Mica by Ilisa Aaron Parrish
SECOND PLACE - Splashdown by Don Stroud
THIRD PLACE - Ship of Lies by William Colella
Astrea by Clarissa Vokt
A Family Affair by Tim Bartell
Conquist by Dirk Strasser
Desenescence by Ali Weinstein
Misfortune Cookies by Don Stroud
The Hammer by Jason Hunter
The Tao Of Chao by Emile Hirsch
SHORT-FILM FINALISTS & WINNERS
FIRST PLACE - Invisible Monster by Matt Harris-Freeth
SECOND PLACE - Page Turner by Marc Roussel
THIRD PLACE - I, Sphere by Andrew Gay
Babirusa by Debra Hill
Blind Man Bounty by Shiva Ramanathan
Divinity by Nelson Downend
Love-Love by Sabrina Hofkin
Recurse by Lucas Vossoughi
Second Acts by Travis Viera-Liden
Zero by Jared Smith
TELEPLAY 60-MINUTE FINALISTS & WINNERS
FIRST PLACE - Gemini Baby by Janalyn Steele
SECOND PLACE - Fix by Jeff Bower
THIRD PLACE - The Divinity Cycle by Nelson Downend
Apache by Cameron Barsanti
Macabre by Kelly Krause
Space Captain Smith by Bruce Hanson and John Palfery-Smith
Tears of the Angels by Charles Musser
The Father by Johnny Pickavance
X by Christian Canterbury
Zero Sum by Matthew OConnell
TELEPLAY 30-MINUTE FINALISTS & WINNERS
FIRST PLACE - Gentrifried by Edward Coffey
SECOND PLACE - Unplugged: Assemble The Trolls by Adam Toltzis
THIRD PLACE - Ultra/Violet by Jennifer Mondfrans
The Great Gay Hope by JB Berg
Beadwindow by Paul Mooney
Cheap Thrills by Jaime Osnato
Going Viral - Pilot by Jordan Pick
Savior by William Horace
The Last Abortion Clinic in Kansas by Tammy Caplan
The Paw Firm by Brady Guy and Jonathan Giles