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The Slamdance Screenplay Competition is dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging screenwriters. Since 1997, the competition has established a strong track record for introducing writers to members of the entertainment industry who have gone on to produce, option, and represent submitted work. Like the Film Festival, the Screenplay Competition is a place for new, bold, and raw voices. We are looking for scripts that take risks, refuse compromise, and go places where Hollywood hacks fear to tread.

Recent success stories include Tyler Tice, whose 2018 Grand Prize-winning horror feature Day Shift was released in 2022 as a Netflix original film starring Jamie Foxx. Day Shift became the most watched film in the world during the third week of August 2022. Recent winners Neil Ferron and Jessica Sinyard found representation and management directly through their involvement with the competition.

In addition to awarding the best screenplays submitted to Slamdance, our readers nominate bold scripts for the Slamdance Screenplay Mentorship Award, which offers one-on-one coaching and feedback to a burgeoning writer whose script could, with a little more support, turn into an award-winning film.

Please bear in mind that Slamdance is not a production company. While some writers have gone on to find representation or work Slamdance cannot guarantee that mentee scripts will be optioned, produced, or purchased.

"Slamdance has certainly been an incredible experience for me - to have my writing so appreciated was exactly the validation I needed." — Gabriel Malasig, 2022 Grand Prize Winner for AMERICAN RETAIL

"I mean, yes, there's the undeniable professional boost: high-profile press, management, momentum. But it's more than that. Peter Baxter has created this family of weirdo artists — ambitious, talented, outlandish. I feel like I've been invited to join a team of mutant heroes, and I've never felt more nervous or more at home." — Neil Ferron, 2021 Grand Prize Winner for FISHMONGER

"The Slamdance Mentorship has been an amazing experience. It has provided me with high level feedback and guidance from successful Slamdance Alumni, working in the industry. It has also been instrumental in the growth and development of my screenwriting. The Mentorship Sessions were intense and informative examinations that challenged me to delve deeper to pull out elements within my script that only elevated it to greater heights. I'm grateful for the experience and proud to say that I am a Slamdance Alumni." — David D. Jones, 2021 Slamdance Mentorship Award Recipient

"Winning Slamdance, I feel validated and it is very encouraging for me as an artist. I feel even more motivated to get this film made." — Joyce Sherrí, 2020 Grand Prize Winner for SWEET SIXTEEN

"Winning Slamdance is everything to me. Slamdance gave me a new lease on life and a chance to live my dreams. They opened up more doors than I could have ever imagined...I still can't believe everything they helped me achieve."— Tyler Tice, 2017 Grand Prize and Horror Screenplay Winner for DAY SHIFT (now being produced by Netflix)

"The Slamdance Screenplay Competition is like an adrenaline boost to the cortex. It gave me the oomph necessary to climb faster and leap up to a higher rung. Slamdance is a celebration of not just offbeat storytelling, but above all, character. Character infects every vein of this festival and it's a beautiful thing." —Andrew Kightlinger, 2016 Grand Prize Winner for GREAT WHITE SHARK

"The best thing you can do for a screenwriter is encourage them, because trusting your gut is so crucial to writing interesting stuff. I got that encouragement from Slamdance every year I entered, with the brief feedback they always send at no extra charge. Winning was the ultimate encouragement to keep following my instincts, and it's more than paid off."—Jamie King, 2015 Original Teleplay winner for CASTLE ROCK and writer for Marvel's Jessica Jones

"Winning Slamdance was an incredible moral booster and the seal of approval that made the industry stop and take notice." —Nicole Kassell, Slamdance Screenplay winner and director of THE WOODSMAN, HBO’s Watchmen

“From the earliest encouragement of the readers, to the unforgettable whirlwind ceremony, to the ongoing excitement, meetings, and future collaborations — Slamdance is more than a festival. It is a family. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it." — Jessica Sinyard, 2018 Grand Prize Winner for THE PEAK

		Early Deadline	Regular Deadline	Late Deadline	Final Deadline
Feature	41-110 pages	$60	$70	$80	$90
Feature	111-140 pages	$80	$90	$100	$115
TV Pilot	up to 45 pages	$45	$55	$60	$65
TV Pilot	46-80 pages	$50	$60	$70	$80
Short	Up to 10 pages	$30	$40	$45	$50
Short	11-40 pages	$45	$55	$60	$65

Early Deadline
Feature	41-110 pages	$60
Feature	111-140 pages	$80
TV Pilot	up to 45 pages	$45
TV Pilot	46-80 pages	$50
Short	Up to 10 pages	$30
Short	11-40 pages	$45

Regular Deadline
Feature	41-110 pages	$70
Feature	111-140 pages	$90
TV Pilot	up to 45 pages	$55
TV Pilot	46-80 pages	$60
Short	Up to 10 pages	$40
Short	11-40 pages	$55

Late Deadline
Feature	41-110 pages	$80
Feature	111-140 pages	$100
TV Pilot	up to 45 pages	$60
TV Pilot	46-80 pages	$70
Short	Up to 10 pages	$45
Short	11-40 pages	$60

Final Deadline
Feature	41-110 pages	$90
Feature	111-140 pages	$115
TV Pilot	up to 45 pages	$65
TV Pilot	46-80 pages	$80
Short	Up to 10 pages	$50
Short	11-40 pages	$65

Add-On Coverage

We also offer a full coverage service for an additional fee. Coverage consists of 3-4 pages of feedback featuring:

Genre suggestion
Logline
Brief plot synopsis
Page-by-page comments
Recommendations as to what the "next step” could be. This may address media, films, and screenplays the writer should be aware of, as well as any words of wisdom from our readers.

Standard Coverage (within 2 months): Features +$100, TV Pilots and Shorts +$90
Express Coverage (within 21 days): Features +$150, TV Pilots and Shorts +$130

Submission Rules

Eligibility

Scripts submitted to the competition must NOT have been previously optioned, purchased or produced at the time of entry.
If a submitted screenplay becomes optioned or purchased between the time of submission and the end of the judging period, the applicant must notify us and that screenplay will no longer be eligible for an award.
Scripts submitted to the competition must not have received awards from other competitions over $1,000 at the time of entry.
Screenwriters who have had previous feature screenplays produced and distributed by non-independent means are ineligible.
Screenwriters who earn more than $50,000 annually from screenwriting for film or tv are not eligible.
No adaptations of other written work, or content based off of an existing IP will be accepted unless the writer owns the rights to the original material, or the original material is in the Public Domain.
No specs will be accepted for the TV Pilot category. All TV Pilot submissions must be for original series.

Submission Guidelines

Screenplays must be in English, formatted according to the current industry standards in 12-point courier font.
Screenplays must have a cover page that includes the script's title. Other info can be included on the cover page, but is not required. The cover page does not count towards the overall script page count.
If the script is based on a true story, that should be noted on the cover page.
Slamdance is not responsible for screenplays or coverage stolen or lost in transit.
Slamdance only accepts submissions via online submissions platforms FilmFreeway, Coverfly and the Slamdance Direct Form. We no longer accept hard copies of scripts via mail.
All entries must be uploaded by the appropriate deadline.
Deadlines close at 11:59 PM PST
Reader assignment is at our discretion and requests for rereads will not be accepted.
Scripts cannot be updated with new drafts after they have been submitted.
Multiple authorship is acceptable. Slamdance divides awards equally among co-writers.
No refunds provided after a submission has been made.

Judging

The first round of reading is done by individual readers. If your script is advanced to the next round, the script will be read and scored by multiple readers to determine whether it gets into quarterfinals and semifinals.
If your script makes it to semifinals, it will be discussed at the deliberations where readers will determine finalists and winners.
If your script did not make it into quarterfinals, it will not advance to further stages of the competition.
No judging decision will be included with the feedback.
Slamdance notifies winners only. Entrants are advised to check our website and e-newsletter for judging announcements.
The Slamdance Screenplay Competition readers’ decisions are final.

While not an official requirement for submission, we strongly suggest you register your screenplay with the Writers Guild of America, West and the US Copyright Office to protect your work.

A total of $18,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the winners this year.
The Grand Prize winner will receive $10,000 in cash.
The winners of the Feature, Horror, TV Pilot, and Short categories will each receive $2,000 in cash.
The top three screenwriters in each category will receive prize packages that include Festival Passes good for all screenings and parties at the next Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah
The winning Horror and Feature screenplays will receive $5,000 in legal services from Pierce Law Group, LLP.
The top three screenwriters in each category will be included in the upcoming Slamdance Film Festival program which is distributed to industry professionals in Park City and year round.
One entry from the competition will be awarded the Slamdance Screenplay Mentorship Award, consisting of personal mentorship through Slamdance's alumni network and screenwriting consultants. This includes an in-depth coverage report, an action plan for next draft development, further review of subsequent drafts, support in preparing a pitch deck, and best efforts in helping get the finished work produced through Slamdance's alumni network.
Production companies, studios, top agencies, and managers request to read our top scripts each year.

All projects begin with an initial consultation for $250. It consists of three steps:

A consultant will provide an exhaustive coverage report of about five pages that discusses the strengths, weaknesses, and methods for improving your script.
A 90-minute Skype call or in-person meeting with a consultant to discuss your project and the coverage report in depth.
Based on our discussion, we will send a summary proposal with actionable steps to be undertaken on your next draft.

90% of this initial fee will go directly to your consultant, who must prepare extensively to give your project the attention that it deserves.