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Set in Philadelphia
Set in Philadelphia
2024
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2018
A multi-prized screenwriting competition for feature length or pilot scripts that could be filmed in the Philadelphia region.
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About

Writers do NOT have to be from Philadelphia and scripts do NOT need to be explicitly set in Philadelphia. They just need to be able to be shot in Philadelphia.


“Set in Philadelphia” Screenwriting Competition (SIP), which is presented by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, is open to all screenwriters, world-wide, who submit a feature length screenplay OR an original TV pilot length screenplay that can be shot in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. All genres will be accepted. Scripts will be judged on their overall quality, and the extent to which they project “shootability” in the Greater Philadelphia region. SIP Finalist Judges are high profile Producers, Writers and Actors who have a Philadelphia connection.


The “Set in Philadelphia” Screenwriting Competition (SIP) is proudly presented by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office under its Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers program with awards sponsored by:


  • Stephen Starr
  • Hallee and David Adelman
  • Comcast & NBCUniversal
  • Laurie Lo Presti
  • VestedIn

Past and Present Incredible Finalist Judges:


Jillian Bullock
Author (Here I Stand and Health Is Made In The Kitchen)
Writer-Scripts sold (The Champion Inside, Scar Across My Heart)
Creator/Producer/Director (Blood, Bruises & Broken Bones – Reality TV show)
Screenwriter/Producer/Director (A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives, Touch With Your Eyes,  A Cup Full of Crazy- in post production)

Terry City
Executive Producer (Paulie & Henry: The end of the Goodfellas-Post Production, Exile- in production, Undisputed-in production), Producer, ESPN 30 for 30:Playing for the Mob.

Josh Cooke
Actor (Saint X, The Right Stuff, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, CastlerockGrace & Frankie, Longmire, Manhattan, Hail, Caesar!, Love You Man
Writer/Producer (Issues)

Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels is an Academy Award® nominated filmmaker whose work is trademarked by authenticity and candor. Some of his renowned movies include The Butler, Monsters Ball and Precious, The United States V.S. Billie Holiday as well as TV works such as EMPIRE and StarLee also recently produced the Broadway show Ain't No Mo',

Alexandra Drobac Diagne
Artistic Director and Co-founder, Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival, 2016. Formerly, Executive Manager, Lightstorm (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Titanic, Avatar) Entertainment Director of International Production, Pantheon Studios (Philips Dutch Interactive Encyclopedia, The Renaissance of Florence) Producer (Sistuhs)
PostProduction Manager (A Time of Destiny)

Derek Dressler
Writer (Around the World in 80 Days, Return to Return to Nuke ’em High AKA Volume 2, Mikey Mouse, Get Blake, Transformers: Robots in Disguise)

Julia Fisher Farbman
Producer/Writer: Julia Fisher Farbman wrote and produced the upcoming feature film “Audrey’s Children” about revolutionary pediatric oncologist and co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities, Dr. Audrey Evans. The film, targeting a 2023 release, just wrapped production in the Philadelphia-area and stars Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko), and Clancy Brown (Dexter: New Blood). In recent years, Fisher Farbman produced the Emmy-nominated ABC/U.N. Women Special: Celebrate Equality: The Future of Women’s Rights, and has interviewed the likes of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of YorkShe also co-created, hosted and executive produced MODERN HERO (Amazon)an award-winning series that features female role models, including former First Lady, Michelle Obama and Dr. Audrey Evans, whose video amassed 17 MILLION views across platforms.

Adam F. Goldberg
Adam F. Goldberg is the writer/producer of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Fanboys, The Goldbergs, Schooled, Imaginary Mary, How to Train Your Dragon, Marvel’s Damage Control and the upcoming Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem.

Cayman Grant
Writer/Director (ABC’s The Good Doctor, ESPN 30 for 30: Playing For The Mob, Insecure) Co-founder, Steel Titan Entertainment

Mike Jackson

TV: Executive Producer (Underground, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sherman’s Showcase, Rhythm and Flow)
Film: Producer/Executive Producer (La La Land, Monster, Southside With You, Jingle Jangle, Loudmouth)
Theater: Producer (Jitney and Turn Me Loose)

Dan Kitosser
Writer (We the Animals, Bar Crossed Lovers)


Beverly Nero
Co-producer GBF  (completed)
The Lowe Men (development)
Writing/acting member Neo Ensemble Theatre
Development/Grants Consultant, Board Secretary Deaf West Theatre

Tommy Oliver
Tommy Oliver is a producer and cinematographer, known for 40 Years a Prisoner (2020), Black Love (2017) and The Perfect Guy (2015).

Sheryl Lee Ralph
Emmy Award winning Actor (Abbott Elementary- ABC Series Fam –CBS Series,  MacGyver – CBS  Series, One Mississippi- Amazon Series, Claws –TBS Series)

Sarah Megan Thomas
A Call to Spy (Actor/Producer/Writer), Equity (Actor/Producer/ Writer), Backwards (Actor/Executive Producer, Producer)

Patricia Weiser
Producer (The Best and the Brightest)

Dawn Wolfrom
Producer:The Perfect Man (Universal), Never Again (Focus Features), Bad Hair Day  (The Disney Channel). Royally Wrapped for Christmas premiered on Great American Family in Dec. 2021, Maps & Mistletoe premiered on Lifetime Dec. 2021, Warming Up to You premiered on Hallmark in the Spring of 2022, Well Suited for Christmas premiered on Lifetime on Nov. 6th, 2022, Record Breaking Christmas premiered on Dec. 15th, 2022. Dawn also serves as an executive with Terence Michael and EP on two Award Winning short films (The Boy, Butterflies).

Benefits

On top of the best scripts being reviewed by the incredible jury, the Grand Prize Winners will also receive the following prizes.


The Grand Prize for Best Screenplay, sponsored by Stephen Starr

  • $10,000 cash prize
  • Notes from Judges

TV Prime Time Award, sponsored by Comcast and NBCUniversal

  • $5,000 cash prize
  • Notes from Judges

Content for Kids, sponsored by Hallee and David Adelman
For the best screenplay for an audience 12 yrs & younger

The Oscar Micheaux Award, sponsored by VestedIn

For the best screenplay penned by a Philadelphia area resident of the African Diaspora

  • $2,500 cash prize
  • Notes from Judges

The $2,500 Nina Lo Presti Award

For a female screenwriter, over 18, and with ties to the Greater Philadelphia region, sponsored by her daughter Laurie Lo Presti

2023 Grand Prize Winner on Coverfly

See Other Placements

Announcements

No announcement dates listed.

Rules

At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.


  • Rules & Regulations


Screenplay must be able to be produced in the Philadelphia region (includes the surrounding counties).


All genres and story-telling approaches are acceptable unless otherwise specified by Prize requirements.


You can submit any number of feature length or TV pilot scripts but only ONE entry per application.


Feature Length Screenplays must be between 85-130 pages in length and written in standard screenplay format. (i.e. 8.5" x 11" 12 pt courier font, simple front and back cover, with pages numbered.)


Prime Time (TV) scripts should be half-hour or hour long, single-camera pilots, under 70 pages in length written in standard screenplay format. (i.e. 8.5" x 11” 12 pt courier font, simple

front and back cover, with pages numbered.)


A title page, with just the title, must accompany the screenplay. No author identification should appear on this page. Screenplays will be numbered for confidentiality.


If there is more than one writer, each must sign the release form for application to be accepted.


Screenplays which are currently in production are ineligible.


Judges' decisions are final.


Entrants can receive notification that their submission was received by emailing a request to joan@film.org after August 19, 2024 for early entries and after September 23, 2024 for final

entries.


Entrants can receive notification of their screenplay's status in the final round by emailing a request to joan@film.org after December 15, 2024 but finalists will be posted on our site.

https://film.org/greater-philadelphia-filmmakers/sip-screenwriting-competition/ by end of Nov.


Entrants applying for the Nina Lo Presti Award must be female screenwriters who ideally have a connection with the Philadelphia region (resided, worked, matriculated, etc.). Both

feature and TV pilot scripts will be considered.


Entrants applying for the Content for Kids Prize must have a connection with the Philadelphia region (resided, worked, matriculated, etc.) and submit content that is appropriate for children 12yrs or under. Both feature length and TV pilot scripts are accepted for consideration for this prize.


Entrants applying for the Oscar Micheaux Award must provide a signed Micheaux eligibility form and a legible photocopy of their driver's license, deed or passport as proof of residency

in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery County. Co-author must meet the same requirements.


Submitted screenplays will be considered for all prizes deemed eligible.


Screenplays must be electronically time stamped by 11:59pm EST August 12, 2024 for Early Submission 11:59pm EST ($60, includes processing fee) or September 16, 2024 for Final Deadline ($85, includes processing fee).


Electronic submissions only. Submissions will be processed through the Coverfly platform which will prompt you to include all relevant documents and submission fee. By using our service, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s).


All entrants are encouraged to register their screenplay with the Writers’ Guild of America. www.wga.org.