Bolt
BOLT
2019
Active Since 2016
Submit a short film screenplay or pilot then Barnstorm Media chooses the winner and MAKES YOUR MOVIE OR PILOT!
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About

Bolt is an innovative new screenplay competition from the creators of Barnstorm Fest.

The rules are simple: Submit a short film screenplay, web series or television pilot, Barnstorm Media chooses the winner and MAKES YOUR MOVIE OR PILOT if you win! You get to be the Executive Producer!

Also, every submission receives feedback from the producers at Barnstorm Media WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF SUBMISSION.

Benefits

GRAND JURY PRIZE:

Barnstorm Media will produce the winning script. The winner will be made the Executive Producer of the project, working in collaboration with Barnstorm Media. The Grand Jury Prize winner also receives $250!

Three Finalists: 

Receive a one on one consultation with a feature film producer about how to get your movie or pilot made. And if you need it, we'll also help you find representation.

Every Submission:

  • Receives feedback from the producers at Barnstorm Media WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF SUBMISSION!
  • Receives a free subscription and free filmmaking classes from Videomaker Magazine. 
competition insights image
Coverfly Program Insights
Coverfly vets all programs on its platform, but not every program is right for every writer. Program Insights help you decide where to submit your work.

2024 Honorable Mentions on Coverfly

Top 10%
TV Script  · Comedy  · 30 Pages
Anxious to find some friends for her restless kids, an expat lures a few moms over to a fake charity event at her house. But as her guests arrive, she’s forced last minute to take her biggest client on a tour of Prague while muddling through her guests, family and client.
Seeking Representation
Brazilian-born American playwright and screenwriter creates female-driven stories that have social, political, and psychological depth, reflecting her international worldview, with a dash of humor - 'cause who can get through provocative themes without a joke or a caipirinha? She holds a BA in Performing Arts from ASU and a Post Grad Diploma in S...
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Top 1%
Short  · Thriller  · 13 Pages
At wit's end with a motorhead neighbor always revving his big truck, a beleaguered artist takes matters into her own hands to finish her masterwork on time. (A wish-fulfillment dark-comedy thriller)
Sioux Falls, SD
Mike Hanson has been writing since third grade when he won Cartoon Corral's "My Mom's Great Because..." contest. Later he'd be a stringer reporter in a death penalty case for the AP; write award-winning short stories; see his musings in TIME and Readers Digest; and write scripts, including The Heckler, an award-winning broad-comedy baseball feature...
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Show 1 more writers
Top 10%
Short  · Drama  · 8 Pages
A little girl chases a white balloon, which leads her on a metaphysical journey of grief.
St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, GB
I am an emerging scriptwriter interested in writing moving and engaging scripts on important themes. I have an MA in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media from the Royal Central School for Speech and Drama. My short screenplay The Balloon was selected as a runner-up for the White Rose International Film Festival, and a Quarter-Finalist for the Scr...
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Announcements

Jun 30th
Finalists

Rules

Festival Rules

  1. Screenplays must be in English, formatted to industry standards and submitted as PDFs. 
  2. Scripts submitted to the competition must NOT have been previously optioned, purchased or produced at the time of entry. 
  3. Barnstorm's competition decisions are final. 
  4. In the event of multiple writers, list all additional co-writers on title page. Please NOTE: Barnstorm divides awards equally among co-writers.
  5. The script must be between 1-79 pages, not including the cover page.
  6. You may submit as many entries as you'd like.

Terms & Conditions

  • I have read all of Barnstorm Fest’s rules and regulations. I understand and have complied with these rules.
  • I understand that failure to adhere to Bolt by Barnstorm Fest’s rules will result in disqualification.
  • I am the sole owner and author of the submitted material.
  • Furthermore, I indemnify Bolt by Barnstorm Fest, its affiliates, sponsors and judges of and from any and all claims, loss or liability that may be asserted against you or incurred by you or any associates, at any time in connection with said material.
  • The final decisions, whether creative or financial, regarding the creation of the film for the winning screenplay are at the full discretion of Barnstorm Media. The timing and date of completion of the film is also at the full discretion of Barnstorm Media.
  • If chosen as an AWARD winner, I give Bolt by Barnstorm Fest a Non-exclusive, Worldwide, Royalty Free license to use excerpts of my media and biographical information for advertising or promotional purposes, including, without limitation, the right of display, reproduction, and distribution on barnstormfest.com or its social media outlets.