HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition
Enter Now
Enter on or before December 20th to save $10
Aug 29th
Open
Dec 20th
Earlybird
Mar 24th
Regular
May 5th
Late
Jun 2nd
Extended
HollyShorts
HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition
2023
Active Since 2012
Accepting Shorts and TV Pilots
Enter Now
Enter on or before December 20th to save $10
About
HollyShorts Film Festival (HSFF) is an annual short film festival showcasing the best and brightest short films and short screenplays from around the globe. The festival showcases the top short films produced 40 minutes or less and is looking for the best short screenplays 30 pages or less and TV pilots 50 pages and under.
The 10th annual HollyShorts Screenplay Contest is part of the 19th annual HollyShorts Film Festival (August 10-19, 2023). We are looking for short screenplays 30 pages or less. All Quarter, Semi, and Finalists will be announced and invited to the festival with an all access pass. Top 3 screenplays will be announced/awarded at the HollyShorts Awards Ceremony and the winning scripts receives production deals courtesy of The Seattle Film Summit and 88th Street Productions. Top 3 winners receive Final Draft software and Network ISA prizes. The completed shorts will screen at the 2023 HollyShorts Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatres and receive automatic distribution on Bitpix!
Prices & Deadlines
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Dec 20th
Earlybird
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Mar 24th
Regular
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May 5th
Late
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Jun 2nd
Extended
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Short Screenplay Entry
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$35.00
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$45.00
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$55.00
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$75.00
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Short Screenplay Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
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$70.00
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$80.00
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$90.00
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$110.00
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Female Short Screenplay Entry
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$35.00
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$45.00
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$55.00
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$75.00
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Female Short Screenplay Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
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$70.00
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$80.00
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$90.00
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$110.00
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Television Pilot Entry
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$35.00
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$45.00
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$55.00
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$75.00
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Television Pilot Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
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$70.00
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$80.00
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$90.00
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$110.00
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Benefits
Best Short Screenplay
The first place winning short screenplay will get produced by our production company sponsors Seattle Film Summit and 88th Street Productions, to be completed and screen at the HollyShorts Film Festival in 2022. Finished film will get an automatic screening at HollyShorts, including Academy Award Qualified by HSFF and distribution on Bitpix! Top winner will also receive a meeting with Alta Global Media.
Sponsors: Seattle Film Summit + 88th Street Productions + Bitpix
Cash Award Value: $25,000 U.S. Dollar
Value of Goods/Services: $25,000 U.S. Dollar
*all completed winning scripts get automatic distribution on Bitpix, will screen at HollyShorts, and be Academy Award qualified by HSFF.
Hawk Films Short Screenplay $20,000 winner
Hawk Films will award one winner with a $20,000 dollar production prize. Hawk Films will produce the Award Winning script and provide all nuts and bolds to the production. Your script will be produced into a film in the UK. The award winner will have all travel expenses paid for to attend the shoot.
Hawk Films is a London-based production company founded by DoP and Producer Matthias Ashford.
With over 10 years of experience in storytelling, they have collaborated with names such as Richard Branson and Usain Bolt, and created content for brands like Lego, Ford, and Kickstarter.
They work across feature and short films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials, and rely on a strong network of award-winning professionals and creatives, armed with industry-leading equipment, to bring the best stories to life.
3rd Place
Final Draft software prize
Sponsor: Final Draft and ISA
Value of Goods/Services: $1,000 U.S. Dollar
Best TV pilot
Optioned by 88th Street Productions.
Value Goods/Services: $2,000 U.S. Dollar
Quarter and Semi Finalists
All Quarter and Semi finalists get invite to attend the festival, all access pass.
Value of Goods/Services: $1,000 U.S. Dollar
Best Female Screenplay
$1000 cash for the shoot and Becine providing rental camera gear for the shot for the winner of Best Female Screenplay, along with guaranteed screening at HollyShorts and distribution on Bitpix along with Academy Award qualification by HSFF!
Value of Goods/Services: $5,000 U.S. Dollar
Announcements
Aug 19th
Winners
Jun 30th
Quarterfinalists
Jul 21st
Semifinalists
Jul 28th
Finalists
Rules
At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.
All entries submitted are eligible to win the top prizes.
Employees (and their immediate families (parent, spouse, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related) of HollyShorts and any of their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies or festival sponsors, are not eligible to win. There is no limit on the number of short screenplays you can submit; however, each short screenplay submitted by you must be original and different from any other short screenplay submitted by you, submitted separately and accompanied by its own completed submission form and participant agreement. Short screenplays may be a maximum of 30 pages, must be in English and must be submitted in proper script format. HollyShorts reserves the right to reject any short screenplay that it determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, contains prohibited content or is offensive, inappropriate or otherwise unacceptable. All eligible entries received by HollyShorts will be judged by the HollyShorts selection committee and the production company sponsoring the contest.
By submitting your script for consideration for the HollyShorts Screenplay Contest, you agree for HollyShorts and its contest sponsor to produce your short screenplay if selected as the overall winner. The completed film(s) will premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival and on our distribution platform Bitpix.
