HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition
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About
The Academy Qualifying 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 and for the first time this year, feature screenplays as well!
The 11th annual HollyShorts Screenplay Contest is part of the 20th annual HollyShorts Film Festival (August 8-17 2024). 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 5 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. ISA story prize rounds out the top 5. The completed shorts will screen at the 2025 HollyShorts Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatres and receive automatic distribution on Bitpix!
Prices & Deadlines
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May 3rd
Late
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Jun 3rd
Extended
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Short Screenplay
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$60.00
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$75.00
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Female Short Screenplay
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$60.00
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$75.00
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Television Pilot
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$60.00
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$75.00
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Feature Screenplay
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$70.00
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$80.00
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Short Screenplay Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
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$90.00
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$110.00
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Female Short Screenplay Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
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$90.00
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$110.00
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Television Pilot Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
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$90.00
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$110.00
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Feature Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
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$100.00
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$120.00
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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 2025. 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: $35,000 U.S. Dollar
*all completed winning scripts get automatic distribution on Bitpix, will screen at HollyShorts, and be Academy Award qualified by HSFF.
ISA story Award
ISA prize
Sponsor: ISA
Value of Goods/Services: $1,000 U.S.
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: $5000 U.S. Dollar
Script Compass Award
$10,000 value script consulting prize for this award
Announcements
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.