Apr 10th
Sunrise Bargain
May 1st
Riviera
May 21st
Coachella
Jun 10th
Indian Wells
Jun 30th
Final
Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards
Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards & Pitch Deck-Sizzle Reel-Trailer Contest
Spring 2025
Active Since 2021
Now you'll grab the attention of the film and television industry with your writing, filmmaking, and creative marketing skills. Join the Showcase!
Accepting Features, TV Pilots, Shorts, Web Series, Treatments, Feature Documentaries, Short Documentaries, Short Stories, Series Bibles, Pitches, Graphic Novels, In Production Films, and Stage Plays
Enter Now
Enter on or before April 10th to save $10

About

2025 SPRING COMPETITION NOW OPEN!

Palm Springs...
The legendary desert oasis where Hollywood gathers to relax, play, and search for the next generation of creative talent.

Home of the famed Palm Springs International Film Festival* and playground for generations of entertainment industry moguls and international celebrities.

Every word of your script...or every frame of your trailer/video will be studied and analyzed by established Hollywood film and television WGA, SAG, DGA Award-winners with hundreds of credits at every major Hollywood studio, network, and streamer.

There are no unpaid interns or amateur readers involved in our process at any time.

Winners and Finalists get far more than "attaboys" and laurels:
• Screenplay Contest Winners earn LIVE STORY CONFERENCES with award-winning WGA writer-producers, professionally written script analysis, professional memberships, and promotional placement in the online "Screening Room"
• Media Winners (pitch decks, sizzle reels, trailers) receive LIVE SCREENINGS & MARKET ANALYSIS with DGA-WGA-SAG judges, FREE ADMISSION to "Money for Your Movie: Guaranteed" to learn the proven system for financing film projects, and Marquee Promotional Placement in the Palm Springs Online Screening Room

*not affiliated

Prices & Deadlines

Apr 10th
Sunrise Bargain
May 1st
Riviera
May 21st
Coachella
Jun 10th
Indian Wells
Jun 30th
Final
Pitch Deck Entry
$39.00
$47.00
$54.00
$59.00
$69.00
Sizzle Reel Entry
$44.00
$49.00
$54.00
$59.00
$69.00
Movie Trailer Entry
$54.00
$64.00
$69.00
$74.00
$79.00

Benefits

Best Sizzle Reel, Movie Trailer, or Pitch Deck
• Marquee Placement at The Screening Room to drive online exposure to the industry.
• Free Admission to "Money for Your Movie: Guaranteed", the proven system for raising film financing
• Live Screening & Marketing Analysis with WGA-DGA-SAG Judges

Best Screenplay, TV Pilot, or Short Script
• Live Story Conference with award-wining  Senior Level WGA Judge 
• Promotional Placement at The Screening Room to drive online exposure to the industry.
• Written Studio-grade  analysis
• 4-month InkTip Pro Membership
​•Free listing at MovieBytes.com
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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.

Announcements

Jul 19th
Final Contest Results

Rules

Submissions as Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter files will not be read, scored, or judged.

• There is no limit to the number of screenplay, teleplay, short film scripts, pitch decks, sizzle reels, or movie trailers you may submit.

• Submitted material must be received by midnight of each monthly deadline date and submission fee payment must accompany your material.

• All entry fees are non-refundable; submissions in any file format other than PDF or MP4 video files or YouTube links will be disqualified with no refund.

• Page count limitations: Short Film Scripts = 30pp    Television Scripts = 70pp   Feature Screenplays = 125pp  Entries exceeding those page limits will incur a 20% reading fee surcharge.

• All material submitted to these contests must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).

• Screenplays and scripts must be submitted by the credited writer. Screenplays and scripts written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).  

• All writers must be credited on title page.

• If a screenwriting team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the screenwriter submitting the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money, with no direction from The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards Contest administrators, staff, or judges.

• Once submitted, material is promptly assigned to analysts and judges and reading/scoring begins. Revisions, rewrites, addenda, or substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered screenplay or script material require a separate entry. 

• Multiple entries are accepted. Submitting the same script pages for different levels of analysis is fine. In all cases, each entry or request for varying levels of analysis must be entered individually. When multiple levels of analysis are NOT entered individually, only the highest level of analysis will be provided with no refunds for other analysis services.

• 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), including Film • Freeway and/or Coverfly. By using our services, you grant us permission to use your name and likeness in any and all promotional activities and indemnify us from such use.

• All copyright, ownership and derivative rights to the material submitted to The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards contest(s) remains with the original rights holders and/or author. 

• By submitting material to the contest, writer gives contest administrators permission to promote the work and the writer to third parties, including professional literary managers and agents at their sole discretion. By submitting material to the contest, you agree to hold Butterfly Beach Media, Inc., its officers, managers, employees, contractors, and representatives of all kinds harmless against any and all claims. No assurances, warranties, or guarantees are either implicitly or explicitly made as to the efforts or lack of response by any and all third parties to whom Butterfly Beach Media Inc or any of its subsidiaries may send or transmit material.

• Plagiarized or non-original written materials will be disqualified.

• Once announced and delivered, all prize package items and taxes appurtenant thereto are the responsibility of the recipient.

• All scores are final and purely at the discretion of the Senior Judging Panel.

• Writer acknowledges that any and all written feedback and analysis commentary is objectively presented and intended to be illustrative, instructive, and helpful in guiding the writer along a professional path.  Scores and comments are in accordance with current professional film and television industry standards, but writer accepts them as purely subjective pursuant to the judgment and opinion of the individual reader-analyst and agrees not to request, demand, or suggest alternate, different, or revised written feedback; no guarantees of satisfaction on the part of the writer are expressed or implied.

Eligibility:

• All screenwriters and filmmakers, without regard to professional or amateur status, age, gender, race, ethnicity, country of origin, native language, political orientation, or sexual preference are eligible.

• The screenplay, television script, or short film script material submitted must be in English.

• All screenplay, television script, short film script, or visual or media material submitted to other competitions or contests is eligible.

• There are no limitations or restrictions as to date of authorship of submitted screenplay, television script, or short film materials.

• The screenplay, television script, or short film script material submitted must not be encumbered by any obligation to, or option held by, any third party prior to entering the screenplay competition.

• Screenplay, television script, or short film script material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.

• No limitations regarding title page content. Title and name of screenwriter and contact information on cover page is recommended.

• Live consultations are limited to one draft and one entry per writer per contest period.
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