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ScreenCraft
ScreenCraft Comedy Competition
2019
Coverfly-exclusive
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2014
Open to pilots and features, opportunities include mentorship with Funny or Die, a Q&A with Tze Chun, project development with established screenwriters, and a jury behind comedies like PEN15 and NO QUESTIONS ASKED
View Latest Season
This season has closed, but there's a new season open now!

About

This year's jury includes executives from Warner Bros., Red Hour Films, Happy Madison Productions and Artists First Management!

Whether you have a romantic comedy or an action-comedy blockbuster, we want to read your script. Big or small, our jury is looking for smart feature film screenplays with strong command of the craft, lots of heart and unique comedic voices. All entries are eligible for optional feedback from a studio-trained professional reader.

Also -- don't forget to check out this year's Comedy Concept Category! Submit a concept for a TV or Feature comedy (synopsis, treatment, pitch, format) up to 5 pages. The winner will have development calls with Joseph Garner at Warner Brothers to help turn the idea into a completed script.

Benefits

The top scripts will all be read and considered by the following executives:

Joseph Garner, Warner Bros

Joseph is a producer of HANGOVER PART II & III, DUE DATE, WAR DOGS and XOXO. He's a development executive for Bradley Cooper and Todd Philip‘s company Joint Effort with a 3-year production deal at Warner Bros.

Haroon Saleem, Red Hour

Haroon is an executive at Red Hour Films, Ben Stiller‘s production company behind classic comedy titles such as Tropic Thunder, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Zoolander, and Blades of Glory.

Judit Maull

Judit is a development executive at Happy Madison Productions, Adam Sandler‘s company behind titles such as Joe Dirt, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups, and The Ridiculous Six.

Cara Alpert

Cara is a coordinator at Artists First, the management company such comedy talents as Jordan Peele, Kate McKinnon, Judy Greer, and Awkwafina.


On top of all top scripts being read by this incredible jury, the winners will receive prizes and industry outreach . Dozens of ScreenCraft winners have signed with managers, sold their scripts, option projects, been staffed, or been hired for open writing assignments. Check out some of the success stories here.


Grand Prize Winner:

  • $1,000 Cash
  • Phone consultation with literary manager
  • Script distribution to executives, managers, or producers depending on the writer's goals

Concept Category Winner:

  • Development calls with Joseph Garner at Warner Brothers to help turn the idea into a completed script

Runner-Up:

  • Development notes from ScreenCraft
  • Script distribution to executives, managers, or producers depending on the writer's goals

Finalists:

  • Written feedback from one of our professional Hollywood readers
  • One-year complimentary membership to TSL 360‘s library of screenwriting education

Writer Success

2023 Winners on Coverfly

See Other Placements

Announcements

Jun 26th
Semifinalists
Jul 24th
Finalists
Aug 14th
Winners

Rules

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

For full rules, terms, and conditions, please visit -- https://screencraft.org/comedy/

Rules:

  • Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback after an entry is submitted will not be accepted.
  • Screenplays must be a minimum of 75 pages and a maximum of 150 pages.
  • There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
  • Entries must be received on or before the deadline dates by 11:59PM Pacific Time, and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.
  • All submitted material must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).
  • Material must be submitted by the writer. Material 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 writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money.
  • Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material will be allowed for a limited time with a $5 reentry fee through Coverfly. Please proofread your script carefully before submitting.
  • It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition, however we do not require registration.
  • Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required.
  • All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders.
ELIGIBILITY:
  • All writers at least 18 years of age are eligible. However, a writer who has earned more than $50,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding year is not. (Contest winnings not included.)
  • All persons from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be in English (occasional dialogue in other languages is acceptable, if subtitle translation is provided).
  • All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible for this contest.
  • There are no requirements as to when the material was written.
  • Screenplay and intellectual property must be wholly owned and submitted by the writer(s).
  • Material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.
  • We have no preferences regarding title page content. Title and name of writer would suffice.
  • Entries for this competition are managed on the submission platform Coverfly.
  • Adaptations are ineligible unless the underlying rights are owned by the writer or the work is in the public domain.
  • Feature screenplays longer than 150 pages will not be eligible.
  • All material must be submitted electronically as a PDF or it will not be eligible.

The judging panel, selected by ScreenCraft or its representatives in its sole discretion, will include one screenplay development professional from each of these studios and production companies listed on this year’s jury, however these studios and companies are in no way official sponsors or endorsers of this contest. The top finalists will be chosen based on the following criteria: (i) originality; (ii) story; (iii) characterization; (iv) visual inventiveness; and (v) overall impression. The top finalists will be notified by email and may be contacted by interested industry representatives, such as managers, agents or producers. Entrants may be required to submit further information to assist in the judges’ verification of eligibility. Any entrant may be deemed ineligible at the sole discretion of ScreenCraft. Quarter-finalist, semifinalist, and winner announcements will begin approximately 6 weeks after the final deadline. Finalists may be required to sign and return within seven (7) business days of receipt a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and a Release and Indemnification and any other documents that ScreenCraft or any other partner may require before receiving prize payment. Failure to respond to the initial notification within ten (10) days or return of notification will result in disqualification. We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time.

COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP

ScreenCraft or any other partner, employee or agent associated with this contest claims no ownership nor first right of option to any original screenplay submitted to this contest. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made.

PUBLICITY

Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to ScreenCraft and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

REFUND POLICY

All entries are non-refundable.

ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE

BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release and hold harmless ScreenCraft LLC, ScreenCraft.org, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, Prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, Sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the ScreenCraft.org and its Sponsor, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize. Employees of ScreenCraft and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified. ENTRY TO THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Voided entries will be refunded. Recipients’ eligibility will be verified before the grant is awarded and the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility. By entering the contest, 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).