ScreenCraft Family Screenplay Competition
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THE JUDGES
The top scripts are considered by our incredible industry jury of executives looking for family friendly stories to tell.
Joshua Nadler
Director of Development, Sony’s Affirm Films
Director of Development at Sony’s Affirm Films, the studio behind SOUL SURFER, COURAGEOUS, MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN and more successful and acclaimed faith-friendly films. Affirm Films is a film studio and label of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, which produces, markets, and acquires faith-based films.
Kameishia Wooten
Manager of Kids & Family Delivery, Netflix Animation
Kameishia Wooten started her entertainment career in production working for companies such as Walt Disney Feature Animation and Universal Pictures. She segued into working in various business and legal affairs roles at Paramount Pictures before joining Netflix in 2018. She now oversees delivery of all Kids and Family series and films for Netflix’s Animation Studio. Also, Kameishia is the CEO of Kamrock Entertainment where she produces inspirational short form content. She’s a former Women In Film/Sundance Financing Fellow and was most recently selected to take part in the Alliance of Women Director’s Black Directors Initiative.
Heather Overton
Director, Original Programming at Crown Media Family Networks
Heather is a Director of Development for Crown Media Family Networks, home to Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama, and the on-demand streaming video service. Recent projects include limited series Mystery 101 and Redemption in Cherry Springs and she currently has five Christmas movies, including SISTER SWAP: CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY, THE CHRISTMAS SAIL, NINE KITTENS OF CHRISTMAS, and COYOTE CREEK CHRISTMAS premiering this year for Hallmark’s highly anticipated Countdown to Christmas event. Prior to her time at the network, Heather worked at NBC Universal and in social media marketing and studied theatre in New York City. She is passionate about championing writers and telling stories that move and inspire people.
Jennifer Carreras & Chloe Yellin
Head of Television Development , Head of Film Development and Production at Fierce Baby
Jennifer Carreras is the Head of Television Development at Fierce Baby, and Chloe Yellin is the Head of Film Development and Production at Fierce Baby Productions founded by filmmaker and showrunner Nahnatchka Khan which focuses on amplifying new voices and perspectives in both comedy and drama. Carreras is currently an Executive Producer on the NBC sitcom YOUNG ROCK. Carreras will next serve as an EP on a reboot of the beloved 80s sitcom KATE & ALLIE currently in development at NBC and on an untitled dark comedy series starring Krysten Ritter. Yellin worked at MRC as Vice President of Film Development and Production, where she oversaw Michael Showalter’s THE LOVEBIRDS.
Jessica Yingling
President, Mischief Productions
Emmy Award-winning producer, director and writer Jessica Yingling launched Mischief Productions in 2014. Her projects include LOVE UNDER THE OLIVE TREE and ANYTHING FOR LOVE for the Hallmark Channel. She previously worked as an executive with film/TV producer Arnold Rifkin and was actively involved with acquiring, developing and packaging projects for the company’s production slate, including LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, DECEPTION, and NIGHT TRAIN.
Sheryl Anderson
Creator and Showrunner of SWEET MAGNOLIAS
Sheryl J. Anderson is the showrunner of SWEET MAGNOLIAS. She began her writing journey as a playwriting major at The College of William & Mary. She also worked as a television studio executive, screenwriter, and half-hour series writer (PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE, DAVE'S WORLD). She then moved to writing and producing hour-long series, working on a wide range of series (CHARMED, FLASH GORDON, WHEN CALLS THE HEART). She has sold pilots to Disney, SyFy, NBC, and Lifetime, and written movies for Hallmark, UPtv, and Lifetime. Sheryl also teaches and mentors through a variety of universities and organizations.
THE PRIZES
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
The overall grand prize winner in either feature, TV or short category will be welcomed to the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top Hollywood literary managers who are looking for talented emerging Film & TV screenwriters.
The top 3 winners’ project info and log lines will be circulated and recommended to our network of over 60 Hollywood managers, agents, producers and development executives. ScreenCraft has a proven track record for getting writers signed with managers, agents, and staffed in writing rooms.
Personal Introduction to top literary managers
Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program
$1,000 cash award
Invitation to the Finalist + Networking Event
Personal ScreenCraft Consultation
Feature & TV Winners
$500 cash award
Consideration for the ScreenCraft Development Program
Invitation to the Finalist + Networking Event
ScreenCraft Consultation
Finalists
Invitation to the Finalist + Networking Event
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.
Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.
Entry fees are as listed on the site and checkout form. No coupon or discount is applicable on a previous entry.
Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback can be done through Coverfly
Entries may be any length -- the standard 1/2 hour is between 20 - 40 pages, and the standard hour long is between 40 - 70 pages, and the standard feature is between 85 - 120 pages. Any script submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $.50 per page overage fee for each page over 120 if it does not include feedback and $1 per page if the entry does include feedback.
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 owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.
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).
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 any prizes awarded as they deem fair (whether there is a cash value or not).
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. ScreenCraft uses Coverfly to manage submissions and automatically removes cover pages before scripts are read by the judges.
ScreenCraft claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders.
The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.
ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.
This is a limited set of the competition rules and the ScreenCraft terms of services. Please visit screencraft.org/family for the full list of rules, user agreements, and terms of service.