ScreenCraft
ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competition
2025
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2018
The True Story jury includes production companies, studios and literary managers behind some of the best true story entertainment out there, including The Wolf of Wall Street, King Richard, Woman of the Hour, Monsters, and many more.
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About

From Hit Man and Monsters to Killer of the Flower Moon, true story screenplays are dominating the industry, captivating audiences and winning awards. The demand for authentic, powerful storytelling is at an all-time high, making this the perfect moment to share your story.

Past finalists and winners of this competition have optioned their scripts, signed shopping agreements, and signed with literary managers.Hundreds of ScreenCraft writers have signed with top management companies and agencies like CAA, Anonymous Content, Bellevue Productions, WME, UTA, and many more.

Our jury has been hand picked to include industry executives passionate about true stories - they love the genre as much as you do. Get your work in front of people who get you. 

Jury includes: 


IPG (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Lincoln Lawyer)

Westbrook Studios (King Richard, Bel-Air)

Vertigo Entertainment (The Departed, Women of the Hour)

Netflix (Monsters, When They See Us, The Spy)

Black Bear Pictures (Sing Sing, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Imitation Game)

Benefits

THE PRIZES

Grand Prize Winner

The overall grand prize winner in either feature or TV category will be welcomed to the Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions with one or more top Hollywood literary manager(s), producers, or industry exec. 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 150 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.


They'll receive:

  • • Personal Introduction to top industry professionals
  • • Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program
  • • $1,000 cash award
  • • An exclusive invitation to a Finalist only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry
  • • Mentorship Meeting with Grand Prize Mentor Nicolas Gonda


Feature & TV Winners

  • • $500 cash award
  • • Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program
  • • An exclusive invitation to a Finalist only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry


Finalists

  • • An exclusive invitation to a Finalist only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

Jury

Get in front of Hollywood judges who love true stories and more!
CEO & Manager

Joel Gotler

Intellectual Property Group

CEO & Manager

Intellectual Property Group (IPG) is a prominent literary management company specializing in book-to-film/TV adaptations. The company has successfully managed the film rights and adaptations for notable properties including "The Wolf of Wall Street," "Lincoln Lawyer," and "Mr. Popper's Penguins."

Westbrook Studios

Fidan Manashirova

Senior Director, Scripted TV Development

Westbrook Studios

Westbrook Studios, founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, creates impactful and diverse content across film, television, and digital media. Notable projects include King Richard and Bel-Air, showcasing their commitment to high-quality, resonant storytelling. As part of Westbrook Inc., the studio emphasizes innovation and cross-platform storytelling to inspire global audiences

Vertigo Entertainment

Dan Kavanagh

Manager of TV Development

Vertigo Entertainment

Dan Kavanagh joined Vertigo Entertainment in 2019. Since then, he’s worked to identify projects that have sold to Charter, Sony and Village Roadshow among others, while contributing to the development of shows at every major streamer, including Warhammer at Amazon. Previously, he served as Development & Production Coordinator at AMC Networks’ Shudder and Sundance Now, where he helped launch their reboot of Stephen King and George Romero’s Creepshow, which is now in its fourth season.

Netflix

Jonathan Kolkey

Coordinator, Film

Netflix

Netflix has built a strong reputation for producing gripping thriller content inspired by true events, capturing audiences with its blend of real-life drama and suspense. Responsible for bringing us iconic entertainment including The Crown, When They See Us, Mindhunter, The Spy, and many more.

Black Bear Pictures

Sleena Wilson

VP, Film & TV

Black Bear Pictures

Black Bear Pictures is a production company known for its focus on high-quality, thought-provoking films and series that often draw from true stories and compelling narratives. Founded by Teddy Schwarzman, the company has gained acclaim for projects like Sing Sing, Nyad, Dumb Money, Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and The Imitation Game.

Grand Prize Mentor

Grand Prize Mentor Nicolas Gonda will meet with the Grand Prize Winner for a virtual mentorship session.
Book of Shadows

Nicolas Gonda

Producer, Principal

Book of Shadows

Named one of Indiewire’s inaugural “Influencers,” Variety’s “10 Producers to Watch” and Details Magazine’s “Digital Mavericks,” Nicolas Gonda works with producing partner Chloe Zhao at her production company Book of Shadows. He began his film career at Focus Features, working on the publicity, marketing, and worldwide distribution of a number of Academy Award® winning films such as THE PIANIST and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. In 2005, he joined the production of Terrence Malick’s THE NEW WORLD, where he served as the Music Supervisor and oversaw elements of the film’s post-production. He went on to work with Mr. Malick as Co-Producer of THE TREE OF LIFE, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and Producer of TO THE WONDER.

Writer Success

ScreenCraft staff has been wonderfully helpful in our industry outreach. They are knowledgeable and energetic. Definitely one of the best contests going.
Mark Brown
2022 Finalist
Screencraft is one of the few screenwriting companies with contests that actually have a tangible benefit to the writers. As a finalist, I have met with (and continue to be assisted by) their development team, which has resulted in networking and exposure of myself and my writing that normally would require an agent, manager, or entertainment attorney. As a connoisseur of screenplay contests, being an active patron of most of them at some point over the past 10 years, I can say without fear of contradiction that this is one of the best out there.
Joshua Keller Katz
2021 Finalist
As a result of winning Grand Prize in the True Story Contest, one of the judges, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, reached out to me and unofficially mentored me as I worked on rewrites of the script which greatly improved it. She read multiple drafts and we spent 5 hours going over her detailed and astute notes; it was a master class from a veteran screenwriter who I've respected over the years and such a privilege and joyful experience that would not have happened without ScreenCraft.
Takeo Hori
2021 Winner
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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.

2025 Quarterfinalists on Coverfly

Top 7%
Feature  · Drama  · 114 Pages
In the wake of Stonewall, Yale professor John Boswell races against time and his own mortality to uncover hidden truths in history, sparking a battle between erasure and acceptance and inspiring a cultural revolution.
Cleveland, Ohio
Craig is the writer and creator of TREADING YESTERDAY, winner of the ScreenHits Universal Pilot Showcase, and the writer-director of two feature films, including NOT A TAME LION, the Grand Prize winner at the 2022 Rhode Island International Film Festival. While Craig has expanded into directing and producing, his passion remains rooted in crafting o...
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Top 19%
Feature  · Drama  · 113 Pages
Broke and in despair, Vincent Van Gogh befriends the impressionist and sculptor Paul Gauguin, sparking a formidable, but costly bond.
George Brighton
No bio available.
Top 23%
TV Script  · Fantasy  · 57 Pages
Inspired by the classic Thomas Carnacki stories of William Hope Hodgson, DARK ARTS follows Ryland Carnacki as the secretive Order of Saiitii resurfaces with a bitter vendetta against him forcing Ryland to build alliances and pull out every tool at his disposal to unravel the conspiracy and confront his own secretive past.
Noah Lang (Co-Creator) is a writer and two time Independent Spirit Award nominated producer based in Los Angeles where he co-runs Witchcraft Motion Picture Company. As a fiction writer, his short story "Ingenium" was featured in print by Dark Horses Magazine and his ongoing series "Elkridge Consumes" was adapted into podcast form by the NoSleep podc...
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Show 1 more writers
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Announcements

Apr 16th
Semifinalists
May 2nd
Finalists
May 16th
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.

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 in the public domain, so long as the script itself is indisputably written by the writer and that the script does not contain any plagiarism.
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 $6 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.
In the event a juror, partner organization, or prize partner is no longer able to serve in their specified capacity, ScreenCraft will make its best effort to secure a replacement. ScreenCraft is not responsible for the failed delivery of any prize package by a juror, sponsor, or partner organization.
ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.