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ScreenCraft
ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competition
2022
Coverfly-exclusive
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2018
The demand for films and television series based on existing IP has never been higher. Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman joins as this year's VIP Mentor!
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About

If you don’t own IP, go to true stories and the public domain to get your IP for free. We’re celebrating true stories, biographies, and adaptations of timeless tales & characters in the public domain - the type of films Hollywood is obsessed with making right now. Winners from the past several years have optioned their work, signed with representation, and signed shopping agreements.

This unique ScreenCraft competition was launched after industry producers, executives and managers consistently asked for the same thing: screenplays based on pre-existing intellectual property. True stories and works in the public domain (published before 1927), have a long history of Hollywood success. 

Winners’ projects will be circulated to our wide network of industry professionals, with the goal of setting up the winners with production companies and studios, and introducing the top writers to literary managers and agents. 

ScreenCraft’s past winners have gone on to sell their scripts to major studios and have been hired by companies like Universal, Netflix, Amazon, Millennium, CBS and many more. ScreenCraft’s winners are also highly sought after by literary managers and agents who are open to signing new writer clients. Over 275 ScreenCraft writers have signed with top management companies and agencies like 3 Arts, Anonymous Content, CAA, WME, UTA, Paradigm, Lit Entertainment, and many more. 

Benefits

THE JUDGES

Get in front of Hollywood judges who love true stories and public domain properties.


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ELIZABETH FRANCO

Netflix, Manager Documentary Originals

Elizabeth is the Manager of Original Documentary Series at Netflix, which has produced some of the top true story titles like The Crown, When They See Us, and Tiger King. Elizabeth previously worked for CNN Films in a similar capacity.

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GREG CABRERA

Participant, Manager Narrative Television

Greg is the manager of narrative television at Participant Media, a production company with several acclaimed docuseries, America to Me, followed by Ava DuVernay’s limited drama series, When They See Us.

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KAYLON HUNT

JuVee Productions, VP Development and Production

Kaylon Hunt is the VP of Development and Production for JuVee Productions, the production company of Academy Award-winning actress, Viola Davis, and Julius Tennon.

SEAN DUBRAVAC

Entertainment Lab, Lit Manager

Sean Dubravac is the co-founder of Entertainment Lab, a bicoastal Talent Management and Production company, which has represented projects like The Power of Now, The Untethered Soul, and The Surrender Experiment.

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CHRISTOPHER TSUI

Davis Entertainment, Story Editor

Christopher works in development and production for Davis Entertainment, a film and television production company behind such projects as Jungle Cruise, Shaft and Dolemite Is My Name.

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JASON KELLER

Screenwriter, FORD VS FERRARI

Jason Keller is an Oscar-nominated writer and producer, best known for writing the Academy Award winning biographical drama, Ford v Ferrari, which starred Hollywood alums Matt Damon and Christian Bale.


THE PRIZES

Grand Prize Winner

The overall grand prize winner in either feature or TV category will be welcomed to the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top Hollywood literary manager(s) who are looking for talented emerging Film & TV screenwriters.

ScreenCraft's genre specific relationships include companies like Netflix, Amazon, CBS, Chernin Entertainment, and over 150 other 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 literary managers
  • 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


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

Writer Success

2023 Winners on Coverfly

See Other Placements

Announcements

May 25th
Semifinalists
Jun 22nd
Finalists
Jul 20th
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.

  1. Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.

  2. Entry fees are as listed on the site and checkout form. No coupon or discount is applicable on a previous entry.

  3. Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback can be done through Coverfly.

  4. 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.

  5. There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.

  6. 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.

  7. All submitted material must be owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.

  8. 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).

  9. 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).

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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. 

  14. 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.

  15. ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.

  16. ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.

    For a full list of rules and eligibility please visit ScreenCraft.