SCRIPTWRITERS & CO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
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About
The SCRIPTWRITERS & CO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL is the culmination of an established annual scriptwriting contest for playwrights, screenwriters and audio/podcast writers.
S&CO originally made their name around the globe via free Scratch Night Competitions and Zoom performances with script notes delivered by Zanna Cardash and Alex Hollister, script consultants who have been writers all their working lives. They also deliver expert scriptwriting tuition, retreats, coverage, plus table reads cast with S&CO Actors from the US and UK.
Set up in 2019, the organisation has thousands of subscribers from all over the world, a large team of readers, 30+ performers and a vibrant Facebook presence.
Click to see their 2024 Festival video.
S&CO's readers have judged thousands of script entries, and the company is committed to making this competition accessible to talented playwrights and screenwriters worldwide,
at any stage of their journey into or through the industry, with prices designed to suit all budgets.
Keen to identify and promote new and emerging talent, their submissions categories go from loglines and pitches and 1-page micro-scripts to 120-page features and full-length plays - and all other marketable lengths in-between.
All genres are welcomed in all categories, and each piece is judged on its individual merit, with a focus on concept, craft and marketability.
Their awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 11 May 2025 at the RONDO THEATRE in Bath, UK, a stunning city renowned for its Roman Baths and Georgian architecture, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2025, their guest speaker will be Ashley Pharoah, probably best known for the BBC's 'Life on Mars', follow-up 'Ashes to Ashes', and ITV's 'Wild at Heart'. He also created ITV’s 'Down to Earth' and 'Where the Heart Is', adapted Tom Brown’s Schooldays for a TV movie starring Stephen Fry, and has written for EastEnders, Casualty, Hustle and Silent Witness. In short, Ashley is one of the UK’s leading TV writers.
Previous guest speakers have included Trainspotting's screenwriter Jon Hodge, script gurus Dominic Morgan (aka Scriptfella) and Lucy V Hay, and acclaimed paranormal and fantasy writer Stephen Volk.
Repeat sponsorship from FINAL DRAFT means that, in addition to a personalised glass trophy, S&CO's winners will each receive a licenced copy of FD13 scriptwriting software.
However, a high point for many finalists is watching the company's magnificent S&CO ACTORS perform selected excerpts from finalists' work, from micros to pilots to features.
That's how S&CO bring writers' scripts to life!
TESTIMONIALS
'Think Oscars but nicer. The S&Co International Festival was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Receiving the finalist nomination was a huge thrill in itself, but then the day of the final was incredibly inspiring and joyous. A-list industry speakers, friendly and encouraging fellow contestants, excellent S&Co actors performing extracts from the submissions, and then the A-team of Zanna and Alex keeping it all together.' Stephen Saleh, playwright screenwriter
'We were treated to inspirational speakers, extracts from an impressive variety of work entered for the competition, capped off by the tension of announcing runners up and winners.' Mark Ralph-Bowman, playwright
'Zanna, Alex and all the team at ‘Scriptwriters and Co' staged a fantastic day with inspiring speakers. It was also a great opportunity to network with fellow writers and hear the work of the finalists performed by the S&Co team of actors. I would especially recommend this festival to emerging writers as the extensive categories for shorter scripts make it very accessible to writers who might not yet have a full TV script, stage play or feature film completed.’ Linda Jane Butler, playwright/screenwriter
'As with all Scriptwriters & Co events, the festival was entertaining, informative and inspiring. Great speakers and great networking opportunities. I'm already looking forward to next year!’ Graham Newton, screenwriter
'My confidence as a scriptwriter has grown through engaging with S&Co who’ve always been encouraging and supportive. Bravo to all the organisers, winners, finalists, writers & performers. Looking forward to the next one!’ Nilgin Yusuf, playwright/screenwriter
Benefits
S&CO likes to keep things simple.
1/ Winners of all categories will receive a licensed copy of Final Draft's FD13, and a beautiful, personalised glass trophy.
2/ Exceptional features and full-length plays will, at S&CO's discretion, be forwarded to their partners at Film Factory Global, for consideration by prolific producer Jonathan Willis, offering a potential route to production.
Categories in 2025 are:
- LOGLINE AND SYNOPSIS (1-2 pages)
- PITCH DOCUMENT (1-2 pages, with recording requested from Semi-Finalists)
- MICRO: FILM, STAGE OR AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (1-2 pages)
- MINI: FILM, STAGE OR AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (3-10 pages)
- SHORT: FILM, STAGE OR AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (11-27 pages)
- AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (28-69 pages)
- TV PILOT SCREENPLAY(28-60 pages)
- MID-LENGTH STAGE PLAY SCRIPT (28-69 pages)
- MICRO: FILM, STAGE OR AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (1-2 pages)
- FEATURE SCREENPLAY (80-120 pages)
- FULL-LENGTH STAGE PLAY SCRIPT(70-120 pages)
- BEST IN FESTIVAL as decided by all judges.
THE JUDGES
ZANNA CARDASH
Artistic Director, Playwright, Screenwriter, Actor
SCRIPTWRITERS & CO
Zanna initially embarked on a career as an actor and, while filming four episodes of Doctor Who, chatted with Bonny Langford and drove Sylvester McCoy home after filming. About a hundred years later, she did a stint of playwriting workshops at the Tricycle Theatre with award-winning playwright Bonnie Greer, then went on to devise, write and perform for CATO, a theatre company in South Wales. She's entertained the public as a holiday camp bluecoat and a belly dancer, too. A trained journalist, and an advertising copywriter and feature-writer for two decades. Zanna composes complex rhyme (her first play in verse is in production) and has published a salacious novel about people she knows doing bad things, under a pseudonym she can't divulge. Obviously. A multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter, S&CO's leader runs, judges, casts and hosts their free S&CO Scratch Nights as well as scriptwriting workshops, retreats and table reads, and delivers incisive, no-nonsense script notes. She cleverly conned Alex to join her in 2019 by promising football tickets, but never specified when the match would take place.
ALEX HOLLISTER
Lead Script Consultant, Screenwriter
SCRIPTWRITERS & CO
Alex was duped into this gig when S&CO was created, convinced it included a seat to see his team, Liverpool, play at Anfield. Signed by Zero Gravity Management in LA many years ago, (when his hair was all black). Since then, he's sold numerous screenplays, including several currently optioned or in production. He's worked with Hollywood production companies on everything from adaptations of bestseller spy novels to high-budget comic book and Sci-Fi projects, and his work leans towards the mainstream; he twists genres and executes high-concept ideas. He joined Scriptwriters & Co team from the get-go, initially judging and co-hosting Scratch Nights with Zanna, though rarely giving her a chance to talk. His knowledge of screenwriting and the industry is invaluable to S&Co and their students, as are his notes, and he partners with Zanna to teach S&CO'S legendary 'Scriptwriting Toolkit' course, and on S&CO Retreats.
