Vail Film Festival
Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition
2022
Active Since 2004
THE VAIL SCREENPLAY COMPETITION IS A VEHICLE FOR ASPIRING SCREENWRITERS TO HAVE THEIR SCRIPT READ BY ESTABLISHED PRODUCERS, MANAGERS, AND AGENTS.
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About

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The Colorado Film Institute launched the Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition in order to find and foster the next generation of the film world’s most innovative and creative screenwriters. With the realization that every great film needs a great story, the festival is dedicated to supporting talented screenwriters by utilizing the resources of the Vail Film Festival to foster the winning screenwriters through networking opportunities, and film industry access.




Benefits

FINALIST SCREENPLAYS WILL BE READ AND JUDGED BY EXECUTIVES FROM LEADING HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS, PRODUCTION COMPANIES, AND TALENT MANAGERS, INCLUDING MIRAMAX, LD ENTERTAINMENT, COLD IRON PICTURES, ANONYMOUS CONTENT, UNTITLED ENTERTAINMENT, WARNER BROTHERS, AND MORE.


1ST, 2ND AND 3RD PLACE WINNERS WILL BE INCLUDED IN A NATIONAL PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS, AND WILL HAVE THEIR SCRIPTS READ BY KEY DECISION-MAKERS AT LEADING ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES.

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2024 2nd Places on Coverfly

Top 1%
TV Script  · Sci-fi  · 60 Pages
In a near-future world where thoughts shape reality, a compassionate scientist and a group of extraordinary empaths must fight a covert, militarized faction bent on controlling humanity's consciousness. Think INCEPTION meets BLADE RUNNER 2049.
Denver, CO
Steve Brown, a graduate of the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting, holds dual degrees in Journalism and English from the University of Arizona. In 2023, he transitioned from corporate copywriting (for popular brands such as Nintendo and Kaplan Test Prep) to pursue his passion for film and TV. Today, he dedicates his time entirely to screenwr...
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Top 1%
Feature  · Action  · 103 Pages
A father will stop at nothing to save his dying daughter after a drug cartel hijacks her transplant heart.
Growing up under the wing of a CIA chemist, Will inherited a knack for mixing explosive ideas with unexpected twists — perfect fuel for his high-octane action screenplays. A detour into the corporate jungle saw him steering 20,000 souls in 95 offices across 27 countries, soaking up cultures and chaos that now bleed into his work.
Top 1%
Short  · Horror  · 15 Pages
A teenage boy is hired to house sit for a wealthy couple whose young daughter has just died. The grieving parents have only one request for the night: Stay out of Maya's room.
Denver, Colorado
Andrew is a screenwriter who specializes in offbeat horror, dark comedy, and genre scripts with a strong emotional core. Most recently, he was a 2024 WeScreenplay Short Script Lab Fellow and a winner of the 2024 Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition. Andrew has a degree in Creative Writing from Middlebury College and worked for many years as a j...
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Announcements

Oct 21st
Semifinalists
Oct 31st
Finalists
Nov 30th
Winners

Rules

GENERAL RULES
1. You may enter as many scripts as you like, but each must be accompanied by a separate entry and the required entry fee.
2. Entries must be written in English. The screenplay(s) must be original and unproduced at the time of submission. Optioned scripts are acceptable for entry.
3. All scripts must conform to standard screenplay format.
4. Feature Scripts must be between 60-140 pages in length. Short Scripts must be between 3-59 pages in length. Television Pilots must be between 20-70 pages in length. All pages other than the first page should be numbered. Include only Title and entry number on the cover page.
5. Judging is solely on the screenplay. Do not include the following information or materials as they will be disregarded: logline, synopsis, treatment, or any additional materials not specifically requested.
6. Script collaborations are allowed and the work must be the sole and exclusive property of the collaborators.
7. Once a screenplay has been submitted, substitutions of new drafts will not be accepted under any circumstances.
8. Writer(s) retain ALL rights for their entry(ies) when entering our competition.
9. Adaptations are acceptable for entry in our competition only if you have all the appropriate and/or required approvals/waivers/permissions from any and all right holders. If you are unsure, please consult an entertainment attorney for your own protection.

JUDGING & NOTIFICATION
1. Judging will be anonymous. Upon receipt, your screenplay(s) will be assigned corresponding numbers, and your screenplay(s) will be identifiable to the judges by number only.
2. Judges' decisions are final. Prizes are non-transferable.
3. Individuals active in the film and screenwriting community will conduct preliminary judging. A panel of industry experts and screenwriting professionals will conduct the final round of judging. Semifinalists and Finalists will be announced. Three Winners will be selected to receive prizes.
4. Every entrant will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of his/her script.
5. Quarterfinalists will be posted on the Vail Film Festival website on October 7, 2022. Semifinalists will be posted on the Vail Film Festival website on October 21, 2022. Finalists and Winners will be posted on October 28, 2022. Quarterfinalists, Semifinalists, and Winners will be notified by email and on the web at www.VailFilmFestival.com. An announcement will also be sent out in the Vail Film Festival newsletter. Winners will be included in a national press release.

AWARDS

1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will have their scripts recommended to key decision-makers at leading entertainment companies.