Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest – Early Bird Deadline

ABOUT THE FINAL DRAFT BIG BREAK SCREENWRITING CONTEST

Final Draft’s Big Break Screenwriting Contest is an annual, international feature film and television screenwriting contest designed to help launch the careers of aspiring writers. Writers who have entered Big Break have had their screenplays optioned, sold, and have secured high-profile representation.

Award Categories

This year we celebrate 11 Category Winners, 2 Grand Prize Winners, and a Short Script Winner. Over 60 past winners have sold scripts, received representation or gone on to professional writing careers.

- Feature Awards

• Action/Adventure
• Comedy/Rom-Com
• Diversity
• Drama
• Family/Animated
• Period/Historical/War
• Sci-Fi/Fantasy
• Thriller/Horror

- Television Awards

• Diversity
• Half-Hour Pilot
• Hour-Long Pilot

- Short Film Award

Rules & Eligibility

Fees and Deadlines

• $35.00 – Early Bird Deadline Shorts Standard Entry April 15, 2024
• $75.00 – Early Bird Deadline Shorts Standard Entry + Feedback April 15, 2024
• $45.00 – Early Bird Deadline Standard Entry April 15, 2024
• $110.00 – Early Bird Deadline Standard Entry + Feedback April 15, 2024
• $45.00 – Regular Deadline Shorts Standard Entry May 20, 2024
• $85.00 – Regular Deadline Shorts Standard Entry + Feedback May 20, 2024
• $65.00 – Regular Deadline Standard Entry May 20, 2024
• $130.00 – Regular Deadline Standard Entry + Feedback May 20, 2024
• $55.00 – Extended Deadline Shorts Standard Entry June 10, 2024
• $95.00 – Extended Deadline Shorts Standard Entry + Feedback June 10, 2024
• $75.00 – Extended Deadline Standard Entry June 10, 2024
• $140.00 – Extended Deadline Standard Entry + Feedback June 10, 2024
• $65.00 – Last Chance Deadline Shorts Standard Entry June 28, 2024
• $105.00 – Last Chance Deadline Shorts Standard Entry + Feedback June 28, 2024
• $85.00 – Last Chance Deadline Standard Entry June 28, 2024
• $150.00 – Last Chance Deadline Standard Entry + Feedback June 28, 2024

Dates reflect deadlines for electronic submission of scripts. All entries must be electronically submitted by midnight (Pacific Time) on their respective deadlines.

Submissions

• The Big Break Screenwriting Contest only accepts online entry of feature film, television, and short screenplays (original pilot scripts only – miniseries cannot be accepted).
• No printed scripts will be accepted.
• To enter your script electronically, you must submit your screenplay in PDF format. You are not required to use Final Draft in order to enter the Contest.
• All submissions should consist of: – Full-length screenplays (approximately 80 to 120 pages); – Teleplays (hour-long approximately 40 to 70 pages, half hour approximately 20 to 35 pages); – Short script screenplays (maximum 20 pages).
• Any entries over 150 pages WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. For feature and teleplay, entries less than 20 pages that are clearly not a screenplay (comic books, etc.) will also be disqualified.
• All necessary information is captured upon entry of digital submissions, so title pages should be removed or contact information must be deleted from the title page. The title of the script will be provided to the reader as part of the file name and in the judging form.
• Do NOT include personally identifying information (name, etc.) ANYWHERE in your script as this will result in INSTANT DISQUALIFICATION. This includes: – Writers name, WGA or representation info on the title page; – Writers name on ANY page of the script; – Writers name within the script’s file name.
• Entry should consist of a screenplay, teleplay, or short script only. Do not include resumes, pitches, synopses, casting suggestions, letters, or other supporting documentation with your submission. Judges will not receive these materials.
• The exception is original hour-long and half-hour TV entries, which may include standard supplementary materials, such as lists of recurring characters and future episodes, as part of the screenplay. This information would need to be included within the same file, at the end of the script.
• Entrants who select to receive feedback on their screenplay will be given at least 550 words of assessment from a competition reader. Feedback will be automatically emailed to entrants upon its completion.

Contest Announcement Dates

• August 23, 2024 (Quarterfinalists)
• September 20, 2024 (Semifinalists)
• October 11, 2024 (Finalists)
• November 1, 2024 (Category Winners)
• December 4, 2024 (Grand Prize Winners)

Eligibility

• The Big Break Contest is open to any individual who is 18 years of age or older at the date of entry and has access to the Internet.
• Employees, officers, directors, contractors and agents, and their immediate families and household members regardless of where they live, or members of the same households (whether related or not) of Cast & Crew Production Software, dba Final Draft and its respective divisions, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents, Big Break Contest sponsors, and advertising agencies (collectively, the “contest providers”), are not eligible to participate in the Contest or to win any prize.
• Screenplays under option at the time of submission are not eligible.
• Adaptations are not eligible unless the source material was written by the screenwriter of the entry in question. Scripts are not eligible if the source material has been sold, produced, or is currently under option to any third party.
• Grand Prize winners in Features and TV, category winners, and Short Script Award winners are not eligible to re-enter their winning scripts in future Big Break Contests. They are, however, eligible to enter different scripts for consideration. Grand Prize Feature and TV winners, as well as category winners, receive a free entry in the 2024 Big Break Contest as part of their 2023 prize package.

 
Visit the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest website for more information, including multiple entries, co-writers & prize division, revisions, refunds & resubmissions, prize conditions, ownership and industry releases, and general provisions.