The Australian International Screenwriting Awards (AISA) is a screenwriting competition committed to the discerning selection, recognition, and professional growth of emerging screenwriters from all over the world.

Australia, our home base, is a perfect merging of great cities and abundant nature. From big waves and rainforests to mountains and the massive outback. You can be diving the Great Barrier Reef one moment and checking out a contemporary art exhibit the next.

In this huge country that also happens to be the world’s smallest continent, you think you know what to expect but adventure and diversity lie around every sun-drenched corner. Each city is distinctly stimulating, ideal for a people so vigorously experimental, readily immersing themselves into the arts, the ocean, a sensory overload of biodiversity, a thriving cafe culture, or an intriguing cinematic history.

The Australian film industry began in the early 1900s and since then has produced internationally recognized filmmakers and actors who have made names for themselves locally as well as in Hollywood. Our country is perhaps the only one that can boast of numerous filmmakers who made it here first before venturing to the United States, Hong Kong, or Europe to further their craft and their international careers.

Our vision is to discover new talent in screenwriting, and we are passionate about opening exciting opportunities for them internationally.

We at AISA want to provide a platform of opportunities for top screenwriters. As such, our artistic director has created a robust and passionate panel of readers and judges to select our winners. With great discernment, we take a critical and unique approach to script critique, with decision-making based on a blend of artistic merit and entertainment value. Scripts are deliberated on fairly and substantially, with writers’ information kept confidential to ensure that writing is based solely on its quality and potential.

The top 10 winners are selected, and from this roster we award a first, second, and third prize winner and seven semifinalists.

We welcome stories of all genres and themes from everyone. Every narrative is worthwhile. Extraordinary ones need to be known.

The first prize winner will be awarded:

- A one-hour phone call with a top film development executive
- Two 15-minute consultations with film executives
- Our official laurels
- An InkTip introductory membership that includes access to hundreds of production companies
- Script coverage from our pool of professional screenwriters

The second prize winner will receive two 15-minute consultations with film executives, our official laurels, and script coverage from our pool of professional screenwriters.

The third prize winner will receive a 15-minute consultation with a film executive, our official laurels, and script coverage from our pool of professional screenwriters.

Semifinalists will receive our official laurels as well as script coverage from our pool of professional screenwriters.

Entrants must be eighteen (18) years of age or older.

Submissions must be written in English.

Submissions must be in PDF format.

Submissions must be the original work of the writer(s), and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).

Submissions under a pen name will be immediately disqualified.

Submissions are only accepted electronically through our website or partner websites. We do not accept hardcopy submissions by mail.

The script cover page should include title, name, email, and phone number.

Submissions can be in any film or television genre.

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

Submissions must be no longer than 150 pages in length. No exceptions.

Submissions must be received on or before the deadline(s) of 4:59 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time previous day) and payment must be made in full at the time of submission.

Once a script has been submitted, we will not accept substitutions or revised drafts. If you wish to submit a revised draft, you must enter it as a new submission.

Submissions will not be returned, so please ensure that you retain a copy.

Entrants retain all rights to their work.

Scripts submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible.

Professional writers and previous contest winners are eligible.

Judges, employees, and/or family members of AISA and/or its affiliates are not eligible.

Submissions that have been previously optioned, purchased, or produced are not eligible. If a submission becomes optioned, purchased, or goes into production between the time of submission and the end of the competition, the script will no longer be eligible.

Entrants are prohibited from contacting judges during the competition. All judging decisions are final.

Entry fees are non-refundable and void where prohibited by law.

The AISA, its judges, and/or its officers accept no liability whatsoever for any claims of damages, real or perceived, by any entrant as a result of their participation in the competition.

By entering the AISA, you hereby accept these rules.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Lyndal Simpson

    Great feedback notes received. Thank you for selecting my screenplay 'The Farrell Girl' as a finalist!

    October 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Hi Lyndal, happy to hear the script notes were substantially helpful! All the very best!

  • Ron Leach

    Thank you for choosing my screenplay KILT as 2nd Prize Winner at the 2020 event. I was thrilled with the award and proudly display the laurel on the promotional material and social media for the site. I wasn't expecting more, but when I received the reader's notes on the script I was blown away.

    Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

    October 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Hello Ron, we are grateful and honoured that you, Kristian, and Jonathan shared your incredible script with us. Again, our congratulations to you all!

  • Was both impressed by the organization, as well as the very well conceived and well-thought-out feedback I received on my script. Was really happy to crack the top 10 and be a semi-finalist, but the feedback was invaluable in validating why I saw potential in the concept for my script in the first place. Thanks to all the organizers and judges.

    October 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Hello Jason, we sincerely appreciate the positive feedback and would like to extend our congratulations to you once again. Forge on!

  • Joseph D'Urso

    Great festival with really good script coverage and notes. Would definitely recommend it.

    October 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks much for your commendation, Joseph, and for sharing your story with us. We wish you all the very best.

  • I'm very happy that the judges at AISA were not put off by the potentially "difficult" future that SACRED PROFANITY portrayed. For some reason, I missed the first notification of my reward, but they followed up and we have continued to have a dialog -- great communication. The 3rd Prize was a 15 minute consultation with an EVP for production and development in a global talent & management on Hollywood & Vine that went 40 minutes, so that was nice. All in all, an encouraging experience.

    April 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks, Malcolm. We appreciate the positive feedback. It is responses like yours that motivate us to keep doing what we do for talented writers such as yourself. May you continue to be encouraged and inspired to write incredible stories!