4th Annual Cambridge Script Festival: From Pen to Premiere

IMDb Qualifying Event

Welcome to the Cambridge Script Festival. Now entering our third year, we have one simple mission: to bridge the gap between solitary writing and industry recognition. We believe every great film starts with a powerful script, and we are here to help your story find its spotlight.

๐‘พ๐‘ฏ๐‘จ๐‘ป ๐’€๐‘ถ๐‘ผ ๐‘ช๐‘จ๐‘ต ๐‘พ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต
This year, we are proud to offer prizes valued at over $300 USD, aimed at supporting and encouraging emerging screenwriters. Whether youโ€™re submitting a feature-length screenplay, a short film script, or a television pilot, if your writing is original, engaging, and well-crafted, we want to read it.

๐‘พ๐‘ฏ๐‘จ๐‘ป ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘น ๐‘บ๐‘ผ๐‘ฉ๐‘ด๐‘ฐ๐‘ป๐‘ป๐‘ฌ๐‘น๐‘บ ๐‘บ๐‘จ๐‘ฐ๐‘ซ ๐‘จ๐‘ฉ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘ป ๐‘ผ๐‘บ
๐˜๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ ๐˜ง๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜ฆ๐˜น๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ข๐˜ญ:
***** Jonathan T. Smith: "Such a professional film festival. Communication was terrific and it was an honor to be recognized. I will no doubt enter this festival again as it is one of my favorite competitions."
***** Jill Thrussell: "Thank you to the Cambridge Script Festival and your staff for such a pleasant experience. I found the team very helpful and supportive"

๐‘พ๐‘ฏ๐‘จ๐‘ป ๐‘พ๐‘ฌ'๐‘น๐‘ฌ ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎ ๐‘ญ๐‘ถ๐‘น
We welcome a diverse range of genres, from heartwarming dramas to mind-bending sci-fi, and everything in between. Whether you're crafting a feature-length film or a short with a punch, if your script has the potential to captivate, we want to see it!

๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘น ๐‘ฑ๐‘ผ๐‘น๐’€
Behind the scenes, our festival is guided by a skilled and experienced jury comprised of accomplished screenwriters.
Our selection committee is composed of experienced industry professionals, including:

Daniel Elkayam
A Los Angeles-based filmmaker and NYU Tisch graduate, Daniel brings a directorโ€™s perspective to storytelling. He is a Quarterfinalist of the Raindance Film Festival Script Competition.

Barry Lewis
A BAFTA finalist, Barry is a skilled screenwriter recognized for his strong narrative craft and industry-level storytelling.

Elizabeth V. Newman
A Second Rounder at the Austin Film Festival, one of the most respected screenwriting competitions worldwide.

Kรกtia Kieling
A Finalist at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, reflecting exceptional writing talent.

Elizabeth Indianos
A Quarterfinalist at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, demonstrating strong storytelling ability.

Our pre-selectors have achieved remarkable recognition in the industry, having been finalists in Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest and Script Pipeline Screenwriting Competition.

๐‘ช๐‘ฌ๐‘ณ๐‘ฌ๐‘ฉ๐‘น๐‘จ๐‘ป๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎ ๐‘บ๐‘ช๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘ฌ๐‘ต๐‘พ๐‘น๐‘ฐ๐‘ป๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎ ๐‘ป๐‘จ๐‘ณ๐‘ฌ๐‘ต๐‘ป๐‘บ
We are honored to showcase works from acclaimed screenwriters and filmmakers. Ernestina Juarez has been a finalist in both the 2018 Academy Nicholl Fellowship and the Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition, showcasing her screenwriting prowess. Hunter Burke's film "Lost Bayou" premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and he has also been recognized as a quarterfinalist for the 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellowship.
Our festival also highlights talents like Tiffany L. Coleman, Ed Vela, and Harris W Freedman, who have all been recognized at the Austin Film Festival. RJ Daniels, besides contributing his own works to Austin Film Festival, he also servers there both as a script reader and film screener.

Awards & Prizes

The MAIN WINNER will be awarded to the annual winner, who will be chosen from the seasonal winners. The main prize is 300USD in following exciting prizes we offer to our annual winners:

๐๐ซ๐จ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐’๐œ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ ๐„๐ฏ๐š๐ฅ๐ฎ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ
Our winning screenwriters will receive a comprehensive script evaluation by industry experts. This in-depth analysis will provide valuable feedback on how to strengthen your script, enhance character development, improve plot pacing, and identify areas of improvement. It's a personalized roadmap for taking your script to the next level.

๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐‚๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐š๐ง๐ข๐ž๐ฌ
We'll promote your script to our extensive network of production companies, producers, and industry professionals.

๐…๐ž๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž๐ ๐’๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐–๐ž๐›๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐’๐จ๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ ๐Œ๐ž๐๐ข๐š
We'll showcase your winning script on our official website and across our social media platforms. This dedicated spotlight will introduce your work to a wide audience of fellow writers, filmmakers, and enthusiasts, providing well-deserved recognition for your creative brilliance.

๐„๐ฑ๐œ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐๐ž๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ž๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ
Connect with industry insiders, fellow screenwriters, and professionals through our network. These interactions can lead to valuable connections, collaborations, and mentorship opportunities to further your screenwriting career.

๐–๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฆ๐š
Each award winner will receive an official certificate/diploma to proudly display your achievement.

Rules & Terms

1. Individuals serving as judges, members of our festival team, and sponsors, along with their affiliates and immediate family members, are ineligible to participate in the competition.

2. All script submissions must be in the English language.

3. Once a script is entered into the competition, we allow script revisions anytime during the submission process, but only until the final deadline.

4. When submitting online to the Cambridge Script Festival, you must include the names of all writers in the entry form. โ€œWritten byโ€ credits on the script file itself are optional. By submitting online, you confirm that all writers have given their authorization for the submission. In cases where a screenplay is authored by multiple individuals, all cash prizes and awards will be presented to the designated entrant, with distribution to be determined by the writers themselves.

5. We accept screenplays exclusively in the following formats: .PDF, Microsoft Word

6. Screenwriters who enter the Cambridge Script Festival retain full rights to their scripts.

7. Submissions must be received by the specified Entry Deadline.

8. The Cambridge Script Festival will not share your screenplay with anyone beyond the official competition judges without prior consent.

9. By participating in the Cambridge Script Festival, you affirm that your entry is an original work and does not infringe upon the copyrights or rights of other individuals or legal entities.

10. Entry fees are non-refundable after Final Deadline.

11. Entrants have the option to include author and/or contact information on the cover page of their entry at their discretion; however, it is not mandatory.

12. The decisions of the judges are considered final.

13. Our festival reserves the right to modify, cancel, or reschedule event dates, awards, and categories. All submitters will be notified of any changes via email and our online platforms. The festival staff reserves the right to substitute any advertised prize with another prize of comparable value.

14. By submitting to the Cambridge Script Festival, you consent to our terms and conditions, as well as receiving marketing newsletters and discounts related to film and screenplay festivals via email. Rest assured that we will never sell your information to third parties.

15. The festival organizers have the right to use publicly available photos, promotional materials, and information about our submitters. These materials may be employed for educational, promotional, or commercial purposes.

๐™‰๐™ค๐™ฉ๐™š: Please thoroughly review and comprehend all the rules and terms before submitting your screenplay to the Cambridge Script Festival. Your submission signifies your agreement to abide by these rules and terms.
159 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Sammy Kistell

    Great communication and I was thrilled to have got Finalist in Cambridge Script Festival. Thanks so much to the Jury team .

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Michael Williams

    Very honored great festival ever

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Elizabeth Avalos Castillo

    Siempre excelente, no pude estar presente, pero online fue genial.

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for your kind words! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our online platform, even though you couldn't be there with us in person.

    We work hard to make sure our digital festival experience is just as engaging, seamless, and meaningful for screenwriters and filmmakers all over the world, so knowing it hit the mark for you means a lot to our team.

    Thank you for being a part of the festival, and we look forward to seeing your future projects in our upcoming editions!

  • Andrew James Bleidner

    Thank you so much Cambridge canโ€™t wait till next year@bleids

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    hank you so much! We are absolutely thrilled that you had a great experience with us this season.

    Hearing that you are already excited for next year is the best feedback our team could ask forโ€”it's exactly why we do this. Keep up the fantastic work, and we can't wait to see what you bring to Cambridge next season!

  • Ben Hopwood

    A really heartfelt thanks to everyone at the Cambridge Script Festival. In the Valley of Hoops is a story that came straight from the heart so it really rewarding to know that others can feel the same emotions.

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for this beautiful message. When a story comes straight from the heart, it always translates onto the page, and our reading panel felt that raw emotion in In the Valley of Hoops immediately.

    Knowing that our festival could provide that validation and connection for you is the absolute best reward for our team. Thank you for trusting us with such a personal piece of work, and we wish you nothing but the best as you continue your screenwriting journey!