Founded in 2016, The Golden Script Competition is a yearly international competition for short, feature and TV pilot screenplays. Recognized by MovieBytes as one of the TOP SCREENPLAY CONTESTS FOR 2023-2026, many of our writers have found success through the competition, securing industry representation, signing option agreements, and having their work shopped to major production companies.

โ—No AI is used to read scripts or provide feedbackโ—

You will be submitting to the 2027 edition, and the best scripts of this edition will be read by some of the most renowned production companies and literary agencies (including some that have won several OSCARS and EMMYS), giving you the chance to have your script produced or represented ๐ŸŽฌ. On top of that, we offer cash prizes totaling $10,000. Our mentors include OSCAR-nominee Mark Fergus (IRON MAN) and three-time EMMY-nominee Jessica Sharzer (AMERICAN HORROR STORY). Our judges include producers and executive producers behind films like THE USUAL SUSPECTS, AMERICAN SNIPER and BIRDMAN.

๐—ช๐—›๐—ข'๐—ฆ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ ๐—ง๐—ข๐—ฃ ๐—ฆ๐—–๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฃ๐—ง๐—ฆ:

โœฆ Scott Free Productions (Gladiator, The Martian)
โœฆ Reliance Entertainment (1917, Ready Player One)
โœฆ Killer Films (Still Alice, Carol)
โœฆ Amblin Partners (Green Book, The Girl on the Train)
โœฆ Benaroya Pictures (Lawless, Margin Call)
โœฆ Tribeca Productions (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Irishman)
โœฆ 21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things, Arrival)
โœฆ Davis Entertainment (The Blacklist, I, Robot)
โœฆ Broken Road Productions (The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Next)
โœฆ Shoreline Entertainment (The Man from Earth, The Signal)
โœฆ Simon West Productions (The Expendables 2, Tomb Raider)
โœฆ West Coast Film Partners (Olympus Has Fallen, Donnie Darko)
โœฆ MadRiver Pictures (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ad Astra)
โœฆ Lit Entertainment Group (Prisoners, Free Guy)
โœฆ Fremantle (American Gods, The Young Pope)
โœฆ Stone Village Productions (The Lincoln Lawyer, Runner Runner)
โœฆ Knight Hall Agency (repr. writers of In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
+40 more...

Awards & Prizes

๐—š๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐˜€

Each July, we unveil our top 30 scripts in the competition with a list called the GOLDEN LISTโ€‹. This list is shared with many of our partners and industry professionals such as creative executives, producers, and directors, who can access more information about the scripts and request them. However, access to the scripts is limited and requires the writer's permission for anyone outside of our partners and direct contacts.

๐—”๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐˜€

There will be quarter-finalists, semifinalists and finalists out of which a second runner up, a runner up and a WINNER will be designated. Only one script from each category can win THE GOLDEN SCRIPT award. Note that our mentors and partners are subject to change without notice.

โœฆ๐—™๐—˜๐—”๐—ง๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—˜ ๐—ฆ๐—–๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฃ๐—ง๐—ฆโœฆ

THE GOLDEN SCRIPT WINNER (1st PLACE) - $4,500 CASH PRIZE + 1on1 MASTERCLASS with OSCAR-nominee MARK FERGUS + GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + one 4 month InkTip Pro Membership worth $130 + 1yr ISAConnect Membership worth $120 + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + 10 Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Trophy + Award Certificate

2nd PLACE - GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + one 4 month InkTip Pro Membership worth $130 + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + 5 Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Trophy + Award Certificate

3rd PLACE - GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + one 4 month InkTip Pro Membership worth $130 + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + 5 Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Trophy + Award Certificate

FINALISTS - Golden List Placement (if placed on the 4th to 15th place) + 50% off discount @ FILMUSTAGE + 1 Pitch on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Award Certificate

โœฆ๐—ง๐—ฉ ๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—ข๐—ง๐—ฆโœฆ

THE GOLDEN TV SCRIPT WINNER (1st PLACE) - $4,500 CASH PRIZE + 1on1 MASTERCLASS with three-time EMMY-nominee JESSICA SHARZER + GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + 1yr ISAConnect Membership worth $120 + one 4 month InkTip Pro Membership worth $130 + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + 10 Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Trophy + Award Certificate

2nd PLACE - GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + one 4 month InkTip Pro Membership worth $130 + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + 5 Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Trophy + Award Certificate

3rd PLACE - GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + one 4 month InkTip Pro Membership worth $130 + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + 5 Pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Trophy + Award Certificate

FINALISTS - Golden List Placement (if placed on the 4th to 9th place)+ 50% off discount @ FILMUSTAGE + 1 Pitch on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) + Award Certificate

โœฆ๐—ฆ๐—›๐—ข๐—ฅ๐—ง ๐—ฆ๐—–๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—ฃ๐—ง๐—ฆโœฆ

THE GOLDEN SCRIPT WINNER (1st PLACE) - $1,000 CASH PRIZE + GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + 1yr ISAConnect Membership worth $120 + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + Trophy + Award Certificate

2nd PLACE - GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + Trophy + Award Certificate

3rd PLACE - GUARANTEED Golden List Placement + 1yr FILMUSTAGE subscription worth $468 + Trophy + Award Certificate

FINALISTS - Golden List Placement (if placed on the 4th, 5th or 6th place) + 50% off discount @ FILMUSTAGE + Award Certificate

Rules & Terms

๐—ฅ๐—จ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—ฆ

1) Submitted scripts must be original screenplays, and the sole property of the applicant(s). Screenplays submitted must not have been previously sold or produced. Adapted or based on screenplays are also accepted. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to register their screenplay and secure clearance from the copyright holders of any copyrighted materials included within the submitted screenplay. Also, novels, stage plays, short stories, treatments, synopsesย or scripts based on existing material created without permission will not be accepted in the contest. All entrants, including the nominees and winners, retain complete and exclusive rights to their work.
2) All ages are eligible, and you can submit from any country.
3) All entries must be in English.
4) We accept screenplays between 1โ€“140 pages in length. For scripts over 140 pages (features), 70 pages (pilots) or 45 pages (shorts), an additional fee of $1 per extra page will apply.
5) There is no limit to the number of screenplays you may submit.
6) All entries must be uploaded in PDF/FDX format.ย Contact details or names are allowed to be on the title page, but not recommended.
7) All screenplays should be written in industry standard format (Courier 12 pt font).
8)ย Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entry screenplay(s) are accepted for an additional fee and should be submitted via https://goldenscript.net/extra.
9) Competition judges, readers and employees of our competition, past and present, and their immediate friends and families, are NOT eligible to enter. Previous winning and finalist scripts are also NOT eligible.
10) Entries must be received on or before the deadlines and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. Entry fees (including services fees) are non-refundable and we do not provide any feedback (except for paid feedback).
11) By entering The Golden Script Competition you agree to all the rules listed. Regardless of your status (winner or nominee), please note that your script, logline and contact information may be shared with our partners and sponsors, and by submitting you agree with that. You also agree to release and hold harmless The Golden Script Competition and its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participantโ€™s entry, participation in the contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of the prize.
48 Reviews
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  • Anna Geldermann

    Thanks so much for making "What Art Can Do" a quarter finalist! Hoping to take this story further, this was such a great push in the right direction! Thanks for the opportunity, the encouragement and the helpful reviews. So much quality in this contest! I'll certainly submit again if I can.

    September 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks so much for the kind words, Anna! Wish you all the best with your script!

  • Robert Brody

    Thanks for the finalist spot. My screenplay, Galaxies, is now being set up as a feature film. The script has won plenty of awards prior to this, but I just wanted to give a heads up on these contests. At Golden Script I was a finalist. Other contests had the script winning or not even making the quarter finals. But understand that contest judges aren't A-List producers. Or even B-listers in most cases. Contest results are going to vary wildly. I have another script that won gold at the Page Awards. Other contests didn't even select it. Ultimately I ended up with a manager and solid agent reps. Always remember contests are NOT the industry. But they MIGHT help you break in. I have no idea if Golden Script can help anyone. Most screenwriters don't understand what they're up against, even if they have good material that wins awards. It's generally going to be a tough long road. Galaxies started as a short film, then a feature script (both winning lots of awards) and then, even with an Oscar nominated (and winning) pair of actors attached, we struggled to get the film moving. That all said, you can't move forward unless you step into the ring! Good luck!

    August 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hello Robert,

    Thanks a lot for your review, and congratulations on Galaxies going into production! It's an incredible achievement, and we are honored to have chosen your script as a finalist at Golden Script. Only 12% of submissions reached that point in 2025, so it is a good indication that your work is exceptional and should be noticed by the industry.

    We wholeheartedly agree with your point that screenplay contests are not the industry. However, as you mentioned, they can sometimes serve as a bridge to it. For example, last yearโ€™s TV pilot winner was signed by an agent thanks to our contest, and another recent success story involves a winner currently in production with A-list actors. Weโ€™re not claiming that any contest can guarantee a breakthrough, but some can indeed open doors. In the end, it's often about the right script landing in the hands of the right person at the right time. Our main goal is to help writers find success through the connections we've built along the way.

    We hope that writers will draw their own conclusions not only based on our success stories, but also based on the companies we are partnered with and the judges we bring on, many of whom are already active professionals (some with 30+ years of experience) in film and television. Our mentors and judges include Emmy and Oscar-nominees, bringing industry-level insight and experience to the competition.

    Once more, thank you very much for your message, and good luck with Galaxies and your further progress. We're cheering you on!

  • James Rodney

    I routinely opted for "reader's analysis," when entering a competition, however The Golden Script's feedback was one wherein I felt my script had actually been fully read, "analyzed," and provided with constructive feedback!

    August 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Glad to hear that, thanks James!

  • Tor Kristoffersen

    Great festival - they're clearly engaged with the work and give genuine feedback. Making the Golden List was really amazing - big thanks to the whole team!

    August 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks so much for the kind words, Tor!

  • Stanislav Zalmanov

    I would like to express my gratitude to the owners, organizers, partners, judges, the entire team and readers of the competition for the opportunity! I am still under the impression that my script was included in the Golden List 2024. Thank you!
    Stanislav Zalmanov

    August 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks a lot, Stanislav!