THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY'S PREMIER SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
The 2026 SPRING SEASON SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

We boast a roster of judges that include Emmy and Oscar winners, WGA, PGA, DGA talent, and prolific showrunners and TV writers. The Industry Professionals at The Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards are looking for three new writers to introduce to the Hollywood Film & Television Community.

So don't hesitate to join the only accredited 90-day competition where every single word of your script is read and evaluated and reviewed by working producers, writers, directors, and executives; our panel of judges who are each established Hollywood pros focused on discovering, promoting, and producing the works of new writing talent.

This year's judges include Producer Stuart Benjamin (Ray, Mortal Thoughts), Marla White (Development Executive at Sony), Screenwriter/showrunner Bob McCullough (Star Trek, Soldier of Fortune), Screen and TV writer Ron Friedman (Transformers, G.I. Joe), Series creator Michael Sloan (The Equalizer, Kung Fu), Director Jerry London (Hawaii Five-0, Shogun), Writer-Producer Garner Simmons (Poltergeist, The Last Samurai), Writer-consultant Suzanne Herrera (Zorro, Falcon Crest), and many more!

Our team has been instrumental in helping writers sign with major talent agencies (CAA, WME, ICM, et al), and has sold original material to major Hollywood studios, including Universal, ​Paramount, Fox, and Warner Bros.

The Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards is dedicated to the cultivation, mentorship, and employment of talented up-and-coming screen and television writers. Winners not only win a cash and development deal, but they will also be identified and promoted as ready to present to major Hollywood agents, producers, and studios.

So if you're serious about your writing... so are we. And if your work is a standout... we want to read it!

Awards & Prizes

FEATURE SCREENPLAY
• $1,000 CASH
• Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Commemorative Rewards Certificate
• 1-to-1 personal consultation with a producer, literary agent, or literary manager.
• Media Publicity

TV SCRIPT
$500 CASH
• Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Commemorative Rewards Certificate
• 1-to-1 personal consultation with a producer, literary agent, or literary manager.
• Media Publicity

SHORT SCREENPLAY
$250 CASH
• Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Commemorative Rewards Certificate
• 1-to-1 personal consultation with a producer, literary agent, or literary manager.
• Media Publicity

Rules & Terms

All writers of submitted material must be 18 years of age or older
• Entries must be in English
• Submissions via PDF file only
• Resubmits/changes incur additional fee
• Produced/optioned or otherwise encumbered scripts are ineligible
• All submitted materials must be the original work of the author(s)
• Adaptations of prior works must give source material credit
• Entrants need not reside in the U.S.
• Decisions of judges are final as per industry criteria​
• All material should be in standard screenplay format, set in 12-point Courier font.
• Pages should be numbered.
• Full-Length Feature Scripts: 140 pages or under
• Short Film Scripts: 30 pages or under
• TV Pilots: 75 pages or under
• All written or verbal coverage, critique, criticism, or analysis of submitted material is provided subjectively based upon objective standards as they are applied to the writing submitted and under consideration.
• No warranties are expressed or implied as to the utility, value, or accuracy of statements written or spoken by our reader-analysts with regard to material submitted to us by writers, customers, or contest entrants.
• Comments provided by judges, readers, administrators, or other writers are based upon personal opinion only and do not reflect the opinions of management; management assumes no responsibility the academic, creative, professional, economic, or emotional impact or consequences of the opinions we provide.
• Submitting writers agree to hold harmless against claims of any and every kind, each and every employee, independent contractor, reader, analyst, system administrator, or officers of the company in perpetuity.
• By entering this contest or any others with which The Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards (LAISA) is affiliated, you agree to receive email marketing messages and updates relative to this contest and any affiliated sources and providers from us. You may opt out/unsubscribe from those messages and marketing protocols at any time simply by letting us know at info@lascreenplayawards.com.
• Material submitted to the competition is solely at the risk of the individual registering, entering, or offering written material for scoring, analysis, judgment, or commentary.
• Once submitted material has been read, reviewed, analyzed, critiqued, scored, or commented upon by agents, employees, representatives, or management of the company, no refund of entry fee will be made.
221 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Hospitality
Networking
  • David Figueroa

    I would like to thank the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards for selecting The Black Sun in this year’s competition. As a Los Angeles–based writer, it means a great deal to have this project recognized by a festival in my own city. I’m honored to be included alongside such strong scripts and grateful for the encouragement this selection gives my work.

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Ottavio Gesmundo

    Thank you, Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, for the Quarterfinalist position for my script, The Grand Gypsy! The feedback was constructive and very useful.

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Matt MacBride

    It was great to be chosen as a finalist for 'Daughter of Dogbone' and nice to be provided with some stats in the notification email. I wish more contests would do this! Congratulations to the winners when they're announced.

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Matthew DeJohn

    The communication from this competition was very poor, at least for me. I never received a notice about the status of my submissions. When the deadline passed, I emailed, but received no response. Then I saw the status was updated on Film Freeway to "selected". As I understood it the competition has a quarter, semi, finals, and winner format so I was confused what "selected" meant. I again tried to email to no avail. So I also tried direct messaging through LinkedIn and through facebook, but still no response. Looking at the award's Instagram, I see their last post was in 2025 so it's clear they are not very active in the community or promoting submitter's work.

    June 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Hi Matthew, I do see an email correspondence with you from our team. I believe this matter was resolved! I do apologize if it wasn’t resolved as quickly as you’d hoped, but we do our best with our small team to respond to each inquiry as quickly as humanly possible!

  • Persia White

    Thank you, Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, for acknowledging my work, my story, my pain on paper, how I witness the world today. We currently face an unprecedented global threat to freedom and democracy. As a mother, a woman, a person of color, and an artist, I am deeply affected by the trauma our world is currently facing. I am driven to write echoes of the past, and warnings of what could become. In American Apocalypse, I drew on my own life experiences, interwoven with reflections of our increasingly volatile and violent world. This bold, socially resonant story confronts the realities of our time while amplifying the voices of women. My hope is to entertain while awakening the heart to the uncertainty our future holds.

    Thank you again,
    Persia White

    May 2026
    Helpful