Remember the first time a movie made your whole family laugh together? Or that animated film that somehow got both your kid sister AND your parents teary-eyed? Family entertainment remains one of the most stable and lucrative sectors in the industry, with major industry heavyweights competing to secure quality content that appeals across generations.

Past ScreenCraft Family competition winners and finalists have had their work optioned, signed shopping agreements, and have signed with managers at companies like Zero Gravity and Valley Entertainment.

Whether you've written a heartwarming adventure, a laugh-out-loud comedy, or an animated epic that breaks the mold – we want to read your script.

Awards & Prizes

GRAND PRIZE MENTOR

The Grand Prize Winner this year will receive a mentorship meeting with Emmy-nominated writer Chuck Hayward.

Chuck Hayward was most recently a Co-Executive Producer on Season 2 of LIFE & BETH starring Amy Schumer and Season 3 of TED LASSO. Previously, he served as Supervising Producer on WANDAVISION. His television background includes everything from ABC’s MIXED-ISH to Netflix’s DEAR WHITE PEOPLE. He recently finished up on Showtime’s new series FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS. In Film, Chuck sold his first feature screenplay, STEP SISTERS, to Netflix via Broad Green Pictures with Charles Stone directing and Lena Waithe producing.

THE JURY

FRANKIE CHIAPPERINO
Creative Executive, Seven Bucks Productions

Seven Bucks Productions, co-founded by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Dany Garcia in 2012, has produced major box office hits including "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," "Red Notice," "Black Adam," and the biographical series "Young Rock." The company's approach combines commercial appeal with personal storytelling, often focusing on themes of determination, family, and overcoming obstacles.

JEFF BRODY
Manager, Magnet Management

Magnet Management is a Los Angeles-based management company known for representing writers, directors, and producers across film and television. The company has built a reputation for developing emerging talent while also representing established creators. Clients have worked on huge franchises and family-friendly shows like Scooby-Doo, Percy Jackson, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Atypical, Dear Evan Hansen, Teen Wolf and more.

JACQUELINA ROSSO-BENITEZ
Creative Executive, Walden Media

Walden Media is a leading expert of family-friendly adaptations, having produced films like "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "Bridge to Terabithia," "Charlotte's Web," "The Giver," and "Wonder," which was a particular box office success starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. Their adaptation of "Holes," has become a modern family classic, while "Journey to the Center of the Earth" with Brendan Fraser demonstrated their ability to blend adventure with educational content.

SHELBY COOKE
Creative Executive, Party Over Here

Party Over Here is a production company founded by The Lonely Island members Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone. Their overall slate includes content for various audiences and notably partners with major networks and streaming services to create content that ranges from comedy series to unscripted shows.

RON NAJOR
VP of Film, HISAKO

Hisako is a multimedia production company founded by filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, known for directing "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." The company is dedicated to developing projects that highlight marginalized stories and bring them into the mainstream. Featuring the upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular manga and anime series "Naruto."

THE PRIZES

Grand Prize Winner
The overall Grand Prize winner from either the feature or TV category, will be welcomed to the Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and phone calls with one or more top industry producers, agents, or managers.

ScreenCraft has a proven track record for getting writers signed with managers, agents, and staffed in writing rooms. Plus:

- Personal Introduction to top industry professionals
- Accepted into the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program
- $1,000 Cash
- An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry
- Mentorship meeting with writer Chuck Hayward

Feature & TV Winners
- $500 cash award
- Accepted into the Writer Development Program
- An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

Finalists
- An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ only workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry

Rules & Terms

Please visit https://screencraft.org/family/ for full rules.

Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.
Entry fees are as listed on the site and checkout form. No coupon or discount is applicable on a previous entry.
Optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry. Requests for feedback can be done through Coverfly.
Entries may be any length -- the standard 1/2 hour is between 20 - 40 pages, and the standard hour long is between 40 - 70 pages, and the standard feature is between 85 - 120 pages. Any script submission longer than 120 pages will incur a $.50 per page overage fee for each page over 120 if it does not include feedback and $1 per page if the entry does include feedback.
There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
Entries must be received on or before the deadline dates by 11:59PM Pacific Time, and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.
All submitted material must be owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.
Material must be submitted by the writer. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).
If a writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing any prizes awarded as they deem fair (whether there is a cash value or not).
Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material will be allowed for a limited time with a $6 reentry fee through Coverfly. Please proofread your script carefully before submitting.
It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition, however we do not require registration.
Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay, however it is not required. ScreenCraft uses Coverfly to manage submissions and automatically removes cover pages before scripts are read by the judges.
ScreenCraft claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders.
The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.
In the event a juror, partner organization, or prize partner is no longer able to serve in their specified capacity, ScreenCraft will make its best effort to secure a replacement. ScreenCraft is not responsible for the failed delivery of any prize package by a juror, sponsor, or partner organization.
ScreenCraft reserves the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time.
ScreenCraft reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.