clear pathway to production for all screenwriters by engaging in meaningful partnerships with script development firms and film investment institutions. Together we're eager to serve our base and make Chicago the haven for top-tier content creators!

Jury:
Christina Jobe - A well-rounded filmmaker and indie film enthusiast, Christina is both a creative producer and director with a slate of work in both the feature film and television space. Her most recent feature credits include "The Outdoorsman" starring Spencer Grammer, "California Dreams," and "The Odd Essay."

Chris Abernathy - Abernathy has produced films such as the James Franco adaptation "Actors Anonymous" starring Academy Award nominees Franco and Eric Roberts. Other films include "No Running," Deep Murder," "Bullitt County," "Monster Party," "Papi Chulo," "Phobias, Rise," "Witch Hunt," and most recently "Offseason."

Nony Geffen - Nony is an Israeli born, award winning writer and director. His two highly acclaimed feature films, "Everything is Broken and Dances" and "Not in Tel Aviv" have attended festivals worldwide, including the AFI Film Festival, Warsaw Film Festival, and have won the Jury Prize (Silver Leopard) at Locarno Festival (2012).

Nick Zuvic - A veteran of the industry, Nick has experience in all angles of production. his resume includes dozens of feature films, including Grow House starring Snoop Dogg. Other notable mentions include the feature films: Threshold, Spin, Payback, Heart of Stone, Teenage Cocktail, and Heist.

Stefan Hogan - Stefan Hogan is a Literary Agent at Oscars Abrams Zimel (OAZ). His clients' work has been profiled at some of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide, including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Festival du Cannes, and Whistler Film Festival (WIFF) just to name a few.

Yanzom Brauen - A rising star and true filmmaking talent hailing all the way from Switzerland, her resume includes documentary, feature, and television credits in both foreign and domestic markets. Her most recent work can be seen on network television, direction multiple episodes of CBS's "NCIS: LA" and "Hawaii 5-O."

Awards & Prizes

Winners of the Feature, TV Pilot, and Short Contests all receive:

- Introductory Phone Call With Producer in our Network

- Detailed Script Notes And Rewrite Plans Straight From A Head Of Development

- A 6-month Mentorship To Prepare Your Script For The Marketplace

- Media Exposure Across Multiple Platforms

Rules & Terms

-All writers, without regard to age and country of origin, are eligible.
-The material must be written in English and submitted as a PDF file. The file must not be encrypted or password protected.
-There is no limit to the number of competitions you may submit and the number of times you may submit one project.
-All entry fees are non-refundable.
-All submitted material must be original to the screenwriter.
-All copyright, ownership, and derivative rights to the material submitted remains with the original rights holders and/or author.
-The material submitted must not have been optioned or produced and must be fully owned by the screenwriters.
-All scripts should be written per industry-standard screenplay format.
-Prior winners cannot win the same contest twice, while there is no limit to the number of times a previous finalist, semi-finalist, and quarter-finalist may resubmit.
Feature scripts should not exceed 130 pages. TV should not exceed 75 pages. Shorts should not exceed 30 pages.

34 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • Patricia Lewis

    I want to thank the Chicago Screenplay Awards for the Quarter Finalist Award! Thank you.

    July 2020
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  • LaMont Prospect

    I have three words to describe the Chicago Screenplay Awards Contest: 1) Professional, 2) Comprehensive and 3) Informative.

    March 2020
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  • Duncan Putney

    Thank you for the validation of my writing. It feels good.
    It's great to know that the intention of the ideas in my screenplays is coming through.

    March 2020
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  • Jean Galliano

    Thank you All at Chicago Screenplay Awards, you're awesome!
    Great competition! So happy to be involved and to have been appreciated for the Official Selection for my short script, N.D.E. Highly recommended... wish I could be there. I'll be entering another screenplay! thx, JG

    Thank you again, Chicago Screenplay Awards, for your great great competition! So happy to be part of it. And thanks again for recognizing 'Desposyni' as a Semi-Finalist. Sweet...

    March 2020
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  • Afonso Henrique

    Awesome Competiton!! Will def recommend to my film friends.

    March 2020
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