Your script belongs on screen. We are here to make that happen.

Welcome to the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival, proudly ranked among the TOP 3 MOST POPULAR SCREENWRITING FESTIVALS in Europe. Located in one of the continent’s primary film markets, our objective is strictly professional: to transition exceptional scripts into production. We provide a direct pipeline for screenwriters to present their work to active producers and directors seeking new projects. To date, this infrastructure has enabled over 80 screenwriters to successfully pitch their scripts to industry decision-makers.

Our submission pool consistently features top-tier industry talent, including Oscar and Emmy nominees, BAFTA winners, and Academy Nicholl Fellowship alumni. To evaluate work of this caliber, our reading committee consists exclusively of seasoned professionals with experience at major international competitions, including the Austin Film Festival. We ensure that every submitted screenplay receives a thorough, expert review, regardless of the writer's previous credits.

We understand that a successful screenplay requires strategic market exposure. The Grand Prize—awarded across the Best Short, Best Feature, and Best Television Screenplay categories—is backed by a €300 promotional package tailored specifically for this purpose.

This package includes a targeted social media campaign to reach industry professionals, an in-depth interview to highlight your portfolio, and an extensive evaluation by a renowned screenwriter. This specific combination is engineered to secure the visibility required to sell your script.

Submit your work to the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival and position your script in front of the professionals who are ready to produce it.

Awards & Prizes

The Berlin International Screenwriting Festival awards a Grand Prize to the outright winner in each of our three primary categories:
Best Feature Screenplay
Best Short Screenplay
Best Television Screenplay (Pilot)

Winning at our festival is designed to be a direct catalyst for production. Each Grand Prize winner receives a tailored €300 Industry Promotion Package focused strictly on market visibility, pitching, and professional development.

This comprehensive package includes:

1. Targeted Industry Promotion & Exclusive Interview
Visibility is critical to selling a script. We execute a dedicated promotional campaign across our social media channels to place your winning project in front of our network. Additionally, you will be featured in an exclusive interview. This provides a formal platform to articulate your creative vision, discuss your career, and present your broader portfolio to an audience that includes directors and producers actively scouting for new material.

2. Elite Professional Evaluation
Beyond standard competition coverage, your winning script will undergo an in-depth, secondary professional review. This specialized evaluation is conducted by a renowned, working screenwriter. The focus is to provide actionable, high-level feedback, ensuring your project is fully optimized and ready for studio and producer pitches.

Rules & Terms

1) Judges, as well as members of our team and other sponsors are not eligible to enter the competition, nor are their affiliates or immediate family members.

2) All scripts must be submitted in English.

3) Once a script has been entered into competition, we will not accept substitutions or revised drafts. If you wish to submit a revised draft of your script, you must enter it as a new submission.

4) All writers’ names should be listed in the online entry form, “written by” credits are optional on the script/pilot file itself. By submitting online to the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival, entrant warrants that all writers have authorized the submission. If a screenplay is written by multiple authors, all cash and awards will be remitted to the entrant of record, with all proceeds to be divided at the writers’ discretion.

5) We accept screenplays only in one of the following formats: .PDF or Microsoft Word

6) Entrants of Berlin International Screenwriting Festival retain all rights to their screenplays.

7) Entries must be received by the applicable Entry Deadline.

8) Berlin International Screenwriting Festival will not share your screenplay with anyone except the official judges of the competition without prior permission.

9) By entering the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival, you represent that your entry is your original work, and does not infringe on the copyright or other rights of other people or legal entities.

10) Entry fees are non-refundable.

11) Entrants can include author and/or contact information on their entry’s cover page at their own discretion, but it is not required.

12) The decisions of the judges are final.

13) Our festival reserves the rights to change, cancel or re-schedule the dates, awards & categories. All submitters will be informed about any changes through email and our online platforms. Competition staff reserves the right to substitute any advertised prize for another prize of similar value.

14) By submitting to this festival, you agree to our terms and conditions and to receiving marketing newsletters and discounts about film or screenplay festivals in the form of emails. We will never sell your information to third parties.

15) The festival authorities have rights to use freely available photos, promotional material and information about our submitters and these materials can be used for educational, promotional or commercial purposes.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: Please make sure that you have read and understand all the rules and terms before submitting your screenplay to the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival. Submitting your screenplay to the festival means that you have agreed to abide by all the rules and terms.
181 Reviews
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  • Crystal Sauls

    Absolutely love having our screenplay Transition The Shift selected to be a part of the film festival this year!! I really enjoyed being interviewed and having the opportunity to have it featured on their website! So happy to feel the love from those in Berlin!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for this beautiful review! We are absolutely thrilled to have had "Transition: The Shift" as part of our official selection this season.

    It was an absolute pleasure interviewing you and putting the spotlight on your work. Vetting and celebrating dedicated screenwriters is exactly why we do this, and we are so glad you felt that appreciation all the way from Berlin!

    We can't wait to see where your creative journey takes you next, and we hope to see your future projects in our portal again soon.

  • Jon Wright

    Thank you to the organizers of the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival for this incredible opportunity. I especially appreciate your effort to reach out to me in order to review my story and please know it inspires me to keep writing!!!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much! Hearing that you're inspired to keep writing is the absolute best feedback we could ever ask for—that is exactly why we run this festival.

    It was a true pleasure reading your story, and we're so glad you joined us this season. Keep putting your words on the page, and we hope to see your next project in Berlin!

  • Kyle Cheatley

    Absolutely delighted to have won the Spring 2026 award for my short script 'Full Stop' Looking forward to submitting again in the future!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Huge congratulations on your win with 'Full Stop'! We were absolutely delighted to have your script in the festival this season, and seeing it take home the Spring 2026 award was fantastic.

    Hearing that you are looking forward to submitting again is the absolute best feedback we could ask for. Keep writing, and we can't wait to read what you create next!

  • Eugene Hattingh

    Extremely impressed with the Berlin International Screenwriting Festival.

    The competition here is fierce, and being named a Finalist for my Horror-Comedy Screenplay "Escape to Alcatraz" feels like a significant industry milestone.

    They have a keen eye for high-quality storytelling, and the feedback from the community and organizers has been incredibly professional.

    If you want your work to be vetted by a serious, industry-focused jury, this is the place.

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for this incredible feedback! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that placing with us feels like a milestone for you—with the level of competition this season, your script earned every bit of that Finalist spot.

    Horror-comedy is a tough balance to pull off, but our jury was seriously impressed by the storytelling and sharp execution in Escape to Alcatraz.

    Knowing that our industry focus and professionalism resonated with you is the best reward we could ask for. Thank you for sharing your work with us, and we can't wait to see what you write next!

  • Sandra Fox-sohner

    Thank you, Berlin International Screenwriting Festival, for offering us screenwriters such an important venue. We are thrilled that our screenplay, "Mathematical Mermaid," is a finalist in 2026. Your work and acknowledgment are much appreciated!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Congratulations on your achievement!

    We are absolutely thrilled to have "Mathematical Mermaid" as a Finalist in our 2026 season. It is a unique and captivating title, and our jury was deeply impressed by the quality of your writing.

    Providing a meaningful venue for screenwriters to showcase their work is exactly why we do what we do, and we truly appreciate your kind words. We look forward to seeing where you and your screenplay go from here!