Screenplay Competitions - Check back throughout the month for more contests & festivals New York International Screenplay Awards (NYISA) Early Bird Deadline: July 6th Prizes: InkTip Pro membership, Final Draft software, Script Mailer exposure to 1,050+ producers/agents, 30-min consultation with R2-W2 Project Accelerator Submit: FilmFreeway The Wiki — World's Fastest Screenplay Contest - Results every 30 days - WGA-level professional feedback - Judged by working WGA-affiliated writers, producers, and directors VISIONFEST - Next Deadline: July 10th - Cash prizes + industry exposure - Live event Sept 18-20, 2026 at The Strand, Watertown, NY Peachtree Village International Film Festival (PVIFF) - Regular Deadline: July 8th - Feature, short, doc, music video, screenplay categories SF3 — Sydney Smartphone Film Festival - Entries Close: September 1st - $50,000+ in prizes - Chance to screen at Sydney Opera House, Nov 1st Pitch to Page Contest - Extended Deadline: June 29th, 11:59 PM - Feature & TV scripts, all genres Resources & Communities Scriptwriters Network - Non-profit supporting writers across film, TV, theater, podcasts, and digital media - Educational panels, workshops, competitions, virtual networking

THIS WEEK - SeriesFest TV Writing Lab — June 3 - Locarno Filmmaker Residency — June 5 - The Disruptors TV Writers Fellowship — June 5 - Create The Writers Room Five Film Festival — June 10 - Grove & Pines Erin Carine Grant (Queer Storytelling) — June 10 THIS MONTH - The People's Forum Internship — June 15 - Queer Art Mentorship — June 15 - Sundance Institute Documentary Fund — June 15 - Roy W. Dean Summer Grant — June 30 - Sofia Coppola Short Film Award — June 30 - Tubi x Black List Horror Initiative — June 30 - Bric Foundation Animation Co-Op Grant — Opens June 7 COMING UP - Film Independent Fast Track — June 23 - Big Break Screenwriting Contest — June 8 & 29 - Hollywood Climate Summit Awards — June 22 - Finish Line Script Competition — July 2 (Early)

New York Film Week When: October 28 – November 1 Deadlines June 22 (Regular) | Sept 7 (Late) | Sept 28 (Extended) Fee: $35–$70 Categories: Feature, Short, Animated, Documentary Submit: nyfilmweek.com Sofia Coppola Short Film Award Deadline: June 30 Fee: $25 What you need: Short video sample + one-page lookbook For: Emerging filmmakers with a distinct visual voice Submit: shortfilmaward The Disruptors TV Writing Fellowship Deadline: June 5 Fee: Free Requirements: 2 script samples (1 must be a TV pilot), LA-based preferred, never staffed in a professional writers' room Submit: artistdisruptors.org Which one are you applying for? Drop it below and let's hold each other accountable.

Show what you stand for. Your values drive how you work. Be clear about them; they attract the right people and repel the wrong ones. Make an offer, not an ask. You're not begging. You're offering access to something the world needs. Answer: Why me? Why this? Why now? Why you? Lead with your experience. Nobody can argue with your track record. Stats are debatable. Your lived experience isn't. Be specific. General pitches are forgettable. The more specific and honest you are, in your words, your perspective, your example, the more powerfully it lands. Which of these is hardest for you? Drop it below.

Got a short film you want to produce or one you need funds to complete? Check out these funding opportunities . - Blackmaled Productions x  Universal Productioons x Tribeca Love & Laughs Deadline May 20 - Challenges filmmakers to produce a short film that explores the tender and hilarious moments of human connection in the twenty-first century. LOVE & LAUGHS is a short-film development and production initiative for writer-directors with a passion for telling comedic and romantic stories that explore how people connect, clash, or fall for each other. - The Gotham Film & Media Institute x Genesis House Shorts Fellowship Deadline May 21 -Finishing funds for three (3) NYC-set narrative/scripted short films in the final stages of production and/or distribution. Each project will receive a $10,000 grant for finishing funds, specialized mentorship, industry only screening during Gotham Week, and the opportunity to attend in-person events at Genesis House.