Cinequest has been voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers.
The Cinequest Screenwriting Competition continues to empower global connectivity between screenwriters, filmmakers, producers, and innovators. Cinequest loves writers, and we welcome you to submit your screenplay or teleplay to our renowned competition. The Top 10 Finalists receive many empowering benefits including: VIP All Access passes to the Cinequest Film Festival and exclusive Writers Celebration, plus exposure to leading industry players and inspiring luminaries.
"I think the most important thing about Cinequest is it’s definitely the first time I’ve ever come to a festival where my immediate reaction is, ’What do I have to do to be invited back?’ and that’s not normally my reaction. It’s a perfect film festival in a glorious place." -- Neil Gaiman. Finalists are presented alongside high profile Maverick Spirit awardees like J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, Philip Kaufman, Michael Arndt, Diablo Cody, Dennis Lehane, and more at the highly anticipated Writers Celebration during the Cinequest Film Festival.
Submissions accepted June 1 – November 6, 2015 (see deadlines and fee schedule below).
Features
Winning script wins a $5000 cash prize. Final jury includes industry leaders: The Weinstein Company, Echo Lake Entertainment, Luber Roklin Entertainment, and Zero Gravity. (Rules and Information)
Shorts
Our short-film script category continues to attract a diverse international pool with a $1000 cash prize and screening opportunity at a future Cinequest Film Festival for the winning script. (Rules and Information)
Teleplays (60 Minutes)
Back by popular demand is our 60 minute teleplay category offering a chance to a $1,000 cash prize and opportunity to showcase what could be the next hit series on TV. Final jury includes executives and writers from PBS and FX Networks and more. (Rules and Information)
Teleplays (30 Minutes) NEW!
New to this year’s mix is a 30 minute teleplay category offering a $1000 cash prize to the winner. (Rules and Information)