SWN SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Do you think you’re ready to turn your screenwriting hobby into a career? Submit your screenplay today! We accept short films, TV pilots and feature-length scripts.
Do you think you’re ready to turn your screenwriting hobby into a career? Submit your screenplay today! We accept short films, TV pilots and feature-length scripts.
The SWN Screenplay Competition is a global screenwriting competition hosted by the UK based company, Screenwriters Network. We focus on providing value to ALL of our contestants, supporting and advising you on your journey.
Screenwriting competitions aren’t necessarily about winning, but seeing where you are in comparison to your expectations, then improving from there. Your life-changing journey starts here, we’re just here to point you in the right direction.
Competition Director
Have your script read by the some of the most experienced industry screenwriters and producers.
Screenwriter/Producer
Ed Solomon is a producer, director and multi award-winning screenwriter. Most known for penning many classic and genre defining films, such as Men in Black (1997), Now You See Me (2013) and also co-writing on Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989).
Screenwriter/Producer
Kenneth’s career broke out when he Produced and Directed second unit on the Oscar winning and Emmy nominate film, The Usual Suspects. His other producing and directing credits include films with Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Torro, Juliette Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow. Recently he worked as an executive that co-financed such films as US, Glass, Darkest Hour, and Jurassic World 2.
Screenwriter/Writer
Peter is a screenwriter and author. His supernatural feature-length thriller, Devil’s Gate, premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. He has feature films under development with such producers as Gianni Nunnari, Lloyd Levin, and Zack Snyder, and his current project is a Norse mythology anime series for Netflix. He also wrote the stories and screenplays for the console video games Watchmen: The End is Nigh and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.
Screenwriter/Script Consultant
Fleur has written feature films, documentaries and in many popular TV shows including Waterloo Road and River City. She was a Comedy Development Producer at the BBC and also a Script Developer at the Walt Disney Company. Fleur also judges for the Writers Guild Awards.
Winners and placers of the short film, TV pilot and feature-length categories will each receive:
Production Development Consultation with an industry Producer (worth $199)
1 Year Subscription to Final Draft Screenwriting Software (worth $249.99)
A Promotion in InkTip’s Magazine (15,000+ Producers, Reps & Execs)
Qualify for Our Annual Screenplay Competition ($1286 Award)
1 Year Membership at Screenwriter Staffing (worth $130)
Your Script Listed in InkTip’s Script Directory
The SWN Frame of Excellence With Your Winning Script and Laurels Inside
Production Development Consultation with an industry Producer (worth $199)
1 Year Subscription to Final Draft Screenwriting Software (worth $249.99)
A Promotion in InkTip’s Magazine (15,000+ Producers, Reps & Execs)
Qualify for Our Annual Screenplay Competition ($1286 Award)
1 Year Membership at Screenwriter Staffing (worth $130)
Your Script Listed in InkTip’s Script Directory
1 Year Subscription to Final Draft Screenwriting Software (worth $249.99)
Qualify for Our Annual Screenplay Competition ($1286 Award)
1 Month Membership at Screenwriter Staffing (worth $130)
1) Every script submitted gets registered with SWN for FREE! No need to register with the WGA.
2) Your scripts will get read by industry producers and creative executives.
3) You will get on the SWN map; we’re always on the lookout for scripts to invest in.
4) You will receive a £10 gift card from us to be redeemed on our script consultancy services.
Why submit for feedback?
Screenwriting is a very solitary endeavour with little to know professional feedback throughout the process, so it’s often hard to know how far along you are with your goals and what steps you need to take next to reach that goal.
Sometimes it’s good to have a scrupulous consultant analyse your screenplay as they can not only pickup story issues, but also grammatical errors and formatting mistakes; things that could easily make producers stop reading your screenplay.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” – Einstein. If you’re not getting anywhere in competitions or gaining any traction with producer and companies, it might be time to see why…
– All submissions must be written in English.
– Material submitted must be written and owned by the person submitting.
– You are allowed to submit as many entries as you like.
– If submitting as a team a singular prize package (only) will be made out to the initial person who submitted.
– Scripts submitted to the SWN Screenplay Competition are protected and remain the owner of the person(s) that submitted.
If you have any further questions, please contact us via: info@screenwritersnetwork.co.uk
The winners are selected based on the some of the following elements:
Plot
What does your story consist of? Is the bulk of your story great action, meaningful moments and interesting plot related scenes. Or is it a little mild, unrelated and/or too reflective of everyday life. What events does your script consist of to pull in the audience? Is it related to the character desire and potential theme?
Character Development
What interesting character traits do your characters have? Are they 3-dimensional and interesting? Do they have a past? Are they unique and fascinating? Are they boring, passive and/or underdeveloped?
Cinematic Potential
Does your script have many moments that will translate well visually? Is this script non-visual and unimaginative? Does it have an array of exciting, interesting or unfamiliar locations? Does it have any breathtaking, thematic or nuanced scenes? Will a director be able to interpret this script well?
Denouement
The denouement is the culmination of all events of your script; the pay off! How impactful is your ending? Is your resolution satisfying and related to your characters desire? What’s the lasting impression on the audience? Have all loose ends and sub-plots been resolved or addressed?
Prologue
The prologue is your opening image, the introduction to your story. Does your opening set up a theme? Is there a hook or device that draws the audience in at the beginning? Is the introduction to your story memorable, impactful or shocking?
Call to Adventure
The call to adventure is often a very good predictor of how strong your characters desire is. This works hand in hand with your protagonists desire. What is it that sets your character on their journey? Is it an impactful or emotional event or series of events? How strong is your call to adventure? Is it a fleeting thought within your protagonist, or is it devastating or dramatic moment?
Dialogue
Is the dialogue overused, too obvious and revealing? Is it repetitive? Is the dialogue used in a way that’s unique? Is there subtext involved? Do all of the characters speak differently? Is the dialogue poignant? Is there a good amount of conflict in the dialogue? Is some of the dialogue too long?
Pacing
Is this script well-paced? Does it have any slow moments? Is the pacing too fast without any breaks in the drama or action? How well paced is the beginning, middle and end acts? Could the story be shorter? Could it be longer?
Screenwriters Network does not claim ownership of any script submitted. All rights to the screenplays submitted to our competition remains with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made.
Except where prohibited by law, participation in the SWN Screenplay Competition constitutes each entrant’s consent to Screenwriters Network and its contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.
Details submitted by any entrant are private and in no way used or shared by any of our partners unless consent is given to award prizes.
All entries are non-refundable.
By submitting your email with FilmFreeway, Coverfly or ISA Connect you hereby consent for Screenwriters Network to email you in the future about competition updates and other future notifications. This is so we can send you your submission benefits and also notify you when other competitions may be taking place.