Categories, Prizes and Criteria

WE ACCEPT SCRIPTS WITH 1-120 PAGES

 

SUBMISSIONS FOR 2026 ARE NOW OPEN!

 

Our MAIN FESTIVAL accepts submissions for one-page scripts to features and full-length plays. There are categories to suit all script lengths and budgets.

Courtesy of our friends at FILM FACTORY GLOBAL, at our judges' discretion we'll send them outstanding feature screenplays or full-length stage plays, offering entrants a potential route to production.  If they like your script, we may even work with you develop it.

We don't separate entries into genres, but into lengths (and in shorter categories, plays, audio plays/podcasts and screenplays are pitted against one another). We judge each script on its own merits, whatever the subject matter.

Prices are on FILMFREEWAY (they vary depending on when you enter: the earlier you enter, the less it costs), and categories are:

• • • • • • • • • • LOGLINE/SYNOPSIS/PITCH (1-2 pages, plus pitch video from Semi-Finalists)
                  • MICRO: FILM, STAGE OR AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (1-2 pages)
                  • MINI: FILM, STAGE OR  AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (3-10 pages)
                  • SHORT: FILM, STAGE OR AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (11-25 pages)
                  • FILM/STAGE/AUDIO/PODCAST SCRIPT (26-49 pages)
                  • SHORT TV PILOT SCREENPLAY (25-39 pages)
                  • TV PILOT SCREENPLAY (40-63 pages)
                  • MID-LENGTH FILM SCREENPLAY (50-79 pages)
                  • FEATURE SCREENPLAY (80-120 pages)
                  • MID-LENGTH STAGE PLAY SCRIPT (50-69 pages)
                  • FULL-LENGTH STAGE PLAY SCRIPT(70-120 pages)
                  • BEST IN FESTIVAL as decided by all judges.

PRIZES

Quarter-Finalists, Semi-Finalists, Finalists and Winners will receive laurels to print or post on social media/websites.

Winners will leave the Festival with personalised S&CO glass trophies (sent, with postage at your cost, if you can't attend) and all Winners and Runners-up will receive a licenced copy of FD13 (limited to one per writer) thanks to FINAL DRAFT, producers of the world's industry-leading scriptwriting software.

 

RESULTS

S&CO will draw up and publish lists of Quarter-Finalists, Semi-Finalists, Finalists and Winners for all categories in the Main Festival.

Whichever category or categories you choose (you can enter as many times as you like), we wish you GOOD LUCK!

 

SCRIPT NOTES

'This is the most insightful, honest, no-bullshit feedback I’ve ever received. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Excited to run with it. It’s crazily invigorating to have 6 unbridled responses, pointing out the crap and the gems in the same authentic breath! No polite false praise here. Love it! Guarantee you’ll be getting my custom for further notes. I’ll spread the word!' Anna Wright, Screenwriter

After the festival, in exchange for a nominal £30 admin fee for scripts with up to 50 pages, or £50 for scripts with 51-120 pages, we'll send candid judges' notes to any writer whose submission reached the Quarter Finals or higher (and, in certain circumstances, to writers who didn't quite make it). The longer your script and higher you were placed, the more pages you're likely to see. If you'd like to know what we said, and why you did or didn't progress further, order your notes after your script is eliminated from the contest, or from 13 April 2026 if you are a finalist.

 

 

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