The Competition
Your voice matters.
Submissions for the 2026 Competition will open 3/1/26.
FIRST ROUND DEADLINES & ENTRY FEES
Submit the first 20 pages of your script ONLY
EARLY DEADLINE: 5/06/26 REGULAR DEADLINE: 6/03/26 LATE DEADLINE: 7/01/26
EARLY ENTRY FEE: $25 REGULAR ENTRY FEE: $30 LATE ENTRY FEE: $35
5% of all entry fees will be donated to the Film Fatales: a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the careers of filmmakers of all marginalized genders.
SECOND ROUND PARTICIPANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED NO LATER THAN 7/30/26
At that time, we will send instructions on how to get us the full completed draft for review.
Submit your script
Please fill out the following form before proceeding to checkout. You have not successfully submitted until you have paid your entry fee and received an email receipt.
What every entry gets:
We’re writers, too, so we know how quickly entry fees can add up. Which is why we want to make sure everyone who submits to this competition walks away with something in return.
Each submitter will get with their entry fee:
25% off the Inspired Screenwriting Program
Our step-by-step guide that will take you from getting an idea you’re passionate about all the way to the best draft you’ve ever written.
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10% off our standard or full script consultation
Get our feedback and suggestions to help your script connect with your reader.
The Quarter - Finalists
They will receive all of the above, PLUS:
Inclusion in the Inspired Screenwriting Network Portal
Their bio and logline will be shared in our exclusive network portal that is accessed by the members of the USC Stark Alumni Council, the Film Fatales, the Alliance of Women’s Directors, and USC’s Women of Cinematic Arts.
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Invites to exclusive networking events throughout the year
Writers will be able to attend virtual networking events hosted or co-hosted by us where they can pitch their scripts and/or meet members of the above organizations and more.
The Finalists
They will receive all of the above, PLUS:
The entire Inspired Screenwriting Program FREE
All four courses of our screenwriting program based on our Method, which normally costs $200.
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A 1 x 1 consultation on next steps
Where do you go from here? We’ll help you come up with a roadmap for moving forward.
The Winner
$1000 cash prize
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reads by producers/reps handpicked by us based on your material
You don’t just want people to read your script, you want the RIGHT people to read it. For example, last year’s winner was inspired by The Wedding Banquet, so we got the legendary producer Ted Hope, who produced the original, to read their script.
The GRAND PRIZE WINNER gets all of the above PLUS:
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The stories we tell connect us, they move us, and when they’re really special, they change us.
Those special stories, the ones that make us think and feel, the ones that leave an indelible mark on our hearts and souls, they don’t come from the same pool of generic setups and one-dimensional characters we’ve seen over and over again.
They come from you.
Or, at least, that’s what we believe here at Inspired. We believe that it’s only through showing who you are with your writing can you truly reach your audience in a meaningful way.
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So, send us your best. Send us your personal. Send us the crazy out-there ideas that could have only come from (insert your name here).
Because, whether it’s a high concept comedy, historical drama, elevated horror or something in between (if anyone has that script, btw, def send it our way), if it came from you, we want to read it.
And when we do find that special script? That script that blows our minds?
WE ARE GONNA WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY.
So, use your voice and shout it from the rooftops because…
We’re listening.
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Here at Inspired, we love movies. We love writing movies, making movies, and watching movies. Which is why our competition is currently focused on:
feature length screenplays only.
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As writers, we also hate it when people try to put us in a box. And we don’t want to put you in a box, either.
That’s why:
we don’t have separate genre categories.
When you submit, we’ll be assessing your story on its own terms, rather than through the lens of a specific genre.
MORE INFORMATION
COMPETITION RULES
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If you are asked to submit your full script to the second round, it must be FEATURE LENGTH. No longer than 120 pages, please.
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This is all our readers can handle currently.
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We will only accept original screenplays, written by you. If it is an adaptation, you must own the rights to the source material.
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We don’t want it to get lost!
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We want you to express yourself but if you break general format rules, please have a good reason.
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Sorry, but we can’t accept scripts from minors.
FAQ
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SECOND ROUND PARTICIPANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED NO LATER THAN 7/30/26
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If your script advances to the second round, you’ll have two weeks after we notify you to send us the full draft.
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If your script moves on to the second round of judging, you will have the opportunity to submit the latest draft of the full script at that time.
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Not at this time.
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Contact us at hello@inspiredscreenwriting.com
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Yes!
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Yes!
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No. Please do not submit material that you don’t own or that infringes on the rights of other copyrighted material.
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Email us at hello@inspiredscreenwriting.com.