“Hollywood’s Favorite Screenplay Contest!”

One of the most frustrating things about so many screenwriting contests – both for the writers and for the judges – is that scripts of different genres are in competition with each other. But how do you compare a comedy to a sci-fi script? How do you rank a family film against a thriller?

And why is it that so many screenwriting contests only award prizes to strong dramas, while so many of Hollywood’s most successful movies are comedies, thrillers, action flicks, and family films?

In order to make sure all types of scripts are given fair consideration and equal recognition, the PAGE Judges present prizes in a total of ten different genre categories in three different formats:

You may enter your script in whichever category or categories you choose. The price of the first category is included in your entry fee, and if your script fits in more than one genre, you may enter it in more than one category for an additional $18 each.

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Now, take a look at all of our great Prizes…

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In just a few short months, the PAGE Judges will present 31 Awards to some of the most talented new screenwriters from across the country and around the world – including our huge $25,000 Grand Prize, plus Gold, Silver, and Bronze Prizes in ten different genre categories. All told, our winning writers will receive over $50,000 in Cash and Prizes!

In addition, along with our Promotional Partners InkTip, Roadmap Writers, Filmarket Hub, and VPF, we will actively publicize and promote your winning script, giving you a shot at the ultimate prize: the chance to get your screenplay produced!

OUR PRIZE PACKAGES

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In the Final Round of competition, out of all the Finalists in all ten genre categories, the Judges will select our 2023 Grand Prize Winner. The winning writer will receive $25,000 Cash, a full fellowship to the Nostos Screenwriting Retreat in beautiful Tuscany, Italy, and a host of other great prizes, including:

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Before you enter the PAGE Awards competition, please review these contest rules and guidelines. Any submission that does not comply with contest rules may be disqualified.

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CONTEST RULES

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1. All writers of submitted material must be over 18 years of age on the date of submission, and each writer or writing team may not have earned more than $50,000 or the foreign equivalent (jointly or individually) for work as a screenwriter and/or fictional television writer.

2.  Writers who reside in countries other than the United States are welcome to enter the contest; however, all scripts must be submitted in English and entry fees must be paid in U.S. dollars. Entry in the competition is void where prohibited by law.

3.  Judges, sponsors, administrators, and independent contractors who currently or have previously worked with or for the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards and/or Production Arts Group are not eligible to enter the competition, nor are their spouses or other immediate family members.

4.  Scripts must be the original work of the author(s), and on the date of submission the work must be wholly owned and controlled by the author(s). If a screenplay has been sold, is currently under option, is being produced, or is in any other way encumbered by a third party on the date of submission, the script is not eligible for an award. If a script is optioned, sold, or produced after it has been entered, it will remain eligible for an award this year’s contest.

5.  Only original screenplays and teleplays are eligible for awards. Novels, short stories, stage plays, treatments, synopses, reality show concepts and spec scripts for existing TV series are not accepted in the contest. Scripts that have previously won a prize in the PAGE Awards competition are also ineligible.

6.  Adaptations of books, plays, or any other source material written by another author are not eligible under any circumstances. A script that you have adapted from your own book, play, or other source material is eligible if you have retained all film and television rights to the property.

7.  Submissions and entry fees must be postmarked or transmitted electronically on or before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the Early, Regular, Late, or Last Minute Entry Deadline in order to qualify for those entry rates. Any script submitted after the Final Entry Deadline will be disqualified.

8.  The contest and its administrators are not responsible for submissions or entry fees that are lost, stolen, or damaged in transit, and we cannot return scripts or refund entry fees once they have been submitted.

9.  Once a script has been entered in the competition, under no circumstances will we accept substitutions of new drafts or corrected pages. If you wish to submit a revised draft of your screenplay, you must enter it as a new submission and pay the appropriate entry fee.  (PLEASE NOTE:  We understand that writers always want the Judges to have the opportunity to read their very best work; therefore, if you advance to the Semi-Final Round of the contest we will invite you to send us the latest draft of your script for the final two rounds of judging completely free of charge. So please do keep revising and refining your script as the spirit moves you!)

10.  Decisions of the Judges are final and may not be disputed. Our Judges are instructed and agree to evaluate scripts based on our standard Judging Procedure; however, the PAGE Awards contest and its administrators may not be held responsible for any errors or omissions on the part of the Judges.

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SCRIPT GUIDELINES

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Below are some important formatting and submission instructions. In order to maximize your chances of success, we strongly recommend that you follow these standard guidelines:

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• FORMAT
• PAGE COUNT
• TITLE PAGE
• OTHER STUFF

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Learn more about our Judging Procedure…

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The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards competition is judged entirely by working professionals in the film and television industry, all of whom have years of experience evaluating and developing scripts for major Hollywood studios, agencies, management firms and production companies.

These are people who can truly open doors for undiscovered writers.

EVALUATION PROCESS

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Your script is judged anonymously. When you enter the contest your script will be assigned a number, and the Judges will identify your entry by title and number only. Most importantly, in each round of competition our Judges are assigned scripts based on their personal interests and expertise, so your screenplay will always be evaluated by people who truly understand and appreciate the type of material you’ve written.

Read more about the various levels of competition:

JUDGING CRITERIA

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Scripts are evaluated on a 10-point scale. The Judges assign scores of 1 to 10 for each of these elements:

PREMISE/CONCEPT:  The idea behind the story. What the movie is about. The “hook.”

PRESENTATION:  Standard spec screenplay or teleplay format (12 pt. Courier font, correct margins, etc.), as well as spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage.

STRUCTURE:  The framework of the script. Effective use of three-act (most common), odyssey, linear, or non-linear story progression.

PLOT:  The actions, events, conflicts, and turning points that propel the story forward. How the story unfolds (points for originality/unpredictability).

PACING:  The timing of the action, unfolding of plot elements, and pace of character development.

CHARACTERS:  Personalities that are distinctive, compelling, multi-layered, and unpredictable. A protagonist and antagonist with clear and active goals.

DIALOGUE:  Voices that are natural, succinct, and unique to each character. Use of language that effectively reveals character and moves the story forward.

THEME:  The underlying message of the story as revealed through plot, dialogue, and visual elements.

STYLE/TONE:  Overall quality of the writing. Tone that is appropriate to the material and narrative that is distinct, cinematic, and effectively conveys the mood or “feel” of the movie.

MARKETING POTENTIAL:  Audience appeal and box office potential.

If you’d like a deeper understanding of the judging process, please check out The Insiders’ Guide to Screenwriting. In this groundbreaking ebook, ten industry execs who serve as Judges for the PAGE Awards contest explain in detail how they evaluate scripts for the contest and for their various studios, agencies, and production companies.

NOTIFICATION DATES

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The list of scripts advancing in the competition will be posted on the following dates:

QUARTER-FINALISTS:  July 15

SEMI-FINALISTS:  August 15

FINALISTS:  September 15

WINNERS:  October 15

Prize packages will be sent to the winning screenwriters within six weeks of the final announcement.

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Would you like to find out what the Judges think of your script?

Find out how you can get Judge’s Feedback…

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Writers often ask if they can see their contest scorecards. But when taken out of context, the Judges’ scores are virtually meaningless. In fact, for most writers, viewing their scores without any explanation or clarification would only be confusing or discouraging, which would be counterproductive to our goals and yours. This is why we do not send raw scorecards to our contestants.

However, we do understand that many of you want to know what the Judges think of your script, which is why we offer you the opportunity to order Judge’s Feedback in conjunction with your contest entry.

ABOUT JUDGE’S FEEDBACK

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In writing Feedback, our Judges’ goal is to provide you with honest, thoughtful, constructive input, and to offer information and ideas that will be helpful to you as you continue to develop your screenplay. Our Judges have a reputation for delivering extremely valuable notes, and each year we receive messages from hundreds of writers telling us how much they appreciated the Judge’s insights and ideas, and how much they learned from their Feedback.

If you order Feedback with your contest entry, once your First Round Judge reads your script, he or she will then take the extra time to write you 6-7 pages of thoughts and ideas about your script’s various strengths and weaknesses.

Your Judge will explain why your script scored the way it did, tell you whether your script would receive a Recommend, Consider or Pass if you submitted it to his or her agency or production company, and offer some suggestions as to how you might further develop your work.

In addition, if you like, you may choose to have more than one Judge read your script and write Feedback for you in the first round of competition. Our Judges each work independently and they will not see each other’s comments or exchange ideas about your script. Each Judge will evaluate your material from his or her own unique perspective. So if you request notes from more than one Judge, you can compare their different thoughts and comments and determine which are useful to you and which are not.

Do the Judges point out the same problems?

That tells you something important.

Do the Judges express opposite ideas about some element of your script?

That tells you something important as well.

In addition, along with your Feedback, we will also send you the credentials of the person who wrote it, so you can get a sense of who our Judges are and how their various studios, agencies, and production companies might respond to your work.

HOW TO ORDER

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If you’d like to receive Judge’s Feedback on your screenplay, simply check the box provided on your entry form. When ordered outside the contest through our Script Services program, the price for Judge’s Feedback is $145; however, when you add it to your contest entry, we reduce the fee to just $100.

Your Feedback will be emailed to you after the Quarter-Finalists are announced on July 15. Or if your script advances to the Quarter-Finals or beyond, your Feedback will be held here in our office as long as your script is still in the running for a prize.

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Ready to submit your script?

Find out How to Enter…

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Deadlines and entry fees for the 2023 PAGE Awards competition are as follows. (All deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.)

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This fee includes entry in one Genre Category. Scripts submitted in the Short Film category (30 pages or less) will automatically receive a $5 discount off the entry fee.

You can also add any of these three options to your entry:

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• EXTRA CATEGORIES/JUDGES
• JUDGE'S FEEDBACK
• MULTIPLE ENTRIES

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SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

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When you’re ready to enter, simply click the gold “Enter Today” button below and fill out our online entry form. You’ll be asked to upload your screenplay, preferably as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file. Please make sure that the file you send us is not password protected or secured.

We offer you the option of paying your entry fee online with a credit card, debit card, or bank transfer. If for some reason you cannot pay online, please Contact Us and we can make arrangements for you to send us a check or money order (must be in U.S. funds).

If you have any questions during the entry process, please check out our FAQs.

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We look forward to reading your screenplay!

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