SUBMISSIONS FOR NFFTY’s 2025 SCREENPLAY COMPETITION IS NOW OPEN.
Every great film owes its success to the quality of its story. The NFFTY Screenplay Competition: Story Starts Here is an opportunity for tomorrow’s best storytellers to get constructive critique on their script before entering production. This is a unique chance to be sure you are delivering the most resounding story to your audience!
All submissions will receive individual feedback upon request. Three scripts from both the screenplay and pilot categories will be chosen as Finalists and will be eligible for awards and cash prizes. Each finalist will also receive one complimentary All-Access Filmmaker Pass to NFFTY 2025.
There will be one grand prize winner and two runner-up scripts from each category.
The Screenplay Competition will culminate at NFFTY 2025, where finalists will be featured and awards and cash prizes announced. NFFTY 2024 will be held April 3 - 6, 2025 in Seattle, WA. NFFTY Story Starts Here is a program of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth.
NFFTY seeks to provide unique programming specific to screenwriters and our Story Starts Here finalists in attendance. For NFFTY 2020 we produced a live virtual table read of all finalist scripts, and for NFFTY 2022 we hosted a script feedback session with Will Akers, author of the bestselling "Your Screenplay Sucks". Plans NFFTY 2025 will be announced closer to the festival.
Categories:
SHORT SCREENPLAY
PILOT SCRIPT
Submission Deadlines
+ Entry Fees
Submissions to Story Starts Here are currently closed. Please check back later for details on how to submit to Story Starts Here for NFFTY 2025.
Early Deadline: $25 | November 8, 2024
Mid Deadline: $30 | November, 29 2024
Regular Deadline: $35 | December 20, 2024
Final Deadline: $40 | January 10, 2025
*Note: 10% discount available to FilmFreeway Gold members
Eligibility
All screenwriters must be age 24 or under at the time of completion of the submitted draft.
All screenplays and/or pilots should not yet have entered production, as the purpose of this competition is to help filmmakers improve their story before filming.
All screenplays and pilots must be 40 pages or less, not including a title page.
All screenplays and pilots must be written in English.
All screenplays and pilots must be the original work of the submitter. If the content is based upon another’s life or adapted from another story, the submitter must also attach a statement showcasing any necessary permission to make such an adaptation.
Awards and Prizes
Three (3) scripts from both the screenplay and pilot categories will be chosen as Finalists
Each finalist will receive one (1) complimentary All-Access Filmmaker Pass to NFFTY 2025
There will be one (1) grand prize winner script from each category
$500 Cash Prizes for the Best Pilot and Best Screenplay will be handed out at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony of NFFTY 2025 on April 6!