Festival dossier

Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition

United States · Est. 2009 · Multiple structural red flags — exercise caution before submitting

WarningWatchlist
United States
26
Legitimacy Score

Overview

Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition is a U.S.-based screenplay contest run by the International Screenwriters' Association that seeks bold, original feature scripts and TV pilots from emerging writers. It is notable for substantial cash prizes, genre-focused and general-category competitions, and industry exposure through potential inclusion on the ISA Development Slate and introductions to major studios, agencies, and managers. [1][2][15]

Last updated Aug 27, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

Positive Indicators (+12 pts)

  • 17 years of verifiable history
  • 1 verified pro signal

Red Flags (-36 pts)

  • Listed as 'competition' not 'festival' - likely online-only awards
  • No physical screenings
  • 1 documented risk signal
  • On watchlist — negative reputation signals detected

Trust Signals

Risk Flags

  • COMPETITION_NOT_FESTIVAL

Positive Signals

  • Documented history with archived programs

Festival Details

Founded

2009

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At a glance

Legitimacy Score26/100
TierWarning
Reviews0
Community Reports0

How scoring works

Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.

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