CompetitionChecked 15 Oct 2026

Cinequest — Screenwriting 2027

Closes 13 Nov 2026

Friday 13 November 2026

Official page

Official page: https://filmfreeway.com/CinequestScreenwritingCompetition

Who can apply: Screenwriters with screenplays or teleplays of any genre and length
You get: Finalists are honoured at the Cinequest Writers Celebration with industry events
Entry fee: $55–100
Making: Fiction feature, Short, Series
Stage: Writing
Type: Competition

Dates

Screenwriters with screenplays or teleplays of any genre and length

Our notes don’t say where applicants must be based. Check the official rules.

Finalists are honoured at the Cinequest Writers Celebration with industry events

Details		Top-10/category access and industry-facing events; feature prize $5,000; other category winners $1,000. Only brief feedback on request, not full coverage.

Amounts stay in the currency the organiser uses. Caps, totals and alternatives are listed as published; don’t add them up.

30-minute TV · Final (until 13 Nov)	$85	Check exact 40-page short boundary. Unoptioned/unsold requirement.
60-minute TV · Final (until 13 Nov)	$90	Check exact 40-page short boundary. Unoptioned/unsold requirement.
Feature script · Final (until 13 Nov)	$100	Check exact 40-page short boundary. Unoptioned/unsold requirement.
Feature script · Late fee — historical (until 9 Oct)	$70	Passed before this snapshot; retained for historical comparison, not available entry pricing.
60-minute TV · Late fee — historical (until 9 Oct)	$65	Passed before this snapshot; retained for historical comparison, not available entry pricing.
30-minute TV · Late fee — historical (until 9 Oct)	$55	Passed before this snapshot; retained for historical comparison, not available entry pricing.

Blind PDF: feature 70–125 pages; hour TV 45–70; half-hour ≤45. Short limit is inconsistent at 40 pages: confirm if exactly 40.

Contract	Selection terms and definitive agreements were not inspected. Read them before accepting an award or granting rights.
Rights	Changes to option/sale/production status can disqualify the script. Updated drafts need new paid submissions; entry does not promise representation or finance.
Travel	Festival passes are not travel funding. No airfare/accommodation award verified.

Our notes, not legal advice. Read the contract before you accept a place or grant any rights.

Spotted something out of date?

A research snapshot, not legal advice or a promise that the call is open. The official page always wins.