We all have the dream of having our movie script purchased by Netflix or Hulu or something. (wait really Hulu? Yes, don’t tell me you wouldn’t die tomorrow if your script was purchased by Hulu).
In addition to companies like Netflix and Amazon, there are quite a few film festivals that accept screenplay submissions.
In this post we are going to cover every film festival we could find that will accept our screenplay.
1) Austin Film Festival
Ok so the AFF is a paid submission film festival. This is really a competition you are entering.
The cost ranges from $50-$105 depending on when you submit your screenplay (the $50 ends on March 25th) and how long it is.
Here are the rules:
- Screenplays must be in English
- You can’t option or sell your screenplay until October 29th, 2022
- Your screenplay cannot have reached the semi-final level in prior years of the festival
- You have to pay with a check or money order when you submit your screenplay. You also must sign the form (no photos of your signature)
- They can reject your submission for any reason they say
- You cannot be currently paid as a writer to submit your screenplay here
Copyrighting Before You Submit
You should probably copyright your screenplay prior to submitting it. If someone gets a hold of it and you haven’t copyrighted it, they can steal it!
See our guide on how to copyright your script.
How many Total Submissions does the AFF get?
In 2021 the Austin Film Festival received 14,468 submissions across all categories. It accepted only
How Much is the Prize Money?
The prize money is roughly $5,000 for the larger categories. Drama and comedy receive this much. Others receive less.
How long can my script be?
They recommend that your script be 90-120 pages in length