What is the Big Break® Screenwriting Contest?

The Big Break Screenwriting Contest offers film and TV writers in 11 genres the chance to win up to $80,000 in cash and prizes. Grand prize winners also get flown to Los Angeles to meet with managers, producers and executives.

2019 Contest Deadlines & Fees

The Big Break Contest is now closed.

But next year's contest is just around the corner!

Sign up for the Big Break Newsletter to receive articles, news and tips on how to win.

PLUS our free guide to entering (and winning) the Big Break Contest!

 

2018 Grand Prize Award Winners

Myles Reid

2018 TV Grand Prize Winner for Scattershot

“The degree of hands-on-ness and knowledge that [Final Draft] imparted to me… there’s no other contest like this. It’s changed what I thought a writing contest can and should do…”

Jeff Cassidy

2018 Feature Grand Prize Winner for Daisy's Story

"As a writer you spend months in front of the computer screen with the vague notion that…people will respond to it - so to have it recognized like this...is a feeling that I won't forget for a long time…”

2017 Grand Prize Winner (Feature) Greta Heinemann has signed with Jeff Portnoy of Bellevue Productions, who is shopping her script Anatomy of a Breakdown alongside UTA.

2017 Feature Drama category winner Julia Mogerman has signed with Jeff Portnoy of Bellevue Productions.

2017 Half-Hour Pilot category winner Greg Wayne has signed with Brian Spink of REALM.

2017 Feature Diversity category winner Nicolas Pinzón has signed with Markus Goerg of Heroes and Villains.

2017 Hour-Long TV Pilot category winner JJ Bailey has signed with Markus Goerg of Heroes and Villains.

2016 Grand Prize Winner (TV) Rowan Wheeler has signed with UTA.

2016 Grand Prize (Feature) winner Alexis Perkins signed with Stagecoach Entertainment.

2016 Family Category winner Matt Kazenberger signed with Entertainment Lab.

2016 Hour-Long Pilot category winner Julia Cooperman was staffed on the TV series Colony.

2015 Grand Prize Winner (TV) Eric Buchman signed with Mitch Solomon at Magnet Management and was staffed on NBC's Blindspot.

2014 Feature Sci-Fi/Fantasy category winner Joe Greenberg sold his spec script Man Alive to 20th Century Fox for Noah Hawley of Fargo to direct.

2014 Half-Hour TV Pilot category winner Ty Freer’s pilot How I Got Hanged in Australia has been optioned and Ty has signed with The Gersh Agency and Echo Lake Entertainment.

Awards

Every year we celebrate 11 Category Winners and 2 Grand Prize Winners at our annual awards show. Over 30 past winners have sold scripts, received representation or gone on to professional writing careers > read more

FAQs

Learn more about deadlines, eligibility and more here > read more

Judges

The industry judges for the 2018 Big Break Contest are listed below. Final Draft thanks these executives and managers for their time and passion for supporting scriptwriters > read more

Sponsors

Final Draft thanks our 2018 Big Break sponsors who are dedicated to supporting aspiring scriptwriters. Please visit their sites to view their offerings for writers > read more

Rules

Read the official rules for the 2018 Big Break Contest here > read more

NYFA Fellowship

Co-sponsored by The New York Film Academy, this unique screenwriting fellowship is merit-based and designed to raise each writer to a higher level of storytelling craft and provide intensive real-world training in the business of Hollywood > read more

Prizes

11 Winners share up to $80,000 in cash and prizes! 2 Grand Prize winners are flown to Los Angeles, introduced to producers and executives and receive a NYFA Fellowship > read more

Success Stories!

In recent years, over 50 Big Break semi-finalists, finalists, and winners have been signed to professional representation. Many have had scripts optioned, sold, and produced. Others have found full-time work in television. > read more