There is something exciting about Mother Nature’s wrath. When done right, cinematic depictions of disasters are compelling because they dance between plausibility and fantasy while we watch from the safety of a dark, air-conditioned room. We are safe, but there is a lightning bolt of excitement as we survive the on-screen disasters with the leading characters. That is exactly what I felt while watching Twisters in a crowded theater. From the looming tornadoes hidden in the darkness of the night to the EF-5 twister that haunts Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), great disaster films have long scratched a ..read more

Listed below are the Finalists of the 2024 ScreenCraft Comedy Competition. These exceptional screenplays were selected from almost 1,700 submissions. Congratulations to the writers who have made it this far and thanks to all for submitting! Stay tuned for the Winner announcement on August 14th on our blog and on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages! And if you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here. Here are the Finalists: Bliss Zef Husain Crohnie Derek Mari Disabled Love Clement Vallos French Kiss ..read more

FX’s The Bear had the most The Bear things happen to it the other night. Not only did the show receive a record number of Emmy nominations, 23 to be exact, but it was once again considered to be in the comedy category. That is so The Bear. Think about it. The show, created by Christopher Storer, has experienced massive success, especially in a genre that it kind of is but kind of isn’t, that you can’t help but get the sense that the show itself has some strange meta connection with Carmy. Let's go over how the theme of success vs. happiness and the genre identity crisis of both the show itself ..read more

If you want to win a screenwriting competition—whether for a contest or a screenwriting fellowship program—you must have a plan. You can't just wing it and submit a random draft of your latest work to test the waters. You need to be meticulous in your approach to the competition, knowing that others are likely doing the same to better their odds of placing and winning. Enter Now  |  Regular Deadline in 14 days What a Win Can Do for Your Screenwriting Career Don't listen to the online naysayers who criticize screenplay competitions. Yes, there are many out there looking for nothing ..read more

Listed below are the Winners of the 2024 ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competition. These exceptional screenplays were selected from almost 800 submissions. Congratulations to the writers who have made it this far and thanks to all for submitting! If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here. Here are the Winners: Grand Prize Winner The Sacred Bone Princess by Cindy Lee In an era dominated by men, a Korean princess battles through plagues and war to reach the Roman Empire, find a cure for her p ..read more

Listed below are the Quarterfinalists of the Fall 2024 ScreenCraft Film Fund. These exceptional projects were selected from almost 1,100 submissions. Congratulations to the writers who have made it this far and thanks to all for submitting! Stay tuned for the Semifinalist announcement on August 14th on our blog and on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages! And if you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here. Here are the Quarterfinalists: "Estranged" John Goshorn "In The Life" of Joe Beam MIKAL ODOM "Me ..read more

Gladiator II has gained a lot of attention since its trailer dropped in early June, quickly becoming Paramount’s most-viewed debut trailer since Top Gun: Maverick. The Ridley Scott-directed legacy sequel to 2000’s Gladiator has reached 177 million views in 48 hours, ranking No. 2 on Google’s US Daily Search Trend list at the 24-hour mark. The trending trailer for this long-awaited movie suggests that legacy sequels have legs in the entertainment industry, and this may be your sign to write one. Enter Now  |  Regular Deadline in 15 days What Is a Legacy Sequel? Hollywood has a long ..read more

Writing a successful sequel to a hit movie doesn’t have to be as difficult as most would think. Yet, so many subpar (or outright terrible) sequels come and go, leaving the audience questioning how the sequel got made, and wondering how the filmmakers and screenwriters could screw up a perfectly good formula. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Beverly Hills Cop franchise and see if the long-awaited fourth installment (30 years after the poorly-received third film was released) manages to earn the title of being a successful sequel. Enter Now  |  Regular Deadline in 16 days ..read more

Someone needs to come and get me because I am paralyzed with fear and anticipation for NEON’s new crime horror thriller Longlegs. Starring Maika Monroe (It Follows) and Nicolas Cage as the titular villain, and written and directed by Oz Perkins (son of Psycho’s Anthony Perkins), the film has crept into the cinematic milieu with uniquely interactive and cryptic marketing to become one of the most hyped film releases of the year. But it’s not the mysterious billboards, untitled teasers, and Blair Witch-style website that is captivating moviegoers. It’s that damn trailer. Contest opens in 19 day ..read more

Conflict is everything in stories. Without conflict, the narrative isn't driven enough to engage an audience. External and internal conflicts are necessary to create character and story arcs that pull an audience into the story—and it is what keeps them invested throughout the duration of the movie or television episode (and series). Here, we offer one 100 basic internal conflicts that you can use with your characters and stories. Enter Now  |  Regular Deadline in 21 days 100 Internal Conflicts for Your Screenplay Man vs. Self: Struggles with personal fears, doubts, or inner demon ..read more