Been around the screenwriting contest circuit for four years now. Some have been wonderful. Some were an obvious waste of money. Lumping them all together like a monolith is as shortsighted as it is nonsensical. It’s like saying all screenplays are the same. (THREAD)

When I first started entering screenwriting contests in 2017, I entered too many, too quickly. Film Freeway has dozens, and many are undeniable cash grabs, some who have since been outed. I wasted $$$. However, that same year I entered @austinfilmfest. It changed my life.

Being a finalist in/winning AFF was the beginning of my eventual arrival to LA. Since then, I’ve been on the receiving end of much luck and help from various comps, including @NetworkISA (won their fellowship), @ScriptPipeline (twice runner-up), and @screencrafting (runner-up).

As with anything in life, when it comes to these competitions, your mileage may vary. Maybe your reader isn’t great, maybe your script isn’t ready, maybe the comp isn’t legitimate, maybe all of the above. I, personally, wouldn’t be in LA - or repped- without them. That’s a fact.

Many also complain about entrance fees for these contests. Most legitimate ones pay their readers - and simple math means that cost will be passed on to the entrants. Saying readers deserve to be paid while demanding free entries is inane. You cannot have both.

Two things can be true at the same time: a whole host of contests are predatory *AND* you, the writer, should have accountability, do research before shelling out $$$, and make sure your script is ready to submit to these contests. Nuance and context matter.