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Program Description

The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition is where your scripts are read directly by investors who buy projects and fund films at the studio level - domestically and abroad.

Investors or Funds may elect to option or purchase your script at any time regardless of whether or not your script places in the contest. All current and previous years winners and The Hot 100 Lists are showcased at investor meetings at the major film markets worldwide. Your summary and logline will get exposure year after year. Our entrants have been optioned and sold at AFM, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Shanghai film markets.

Now get a FREE, FULLY EDITABLE EXCEL STUDIO FEATURE FILM BUDGET template with each CVR, more info below.

My thanks for creating the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition and giving us writers a way to get our work directly into the hands of those who love movies and also have the means to fund them. I feel this is one of the best run and most significant of any of the newer screenwriting competitions that have come along in recent years. Lee Tidball

Submit now to make the next deadline!

-The only screenplay contest that connects writers to Industry financiers.
-Your script can get an offer anytime after you enter even if you don’t win a placement prize.
-First screenplay contest? That’s okay, our film financiers are looking for new, fresh voices
-Earn Film Industry Recognition or Repeat Recognition on the “Hot 100” List
-Win an in-person table read on a major studio lot
-Gain visibility beyond the reach of your agents
-Directly access studio-level film fund and private equity managers

The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, now in its 9th year, where your scripts are read direct by investors that buy projects and fund films at the studio level domestically and abroad.

*Ranked in the Top 20 screenplay contests next to Page International, Script Pipeline, Scriptapalooza, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, we are proud to be bringing this one of a kind opportunity to writers found in no other competition. We think of it less of a screenplay contest and instead as a direct look at your material by active finance groups you simply cannot reach on your own.

Screenwriters: Have you wondered…

  • How can I write screenplays that sell?
  • How do I get a screenplay table read?
  • Is it possible to get movie financing without an agent?
  • I don’t have an agent but I have a great story – what comes next?


The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition offers you the answers.

Our Los Angeles based screenwriting contest teams up writers with film investment companies in the US and from around the world.

Enter and win money, prestige and exposure. But most importantly, we connect you with movie investors in Los Angeles, and international film finance companies overseas, that provide the funding for movies. Whether you’re new to the business of screenwriting or an experienced veteran, our screenwriting contest is the best place to get your script read. We are actively buying scripts and want to read yours.

The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition does offer money, prestige, and industry exposure. But the object is to get your movie made and make investors happy.

Bypass the networking, the query letters, the wondering whether your script is getting read or just sitting at the bottom of a pile. With Capital Fund Screenplay Competition you can go straight to an option (and prize money), sponsored by film industry investors who are actively looking for scripts to green-light.

Enter now and Sign up for Deadline Notices

– Thank you to those that stopped by and said hello in Cannes and Berlin, we will follow-up with each one.

Not Quite Ready?

Visit our site and sign up for our email newsletter and deadline notifications!
http://www.capitalfundscreenplaycompetition.com/

Due to popular demand we are now adding internal CVR’s direct to writers.
CVR's - We are adding something new, you have been asking so often we will now allow direct access to CVR’s (Commercial Viability Ratings). Internally many investor groups, studios, film funds and private equity groups use their own “in-house” system to gauge how they think a project will do in the marketplace and ultimately what likelihood of profit/loss the firm/studio will encounter.

There is no standard format besides being confidential as these reports are similar to documents any business creates when hedging a bet on a new product, stock investment, buying out another business, etc.

With many entries we are asked by the writers: Is my script commercial?

Is it worth it for me to submit to your contest and be seen by investors? And since we began this project as a way for writers to get in front of multiple investors regardless of contest placement, we again thought how to help get writers what they were asking for.

The answer is that at any time before or after entering the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition you may now submit your script for a private CVR.  It is not mandatory you submit to the competition.

Just some of the things you can do with CVR in hand:

Rework the script to make it more commercial.
Make better decisions of when and what contests to enter.
Use it as leverage as you try to get talent, funds, crew attached to your project.
Include it in your package with project one-sheet at markets and festivals.
And more, be creative, it is yours to do with as you please.
Get Your CVR Now

And for a limited time will include a FREE FULLY EDITABLE EXCEL FEATURE FILM BUDGET TEMPLATE with each C.V.R. order. See http://capitalfundscreenplaycompetition.com/ for details.


Submit now to make the next deadline!

 

Deadlines and Fees

Early
Nov. 30, 2024
Regular
Jan. 31, 2025
Final
June 01, 2025
Features and TV Pilots
Standard Fee
$45
$55
$65
ISAConnect Fee
$40
$50
$60
Shorts
Standard Fee
$35
$35
$35
ISAConnect Fee
$30
$30
$30

Program Benefits

On behalf of myself and my co-writers, we want to thank you for the great opportunity to submit our script Trucker Chix to the contest and be read. To win in the Top Ten Finalists was beyond our hopes and then given the opportunity to speak with a Financial Professional was invaluable. He gave us such great enthusiastic feedback on our comedic story and told us how to present the script to get talent attached to it. His advice is invaluable and very generous. Your contest has been a life changing experience and look forward to submitting more material this year.

Thank you for giving Writers a great forum to present their work. Susan Anlage

Every entrant is read by a qualified buyer, who may elect to option or purchase your script regardless of whether or not your script places in the contest.

 

Ten Finalists : receive one-on-one phone consultations with a working film financier working with funds in excess of USD $150 million.

One Table Read Winner : Table read on the lot at Warner, Universal, Paramount, Sony, Fox, or Disney with Film Fund Manager and Private Equity Investors (date and location determined by cast availability, a feature Director and Producer will attend to give notes)

Three Gold Circle Winners : Project will be fully developed and packaged internally, including requests for talent attachments with writer input, full line item budget, CVR and business plan. Project and materials will then be showcased to buyers at film markets during that season domestically and abroad. 
Two Silver Lining Winners : $500 each, free line item budget and a personal phone consultation with financier.
One Bronze Ball Winner : $250, free line item budget and personal phone consultation with financier.

 

Lucky 7 Genre Category Winners : Free line item budget, Personal phone consultation with financier. One winner per category.(Action Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense Thriller/Horror)

 

Television Pilot Winner (1) : $1000, Free line item budget and personal phone consultation with network television Producer. (30 or 60 min Drama Pilot only)

Short Film Winner (1) : $1000, Free line item Budget and personal phone consultation with Development Executive.

 

The Hot 100, compiled from this competition, a list for buyers and financiers around the world of the one-hundred most interesting scripts and their corresponding loglines. All current and previous years winners and The Hot 100 Lists are showcased at investor meetings at the major film markets worldwide. Your summary and logline will get exposure year after year. Our entrants have been optioned and sold at AFM, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Shanghai film markets.

 

Dear CFSC, I was so happy with the prize and it helped pay bills for sure but the real win was the option and working with the producer and investor learning the development ropes. Thank you for all the work you do in helping us reach goals that take years for so many if they are lucky enough to even get there.

Pat Fortes, Screenwriter, Zebra

I was totally blown away by my financier. He was warm, helpful, and generous with information and guidance. I believe this was possibly the best possible prize for any contest winner. I feel that I learned a tremendous amount and made a valuable connection. This was a wonderful experience, particularly because the person I talked to was one of the people who judged my contest entries and remembered both of them. I should also say that the coverage notes I received (I requested feedback on one entry) was equally helpful, some of the best I’ve ever received in terms of providing useful guidance for improvement. Overall, this is a terrific contest with the potential to build careers.

Meg Leader, Exec Producer, Writer

Get Featured Direct to Buyers

We provide writers all the direct exposure opportunities possible in person to investor partners, new buyers at the major film markets worldwide and direct links on our site for you to share far and wide to prove you are a serious industry writer being looked at by industry pros. Join us and submit your project interview today.

Congrats to our Writers

We are so glad to help so many writers move toward their dreams and secure investor reads, meetings, offers, sales, and long term industry pro connections to directly show their work year after year. AFM, Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Shanghai, Venice etc are always exciting for us as we get you in front of the right buyers to make giant steps forward in your writing career. We're always working hard for you and appreciate your creative efforts.

Join Us Each Year to Advance Your Career

We love our writers! They work hard and we do the same for them.

Investor Reads, Market Meetings, Studio Coverage, Commercial Viability Reports with Free Feature Budget, Inside Connections you can call direct, Featured Interviews on our Site about your latest project, Free Writer Contract Templates, Free Scripts to learn from the Best, and much more is here waiting for you.

Professional Industry Coverage

Announcement Dates

Year Ten Winners

July 01, 2024

Year Eleven Winners

July 01, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Capital Fund Screenwriting Competition provides tremendous opportunities for developing screenwriters and their fulfillment as professionals. By placing our work in the hands of investors and financiers around the world, CFSC leaps over the usual barriers to script marketing and sends promising scripts directly to the decision makers. What a concept!

It is such an honor to win the professional table read award in the 2016 CFSC competition. The event and the venue were wonderful. Casting the key speaking roles was superb--my guests and I loved the actors and their performance of my screenplay. CFSC staff were helpful and encouraging, and they all made the table read a memorable event for everyone. Thank you, CFSC staff and sponsors, for this great opportunity!
James C. Peters, Screenwriter

 

 

 

For FAQ's and Winner's Feedback please see

http://www.capitalfundscreenplaycompetition.com/

Rules

First, I want to thank you and everyone involved with the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition. It's turning into a wonderful opportunity and I hope something comes out of this that'll make your people feel like I was a good choice. I would also ask you to pass my thanks on to the financier with whom I had a terrific telephone exchange today. Not only a sharp guy, but supportive, constructive, and immensely understanding.
Again, my thanks to all.

Respectfully,
Bill Mesce, Jr.

 

Submissions

The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition only accepts online fees and entries. Scripts must be in PDF format. PDF converter on website if needed. Please follow Hollywood industry format, examples here. 



Each script submission must include a logline and a minimum 1 page, maximum 3 page synopsis. Please follow samples here.

TV Pilot entries also require a synopsis. Short Films under 25 pages do not require a synopsis.

 

 

Each submission should consist of either:

*A full-length screenplay (approximately 80 to 120 pages, 150 maximum) or,

*A standard 30 or 60 minute TV Pilot.

*Short Films may be 1 to 49 pages.


Scripts do not need to be registered WGA but we recommend it.


Title Page- to be fair to all writers, Title and any WGA/copyright info only on title page, NO writer(s) name or contact info. This is captured on entry form.


Do NOT include personally identifying information (name, etc.) on ANY page of your script.


Do not include resumes, casting suggestions, letters, or other supporting documentation with your submission.



Script file name must contain Title only e.g., "Terminator.pdf"

Script synopsis file name format e.g., "TerminatorSynopsis.pdf"




Multiple Entries

Entrants may submit multiple entries of same script to different genre categories. Each submission must include its own entry and must include a separate file and separate entry fee. Entries will be considered for the genre prize in each category entered, as well as for the other prizes.



Eligibility

The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition is international and open to any individual who is 18 years of age or older at the date of entry and has access to the Internet.


Employees, officers, directors, contractors and agents and their immediate families of the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition and its respective divisions, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents are not eligible to enter.


Scripts are not eligible if the source material has been sold, produced, or is currently under option to any third party. Adaptations are not eligible unless the source material was written by the screenwriter of the entry in question.


Gold Circle Prize winners are not eligible to re-enter the winning script in future Capital Fund Screenplay Competitions. They are, however, eligible to enter different scripts for consideration.



Co-Writers/Prize Division

Screenplays written by up to four people may be entered in the contest. Only one entry fee is required for such entries. All writers' names should be listed on the online entry, no pen names may be used. All writers must authorize submission of the entry. By clicking Submit, you attest all writers authorize the submission.


All cash awards will be split equally between all writers. If there are multiple writers, only those writers listed on entry form may join the single conference phone call consultation prize awarded to each winning script.



Revisions/Resubmissions/Refunds

If the script is rewritten during the entry submission period, the writer(s) may resubmit a script as a new entry for consideration in the contest. A resubmitted script is treated as a new entry and requires an entry fee.


Revisions or missing pages will not be accepted under any circumstances once an entry has been received. No material received will be returned.


Once an entry has been submitted and payment has been processed no refunds will be issued. Be SURE you submit the correct file, no refunds will be issued and no scripts accepted via email if you contact us to inform us that you submitted the incorrect file. You will need to re-submit as a new entry if you choose to do so.


Ownership/Release

Capital Fund Screenplay Competition entrants retain all rights to their screenplays.

By entering, you represent and affirm that your entry is an original creative work, and does not infringe, misappropriate or violate the copyright, trademark or other intellectual rights of any third party.

By entering, you acknowledge and agree that the Competition, its Judges, affiliates, organizers receive numerous submissions of ideas, stories and scripts, and that your entry, and the ideas and stories embodied in it, may be similar or identical to other material already received and/or developed by one or more of the Judges, organizers and/or affiliates. You also agree that you are not entitled to any compensation or credit for use by Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, Judges, organizers and/or affiliates of any such other material.



By agreeing to these Rules and Conditions you agree that you have read the rules and that you have the authorization to submit this screenplay. You further agree that your screenplay is owned by you (and co-author(s)).



VOID where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.


The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition and/or judges' decisions are final and disqualification can occur. Prize substitution may occur and is at the sole discretion of the competition and/or judges.



Gold Circle Winners- Option terms and fee amount is determined at the sole discretion of the offering financier. Winner may elect to enter into the option agreement or decline the option offer. If declined, all other prizes in category are still due to such winner.



Potential Winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. The potential Winners will be required to sign and return to Sponsor, within five (5) days of the date notice is sent, an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release (except where prohibited by law) in order to claim their respective Prizes. If a potential Winner of any Prize cannot be contacted, fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period or if the Prize or Prize notification is returned as undeliverable, the potential Winner forfeits the Prize. In the event that a potential Winner of a Prize is disqualified for any reason, Competition may award the applicable prize to an alternate Winner from among all remaining eligible Entries.



Except where prohibited by law, participation in the competition constitutes each Winner's consent to Competition, organizers and its agents' use of Winners' names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. The entrant shall indemnify and hold harmless Capital Fund Screenplay Competition its employees, contractors, organizers, affiliates, agents and Judges from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim including but not limited to those involving copyright, trademark, credits, and/or publicity of the writing material entered.

Contact Information

info@capitalfundscreenplaycompetition.com

9200 W. Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles

90069-3601

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