Dumbo Screenwriting Competition

2020 Screenwriting Competition

The Dumbo Film Festival highlights both affirmed and emergent filmmakers by launching promising artists into the world film stage. The screenwriting competition is designed to inspire networking and connectivity by providing a valuable range of resources and opportunities that will help writers improve craft and advance industry exposure.

Each reader is an experienced industry professional (award-winning writers, producers, managers and agents) who will evaluate each script based on the strength of plot, characterization, format, originality, style, dialogue, pacing and current market potential. Scorecards will be provided after winners are announced.

Because we understand this process is very subjective, we are offering the additional opportunity to have your script read by two different judges. When you submit your script, click on the "+ one extra reader" option to ensure you get the most out of your entry!

We are proud to announce our newest partnership with Cross Z Travel. This partnership allows us the opportunity to add one more prize package to the competition: A Writer's Retreat. Due to the late partnership, we are extending our deadline to November 22.

Grand Prize

Writer's Retreat
$500 prize money for Feature / $250 prize money for TV and Short
Professional consultations from our high-profile judges
Industry Connections via Virtual Pitch Fest
12 month ISAconnect membership

Runner Up

$250 prize money for Feature / $150 prize money for TV and Short
Industry Connections via Virtual Pitch Fest

Finalist

Industry Connections via Virtual Pitch Fest

Judges Panel

Johnathan Brownlee

Director, producer, writer, actor and executive director for DIFF (Three Days In August, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, Decoding Annie Parker)

Cari-esta Albert

Past producer and/or executive for films at Universal, Fox, Geffen/Warners, Disney, New Line, Amazon, CBS, Lifetime and USA (Heart and Souls, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Love is Strange, The Break Up Girl, and Secret in their Eyes)

Roger S.H. Schulman

Producer, writer, director, actor, and TheWriterCoach.com (Shrek, Jonas, Mulan II, The Jungle Book II, Melissa and Joey, Balto, Living Single)

Alrick Brown

Award winning writer and director, producer, actor, and professor at NYU (Kinyarwanda, Death of Two Sons, Final Witness, Spike Lee's Lil Joint, A Crime Two Remember)