WISCONSIN’S OWN SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Celebrating Wisconsin screenwriters and the stories they tell.
– WINNERS OF THE 2025 COMPETITION HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED –
Administered by the International Screenwriters’ Association and the WSS, Wisconsin’s Own Screenwriting Competition is open to anyone born in Wisconsin or current state resident, former state resident for one or more years, Wisconsin’s First Nation’s members, and students or alumni of any college or university located in Wisconsin.
Grand Prize Winning script will be announced during the Wisconsin Film Festival at the Wisconsin Screenwriting Symposium and will be performed at a Live Table Read with actors on the University of Wisconsin, Madison campus.
Other prizes include:
- Screenwriting software courtesy of Final Draft
- Script consultation from The Story Farm
- and Statewide bragging rights!
Categories for Wisconsin’s Own Screenplay Competition:
- Features (80-120 pages)
- Shorts (20 pages or under)
- TV Pilots (Adheres to industry standard length: 22-25 pages for 30 minute episodic, 45- 63 pages for hour episodic)
- Student (any of the above categories)
Deadlines and Fees – SUBMISSIONS CLOSED FOR 2025 COMPETITION
- Early Bird Entry Deadline: November 01, 2024
- Standard Fee: $20
- Student Fee (including 2024 graduates): $10
- Regular Entry Deadline: January 10, 2025
- Standard Fee: $30
- Student Fee (including 2024 graduates): $15
- Late Entry Deadline: February 03, 2025
- Standard Fee: $40
- Student (including 2024 graduates): $20
Program Benefits
All submissions read and judged by industry working professionals.
Winning categories and Grand Prize winner announced at the Golden Badger Awards Ceremony of the Wisconsin Film Festival Awards in Madison, WI. Grand Prize Winning script will be performed by actors and recorded for the writer.
Great exposure for all levels of Wisconsin screenwriters, from students and beginner writers to advanced, professional writers.
Announcement Dates
Quarter Finalist Announcement: February 28, 2025
Semi-Finalist Announcement: March 14, 2025
Final Winner Announcement: April 03, 2025
Rules
Only PDF files of screenplays accepted.
Screenplays must be written in English.
Only original screenplays accepted. Writers must own IP or have rights to the underlying IP if work is an adaptation.
All screenplays should adhere to industry standard formating and length. Feature screenplays must be between 80 – 120 pages. Television Pilots must be 22-26 pages for 30 minute episodic, 45-63 pages for hour episodic. Short scripts should be 20 pages or less.
Competition is open to anyone born in Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s First Nations or current state resident, former state resident for one or more years, and students or alumni of any UW system school or Wisconsin college or university.