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The American Film Association Presents

The AFA Screenplay Award

A monthly screenplay competition, with a grand prize announced live at our Founding Gala at The Beverly Hilton on November 8, 2026.

Submit Your Screenplay How It Works
New deadline every month Open now Feature-length screenplays

Announced So Far

Official Selections

AFA Screenplay Award Official Selection laurel for Of The Chosen, June 2026

June 2026

Of The Chosen

AFA Screenplay Award Official Selection laurel for Little Adults, July 2026

July 2026

Little Adults

The Award

A Full Review for Every Writer.

Every screenplay you submit receives a full AFA Script Score, a professional review across six categories with notes on what is working and where to take it next. Each month, one screenplay is named the Official Selection and earns AFA laurels. The competition runs for four months, so four screenplays earn that honor. At the end, the four Official Selections compete, and the winner accepts the Award on stage at the Gala.

What You Get

A full written review of your screenplay, every time you enter
Official AFA Selection laurels if you win the month
A place in the final for every monthly winner
The Award, accepted on stage at the American Film Association Gala at the Beverly Hilton on November 8

How It Works

From Submission to the Stage

1
Pay Your Entry Fee
Pay your entry fee to begin your entry. Submissions close on the last day of each month.
2
Submit Your Screenplay
Upload your screenplay and a one-line logline, and sign the AFA NDA as part of the same form. Your work stays yours, and AFA claims no rights to it.
3
Receive Your AFA Script Score
Every submission gets a full written review. It covers what is working, where the issues are, and what to focus on next.
4
Become an Official Selection
Each month, one screenplay is named the Official Selection. It earns AFA laurels and a place in the final.
5
Compete for the Award
There are four Official Selections, one for each month. They compete against each other, and the winner accepts the Award on stage at the Gala.

The Score Card

Six Categories

Your screenplay is scored across these six categories. Each one comes with a written rationale, so you know why it landed where it did.

01
Concept
How fresh and clear the core idea is, and whether it earns a feature.
02
Hook
Whether the opening pages give a reader a reason to keep going.
03
Stakes
What is on the line, and whether it feels real, rising, and urgent.
04
Character (What They Learn)
The change your protagonist goes through, and whether it is earned.
05
Story Arc
Whether the structure builds, turns, and pays off across the whole script.
06
Entertainment
How engaging the read is from first page to last, the quality that keeps pages turning.

The Prizes

Monthly Selections. One Award.

The competition runs for four months. Each month names one Official Selection, and the four Official Selections compete for the Award.

AFA Screenplay Award Official Selection laurel Awarded to each month's Official Selection
Every Month
Monthly Selection
  • Official AFA Selection laurels for your screenplay
  • Named the Official Selection for your month
  • A place in the final, competing for the Award
The Grand Prize
The Award
  • Accept your Award on stage at the Beverly Hilton, with a ticket to the Gala
  • November 8, 2026

Entry Details

Rules & Fees

Feature-length screenplays with no maximum page count. Your entry fee depends on length.

Standard Entry
$50
For a screenplay of 120 pages or fewer. One full review and one entry into the month's competition.
Over 120 Pages
$50 + $15
For a screenplay over 120 pages. The same full review, plus $15 for the longer read.
If a screenplay over 120 pages is entered without the extra $15, the entry is held until it is paid.

Submit

Enter Your Screenplay

You will need your screenplay as a PDF and a one-line logline. Submit your screenplay below to begin your entry. Submissions close on the last day of each month.

Questions about your entry? Email [email protected].

Questions

Frequently Asked

Any screenwriter who is the sole author of their screenplay, or who holds the rights to submit it. There is no membership requirement to enter. You confirm your authorship and sign the AFA NDA as part of your submission.
We accept feature-length screenplays as a PDF. There is no maximum page count. Length only affects your entry fee. Screenplays of 120 pages or fewer pay the standard entry, and screenplays over 120 pages pay an extra $15.
The standard entry fee is $50 for a screenplay of 120 pages or fewer. Screenplays over 120 pages pay $50 plus an additional $15. Pay with the Submit Your Screenplay button above.
Screenplays over 120 pages (121 or more) pay an additional $15 on top of the standard entry fee. If a screenplay over 120 pages is submitted without the extra $15, the entry is held and not reviewed, and we will email you to pay the additional $15 before it goes through review. Questions about your entry? Email [email protected].
Yes. You may submit as many screenplays as you like, and you may submit in as many months as you like. Each submission is a separate entry with its own entry fee and its own AFA Script Score.
It is the written review every submission receives. It covers a logline assessment, a protagonist verdict, your clearest strength, your biggest issue and what to focus on to raise your score, and a specific rewrite target. It also includes a score card across six categories: Concept, Hook, Stakes, Character (what they learn), Story Arc, and Entertainment. The full review runs one to two pages.
Yes. Your screenplay is kept confidential. You can read our full confidentiality policy here.
Each month's winner is announced at the end of the following month. The competition runs for four months, so it produces four winners. Those four winners then compete for the Award, and the overall winner has the option to accept it on stage at the AFA Founding Gala at The Beverly Hilton on November 8, 2026, with a ticket to the Gala.
One screenplay takes the Award. The winner has the option to accept the Award on stage at the AFA Founding Gala at The Beverly Hilton on November 8, 2026, with a ticket to the Gala.

The AFA Screenplay Award

New deadline every month. Open now.

Every screenplay you submit comes back with a full review. Each month's winner earns laurels and a place in the final. One screenplay takes the Award and accepts it on stage at The Beverly Hilton.