What Different Types of Competition Jurors Can Do for Your Script

Screenwriting competitions go through multiple rounds of readers before advancing to a final set of jurors. Every competition and program is different, which is a great reason to research which ones you enter and who the competition jurors are.

You want to ensure that the readers are experienced enough and motivated to perform their job well. Then, you want to check out who the jurors are because they will not only determine the finalists and winners, but they will often offer different awards personalized to their experience in the industry. Let’s talk about what those awards might be based on who the jurors are.

Experienced Writers

Let’s use the current Screencraft Feature writing competition as an example. Each Grand Prize winner will receive mentorship from professional writers that includes a virtual meeting and project development insight. Grand Prize Mentors include David Rabinowitz (BlacKKKlansman) and Rose Gilroy (Project Artemis), proven talents in their field with contemporary experience and insight to share.

Mentors offer emerging writers one-on-one insight into the career of screenwriting. They know what it’s like to be in your shoes starting. They also have firsthand knowledge of the business.

More than that, these mentors become part of your professional network. An authentic connection with them could lead to future opportunities together. You never know when they will be showrunning a series and looking to hire for a writers’ room—or vice versa.

Literary Representatives and Managers

When reps serve on screenwriting competition juries, they offer several benefits. First and foremost, it’s their job to know industry trends. They have up-to-date access to recently sold and greenlit screenplays in the marketplace. This puts them in a great position to offer feedback about the marketability of your screenplay.

Furthermore, they are signing up to be jurors because they are specifically looking for talent to invite to their rosters. Having reps from companies you have researched and found to be a good fit for you is a great reason to consider entering a screenwriting competition.

In the 2024 Screencraft Sci-Fi/Fantasy Competition, Rodrigo Moscoso of Zero Gravity Management serves as a juror specifically due to his experience on shows like Marvel’s Moon Knight and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But if you’ve got an animated true crime, Moscoso might not be the right match for you.

It’s always important to research the jurors to find ones who would be a good fit for your project (in this case, maybe Evan Anglin, who is also a manager at Zero Gravity—but who is judging the Screencraft Animated Competition and has clients who work for adult animation projects).

Development Executives

Let’s look at the jury for the Launch Pad Feature Competition, which prioritizes exclusive partnerships and opportunities including a Grand Prize partnership with Gran Via Productions (The Holdovers, The Notebook, Galaxy Quest). A jury member and vetted industry professionals guarantee a meeting and a virtual pitching workshop for every top 10 finalist.

Among the jurors are Brandon Gale, who works in development for Speck + Gordon, the production company behind Blades of Glory and Office Christmas Party, and Brittany Pratt, who works in development at Davis Entertainment (Jungle Cruise, Game Night). Meetings with development execs can not only get you catered feedback about the marketability of your screenplay but even a first offer on your script. They’d love nothing more than to discover their next blockbuster hit.

Producers

As with development executives, producers on juries can also provide amazing resources for writers, no matter where your script is at. Maybe you’re starting the journey and looking to sell your screenplay to someone who will bring it to life. Maybe you’ve already shot it yourself and you need a producer who can help with distribution. These are the kinds of professionals serving on competition juries.

Ella Wahlestedt, producer and CEO of Quarterlife Pictures (and juror for Launch Pad’s Feature Competition), has overseen the release of 150+ titles across VOD, streamers, and exhibitors. Meeting with her about distribution would be an incredible way to learn what your options are down the line—and maybe even make a career-long, mutually beneficial connection.

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Placing in a competition—or, better yet, winning—is a great way for an emerging screenwriter to build credibility while making professional connections. Most screenwriting competitions come with inherent partnerships, networking opportunities, or even mentorship. These are connections that launch a career, as long as the writer does their research on who the competition jurors are and learns how to capitalize professionally and authentically on those meetings.