Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards & Pitch Deck-Sizzle Reel-Trailer Contest

Now Accepting Entries
76 days remaining

2026 Winter competition now open where EVERY entry receives professional feedback.

Opened: January 1, 2026
Closes: March 31, 2026
About This Contest
2026 WINTER COMPETITION NOW OPEN...where EVERY entry receives PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK! Now providing winners and selected finalists DIRECT EXPOSURE TO PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS! (See our website at https://www.wherehollywoodhides.com/ for details.) • Home of the famed Palm Springs International Film Festival* and playground for generations of entertainment industry moguls and international celebrities. Every word of your script...or every frame of your trailer/video will be studied and analyzed by established Hollywood film and television WGA, SAG, DGA Award-winners with hundreds of credits at every major Hollywood studio, network, and streamer. • There are no unpaid interns or amateur readers involved in our process at any time. Winners and selected Finalists get far more than "attaboys" and laurels: • Your script goes to our roster of Hollywood Lit Managers • Screenplay Contest Winners earn LIVE STORY CONFERENCES with award-winning WGA writer-producers, professionally written script analysis, professional memberships, and promotional placement in the online "Writers Walk of Fame" • Best Sizzle Reel, Movie Trailer, or Pitch Deck • Your project goes to our roster of trusted Hollywood Managers for representation consideration • Live Screening & Marketing Analysis with WGA-DGA-SAG Judges • Marquee placement in the Palm Springs Online Screening Room ​Total Value: $2500! *not affiliated
Awards & Prizes
Grand Prize for Best Script (Screenplay, TV script, or Short Script) or Best Media (Pitch Deck, Sizzle Reel, Trailer): • Winning (and selected Finalist) entries go directly to our roster of trusted Hollywood literary managers for consideration of representation. This is the INSIDE TRACK to a professional screen or television writing career. Best Sizzle Reel, Movie Trailer, or Pitch Dec • Marquee Placement at The Screening Room to drive online exposure to the industry. • Live Screening & Marketing Analysis with WGA-DGA-SAG Judges Best Screenplay, TV Pilot, or Short Script • Live Story Conference with award-wining Senior Level WGA Judge• Promotional Placement at The Screening Room to drive online exposure to the industry. • Written Studio-grade analysis
Contest Rules
• Screenplay contest material submitted to The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards & Pitchdeck - Sizzle Reel - Trailer Festival is accepted via electronic submission only. • Script submissions must be in PDF file format, the title ONLY indicated in the PDF file name. Submissions as Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter files will not be read, scored, or judged. • Media submissions (Pitchdeck-Sizzle Reel - Trailer) must be in PDF, MP4 or YouTube link format and in conformance with FilmFreeway guidelines. • There is no limit to the number of screenplay, teleplay, or short film scripts you may submit. There is no limit the the number of media submissions. • Submitted material must be received by midnight of each monthly deadline date and submission fee payment must accompany your material. • All entry fees are non-refundable; submissions in any file format other than those acceptable to FilmFreeway will be disqualified. • Page count limitations: Short Film Scripts = 30pp Television Scripts = 70pp Feature Screenplays = 130pp Entries exceeding those page limits will incur a 20% reading fee surcharge. • Pitchdecks are limited to 20 slides. Sizzle Reels are limited to three minutes in length. Trailers are limited to seven minutes in length. • All material submitted to these contests must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s). • Screenplays and scripts must be submitted by the credited writer. Screenplays and scripts written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s). Media entries must include the names of writer-director. • All writers must be credited on title pages. • If a screenwriting/filmmaking team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the screenwriter submitting the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money, with no direction from The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards Contest administrators, staff, or judges. • Once submitted, material is promptly assigned to analysts and judges and reading/scoring begins. Revisions, rewrites, addenda, or substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered screenplay or script material require a separate entry. • Multiple entries are accepted. Submitting the same script pages for different levels of analysis is fine. In all cases, each entry or request for varying levels of analysis must be entered individually. When multiple levels of analysis are NOT entered individually, only the highest level of analysis will be provided with no refunds for other analysis services. • By using our service, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s), including FilmFreeway. • All copyright, ownership and derivative rights to the material submitted to The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards & Pitchdeck-Sizzle Reel-Trailer Festival contest(s) remains with the original rights holders and/or author. • By submitting material to the contest, writer/filmmaker gives contest administrators permission to promote the work and the writer/filmmaker to third parties, including professional literary managers and agents at their sole discretion. By submitting material to the contest, you agree to hold Butterfly Beach Media Inc., its officers, managers, employees, contractors, and representatives of all kinds harmless against any and all claims. No assurances, warranties, or guarantees are either implicitly or explicitly made as to the efforts or lack of response by any and all third parties to whom The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards & Pitch deck-Sizzle Reel-Trailer Festival may send or transmit material. • Plagiarized or non-original written materials will be disqualified. • Once announced and delivered, all prize package items and taxes appurtenant thereto are the responsibility of the recipient. • All scores are final and purely at the discretion of the Senior Judging Panel. • Writer/filmmaker acknowledges that any and all written feedback and analysis commentary is objectively presented and intended to be illustrative, instructive, and helpful in guiding the writer along a professional path. Scores and comments are in accordance with current professional film and television industry standards, but writer/filmmaker accepts them as purely subjective pursuant to the judgment and opinion of the individual reader-analyst and agrees not to request, demand, or suggest alternate, different, or revised written feedback; no guarantees of satisfaction on the part of the writer are expressed or implied. LIMITED ROLE: The role of The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards and Butterfly Beach Media, Inc. is limited to forwarding winning material to select managers who have expressed interest in reviewing winning material. We make no guarantees regarding their response or engagement, and we do not participate in or assume responsibility for any future communication or relationship between writers and managers.

Entry Options

Pitch Deck Entry
Submit your pitch deck for professional evaluation
$84
  • Professional pitch deck analysis
  • Industry feedback

Ends Jan 30

Price increases to $89 on Jan 31

Most Popular
Sizzle Reel Entry
Submit your sizzle reel for professional evaluation
$84
  • Professional sizzle reel analysis
  • Industry feedback

Ends Jan 30

Price increases to $89 on Jan 31

Movie Trailer Entry
Submit your movie trailer for professional evaluation
$84
  • Professional trailer analysis
  • Industry feedback

Ends Jan 30

Price increases to $89 on Jan 31

Screenplay or TV Pilot Entry: 90-minute Line Notes & Live Consultation
Full screenplay or TV pilot entry with comprehensive line notes and live consultation
$424
  • 90-minute live consultation
  • Detailed line notes
  • Professional WGA feedback

Ends Jan 30

Price increases to $449 on Jan 31

Feature Screenplay or TV Script: Entry with 5-8pp WGA Professional Analysis
Feature screenplay or TV script entry with professional WGA analysis
$95
  • 5-8 page WGA professional analysis
  • Industry feedback

Ends Jan 30

Price increases to $104 on Jan 31

Screenplay or TV Pilot Diversity Entry with 6-10pp WGA Professional Analysis
Diversity screenplay or TV pilot entry with comprehensive WGA analysis
$80
  • 6-10 page WGA professional analysis
  • Diversity program benefits

Ends Jan 30

Price increases to $85 on Jan 31

Short Film Script Entry
Short film script entry with professional evaluation
$80
  • Professional script analysis
  • Industry feedback

Ends Jan 30

Price increases to $85 on Jan 31

Other Editions