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LONDON
BEST SCRIPT AWARD
BEST SCRIPT AWARD LONDON
Ready to take your script to the next level?
The Best Script Awards – London can be more than just a competition - it
could be your gateway to the global film and television industry. The organizers
claim to connect new voices with industry insiders, creating real opportunities for talented writers to break into
Hollywood, London, and beyond.
Their prestigious panel of judges includes WGA, PGA, and DGA members, Oscar-qualifying festival judges,
Hollywood talent agents, seasoned producers, directors, showrunners, and television writers. Every script is carefully read, reviewed, and analyzed by active industry professionals who are committed to discovering, promoting, and producing new writing talent.
MEET THEIR JURY LEADERS:
• Danielle Quinoa – Head of Jury for Feature Screenplays
Danielle has judged Oscar-qualifying festivals such as Atlanta Film Festival, deadCenter Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, and
San Francisco Film Festival. She has also worked as a talent agent, guiding the careers of stars like Julia Garner (Ozark), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Anthony Ramos (In the Heights).
• Donatella Corrado – Head of Jury for Television Screenplays
An award-winning Italian screenwriter, Donatella captured hearts with her
European masterpiece The Loss of Innocence. She now leads our TV scripts jury, seeking fresh voices in television storytelling.
• Kai Stuart Wissler – Head of Jury for Short Screenplays
A graduate of Anglia Ruskin University in
Cambridge, Kai's short film Therapy, commissioned by the
Shakespeare Globe in 2022, won Best Comedy at the Royal Television Society East Awards.
�� WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
• IMDb-Qualifying Competition
• 100% Script Read-Through – No automated filters. Every word is read by a professional.
• Exclusive Physical Event – One of the few competitions worldwide with an in-person event where screenwriters can network, pitch ideas, and gain real industry exposure. The event is held in association with the London Director Awards, where you can meet several film directors who may be interested in your screenplay.
• Pro Feedback Option – Get up to 3 pages of studio-style notes with our 10-point professional analysis covering character, plot, dialogue, marketability, pacing, theme, and more.
• Script Promotion Hub – They actively promote over 100 scripts on our website, regularly visited by producers scouting for new projects. Check it out: https://bestscriptawards.com/i-am-a-producer
PAST WINNERS HAVE LANDED DEALS & INDUSTRY ATTENTION:
Ali Kiani (USA), James Patrick Costello (USA), Alexander David Rosenstein (USA), Yvette Farmer (UK), Barry Staff (UK), Daniel Martinez (Colombia), Richard Jordan (Spain), Rosemarie Ni Foghlú (Ireland), Glenna Goodman (USA), and many others.
WHETHER YOU WRITE FEATURES, TV PILOTS, OR SHORTS - THEY WANT TO READ YOUR SCRIPT!
If you’re serious about your writing, they
are serious about helping you succeed. Their competition is designed to cultivate, mentor, and elevate emerging screenwriters.
SO, WHY NOT SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT
AND TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD YOUR FILMMAKING FUTURE!
LIST OF NOMINATED SCREENWRITERS 2025:
GRAND PRIX: FEATURE SCREENPLAY (CASH PRIZE 500.00
USD)
TUSK (Jay Wheddon, UK)
Gullun Drift (Richard Clarke, UK)
John Horse (Walt Alexander and James Riordan, UK)
BOGIE & BACALL (Helise Stamos, USA)
GARBO'S CUBAN LOVER (Odalys Nanin, USA)
BEST TELEVISION SCRIPT - PILOT
The Bentley Boys (Barry Lewis and Barry Lewis, UK)
Grave Hunters - Resurrection (Will Turner Brett, UK)
Mount Ascension (Warren Bouchier, UK)
Free Traders (Jo Gatford, UK)
Millennium Eve (Angela Jobson, UK)
BEST SHORT SCRIPT (UP TO PAGES)
SAME ME (Joshua William Anthony Jones, UK)
High Screams (Matt Townsend, UK)
DYKE BOY (Joshua Jones, UK)
The Last Mediation of Christ (David Schleicher and Mike Bell,
USA)
The Gift (J N Gould, USA)
BEST SUPER SHORT SCRIPT (UP TO 10 PAGES)
No Man's Land (Tom Canning, UK)
TEACHER'S PET (Mark Wakely, UK)
On-line Shopping (Thomas Bell, UK)
Diverse Hire (Dominic Alexander Christopher, UK)
The Stopover between Life and Death (Gabriel Yves Cuny, France)
BEST FIRST-TIME SCREENWRITER (FEATURE)
Temporal Echoes (Dr Margaret Wheldon, UK)
Schumann (Steve Nethercott-Cableand Janet Nethercott-Cable, UK)
THE MOB AND I (Mark Wakely, USA)
Tomas 7_23_24 (Robert Bedick, USA)
Those We Trust (Marie Jones, UK)
BEST FIRST-TIME SCREENWRITER (SHORT)
Forever And A Day (Morgan Middlebrook, USA)
Ghost Finder: The Gateway of the Monster (Louise Wilding, UK)
Maybe in the Next Life (Hope Silver, USA)
Lebanese Cookies (Lily Patel, USA)
FIDO (John Norris Ray, USA)
WINNERS 2025 SPRING EDITION
BEST FEATURE ENTRY
Mr. Shakespeare's Plays
Christena Ann Alcorn
USA
BEST TV PILOT ENTRY
The Oracle
Stephen August Barkanic
USA
BEST SHORT ENTRY
Block
Marta Lopez Gonzalez de Orduna
UK
BEST SUPER SHORT SCREENPLAY (UNDER 10 PAGES)
Your Flower Is Closing
Matty Mahoney
UK
BEST FIRST TIME SCREENWRITER (FEATURE)
The Re-Education of Jane Brown
MK McGehee
USA
BEST FIRTS TIME SCREENWRITER (SHORT)
Grief in Motion
Ellie Alexandra Hughes
UK
BEST UK FEATURE SCREENPLAY
The Heart is a Prison
Ricky Hawthorne
UK
BEST UK SHORT SCREENPLAY
Friendship Was a Safe Bet
Nara Toktoshova
UK
BEST DRAMA SCREENPLAY
The Ferryman
Stuart Price
UK
BEST COMEDY SCREENPLAY
ALOHA FROM BEL-AIR
Tim Tuchrello
USA
BEST HASTFW SCREENPLAY
(Horror, Action, Sci-fi, Thriller, Fantasy, Western)
Blood Legacy
Robert Godwin
USA
BEST QUEER SCREENPLAY
SWIPED
JAMES BERG
USA
BEST WAR SCREENPLAY
Escape
Marc H Stevens
Canada
BEST STAGE PLAY
Legacy
Chris Williamson
UK
BEST FOREIGN SCREENPLAY
Of Water and Dust
José Fresán
Mexico
BEST FIRST 10 PAGES
Tennyson's Maud
Dave Malone
BEST RISING STAR FEATURE
How to Murder a Boyband
Jason Roche
BEST RISING STAR SHORT
Stationary
Kathryn Robinson
UK
WINNERS WINTER 2025 EDITION
GRAND PRIX: FEATURE SCREENPLAY
TUSK
Written by Jay Wheddon, UK
BEST TELEVISION SCRIPT - PILOT
The Bentley Boys
Written by Barry Lewis, UK
BEST SHORT SCRIPT
DYKE BOY
Written by Joshua Jones, UK
BEST SUPER SHORT SCRIPT
Diverse Hire
Written by Dominic Alexander Christopher, UK
BEST FIRST-TIME SCREENWRITER (FEATURE)
THE MOB AND I
Written by Mark Wakely, USA
BEST FIRST-TIME SCREENWRITER (SHORT)
Ghost Finder: The Gateway of the Monster
Written by Louise Wilding, UK
BEST SYNOPSIS
GAME-Faint Signals
Written by Alice N. York, USA
BEST BRITISH SCREENPLAY
The Rigger
Written by Terence Hague, UK
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY BY BRITISH SCREENWRITER
Temporal Echoes
Written by Dr Margaret Wheldon, UK
BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY
A Legend of Persephone
Written by C.J. Palmisano, USA
BEST EUROPEAN SCREENPLAY
The price of love
Written by William Dorian KANE Louis, France
BEST DRAMA SCREENPLAY
Don Patricio - A flawed legend
Written by Andrew Hindle, UK
BEST COMEDY SCREENPLAY
The Spell of the West
Written by Ali Kiani, USA
BEST HORROR SCREENPLAY
Scream If You Need Me!
Written by Ian Anthony Senior, UK
BEST MALE SCREENWRITER
The Teenage Bodyguard
Written by J Z Murdock, USA
BEST FEMALE SCREENWRITER
THE SILVER CUP
Written by D. A. STENARD, DAN FITZPATRICK, USA
BEST SCI-FI SCREENPLAY
Pain
Written by Alfonso A Matos, USA
BEST THRILLER SCREENPLAY
The Bookseller's Daughter
Written by Carl Robinson, USA
BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREENPLAY
THE REDEMPTION OF MRS. SATAN
Written by JULIE DANIELS, USA
BEST HISTORICAL SCREENPLAY
Bridget in Manhattan
Written by Niamh Gormley, Ireland
BEST WAR SCREENPLAY
The Girl with the Dark Red Hair
Written by Carole L Wagener, USA
BEST CRIMI SCREENPLAY
JOHN H. WATSON CRIME DOCTOR
Written by Timothy Erving Liebe, USA
BEST FANTASY SCREENPLAY
Trust Me
Written by AEG Guaaker, Norway
FILM SCREENPLAY FOR KIDS/FAMILY SCREENPLAY/FAIRY TALE
Cate and the Garden Bandits: The Musical
Written by Zachary R. Simpson, USA
CONTACTS
GENESIS CINEMA LONDON
93-95 Mile End Road
London, England E1 4UJ
United Kingdom
info@bestscriptawards.com
https://filmfreeway.com/bestscriptaward
https://bestscriptawards.com/
https://filmfreeway.com/bestscriptaward
https://bestscriptawards.com/
A
TO Z - TOP 20 FILM FESTIVALS
BERLINALE
Germany
- Berlin,
BIFF, Potsdamer
Platz, Golden and Silver Bears, international winter
film festival
BFI
- British Film Institute's London Film Festival,
London, is a celebration of international cinema 9-20 October 2024
BUSAN International
BIFF Film Festival,
South
Korea, Asian film festival, Haeundae District port city, New Currents
award.
CAIRO
Cairo
CIFF
International Film Festival, Opera House, Egypt,
Nile
river - Golden, Silver, Bronze Pyramid
Awards
CANNES Paris,
France,
5, Rue Charlot 75003 - Film
Competitions & Awards Palme d'Or (Golden Palm)
- Cinéfondation
CARTAGENA Cartagena Film
Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias -
FICCI, Colombia
KOŠICE
- KIFF Košice
International Short Film Festival & Screenwriting
competition
LONDON
- Best Script Award - Screenwriting competition, Genesis Cinema, 93-95
Mile End Road
LONDON
- Film Fest London - The Golden Script
competition, 85 Great Portland Street
TOKYO
- Japan -
TIFF
International Film Festival 2025,
15F Togeki Building, 4-1-1, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045
TORONTO
Canada -
Toronto International Film
Festival, TIFF, People's Choice Awards - Bell Lightbox, Toronto
EDINBURGH
Scotland
Established in 1947 as the International Festival of Documentary Films, the Edinburgh International Film Festival is renowned around the world for discovering and promoting the very best in international cinema - and for heralding and debating changes in global filmmaking. EIFF seeks to spotlight the most exciting and innovative new film talent, in a setting steeped in history.
Intimate in its scale, ambitious in its scope, and fuelled by pure passion for cinema in all its manifestations, focusing on artistic quality and excellence, the festival explores new ideas in cinema, inviting local and international audiences to engage with a dynamic programme of features, documentaries, shorts and experimental cinema.
FESPACO
The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou unfolds every other March. It was created, as former festival director Michel Ouédraogo noted, ‘in a context in which the African states had recently acquired their independence and they wanted to express their sovereignty and their identity’. And it is an essential barometer of the currents flowing through the continent’s thriving cinematic landscape. The most prestigious prize is the Étalon de Yennenga (Stallion of
Yennenga), named for the legendary founder of the Mossi Empire.
The biannual Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in
Burkina Faso was established in 1969 and accepts competition-only films by African filmmakers and chiefly produced in
Africa.
HONG KONG
HKIFF Hong
Kong, China
As one of Asia's oldest and most prestigious film festivals, the
Hong Kong International Film Festival is a showcase for Chinese-language cinema and a platform for Asian filmmakers to gain international recognition. The festival isn't just about screenings; it's about fostering a deeper understanding of Asian culture and cinema.
INDIA
Goa,
India | 2023
This 70-year-old festival operates under the beautiful philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” — the world is one family. Because of gaps between some editions, the latest was its 53rd. It began with a joyous celebration of
Bollywood, then continued with a salute to cinema worldwide.
Its big winners were the Spanish-language film Tengo sueños eléctricos (I Have Electric Dreams), which won the Golden Peacock, and best director went to
Iranian writer-director Nader Saeivar for No End. Goa also includes a film bazaar in which more than 200 scripts, projects and films from compete for the attention of producers, buyers and programmers from around the world.
LOCARNAO
Locarno,
Switzerland / August 2-12
Unfolding in this beautiful Swiss town at the foot of the Alps and on the northern shore of Lake
Maggiore, this festival has been in existence since 1946. Unfolding every August, it has recently built its reputation for its blend of mainstream fare and edgier titles (alongside Rotterdam Film Festival’s equally esoteric Golden Tiger competition), the latter of which are reflected in the winners of the festival’s top prize, the Golden Leopard.
Among the oldest and most beloved film festivals in the world, Locarno has spent more than three-quarters of a century celebrating the bravest, most experimental and most exceptional of new cinema.
With massive prizes packages in the hundreds of thousands, and attention from major distributors like Netflix and Pathé Films, Locarno is a major destination for filmmakers and film lovers who are drawn not only to its emphasis on great films, but its majestic location near Lake Maggiore and the Alps.
Its screen on the Piazza Grande is Europe’s largest, and it is known for programming an exceptional number of world premieres.
LONDON
BFI,
London,
British Film Institute's London Film Festival
celebrates cinema in one of the world's most vibrant cities.
MELBOURNE
MIFF
Melbourne,
Australia | August 3-20
Now entering its 71st year, one of the oldest continuous film festivals in the world is also one of the most generous: Its main prize, the Bright Horizons Award, is worth nearly $100,000.
Last year it went to Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman’s acclaimed U.S.-Rwandan production Neptune Frost, which the jury praised for “disrupting the colonial gaze and connecting the rising influence of technology in all our lives.”
Other prestigious awards include the BlackMagic Design Australian Innovation Award for an outstanding Australian creative with a film in the MIFF program. This year’s
(2024) went to Jub Clerk for directing Sweet As, which, in the words of the jurors, “crossed worlds and intersected certain realities” — just like a great film festival.
The Melbourne International Film Festival is the Southern Hemisphere's largest film festival, known for its eclectic mix of local and international films. MIFF isn't just a film festival; it's a community event that brings together cinephiles, filmmakers, and storytellers from across Australia and around the world.
Film festivals are more than just events; they're cultural touchstones that reflect the state of cinema at any given moment. They're about discovery, connection, and the shared experience of film. Whether you're drawn to the glamour of Cannes, the indie spirit of Sundance, or the diverse voices of TIFF, these festivals prove that cinema isn't just alive and
well - it's thriving.
SANTA
FE
The Santa Fe Film Festival focuses on bringing together distinguished industry specialists and all movie lovers through accessible screenings, panels, workshops and parties! The Festival will continue to grow as the leading exhibition and portal for all things cinematic in New Mexico.
The initial idea for a Santa Fe Film Festival was first introduced in May, 1980 when Bill and Stella Pence, founders of Taos Talking Picture and Telluride Film festivals, started an event with a New Directors/New Film program, co-sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The Pences led a festival for four years, with such notable guests as Francis Ford Coppola, Charlton Heston, Sam Peckinpah, and Lillian Gish. Last year, the festival honored renowned Ed Asner.
The current form of the Santa Fe Film Festival was inaugurated in 1999 as a nonprofit and began showing films in the year 2000. It was created by Kurt Young, Larry Stouffer, John Armijo, David Koh and film critic Jon Bowman who also acted as the Executive Director and guiding light of the festival for ten years.
SUNDANCE
The largest independent film festival in the United States, the Sundance Film Festival was founded in 1985, when the Sundance Institute assumed creative and administrative control of the US Film Festival. Held annually in Park City,
Salt Lake
City, Utah, it attracts more than 45,000 people with the goal of being the ultimate gathering of original storytellers and audiences seeking new voices and fresh perspectives.
Hundreds of films launched at the festival have gone on to gain critical acclaim including: Reservoir Dogs (1992); Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994); The Usual Suspects (1995); Memento (2000); Napoleon Dynamite (2003); Saw (2004); In Bruges (2008); and Four Lions (2010).
Sundance is where indie films shine. Founded by Robert Redford, the festival takes place in Park City,
Utah, and is the largest independent film festival in the
U.S. Sundance isn't just about discovering new talent; it's about celebrating the spirit of independence and the art of storytelling without the constraints of mainstream
Hollywood.
Giving Berlin a run for its money weather-wise, the United States’ indie darling was for much of the 1990s and 2000s the most essential film festival in the country. It takes place in Park City,
Utah, every January. A mountain resort, Park City is set in beautiful surroundings, but the glamour here is hidden underneath layers of woolly jumpers and windbreakers. It was created under the auspices of Hollywood film star Robert Redford. In the 1980s it expanded, changed its name to Sundance (a reference to one of Redford’s most iconic roles) and gradually built its reputation as the home of the nascent US indie film.
Jarmusch, Soderbergh, Tarantino etc. The list is endless. More recent years have seen its position challenged. The top award is the Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize.
SXSW
- SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST
South by Southwest, or SXSW, is where film meets technology, music, and interactive media. Held in Austin,
Texas, the festival is a melting pot of creativity, showcasing not just films but also the latest in tech and digital media. SXSW isn't just a festival; it's a glimpse into the future of entertainment.
What began as a major music festival in the Texan capital of Austin in 1987, by 1994 also included a film component. It began small, but its ambitions soon grew. By the mid-2000s, South by Southwest Film Festival was attracting as strong a line-up of US indie talent as Sundance. It’s now a major player in the US film festival scene and a draw for both filmmakers and the industry in general. Moreover, who wouldn’t want to attend a Spring film festival where you can also catch up with some of the best live music acts? Multiple awards are presented at SXSW each year for shorts, documentaries, film design and more.
TELLURIDE
Telluride Film Festival
Arguably the most eccentric of the leading festivals, Telluride takes place during the Labour Day weekend (the first Monday in September) high in the mountains of Colorado. The programme is only publicised close to the festival opening so that audiences come to it without expectations of what’s playing. It’s also not an awards festival but features mostly US premieres. And of course, it sports a stunning location. Each year, the festival pays tribute to leading lights in cinema.
TOKYO
Tokyo,
Japan | 2023
The latest edition of this top-tier festival screened 169 films, an increase from 126 in 2021, and drew nearly 60,000 in admissions, nearly doubling the previous year. More than 50,000 people attended festival-related events.
Highlights included the presentation of the lifetime achievement award to 95-year-old director Nogami
Teruyo, in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to Japanese film, which began when she worked as a script supervisor for Akira Kurosawa on Rashoman in 1950.
The festival is generous in hosting filmmakers in competition, who can win up to $35,000 in total prizes. It also offers one of the most towering and gorgeous trophies in the film world, created using Tokyo’s Edo Kiriko glass-cutting method.
TRIBECA
Born out of the aftermath of 9/11 to revitalize Lower Manhattan, the Tribeca Film Festival has quickly become one of the most significant cultural events in
New York City. Tribeca isn't just about films; it's about community, resilience, and the transformative power of storytelling.
Founded by
Robert De
Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002, in direct response to the attacks of 11 September 2001, this Spring festival was aimed at rebuilding morale amongst downtown New Yorkers, as well as a show of cultural resilience. It has increasingly become a draw for international filmmakers and since 2016 has its own awards categories, headed by the Best US Narrative feature film.
VENICE
Coming in a very close second is the oldest film festival in the world.
Venice Film Festival was created in 1932 under the auspices of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini. But like Cannes, it found its footing in the 1950s. And like its Riviera sibling, it unfolds in one of the most beautiful locations. Keeping slightly away from the tourist trap of St Mark’s piazza, the festival takes place on the Lido. And once again, it attracts all the glamour that any festival can muster. It also follows the Cannes model of a main competition with more esoteric sidebar programmes that allow a wide and diverse range of films to screen. The top prize is the Golden Lion (most prizes at film festivals are either animals or vegetation).
FILM
FESTIVAL 2024 POSTER
Film festivals are more than just annual events where movies are screened; they're celebrations of storytelling, culture, and the art of cinema itself. From the glamorous red carpets of Cannes to the indie vibes of Sundance, these festivals bring together the best of the film world, offering a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work and for audiences to experience the diversity of global cinema. They're not just about the films; they're about the conversations, the connections, and the community that forms around them. Each festival has its own unique flavor, reflecting the character of its host city and the cinematic tastes of its audience. Whether you're an industry professional looking to network, a filmmaker hoping to debut your work, or a
cinema buff eager to catch the latest and greatest in film, there's a festival out there for you.
We hope you enjoy a journey around the world to explore
twenty (or more) of the best film festivals and what makes each one stand out.
Nothing reaches your soul like a good movie, transporting
you to another world, implanting ideas, reinforcing values -
allowing temporary escape from the everyday.
Gone
with the Wind - 1939 movie classic
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