The Launch Pad Feature competition prioritizes exclusive partnerships and opportunities including a Grand Prize Partnership with Gran Via Productions (The Holdovers, The Notebook, Galaxy Quest), Development opportunities and a Mentorship program. We aim to provide our writers with as many avenues towards success as possible.

Designed to set you up for success, we’ll guarantee a meeting with a jury member for every Top Ten finalist plus a virtual pitching workshop. Including vetted industry professionals from Artists First, Brillstein Entertainment, MarVista and more.

We’re looking for the next great voices in feature film writing. Our tradition of writer success, includes projects sold to Netflix, Paramount, and more.

with Gran Via Productions

The Grand Prize winner will meet with the Head of Film Development from Gran Via to talk about their project.

Gran Via is the film and television production company founded by producer Mark Johnson. Gran Via’s credits include the Oscar-nominated The Holdovers, The Little Things (starring Denzel Washington and Jared Leto), Downsizing, The Notebook, and Galaxy Quest among others. In television, Gran Via executive produced the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning drama Breaking Bad for AMC, Better Call Saul, Halt and Catch Fire, Mayfair Witches and more.

With partner American High

American High will pick one project and take at least one meeting with the writer for development purposes.

Specializing in high-concept, R-rated, high-school comedies, American High is a production company with an overall deal at Hulu behind such features as The Binge, Plan B, I Love My Dad, and the Sundance Award-winning Big Time Adolescence. The company is helmed by writer/director Jeremy Garelick of major box office features like The Hangover, The Break Up, and The Wedding Ringer.

Requires Add-On or Top 10 placement

This year’s Signing partner is manager Anders Lykke of Locus Entertainment, who will select a minimum of one (1) writer from the competition to sign as a client.

Anders is the founder and CEO of Locus Entertainment, aimed at nurturing and promoting emerging screenwriters with a global perspective. He founded the Casino Theatre in 2019. This innovative platform is dedicated to showcasing the finest unproduced screenplays, brought to life by skilled actors before a select audience of industry professionals.

The winners will be chosen based on the following criteria: (i) The originality and commerciality of the premise; (ii) The effectiveness of the plot and structure in serving that premise; (iii) The professional quality and creative use of the writing, formatting and presentation; (iv) The use of dialogue to advance the character, story and entertainment value of the project; (v) The originality, believability and emotional investment in the characters and their impact on the overarching story and themes.

Initial reads will be completed by professional industry readers, after which the top scored scripts will be named to a Second Round and then narrowed down to a list of 100 finalists. Our internal team of readers will read all remaining submissions to allow for extensive internal discussions over the relative merits and weaknesses of each project. At this point, writers may be asked to submit supplemental information (a brief bio, a bible for their tv pilot, etc.) to assist in the decision making process. 

Further rounds of internal reading and discussion, as well as consultations with our signing and development prize partners, narrows the finalists down to 10, at which point our panel of industry judges read the scripts and determine our winners. 

Any entrant may be deemed ineligible at the sole discretion of Launch Pad. We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time.

1. All scripts MUST BE submitted as a PDF.
2. All feature scripts must be under 120 pages (any script with more than 120 pages will be charged an additional $1 per page) 
3. Do not submit any form of pitch document with your feature script.
4. Do not include any identifying information (name, address, etc) on any page of your submission EXCEPT for the Title Page, which will be removed before sharing with readers to preserve anonymity. As such, the Title Page can include any information you would like. 
5. Scripts with multiple writers are allowed (however, all entry fees must be paid under one account and all prizes to be shared among writing partners).
6. If a writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing any prizes awarded as they deem fair.
7. All submissions must be the sole property of the writer(s). Any submissions of existing characters and or stories not in the public domain, as well as any intellectual property that the writer does not own will be disqualified.
8. Features with a prior option are allowed, but at the time of submission and for the duration of the contest, must remain exclusively the writer’s property.
9. The only scripts not allowed to be entered are those which have already sold, been produced, have previously earned our “TB Recommends” or “Launch Pad Recommends” honors, or received a top 50 placement in a previous Launch Pad competition, regardless of format.
10. The Launch Pad uses Coverfly to manage our submissions and reads. Updated drafts will be accepted for a limited time through the Coverfly website only for a $6 fee.
11. The Launch Pad and all judges/readers will utilize whatever criteria they deem appropriate in deciding a winner.
12. All scripts will remain the property of the writer(s) throughout the contest (at no point will anyone from the judges panel, or Launch Pad ever attach themselves to your work without your consent).
13. Entrants may be contacted as a result of the contest by Launch Pad, its partners, the judging panel or other industry professionals in regards to representation, production, sale and/or option of the entered work.
14. Entrants are under no obligation to sell their work or otherwise attach themselves to representation in any form – this includes the guaranteed development and guaranteed signing add ons
15. General script entries will not receive feedback, however, you can opt to upgrade and receive feedback on your script submission.
16. The contest is open to entrants who will be 18 or older at the time of the winners announcement. It is an international contest and open to entrants worldwide.
17. The Launch Pad reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to change or modify these terms at any time without notice.
18. By entering this competition, you agree to receive periodic emails from The Launch Pad and The Tracking Board. You may unsubscribe to these at any time.
19. All entrants understand and agree to allow Launch Pad to post details on their script (title, writer’s name, logline, genre, and competition details) as well as regarding the writer (biography, picture) to their site, or sister site to help promote the entrants’ work.
20. By entering the competition, entrants are acknowledging their eligibility for the competition. The vast majority of entrants enter in good faith, and validating everyone at the entry stage would be inefficient and take away from efforts reading and finding the best scripts. Therefore, we check eligibility at the Top 100 Finalist stage, which allows us to confirm eligibility prior to winner selection. If an issue comes to our attention earlier, we will address eligibility issues in earlier rounds on a case-by-case basis.
21. All purchases and submissions are final. No refunds will be issued.
22. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
23. Employees of the Launch Pad and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified.
24. Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to LaunchPad and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
25. You agree to release and hold harmless LaunchPad, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising, or promoting the competition, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s entry, participation in the competition and/or acceptance or use or misuse of prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the LaunchPad and its sponsors, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the competition and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize.