Overview
Shore Scripts Script to Screen is a 9-week online directing initiative for writers who want to master the craft of directing. Run by Shore Scripts, a UK-based screenwriting competition organization that has operated since 2012, the program selects 8 winners per cycle from submissions of the first 5 to 20 pages of a screenplay. Winners participate in a structured curriculum of 14 online practical lessons with 8 Oscar, Emmy, and other award-winning mentors.
The program is not a grant or a cash prize. It is a career development initiative designed to bridge the gap between writing and directing. Writers who have an interest in directing but may not have directed before are eligible. The program covers the full journey of storytelling: framing shots, guiding performances, pacing scenes, crafting emotional rhythm, and collaborating with department heads.
What Winners Receive
8 winners per cycle get:
- Participation in the 9-week Script to Screen Directing Program
- 14 online practical hands-on lessons covering distinct subject matters each week
- Sessions with 8 award-winning mentors (Oscar, Emmy, and other award-winning filmmakers)
- Weekly sessions with industry leaders plus prep calls and support from Shore Scripts staff
- Training on how to collaborate with department heads
- Networking opportunities and community building
- Guidance on producing work on all budget levels
Semi-Finalists
Semi-finalists are invited to an online mixer as part of the Script to Screen Program, which includes Shore Scripts staff, program winners, and special industry guests. The mixer provides networking and Q&A opportunities.
Every Entry
Every submission receives:
- Short feedback on an aspect of the script that is working and an area that could use further development
- A free 18-page booklet on how to get your screenplay produced
Entry Fees and Deadlines
The 2026 cycle deadlines and fees:
- Early Deadline: December 15 to January 19 - $39
- Regular Deadline: January 20 to February 23 - $49
- Final Deadline: February 24 to March 30 - $59
Multiple Submission Discounts
Discounts are available for multiple submissions across all Shore Scripts contests running in the same calendar year:
- 2 submissions: 10% discount
- 3 submissions: 15% discount
- 4 submissions: 20% discount
- 5 submissions: 25% discount
- 6 submissions: 30% discount
- 7 submissions: 35% discount
- 8 submissions: 40% discount
Discount codes must be requested by email before making submissions. Resubmissions of newer drafts of already submitted scripts receive a 70% discount (contact scripttoscreen@shorescripts.com for a discount code).
Eligibility
- Open to writers from all countries
- Submit the first 5 to 20 pages of a screenplay that best shows writing talent
- Accepted formats: narrative Features, TV Pilots, and Shorts (including animation, web series, and proof-of-concepts)
- Writers may not have earned more than $50,000 in screenwriting fees in the preceding 12 months (contest and fellowship awards and non-fiction writing fees do not count toward this total)
- No requirement to have directed before; applicants only need an interest in directing
- All scripts must be written in English
- Writing teams may enter; one team member submits with consent of the others
- You may enter as many scripts as you wish; each submission requires a separate fee
Submission Process
Applicants submit the first 5 to 20 pages of their screenplay through the Shore Scripts website. Writers who are shortlisted as semi-finalists can then upload full-length scripts and/or additional materials for review at no extra cost.
2026 Timeline
- Quarter-Finalists announced: April 29
- Semi-Finalists announced: May 14
- Winners announced: June 5
The Shore Scripts team selects all winners and finalists. Winners of the 2026 cycle have already been announced and include projects across features, pilots, and shorts spanning genres from horror to comedy to drama.
How It Differs From a Grant
Script to Screen is not a funding program. It does not provide cash grants, production financing, or equipment access. What it provides is structured education in directing craft, mentorship from working filmmakers, and industry networking. For writers who have a polished script but lack the directing experience or industry connections to move behind the camera, the program offers a pathway that a cash grant alone would not.
The program addresses a specific gap in the short film landscape: competitions and labs reward great scripts, and production grants reward projects already in production. The writer with a polished script and no directing track record falls into a gap where neither type of support is easily accessible. Script to Screen occupies that space by developing the writer's directing capability rather than funding production directly.
Shore Scripts Context
Shore Scripts operates multiple screenwriting competitions beyond Script to Screen, including feature film, short film, and TV pilot competitions. The organization has been running since 2012 and accepts submissions globally. Script to Screen is one of several initiatives designed to support emerging writers in transitioning to directing.
Who Should Apply
Writers who want to direct and who have a screenplay (feature, pilot, or short) that demonstrates their writing talent. No prior directing experience is required. The program is best suited for emerging writers who have not earned more than $50,000 in screenwriting fees in the past 12 months and who are ready to commit to a 9-week intensive program to develop their directing skills. International applicants are welcome. The program is particularly valuable for writers who have a strong script but lack the directing experience, crew relationships, or industry connections to move behind the camera.
Past Recipients and What They Made with the Money
Script to Screen does not provide cash grants, so there are no "recipients" in the traditional sense. However, the program's mentor network and Shore Scripts' broader competition ecosystem have produced measurable career outcomes.
The most notable Shore Scripts success story is The Assessment (2025), directed by Fleur Fortune and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vikander, and Himesh Patel. The winning script was picked up by Shore Scripts Feature Contest judge Stephen Woolley (Number 9 Films) and developed with Film4. The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures on March 21, 2025, later streaming on Hulu. It demonstrates the pathway from Shore Scripts competition winner to produced feature with major distribution.
Script to Screen mentors include Basil Khalil, whose Oscar-nominated short Ave Maria (2015) premiered at Cannes and whose debut feature A Gaza Weekend (2022) won the FIPRESCI Prize at TIFF. Khalil leads sessions on transitioning from screenwriter to director, covering shot planning, directing actors, and earning crew trust on set.
The Spring 2026 Short Film Fund Grand Prize winner was To Beita, With Love by Abdullah Kokash, which received a $15,000 production grant. The Spring 2026 Finishing Funds winner was Fifty Kilometers from the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, Two Drunken Pigeons Are Dancing by Adam Zheng Yuan, an MFA graduate from Columbia University whose work blends fiction and non-fiction.
What Makes an Application Competitive
Script to Screen selects winners based on the strength of the first 5 to 20 pages of a screenplay. The judges evaluate writing talent, not directing experience. The program is designed for writers who have not yet directed, so the selection criteria center on:
- Voice and craft on the page: The submitted pages must demonstrate a distinct writer's voice. Judges look for pages that best show writing talent, not a complete treatment or full script at the submission stage.
- Interest in directing: Applicants must articulate a genuine desire to move behind the camera. The program is not for writers who only want to write. It is for writers who want to direct but lack the training, connections, or confidence to make that transition.
- Eligibility compliance: Writers who have earned more than $50,000 in screenwriting fees in the preceding 12 months are ineligible. This threshold keeps the program focused on emerging writers rather than established professionals.
- Genre openness: The program accepts features, TV pilots, and shorts across all genres including animation, web series, and proof-of-concepts. Judges have selected projects spanning horror, comedy, and drama in recent cycles.
Watch
See Also
For short film distribution and festival strategy after production, see Film Festival Strategy: Getting Your Film Seen. For building a short film production schedule and budget, use the Production Schedule Calculator. For an overview of independent film financing strategies, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack.
