In the search for the new Romanian scripts

Submissions have started for “WRITE A SCREENPLAY FOR…”, the 6th edition of the script and film pitch contest”

The American Independent Film Festival (AIFF) launches the 6th edition of the WRITE A SCREENPLAY FOR (WSF) contest, organised by Cinemascop Association n with the support of PRO TV.

This year’s edition has the theme “Write a ScreenPlay for… Crime Drama”. The contest is looking for scripts for TV mini-series (with stories structured over 6 or 8 episodes) and for feature films.

Participants in the competition do not need to have finalised scripts at the time of registration. Both professional screenwriters and debutant writers are eligible to participate.

The finalists will then have the opportunity to develop their scripts in interactive training workshops, guided by the consultants of this edition, including Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten (film and television screenwriter), Gabriela Iacob (Head of Scripted Development, PRO TV), and Cristian Mungiu (director).

The winning projects will then be developed with the support of the contest organizers. PRO TV will select the winning TV mini-series project, while Cinemascop Association will select the winning feature film project. 

“The goal is to find the next original, local show, written by Romanian screenwriters, that tells a story to which the audience can directly relate. The theme of the edition was chosen based on the data we have about audience preferences, both in Romania and internationally. ‘Crime Drama’ is a versatile genre. It ranges from police procedurals to gangster or true crime, the latter being a current favourite, both among podcast listeners and TV series enthusiasts.

Regarding TV, in addition to the cash prizes, the winners sign a development contract with Pro TV for the series. The cash prizes should provide financial stability for several months of dedicated writing work, states Gabriela Iacob, Head of Scripted Development, PRO TV.”

The application for registration should be sent to the address info@cinemascop.eu by April 1, 2024, 23:00 (Romania time). It must include a logline of the story (up to 3 sentences), a story description, an artistic statement, a detailed synopsis for the mini-series, an outline for the feature film and/or a pitch deck of up to 3 pages, a conflict scene with dialogue from the script (up to 2 pages), and a professional CV. 

“This competition is the most direct way to get the attention of a producer. With a simple format where it doesn’t cost to apply. In return, you have the chance to be among those who then receive guidance to develop their projects, finalize the script, and team up with a producer. Regarding feature films, Cinemascop Association will present the winning project to production companies to identify the most suitable producer. Typically, there is only one winner for each section of the competition, but multiple projects have been retained in each edition. No script with potential is overlooked,” adds director Cristian Mungiu.

The regulations for the 6th edition – Write a ScreenPlay for Crime Drama and complete information about the registration procedure are available at:  FILMEDEFESTIVAL

Over 1000 projects have been analyzed in the previous 5 editions of Write a Screenplay For… Among the winners of the competition was the screenplay that was later chosen and developed into the HBO Europe mini-series – Spy/Master. The film was presented in 2023 at the Berlinale Series, a first for a Romanian project in this section.