SAVE THE CAT!® SCREENPLAY CHALLENGE – 2026
Submit Your Feature or TV Pilot and Get the Full 50-Point Structural Analysis — At No Extra Cost
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Why Enter the Save the Cat! Screenplay Challenge?
Guaranteed 50-Point Analysis
Every writer receives the full 50 Points of Analysis report for their script at NO ADDITIONAL COST.
Full Read by Master Cats
All entries are read in full and reviewed by our experienced Save the Cat! Master Cat Readers.
Zero AI Used
We ensure an authentic human evaluation. Your critical feedback is generated by professionals, not algorithms.
Structure-Focused Feedback
Notes are grounded solely in the Save the Cat! Story Structure Methodology—not subjective opinion.
Awards and Prizes
Top 5 Finalists
Feature and TV script finalists
- Meetings with judges
- Save the Cat! Software – 12 Month Subscription
Grand Prize Winner(s)
Feature and TV script winners
All top 5 prizes, plus:
- Flight to LA ($600 value)
- 3-Night Hotel Stay ($1200 value)
- Live table read at the Lee Strasberg Institute
- Producers Badge to Austin Film Festival
Prices and Deadlines
| Earlybird November 17, 2025 | Regular January 26, 2026 | Late March 9, 2026 | Extended April 13, 2026 | |
| TV | $89.00 | $99.00 | $109.00 | $119.00 |
| Feature | $99.00 | $109.00 | $129.00 | $139.00 |
Announcement
1
May 29th
Top 25
2
Jun 30th
Top 5
Aug 7th
Grand Prize Winners
What Sets This Challenge Apart
Built on the 15 Beats
We evaluate how your screenplay moves from Opening Image to Final Image, ensuring your story is structurally sound, deliberate, and effective.
Focused on the Spine
We assess whether your protagonist, goal, stakes, and conflict form a clear and compelling through-line.
Driven by the 50 Points of Analysis
Our evaluation goes beyond surface notes. The 50 Points provide targeted structural insight that helps you identify weaknesses and strengthen your draft with clarity.
The Save the Cat! Screenplay Challenge exists to do more than select winners.
It exists to help writers build stronger screenplays, sharpen their storytelling, and create real creative momentum in a competitive marketplace.
Judges
Shaila Hanahan Taylor
Sheila Hanahan Taylor founded Practical Pictures in 2004 with Craig Perry. Past projects include Universal’s American Pie franchise, New Line Cinema’s Final Destination franchise, Warner Bros’ Cats & Dogs franchise, Universal’s Breaking In, Village Roadshow’s Oddball, Sony Pictures’ Little Black Book and The Big Hit, and Helkon Media’s RepliKate. Worldwide, Sheila’s films have grossed over $2 billion—and she’s already working on the next Final Destination after 2025’s major success.
Matt R. Allen
Matt R. Allen is an accomplished screenwriter, producer, and emerging prompt engineer. For over two decades Matt has earned widespread recognition for co-writing such hit films as Four Christmases and Soul Surfer. He penned Mighty Oak (2019) and co-produced and co-wrote Block Party (2022) with writing partner Krista Suh. He also produced 2021’s Run & Gun and executive produced two feature films released by BET+ in 2025: Holy Hustle and Son of the Preacher. Diving into the future of storytelling, Matt is pioneering as a prompt engineer, where he utilizes artificial intelligence to elevate the creative writing process.
Michael Olmo
Michael Olmo is a working writer specializing in children’s content. Michael’s experience includes working as a staff writer for the popular children’s show Cocomelon, and developing projects for Disney Jr., Marvel, Netflix, WGBH KIDS and PBS KIDS. Michael believes that If you have something meaningful to say, people will listen—making him uniquely qualified to provide meaningful guidance for breaking into the industry.
Juliet Berman
Juliet Berman is a film and television producer who was recognized as one of Variety’s “10 Producers To Watch” in 2025. Since forming Spiral Stairs Entertainment in 2023, Juliet has produced 3 features: Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, Griffin in Summer, and The Long Haul. Previously, Juliet was the Head of Production for Treehouse Pictures where she oversaw such films as Mediterranea, Sand Castle, and Set It Up.
Zachary Levine
Zachary Levine is a Creative Executive at Gilbert Films, a Los Angeles-based production and finance company known for La La Land, The Kids Are All Right, and Garden State. He oversees the development slate, tracks and ideates projects for financing and development, and scouts talent.
Jamie Nash
Jamie Nash is the author of Save the Cat! Writes Horror, Save the Cat! Writes For TV, and the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet Workbook. Jamie is a working screenwriter whose credits include horror films like Exists, V/H/S/2, The Night Watchmen, Altered, and Lovely Molly, and family films like Santa Hunters and Tiny Christmas. He teaches screenwriting at MICA and Johns Hopkins and co-hosts the podcast Writers/Blockbusters.
Bobby Hoppey
Bobby Hoppey is VP (Production and Development) at Complementary Colors, where he works alongside founder Jonah Disend. A seasoned story analyst, Bobby was a founding member and ran development for Valparaiso Pictures, where his projects included Straight Up and Pig. Prior to Valparaiso, Bobby spent 5 years at Echo Lake Entertainment, managing projects across the film and television divisions. Griffin in Summer is Bobby’s latest film.
Chris Bythewood
Chris Bythewood, a film and television writer/ producer based in LA, worked as an executive at Fox Network Group and co-created the Fox Writers Initiative (FWI). He also ran TV development at Confluential Films, where he developed with the team the HBO documentary 40 Years a Prisoner, and was in the writer’s room for The Chicago Code and Shots Fired series. In his latest endeavor, Chris produced the independent film Trüebadour.
Will Phelps
As head of production for American High—a studio with recent releases including Big Time Adolescence, The Binge, The Ultimate Playlist of Noise, and Plan B—Will Phelps oversees all development, packaging, and production.
Marc Manus
Over the last 15 years, Marc Manus has held positions at various management companies including, more recently, Zero Gravity (Netflix’s Ozark). Now, as a partner at World Builder Entertainment, Marc continues to guide a select roster of creators from around the globe who have film and television projects at the major networks, streamers, and studios. His credits as a producer include Josie and Don’t Move, alongside Sam Raimi and Hammerstone Studios.
Patrick Pfupajena
Patrick Pfupajena is a seasoned film and TV producer and executive. Patrick is currently a partner in his Ringmaster Entertainment shingle and the Head of Production and Development at Seine Pictures, where he oversees projects at every stage across all formats. Previously, he was an executive assistant to Brian Grazer at Imagine Entertainment. Patrick’s credits include La Cocina, Mistura, The Space Between, The Intrigo Trilogy, and Pele: Birth of a Legend.
They’re calling it the Save the Cat!® Beat Sheet Workbook, but I see it more as a PLAYbook—both in the sense that it provides a schematic for generating compelling, intimate stories, while also making a sometimes brutal, unwieldy process PLAYFUL and FUN. A book that can do all that has certainly earned its place on any screenwriter’s shelf.
Testimonials
Oh my! I’ve entered other contests and paid for coverage before but I have never received anything close to this analysis! I would wonder if they’d even read the script! But with this analysis, I felt heard and that the reader understood the script on its terms, and gave advice on how to make it better at what it is — not rewrite it as something else. Thank you so much.
The Save the Cat! Screenplay Challenge was so rewarding and extremely helpful for evolving my screenplay. I submitted twice and the feedback was invaluable. I can’t speak highly enough of this screenplay challenge and all the Save the Cat! products. Very happy I submitted. Thank you to everyone from the Save the Cat! team.
Thank you! I have already begun incorporating this phenomenal feedback. I found it to be wonderfully clear, actionable, insightful, and deeply attentive to my material. I really can’t thank Save the Cat! enough.
The notes were great and will be tremendously helpful as I write revisions and future scripts. Very constructive and incisive analysis. I’ve been a Save the Cat! fan for many years and this script is definitely the closest I’ve adhered to STC principles (and not coincidentally, the best, the most fun and the easiest to write. STC cuts so much fat off scripts and saves so much time, and these notes show me my next step is just getting better at some of the beats I’m not as strong on (e.g. Debate).
Thank you for this analysis. It’s given me enough to chew on without feeling like I made a mess of my first ever screenplay. I will revisit the draft and see how I can hone it. Thank you and your team once again for giving their time and thought to help me structure and write better.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve had a few critiques on this screenplay now, and this was by far the most interesting, precise, and helpful.
I would like to thank you for your in-depth analysis of my script. The comments received will be indeed very useful for me to continue improving my story telling.
I understand that I did not advance to the next level. I do want to say that the 50 point analysis was incredibly helpful. It was worth entering the Screenplay Challenge just for those comments alone. Hopefully, I will have a better script for next year.
This is very helpful feedback. Thank you for all you and your organization does to support and encourage indie filmmakers. These types of notes will certainly point us in the right direction to deepening out the script and strengthening the focus and the theme.
Rules and Terms
Who can submit and what types of scripts are accepted?
- All writers from all countries are welcome to submit; however, all screenplays must be submitted in English, and application fees must be paid in U.S. dollars.
- Writers under the age of 18 years old must have parent or legal guardian’s permission to participate.
- Script must be the original work of the submitting writer and may not be encumbered by any third party.
- Scripts that have been sold, produced for a profit, or are currently under option are not eligible.
- Prior contest-winning scripts from other contests are acceptable.
- Only original full-length feature screenplays and original TV pilots are accepted. Anything else, including but not limited to short scripts, novels, short stories, stage plays, musicals, treatments, synopses, reality show concepts, documentaries, and/or spec scripts for existing TV series are not eligible.
- To submit your materials and be considered, you must agree to these Rules and Terms.
- Prior contest-winning scripts from other contests are acceptable.
What are the page count and formatting rules?
- Length requirements for full-length features: 70-130 pages. No exceptions.
- Length requirements for TV pilots: 20-70 pages. No exceptions.
- Script must be in industry standard format. Formatting is taken into consideration in judging.
- Standard title pages should be included: listing the script title, name of author(s), telephone number, and email address. Applicants will not be disqualified if these elements are not included.
- Under no circumstances should the writer include name or contact information within the body of the script.
- Synopses, casting suggestions, letters, resumes, and photos will not be considered.
Are adaptations allowed?
- Screenplays adapted from the submitting writer’s own self-published books, plays, or other source materials are eligible if the writer retains all rights to the work.
- Adaptations from other works are permissible provided the writer has written permission by the owner to adapt the material.
- Adaptations of works in the public domain are permissible.
Can I submit with a partner or send multiple scripts?
- Multiple authorship is acceptable.
- If the screenplay wins an award, that award will be divided among the writers, by the writers.
- Multiple submissions by one writer are accepted; however, if one or more screenplays by the same writer tie, only one screenplay (the decided “best”) will be selected to determine the winner.
Can I update my draft, get a refund, or check feedback timing?
- Applicants must submit materials and payment online only.
- Once a script has been submitted, substitutions of new drafts or corrections may only be accepted within 24 hours of the original application.
- A revised draft of a script may be accepted after 24 hours if it is entered as a new application with the appropriate fee.
- There are no refunds for any reason after 24 hours from submission.
- The writer understands that script feedback can take up to 90-days turn-around time and may not be received before the end of the final application deadline.
- Promotional discounts or waivers offered may only be utilized at the time of submission. Promotional discounts or waivers offered may not apply on all submission platforms (i.e., FilmFreeway).
- You should retain master copies of the submitted material. Any material we receive cannot and will not be returned under any circumstances.
Do I retain the rights to my work?
- Writers retain the rights to their screenplay.
- The writer understands that it is his/her sole responsibility to register material to be submitted with the U.S. Copyright Office and/or with the Writer’s Guild of America or the appropriate agency in his/her country.
- Applicants are non-exclusive and may submit their screenplay to any other person, competition, producer, agent, publisher, and/or organization.
- Applicants must accept without reservation the decisions rendered by the judges.
- Applicants awarded the Grand Prize Winner understand and accept that SAVE THE CAT! will be free to use his/her name and likeness for advertising or promotional purposes without additional consideration.
- No transfer, substitution, or cash equivalent for prizes is allowed. SAVE THE CAT! is not responsible for any applicant errors or omissions on any submitted application materials.
- Applicant accepts without reservation that the submitted screenplay will be reviewed by SAVE THE CAT! staff and/or panel of Industry Judges for evaluation and that any one of these employees or judges may have been or may be exploring ideas similar to the submitted material, and the applicant hereby waives any claim that the staff or judges may have misappropriated any ideas or portions of the submission, logline or screenplay.
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Every entry receives our signature 50-Point Analysis. Stop guessing what’s wrong with your script and start fixing it today.