Final Deadline: October 6th
3 WINNERS SELECTED
3 Grand Prize Winners
Pitching Live to Industry Pros
Finalists
Industry Exposure
Last Season's Executive Pitch Panelists Included:
This Season's Panelists to Be Announced
Rebecca Windsor - Head of the Warner Bros. Television Workshop
As an extension of her role developing new talent, Rebecca helped launch Warner Bros. digital brand Stage13, overseeing the critically acclaimed Snatchers, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and SXSW, and Special, which premiered on Netflix and garnered four Emmy nominations. Previously, she was the Creative Producing Initiative Manager of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, playing a key role in coordinating the Screenwriters and Directors Labs, Episodic Story Lab, and Creative Producing Lab and Summit. Prior to Sundance, Rebecca was Manager of Development at Samuel L. Jackson’s television company, UppiTV, and at Mandeville Films. She started her career as an assistant at the Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann Agency and ICM. A San Diego native, she attended Northwestern University, where she received a BS in Theatre.
Leyla Kader Dahm - Literary Manager at Zero Gravity Entertainment
Leyla Kader Dahm is a literary manager and Zero Gravity Entertainment. After earning her master’s degree in Communication at Cornell University, Leyla turned her attention toward a career in film. She started out in development and production at Miramax/Dimension Films and went on to become a sought-after, high-level script analyst for clients such as Mike De Luca Productions, Broadway Video, The Weinstein Company, and Big Beach. Most recently, Leyla ran the film development department for Hollywood veterans Ed Jones and Cary Granat and was in charge of the narrative for rock star Perry Farrell’s proposed Las Vegas immersive experience, Kind Heaven. Leyla is a prolific writer and is the author of the YA novel Annabeth Neverending and sold her original screenplay, SURVIVAL INSTINCT, to Nickelodeon Original Films. Her focus is on representing minority and female voices.
Alrik Bursell - Host of Making Movies is Hard
Alrik Bursell is a freelance shooter/editor/producer who’s worked on feature films and corporate videos. He has directed five short films including Strange Thing, which played at over 20 film festivals worldwide. Alrik has also worked on commercial videos for brands such as the NFL, Comcast Xfinity and HBO. Alrik is currently working as a Post Production Producer at Glass & Marker in Oakland, California. Alrik is also one of the hosts of Making Movies is HARD!!! a popular indie filmmaking podcast and his first feature film The Alternate is currently playing the film festival circuit.
Sandino Moya-Smith - Director of Development at MGM
Sandino Moya-Smith was previously VP of Production at Limelight Entertainment where he put together PALM SPRINGS and was a production exec at June Pictures, where he worked on films including THE FLORIDA PROJECT, BOOK CLUB, WILDLIFE and DUDE. Prior, he worked for Gary Ross on such films as THE HUNGER GAMES, FREE STATE OF JONES, and OCEAN'S EIGHT.
Matt Dy - Literary Manager, Lit Entertainment Group
Matt Dy joined Adam Kolbrenner's Lit Entertainment Group as a literary manager in 2019. Previously, he worked at Austin Film Festival (AFF) since 2008 where he served as the Director of Script Competitions and facilitated the evaluation of thousands of annual script submissions reaching a then record of 10,580 submissions in 2018. Through AFF, he helped shepherd the careers of countless writers and is thrilled to continue championing writers as a literary manager.
Darrien Michele Gipson - SAGindie Executive Director
As Executive Director of SAGindie, Darrien leads a team that is responsible for independent filmmaker outreach and specializes in teaching low budget production focusing on the process for hiring professional actors via SAG-AFTRA’s low budget contracts.
Matt Prater - CSP Management
Matt Prater is a talent manager and development producer representing a roster of award-winning actors, directors, writers, and producers. Under the CSP Management / Citizen Skull Productions banner, clients on both the talent and literary rosters are actively collaborating on the development of projects with a portfolio of scripted and non-scripted properties.
Alex Rudolph - 1993
With the success of THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, 1993 has been able to focus on stories that really ring true to our core mission. We develop, create, and aim to discover unique and meaningful stories with new and diverse filmmakers.
Jethro Rothe-Kushel - Executive and Producer
A former executive and genre film producer and youngest Vice President and member of the National Board of Directors, elected by the Producers Guild of America
Carolina Groppa - Producer
Carolina Gropps is an Emmy-nominated producer for the Netflix Originals GIRLFRIEND'S DAY and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.
DEVELOPMENT SLATE
Over 80 scripts have been produced or optioned + 60 writers have been repped.
The three Grand Prize Winners will be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate for a full year of support. The ISA Development team works tirelessly to promote writers and their scripts, and as a result, many have signed with top agents, managers and/or had their scripts optioned or purchased. There is no faster path to breaking in.
HIGHLY RATED FEEDBACK AVAILABLE
When You Enter This Competition
NOTES
Normally $39
NOTES
Normally $69
Normally $199
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Grand Prize Winners
Nov 07, 2022
FAQ
When is the announcement date?
Winners Announced: Nov. 7, 2022
When is the ISA Virtual Pitch Panel?
The ISA Virtual Pitch Panel will take place on Nov. 17, 2022.
Are the pitches in person?
During Covid and/or until further notice, all pitches will be virtual.
Do you accept submissions via snail mail?
No. In an attempt to be green, we’re not accepting hard copies via the postal service. We’re accepting online submissions via the ISA website.
Do I have to submit a pitch for an already completed script?
Yes, we would like you to be able to field questions regarding your story and send it if requested by an executive.
Do I have to submit my script as a PDF?
Yes, and if you aren't sure how to create a PDF our staff is happy to help.
Should I include my title page with my screenplay?
Yes, you should include your title, your name, telephone number and email address.
Can I submit a screenplay under a pen name?
Yes.
Can I submit with a co-writer?
Yes. Prizes will be issued per project, not based on the number of writers.
Must my co-writer be present for the pitch?
This is a personal decision between you and your writing partner, however pitching duos have had great success in the past and we always encourage a well-thought out, cooperative pitch by both writers.
Does my script have to be registered?
No, but we DO recommend registering your work with the WGA and/or the Library of Congress Copyright office.
Does the writer maintain rights to the screenplay?
Yes, always!
Do I need to submit a logline? Synopsis?
Logline: YES / Synopsis: NO
Do you accept short screenplay pitches?
No, not at this time.
Will my screenplay be accepted if it’s not in the traditional format?
Scripts should be written in standard spec screenplay or teleplay format, set in 12-point Courier font. Scripts should be standard length.
What genres do you accept?
We accept all genres. We understand projects can be categorized in many genres.
Do you accept features, novels, short stories, stage plays, musicals, treatments or synopses, reality show concepts, documentaries or spec scripts for existing TV series?
No, we’re sorry; we do not. We accept ORIGINAL narrative sitcom or hour-long TV pilots only.
Can I submit an adaptation of a book or play?
Absolutely, as long as you have full rights to the material and either are the author or have a written agreement with the author allowing this script to be written and marketed.
Can I submit more than one pitch proposal?
You sure can. Just remember that the script for each must be complete upon entry.
Will entering early increase or decrease my chance of being a finalist?
Entering early will neither increase or decrease your chance of being chosen.
How will I know if you received my entry?
You will receive an email confirming your submission immediately upon completing form. If you do not, please email us here: Contests@NetworkISA.org
What if my script is optioned or sold after I submit to the ISA Pitch Challenge?
That's ok! If you are selected, you may still participate in the pitch panel event for some valuable practice and feedback, as long as doing so does not conflict with your agreements.
I don’t live in the United States. Can I still enter?
Yes, and we look forward to reading your work. Please just make sure the script and the pitch are in English. No other languages are accepted at this time.
Any other questions feel free to email us here: Contests@NetworkISA.org
RULES
(If you have posted a Writing Gig, please click the red GIG REQUESTS button to view your submissions. If you are a writer and want to be considered for the TOP 25, you must be an ISAConnect Member)
