Testimonials

"When you’re an unknown writer just starting out, you have no credits to your name and every door seems closed to you. Scriptapalooza can help give you the clout to kick those doors wide open and say, “Hey, here I am. Nice to meet you.”

"My win in the inaugural Scriptapalooza Screenplay competition opened lots of doors for me, and although I failed to parlay any of the many contacts I made at the time into a project, I am forever indebted for the attention, the care, and the boost to my confidence this life-changing event provided. My experience with Scriptapalooza informs my creative life to this day."

"What’s great about Scriptapalooza is they help promote top placing screenplays to the industry after the competition is over— that’s the kind of boost we writers really need!"

"When I started out as a writer, I had no idea if I was any good. Finding people in the industry to read my stuff was difficult, and getting feedback was even harder. That's why Scriptapalooza was so important to me. Winning this contest was the first time I got that positive reinforcement that this writing thing may be for me after all. Even just being named a quarterfinalist is a huge accomplishment that will give you the confidence to continue to pursue your dreams, as it did for me. Scriptapalooza also really helped open doors for me as people tend to take you and your work a lot more seriously when you can tell them you finished high in such a prestigious contest."

"There’s no film school or writing program that runs you through the gauntlet of improvement like Scriptapalooza — if you want to know where you stand as a writer, submit and find out."

"When Scriptapalooza selected my strange, surreal hangout movie "Stray Cat Jazz" into their TOP 100 it gave me the confidence to continue developing my own voice. They let me know that I do have an audience out there somewhere that will respond to what I'm interested in writing."

"Mark and Scriptapalooza were professional, experienced and knowledgeable. It was such a pleasure learning from folks who are passionate about writing."

"Winning the Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Contest definitely opened many doors for me. I was able to get representation as a writer and found myself in the position of pitching ideas to studios. I’ve had two feature films produced since winning. More importantly, winning gave me the confidence to know I was on the right track with my storytelling abilities. Even though my current focus is acting, I still get hired to write from time to time, often on the strength of having “Scriptapalooza" on my resume."

"I think Scriptapalooza helped give me the confidence that my script was worthwhile and helped energize me going forward. It also gave me something tangible to show to potential producers and managers."

"Mark Andrushko is a champion of screenwriters worldwide with unparalleled drive and enthusiasm. His industry knowledge and tireless hard work have forged Scriptapalooza into one of the world's foremost screenwriting competitions; with a spectacular pedigree and annual entries approaching 4000 scripts from across the globe. Aside from the prizes themselves, Scriptapalooza sets itself apart from its rivals in the level of support and promotion given to its winners and runners-up: all driven, of course, by Mark's passion for the craft. Under Mark's leadership, it is clear that Scriptapalooza will only go from strength-to-strength in the years to come."

"I have won several screenwriting contests over the years. Scriptapalooza was the ONLY ONE that got me meetings. Not only for my 1st place win, but for PLACING in the TOP 100."

"The Alien's Puppets was the first script I wrote when I was still unsure about myself, about dropping everything else to pursue a dream so far away. Scriptapalooza was instrumental in this process of not giving up. The script was selected and gave me one of the most precious things for a writer: confidence."

"Winning Scriptapalooza with an unlikely story like BATTLE gave me the courage to write more personal stories that mattered to me. The affirmation was priceless!"

"I am humbled by having Scriptapalooza choose my science fiction screenplay, The God Machine, as its First Place Award winner in the 2017 competition. To have been selected over the thousands of outstanding scripts is beyond empowering, and I’m confident that through Scriptapalooza’s ongoing faith in my work, The God Machine will be optioned and produced one day. I thank the readers who provided valuable feedback throughout the process and to the judges who chose to honor my work. Scriptapalooza rocks!"

"Making it as a finalist in Scriptapalooza validated my abilities as a screenwriter. Having the competition placement on my resume helped me land my first paid screenwriting gig and in turn opened the door for more paid writing gigs. I'm forever grateful to Scriptapalooza!"

"I was very pleased to be a finalist in the competition and am amazed at the frequent communication from Mark Andrushko and staff at Scriptapalooza in their efforts to promote my script. I've placed high in other screenwriting contests but have never had this kind of follow-up in bringing my scripts to the attention of agents/managers and producers."

"Winning Scriptapalooza opened so many doors and got me the "cred to get read." The best example I can provide is when I had self-submitted my screenplay to an unnamed agency long before I won. When I called reception (after they had my script for months) the person, who answered the phone, told me I was a “pass”. I said I was sorry to hear that, especially since the script that they just passed on had just won 1st place of Scriptapalooza. Man, that felt good to say after a rejection, but the story doesn’t end there. Suddenly, I got a call back a few hours later telling me a “mistake” had been made…and the agent just read my script and would like to meet with me. Obviously, my script was never read, it sat on a pile till it was a “ pass", and somehow, after I won, they actually bothered to read it. That’s what winning Scriptapalooza does, it gets you the attention you can’t get from advocating for yourself. I met with Ben Stiller’s company and got my screenplay into many other places. I eventually landed my managers who I still have today…and who believe in me the way the folks at Scriptapalooza do."

"People always talk about how contests open doors, and Scriptapalooza certainly did that for me. But, what makes Scriptapalooza special is that it gives you the resources (the money is nice too) and more importantly, the confidence to keep going. Mark and his team are first rate, decent people. They truly care and they work hard at helping you. You can’t say that about many contests. It’s why they are known as one of the best, they are passionate about scripts and helping talent, and you can’t fake that. I love the folks at Scriptapalooza and have had nothing but an amazing experience with them. This is the contest to enter! I would recommend them to anyone trying to break in."

"Scriptapalooza invests in you. Unlike other contests, where they give you a laurel and call it a day...Scriptapalooza really pushes to get your material to producers. They don't just say they will...they actually deliver. I'm blown away by the care and commitment they give to each writer."

"Scriptapalooza has been very helpful in getting our work seen. Even after the competition end, they're still out there, working on behalf of the writers, promoting their work and offering assistance."

"Thank you Scriptapalooza! As one of the winners of the competition, Scriptapalooza allowed us to build the visibility for A Boy a Man and a Kite to get the script read and ultimately raise the necessary funding to shoot the short film in the UK."

"There are lots of screenplay competitions out there, but only a select few that are really worth entering. Scriptapalooza is definitely one of those."

"Having the notoriety and being regarded as one of the more premier competitions, Scriptapalooza status helped seal the deal with the studio when I pitched and submitted my work to them. I can't thank the team at Scriptapalooza enough for the community support and helping me build my brand."

"Placing in the Too 100 of Scriptapalooza gave me the sense of legitimacy (and confidence) I needed to reach back out to my industry contacts about my material. That led to further reads, notes, and a much more polished portfolio of writing, as well as a stronger network of contacts."

"Due to my screenplay's finalist result, I persuaded investors to fund the project, producing and directing the film myself. Thanks Scriptapalooza!"

"One of the best things about Scriptapalooza is the unbiased feedback you just can’t get from friends and family. Placing in this contest meant a lot to me, it also helped draw the attention of producers I have since worked with on other projects."

"I hear a lot of people talk about how winning a screenplay competition vaulted their careers and opened doors, but for me, all it took was a semi-finalist spot in Scriptapalooza. The weight their name carries in the industry is unparalleled. Not only did that particular script get optioned, but two more since."

"I was so excited when it made it all the way to semi-finals and even though it didn't place higher, it was such a driving force for me to push on! That script, Buried Alive, is now under option with a Hollywood producer."