Sometimes with Christian cinema, you feel like you have to choose between a movie’s quality and its subject matter. It’s rare to find movies that excel in both areas. The Kairos Prize® is a unique screenwriting competition that awards faith-based scripts that seek to bridge this divide. If you’re passionate about high-quality, wholesome, inspirational, and spiritually uplifting content, then the Kairos Prize® might just be for you.
Not sure if you’re ready to apply? Here are some reasons you might want to consider.
1. Win $15,000 and recognition at the Movieguide® Awards
The winner of the Kairos Prize® wins $15,000 cash and will be presented with the award onstage during the Movieguide® Awards in Los Angeles. Attendees of the awards show include entertainment executives, industry professionals, celebrities, and high-net-worth individuals, so it’s a great chance for your work to gain exposure in Hollywood. As part of the reward package, you’ll also be covered in a press release on movieguide.org, a site that receives millions of views.
2. Get your script reviewed by top producers
Our finalist judges have produced major movies, including DUNE and PACIFIC RIM UPRISING, to name a couple. Check out more of their work below:
3. Face minimal competition (only 200 entries expected)
Compared to other scriptwriting contests, the Kairos Prize® appeals to a more targeted group: writers with a specific vision for clean or faith-based content. The odds of your script advancing to the final rounds may not be as hard as you think—you might be pleasantly surprised! This screenplay competition is one of the easiest ways to get faith-based and uplifting scripts into Hollywood. Not many other competitions looking for such content exist.
4. Enter now for discount
The entry fee to submit your script between now and September 30th is $75. The price increases to $100 starting October 1st and then $150 during the last 10 days of October, so the sooner you submit, the more you’ll save.
5. Receive constructive feedback
You have the option to request script analysis as part of your submission. Feedback from our experienced readers will offer insights that help you refine your craft and elevate your future work.
6. Level up your skills and achieve your goals
Preparing your screenplay for this competition can be a great source of learning and a transformative process. Any screenwriter or aspiring screenwriter can set lofty goals for their work, but sharpening your work to the point where it is ready to be seen and responded to by many is another story. The Kairos Prize® provides an excellent avenue for that. It gives you the opportunity to hone your writing skills and nurture your creativity.
7. Further your professional career
Whether you’re a budding or seasoned writer, we invite writers of all experience levels to apply. This scriptwriting competition is not only for those who’ve found success with their scripts previously. We want to see the next generation submit their ideas, and we encourage students to submit as well. This is a very exciting opportunity, especially for Christian students who are looking to get started in the industry.
8. Contribute art rooted in truth and wholesome values
It’s no secret that stories help us make sense of the world around us and powerfully shape our understanding of how life works. The most meaningful stories draw their beauty and themes from the greatest source of beauty itself: the gospel, and participation in this screenwriting competition acknowledges that value.
9. See your script get made into a movie
Even if you do not win the grand prize, many of our finalists have gone on to get their work discovered through the contest and see their scripts turned into movies. In fact, the Kairos Prize® has seen at least one of its past finalist scripts make it to the big screen most years running. RESISTANCE: 1942 is just one example of a winning script that later became a movie and even ended up winning a Movieguide Award. Alexandra Boylan also saw her work go from script to screen.
10. Network with producers and encounter more open doors
Every participant receives a complimentary one-month listing on Script List, an online platform that connects screenwriters with producers seeking spiritually uplifting scripts. As a result, post-competition, your script can continue to gain visibility from producers specifically looking to fund faith-based, family-friendly scripts. Finalists will receive a six-month Script List subscription for free.
Interested in sharing your script? Submit yours by September 30th, and feel free to let your family and friends know about this amazing opportunity, too!
