America's greatest storyteller of the 19th Century languished in obscurity until he entered his short, "Manuscript in a Bottle," in a Baltimore writing contest in 1833. Edgar Allan Poe's winning story caught the eye of a publishing insider in Richmond and propelled Poe into literary stardom. History can repeat itself. In collaboration with the Poe Museum Foundation, dedicated to honoring Poe's talents and inspiring the next generation of writers, Poe Films has established a bi-annual screenplay contest to discover and promote contemporary screenwriters who bring fresh voices and creative storytelling as Poe brought to his generation. While Poe's antebellum voice and non-economy of prose unlikely translate to the screenplay form, today's writers can channel his passion for intrigue, mystery, suspense, and the inevitable twist and reveal. Whether your genre is drama, comedy, thriller, sci-fi, action, or horror, you're invited to submit to Poe, contests that reward fresh voices and creative storytelling. Poe Films sponsors two screenplay contests each year -- the autumn suspense contest and the spring love contest. We recognize that Edgar Allan Poe wrote not only macabre thrillers but penned some of the most passionate romantic tales and poems. The autumn contest opens in September with winners announced on March 15 (the Ides of March). The spring "A Love More Than Love" contest opens in mid-April with winners announced on August 31. Feature length screenplays (80 to 120 pages) and short screenplays (up to 40 pages) of any genre are accepted to either contest. Separate awards will be given for features and shorts. In the shorts division, final awards will be determined by a panel of Poe scholars.
