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The Night Drive Short Screenplay Project

I'm a Filmmaker and TV & Film Editor based in Long Island, NY and I run a tight production company called Night Drive. Through Night Drive I have produced and directed nearly 10 films, and post-produced over 1000 hours of network television. And I'm getting too old for some of this damn s***.

Lately I've been so interested in what younger voices have to say, both on page and onboard the screen, and seeing how quickly the industry is shifting leaves me at a point where I don't just want to create incredible stories, but I also want to help new blood trying to come in. Especially individuals without a bouncing board or a creative network. I want to hear from writers who haven't been heard yet. I created this competition because right now, I'd rather find a new voice and bring that to the screen than write the script myself.
The competition is simple. Send me your pitch for a short film.
One writer will be selected to write a short film and get paid for it. I'll direct and produce. They get paid, get a credit, and get access to a working production.
What the Winner Gets
- $500 on delivery of the first draft
- Co-producer credit on screen and on IMDB for the life of the film
- Writer in residence on set for the full production. Or, a department role if you have prior experience and want one
- Direct involvement in the second draft process. Notes, revision passes, collaboration
- Mentorship access. Always have it if you want it. Script feedback, career conversations, maybe a network introduction if I can make it - no promises there.
- The money is the smallest part of this. The point is the experience and the credit.
Who Should Apply
This is for emerging writers. If any of these describe you, you qualify:
- No produced screen credits
- No agent, manager, or representation
- No real industry network
- Just getting started: a student, self-taught, day-jobbing, novice
Years of unproduced work is fine. The bar is "no one has made your stuff yet."
What I'm Looking For
Genre-forward shorts. The Night Drive lane...

- Psychological horror
- Film-Noir, Neo-noir and Neon-Noir
- Paranormal
- Cerebral, Atmospheric, Moody pieces
- Chamber pieces
- Liminal Spaces
- Crime thrillers
- Anything in or near these spaces
Scope and Budget Reality
This will be shot on a small budget. The script has to be makeable. Pitches that ignore these constraints will not be considered, as great as they might be.
- One primary location. Two at most.
- Small cast. 2–4 characters.
- No VFX-heavy worlds. Practical effects and lighting only.
- No elaborate set pieces. No car chases, large crowds, or period builds.
- 8–15 pages. Target an 8–15 minute short.
Constraint is part of the craft. Some of the best shorts made are one room, two people, and some bad decisions
What to Submit
DO NOT send a full script. I want...

1. Logline. 1-2 sentences that capture the plot and essence of your story.
2. Synopsis. One page maximum. Full story, beginning to end. Including the ending. No teasers.

A short writer bio is welcome but optional.

Timeline
- **Submissions open:** June 1, 2026
- **Submissions close:** June 12, 2026
- **Winner notified:** June 13, 2026. Kickoff call with me that day. No suspenseful wait
- **First draft due:** June 26, 2026
- **Preproduction and second draft work begin:** June 29, 2026
- **Tentative shoot:** mid-to-late July, 2026

You'll have roughly two weeks to write the first draft. Ample time. Once it's in, we move into preproduction together, with second draft revisions handled collaboratively over that window.

Rights
- Non-selected pitches remain entirely the property of the writer. No rights claimed, ever.
- The selected pitch and resulting screenplay transfer to Night Drive upon payment of the $500.
- The selected writer retains the credit, the experience, and the right to use the project on their reel and resume in perpetuity.

The Judge Me. I read every submission personally. No panel, no readers. If your work resonates, you'll hear from me directly. About Night Drive Night Drive is the production banner I work under across narrative film, documentary, television, and commercial work. More at nightdrivenyc.com. Submit a story you'd want to see made. I'll read it. If it's good, we'll make it. Submit below now. 

Let's go for a ride. — George

Before you submit

I confirm I'm an emerging writer. I have little to no produced screen credits, no agent or manager, no formal industry representation.

I confirm I'm an emerging writer. I have little to no produced screen credits, no agent or manager, no formal industry representation.

I am 18 or older.

I am 18 or older.