SeriesFest

A Celebration of Episodic Storytelling

Late Night Competition

· ·

WAIVER CODES ONLY

Submissions open AUG 20

Learn More

Timeline
Awards & Prizes
Entry Materials

Previous Winners
Previous Jury Members

Submission FAQs

All Festival Submissions:

A category like no other…SeriesFest’s Late Night Competition is a curated collision of the uncanny, the irreverent, the surreal, and the brilliantly bizarre. With live-action and animated episodes under 20 minutes, this category champions work that bends genre, defies convention and leans into storytelling that lives between moods and midnight hallucinations.

Sketch
Variety
Horror
Talk Shows
____________?!

“To be here and be boots on the ground and feel the energy and see the creativity is mind-blowing—and it’s the future of our industry.“

Annie Laks
SVP, Creative Content Shondaland

Timeline

Submission Timeline

April 22: Open Submissions with Announcement
June 3: Regular Deadline 
July 14 : Late Deadline
July – Aug 30: Review Period
Sept 1: Finalist scripts to Next50 Foundation for review
W/o Sept 20: Virtual Interviews with top finalists
Oct 3: Notify Writers of Selection Status
October/November (Fall) : Writers Retreat in Colorado

Funds, Awards & Prizes

ENTRY MATERIALS

The Late Night pilot episode and subsequent episodes submitted via FilmFreeway’s Secure Online Screener system. Submissions should not exceed 20 minutes of total runtime and can include multiple episodes.

Series Format Deck
All submissions must include a Series Format Deck, uploaded to the FilmFreeway application page under “Files & Attachments”. This document includes a logline, series regular and recurring character descriptions, and Season One story arc or future episode descriptions.

An effective Series Format Deck introduces your project in a visually exciting and emotionally powerful way.  It captures the reader’s imagination, allowing them to see the full scope of the series and embrace the characters. The Series Format deck is essential to our review process, providing a clear and compelling way for us to understand your vision.

The Series Format Deck should be 2–15 pages, must be in English, and include the following:

  • Log Line
  • Pilot Synopsis
  • Season One Outline
  • Main Character Descriptions (Up to 5)
    • For unscripted pilots, include key onscreen subjects/talent
  • Tone of your series (can include no more than 2 comparisons)
  • Producing Team
  • Key Creatives
  • Goals for your Series
  • A Creator Statement that includes: Why This Idea, Why Me, and Why Now?

If your submission is selected for final programming you will be required to submit more information regarding your pilot, cast, and crew so SeriesFest can maximize your experience with executives at the Festival in May. Full details will be sent to submissions selected for SeriesFest: Season 12 in an acceptance email by April 2026.

Not sure where to get started? You don’t have to start from a blank page. Check out our Canva template or Canva’s Entertainment Templates and make them your own.

FilmFreeway Entry Fee
(see above)

Press Kit Material
Any available press kit material.

Please note, entry materials will not be returned.

Previous Award Winners

BITS

SeriesFest: Season 10, 2024

Someone to Watch: Lucy Porter

MIRACLE WOOD

SeriesFest: Season 10, 2024

Best of Late Night & Audience Award

ONE MILLION GIRLS

SeriesFest: Season 9, 2023

Best of Late Night

EASILY SOLVED MYSTERIES

SeriesFest: Season 9, 2023

Audience Award

KWACZALA

SeriesFest: Season 5, 2019

Previous Jury Members

Missy Laney

Director of Development, Adult Swim

SeriesFest: Season 10, 2024

Erich C. Smith

TCA Management

SeriesFest: Season 8, 2022

Tara Westwood

Actor & Producer

SeriesFest: Season 8, 2022

Jane Schoenbrun

Filmmaker

SeriesFest: Season 4, 2022

Andre Hyland

Actor & Comedian

SeriesFest: Season 8, 2022

Thank you to our partners

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SeriesFest: Season 12 Community Partners