BlueCat Screenplay
About BlueCat Screenplay
Since 1998
Our Story
The BlueCat Screenplay Competition was founded in 1998 with a simple belief: every screenplay deserves a real read. For over 27 years, we've been dedicated to discovering and developing screenwriters at every stage of their career. What started as one writer's frustration with competitions that never seemed to actually read the scripts has grown into one of the most respected screenplay competitions in the world.
We've delivered personalized written feedback to over 25,000 screenwriters. Our winners and finalists have been signed by UTA, CAA, WME, and Verve; sold scripts to Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney, and Universal; and won major awards at Sundance, Berlin, and Tribeca. But we're just as proud of the writer who used their BlueCat feedback to finally crack a second act that had been giving them trouble for two years. That's what we're here for.
Our Founder & Judge
About Gordy Hoffman, Founder & Judge
Gordy Hoffman founded BlueCat in 1998 and remains its sole judge. His screenplay Love Liza, starring his brother Philip Seymour Hoffman, won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. He directed A Coat of Snow, which premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival, and his short film Dog Bowl premiered at Sundance and screened at over 50 festivals worldwide.
Gordy has taught screenwriting at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, and has led workshops across North America, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and England. He is a proud member of the Writers Guild of America.
Gordy personally approves every BlueCat reader and oversees the entire feedback process. His philosophy is simple: write the story that scares you, write honestly, and don't worry about getting it right — worry about getting it true.
Who Reads Your Script
Our Readers
BlueCat readers are carefully selected and personally approved by Gordy Hoffman. They are working writers, development professionals, and film school graduates who bring genuine craft knowledge and empathy to every script they read. Each reader is trained to provide constructive, specific feedback that helps you develop your screenplay — not just evaluate it.
Track Record
Why Writers Trust BlueCat
- 27+ years of operation — one of the longest-running screenplay competitions in the world
- 25,000+ scripts read with written feedback delivered
- Transparent process: one reader per script, carefully assigned
- Judge is a produced, award-winning screenwriter and WGA member
- Alumni signed at every major agency and sold to every major studio
- Writers retain all rights to their work, always