Local Cinema Studios is always accepting feature-length and pilot script submissions to be shot in South Carolina for our Get On Set Initiative (GOS). We are seeking fresh, original stories that can be realized within a budget range of $50,000–$250,000.

GOS is a film training partnership. Each year we join forces with the South Carolina Film Commission and the University of South Carolina to fund a feature length film or pilot in South Carolina. What makes this project unique is that we specialize in making professional level films that pair industry professionals in key roles to lead and teach young filmmakers. This provides an opportunity to grow the South Carolina film workforce while telling stories that highlight our regional area.

The budget is designed to support the entire journey of your project—from the first day of pre-production all the way through post. We’re looking for writers / filmmakers / teams who can bring heart, creativity, and resourcefulness to the table. We value unique artistic visions, ingenuity, and community spirit. The Local Cinema Studios team’s main focus is to fund these projects and coordinate internships, but we also will provide development / production support, industry connections, and hands-on producing assistance.

Our productions are designed to be collaborative learning environments. We are especially interested in projects that:

• Emphasize strong characters and storytelling over large-scale spectacle.

• Can be shot primarily in a limited number of locations (in SC of course!).

• Feature dialogue-driven or conceptually innovative narratives.

We encourage submissions across genres, but please keep in mind that high VFX, extensive period settings, extensive night scenes, or stunt-heavy projects are not a fit for this initiative.

Eligibility:

• Scripts should be feature-length (70–100 pages) or pilots (25-50 pages)

• Writers must own all rights to their material.

• Both first-time and experienced screenwriters/directors are welcome.

How to Submit:
Please fill out this form and attach all materials with PDFs of:

• SCREENPLAY

• A ONE SHEET or LOOK BOOK - We encourage you to get creative and exploratory with this! Include title, logline/synopsis, genre, etc. What will your film look and feel like? Write a little about why this story is important to tell or a message about the inspiration behind the script.

• PRODUCTION STRATEGY SLIDE DECK - Include a budget, who your team is (cast or crew), where you will be shooting, number of shoot days, and any other components that will make your project stand out.

Please provide as much detail as possible about your team, creative vision, and past work. When sharing your current draft script and plan with us, please know we understand filmmaking is an evolving process, so we don’t expect everything to be final. There is no deadline for submissions, we take them on a rolling basis and get to developing as soon as we can! We can’t wait to read your work!