The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition

OFFICIAL TRAILER | SOMETHING POINTLESS 🥚 We're pleased to share the official trailer for our CSSC-winning short film SOMETHING POINTLESS — starring BAFTA-winner Owen Teale, Olivier-winner Sophie Thompson, International Emmy-winner Leo Harris, and SAG Award-nominee Sule Rimi. When an unhappy young boy discovers an older man quietly affixing painted eggshells to a disused wall in their neighbourhood, he begins to understand how even the smallest, strangest acts can leave behind something lasting. Now on its festival run across the USA, Canada, and Croatia. The World Premiere will be at the 56th annual USA Film Festival in Dallas. Wales/UK/European premiere at the 15th Carmarthen Bay Film Festival. Nominated for Best Short Film at the 79th Yorkton Film Festival. Screening in Croatia at the International Sound & Film Music Festival. #SomethingPointless #shortfilm #welshfilm #OwenTeale #SophieThompson #LeoHarris #SuleRimi #film #filmfestival #britishfilm #newportwales #CSSC #CSSC7 #WriterWednesday

#WW We're thrilled to announce the finalists for the 7th Edition of the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition. These incredible short scripts represent some of the most exciting emerging voices in screenwriting today: Alone written by @adam_greig Bubbles written by paddyccourtney Eyes written by @abobb Forgotten Colors written by @alexjaramillob Hannah and the Honeydew Shortage written by @danieladisalvo_film Memory Care written by @mtattenbaum Rabbit on the Moon written by @theempressoracle888 Subscription written by @christopher_glass_design This is Me written by @dus_aster Thumbs Up! written by @marlowepercival Trespassers written by @madeleine400ad Under the Bed written by @axiqueswrites Would You Like To Tell Me What You Dreamed? written by @juanememendez These scribes remind us why Short. Is. Better. Each screenplay stood out for its originality, craft and storytelling power. Congratulations to all the talented writers who made the cut and we can't wait for the world to see your creativity. Stay tuned as we get closer to announcing the Top 3 Winners at @yorktonfilm 's Golden Sheaf Awards Gala on May 23rd in Yorkton, SK, Canada! #CSSC #CSSC7 #filmfestival #screenwriting #shortisbetter #filmmaking #canadiancinema #canadian #shortfilm #writerwednesday

"A genuine contender… something quite special." — Jeff York, Chicago Indie Critics / Rotten Tomatoes 🎭 BAFTA-winner Owen Teale · Olivier-winner Sophie Thompson · SAG Award-nominee Sule Rimi · Leo Harris 🎭 🍿 ‘Something Pointless’ has found its audience. 🍿 And is looking for you to be part of its next 🍿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Screening at home May 17-22 📽️ Carmarthen Bay Film Festival Llanelli, Wales 🎟️ Free admission 🎟️ Additional programming enquiries welcome. #shortisbetter #cssc #filmmaking #shortfilm #filmfestival

The Countdown Begins for Adrian & Madeleine! If you're just tuning in, as we approach the big reveal of the Top 3 at this year’s @yorktonfilm Golden Sheaf Awards Gala, we’re excited to introduce to you some of the brilliant voices behind our Top 13 Finalist scripts. In no particular order, we’re continuing our spotlights with: ADRIAN BOBB writer of Eyes Adrian Bobb is an award-winning Toronto-based writer/director whose short films have screened at 50+ festivals worldwide. A former VFX artist for companies like Ubisoft and Mr. X, he is an alumnus of the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices program and WarnerMedia Access Canada. His short "Drifters" is currently on the festival circuit, and his sci-fi horror script "The Sublime" won the Canadian Film Festival's You-CAN-Pitch Showcase in 2026. He is also developing a feature based on his award-winning short "The Fore-men," which has over 640K views on DUST. MADELEINE ELLIS writer of Trespassers Madeleine Ellis is a recent graduate of Concordia’s Screenwriting & Film Producing Microprogram where she completed two short screenplays. Since graduating she has continued honing her craft, from independent work to collaborating with other Montreal-based artists. Prior to this, Madeleine studied History at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and completed Concordia’s Visual Journalism Graduate Diploma. Stay tuned as we spotlight more finalists each day leading up to the awards! #CSSC #CSSC7 #filmfestival #screenwriting #shortisbetter #filmmaking #canadiancinema #canadian #shortfilm

The Countdown Begins for Paddy & Anna! As we approach the big reveal of the Top 3 at this year’s @yorktonfilm Golden Sheaf Awards Gala, we’re excited to introduce you to some of the brilliant voices behind our Top 13 Finalist scripts. In no particular order, we’re continuing our spotlights with: PADDY C. COURTNEY writer of Bubbles Paddy is an award winning actor, IFTA & Royal Television Society nominated screenwriter and voice over artist. Following a successful fifteen year career as a stand-up comedian, Paddy hung up his comedy mic in 2011 to focus on screenwriting, acting and voicing. His first acting job was in the much loved national treasure ‘Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom,’ funded by TG4 and Filmbase. Paddy writes animation and live action for both adults and children. His writing credits include, ‘Dig in Diner,’ for RTEjr, ‘Funny Little Monsters’ also for RTEjr, and the animation series ‘Jessy & Nessy’ for AMAZON PRIME. He is also part of the writing team behind series one and two of the live action RTE2 comedy teen drama ‘Blasts From The Past.’His onscreen credits include ‘Safe’ for NETFLIX, ‘Brassic’ for SKY TV, ‘Shameless’ for Channel 4 and ‘George Gently’ for BBC, as well as many appearances on Irish television; ‘The South Westerlies’ on RTE, ‘Fir Bolg,’ and ‘Rasai na Gaillimhe,’ on TG4. Also on TG4, Paddy co-wrote and played the lead role in the comedy drama ‘Paddywhackery,’ which led to three IFTA nominations including ‘best script.’ ANNA XIQUES writer of Under the Bed Anna Xiques is a New York–based writer and filmmaker who spent over a decade shaping stories as a creative director before turning her focus to film. Drawn to the intimate and the psychologically unsettling, her work explores the quiet fractures beneath everyday life, with a focus on character-driven stories grounded in emotional and psychological depth. Stay tuned as we spotlight more finalists each day leading up to the awards! #CSSC #CSSC7 #filmfestival #screenwriting #shortisbetter #filmmaking #canadiancinema #canadian #shortfilm

Happy #WW Writers! 🎙️ “When you sign up to do a short film, it’s going to be all hands on deck. We're going to create a microcosm. A family, if you’re lucky. That’s what has mangaged to happen here.” We got lucky. Watch Part 1 of our SOMETHING POINTLESS BTS! #CSSC7 #filmfestival #screenwriting #shortisbetter #filmmaking #canadiancinema #canadian #shortfilm #writerwednesday

The Countdown Begins for Adam & Juan! As we approach the big reveal of the Top 3 at this year’s @yorktonfilm Golden Sheaf Awards Gala, we’re excited to introduce you to some of the brilliant voices behind our Top 13 Finalist scripts. In no particular order, we’re kicking things off with: ADAM GREIG writer of Alone My name is Adam Greig, I am 23 years old, and I am an aspiring writer/director who was born and raised in Richmond Hill, Ontario. As a lifelong cinephile, my love of cinema has remained constant throughout my life, as well as my belief in the power of cinema to explore new ideas and stories, as well as connect human beings across time, space, and cultures. My love of the art form has remained so strong over the years, that I've never had any doubt about my desire to work and create art in the medium I have admired and been inspired by ever since I was a kid. My hope is that one day with my writing, as well as my films, that I am able to inspire the same creativity in the hearts and minds of young artists all across the globe. JUAN MENDEZ writer of Would You Like To Tell Me What You Dreamed? I am a screenwriter and hold a degree in Literature from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). I work as a screenwriter, script doctor, and researcher. I have collaborated with directors such as Santiago Mitre, Rodrigo Moreno, Lisandro Alonso, Daniel Hendler, and Nicolás Goldbart, among others. La libertad doble, directed by Lisandro Alonso, for which I wrote the dialogues, will premiere at the 58th edition of the Quinzaine des Cinéastes in Cannes. I am currently finishing the shooting of my latest screenplay, a remake of Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami, starring Wagner Moura. Stay tuned as we spotlight more finalists each day leading up to the awards! #CSSC #CSSC7 #filmfestival #screenwriting #shortisbetter #filmmaking #canadiancinema #canadian #shortfilm #screenplay

As we approach the big reveal of the 2026 Writers' Block Crystal Awards, we’re excited for you to meet the brilliant voices behind our Top 13 Finalist scripts. Stay tuned as we'll be featuring some finalists everyday up until the @yorktonfilm Golden Sheaf Award Gala on May 23rd! #CSSC #CSSC7 #filmfestival #screenwriting #shortisbetter #filmmaking #canadian #shortfilm

We’re proud to introduce the esteemed jury for the 7th Edition of the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition. This panel is composed of accomplished actors, scribes, producers and industry leaders whose passion for storytelling is matched only by their sharp eyes for emerging talent. These jurors face the difficult task of selecting the Top 3 Screenplays from this year’s extraordinary pool of finalists. The journey culminates on May 23rd at the 2026 @yorktonfilm Golden Sheaf Awards Gala, where we’ll crown this year’s CSSC winners! Stay tuned for more, and always remember: Short. Is. Better. #CSSC #CSSC7 #filmfestival #screenwriting #shortisbetter #filmmaking #canadiancinema #canadian #shortfilm

🥚🧱 SOMETHING POINTLESS will screen at @cbffwales 2026 on May 19th in Wales. Grateful beyond words to every festival that has welcomed us so far and to everyone who believed that a pointless act can mean everything: CAST Owen Teale Sophie Thompson @leoharrisactor @redeyeknight Eliza Teale @tommumford.creative @jenniferevansphotography @madradster CREW Director Asa Bailey Screenplay Neil Graham & @funrepublicpictures Producers @funrepublicpictures Asa Bailey Line Producer @windingsnakeanimate Executive Producers @shawn_christensen Damon Russell @rawhide_ @vitamindwayne Zane Lackey @anandramayya Associate Producers @laurencecohenfilm @mtuscano Casting @victorjenkinscastingltd Cinematographer @opiumfire Original Music @andrea.bellucci.composer Editor @laurencecohenfilm Production Designer @artings_and_inklings 1st AD Kris Francies Prod. Coordinator / 2nd AD @gmbiseker 3rd AD Emyr Union PA Michael Karam Production Runner @rubyhortonfilm 1st AC Omar Sultan @omarxsultan 2nd AC/Spark @rowanholownia 3rd AC @joshkellyjones_assistantcamera Data Wrangler massimo_salvato Gaffer @adam.klis.films Stills @rhyswebberphoto Property Master @mikemakesthings Props Amy Brooke-Davis Art Assistants Dylan J Hayward @renlbdesigns_ Makeup Artist & Hair @honeybihairandmakeup Costume Designer Karen Tomkins Wardrobe Assistant @karinaismsillustration Production Sound James Cooper Production Sound Mixer John Butterfield Sound Edit by Blueberry Patch Productions Supervising Sound Editors @rajramayya Austin David Coffee Assistant Sound Designer @kennycomposes ADR @voicessoundstudio Picture Post-Production @javapostproduction Supervisor Randy Shumay Online Editor Kristine Dowler Colourist @javajack Visual Effects @baileystudiosinc #somethingpointless #cssc #cssc7 #shortfilm #cbff2026

This was a pleasant surprise! Happy to have one of my latest short scripts end up as a finalist in the 7th Canadian Short Screenplay Competition! S/O to my fellow finalists, my producer @torrinblades , and @shortisbetter.cssc and be sure to keep your 👀 here as more develops! #theseeyes

SOMETHING POINTLESS | WORLD PREMIERE “It packs an emotional punch almost every second." — @jeffyorkchicago , The Establishing Shot After a long journey from script to screen, Something Pointless will have its World Premiere tonight at the 56th @usafilmfestival in #Dallas We are incredibly proud of this little film — its quiet performances, its Welsh soul and its belief that even the most pointless act can change a life. Congratulations to the entire team, especially screenwriter Neil Graham who won the competition with his short screenplay back in our 2nd edition of the CSSC in 2010. Over fifteen years after winning the CSSC, that screenplay finally receives its flowers and tonight, the world gets to see it. #SomethingPointless #shortisbetter #CSSC #usafilmfestival