Script Studio Feature Screenwriting Contest

Objective

To offer emerging screenwriters with unique voices and original ideas an opportunity to get their script in front of agents, managers, producers and development execs. Our annual feature contest aims to highlight the best international writing talent, circulate and promote the winning scripts and raise the profile of their writers. This year's total prize fund of $10,000 in cash and prizes will be distributed among the top 5 scripts in 7 genres, with genre category winners receiving $500 cash and the Grand Prize Winner walking away with $2,500 cash in total. We will also be offering a Guaranteed Option prize to one or more scripts.

Deadline/Entry Fees

Expired. Previous Deadline: 06/19/2022

Notification: Quarter-Finalists: Jul 31, 2022 / Semi-Finalists: August 15, 2022 / Finalists: August 21, 2022 / Winners: August 31, 2022

Rules

Rules Summary:

• All feature scripts must be written in English in 12pt Courier standard industry format.
• 130 maximum page count - scripts with more than 130 pages will be disqualified without discussion or refund.
• Only online PDF digital entries will be accepted.
• No changes or revisions can be made to your script after you have submitted your entry for any reason.
• Pitches, synopses, resumes, letters, or other supporting documentation must not be included with your submission – judges will not receive these materials.
• The Contest is an international contest open to entrants 18 years of age or older worldwide, providing that an entrant’s participation is not prevented by law in their country of residence or the country through which the Contest operates.
• Screenplays are judged anonymously and therefore cover pages should include the script title only – all contact information must be deleted from the cover page and must not appear anywhere in the script. If information other than the title is included on the cover page it will be removed.
• General script Entries will not receive written feedback, however, optional feedback from a professional reader may be requested at the time of entry for an additional fee. Requests for feedback after an entry is submitted will not be accepted.
• Promotional discounts offered may only be utilized at the time of submission, and no partial refund for a promotional code may be issued after an entry has been officially submitted.
• Entrants hereby understand and accept that the Contest will select a minimum of twenty-one (21) finalists, seven (7) category winners (from the finalists) and one grand prize winner (from the category winners) but that this stated winner selection criteria may change at any time at the Contest's sole discretion.
• All entries will be considered for the top prize in each genre category and for the feature screenplay Grand Prize, however, former Grand Prize, Genre Category Prize Winners of the Contest may not enter the same script that has won or been placedas a "Finalist" in a previous year.
• Entrants understand and accept that they will only be considered for the Guaranteed Option prize offer if they have selected this add-on when submitting their entry. This prize is not contingent upon placement in the Contest and projects selected for this prize may or may not have been a winner or finalist in previous rounds.
• Entrants may submit multiple scripts as separate entries with a separate fee. If two or more of an entrant's scripts place in the same prize category, the entrant will only be eligible for one set of prizes.
• Scripts with multiple writers are allowed with a single entry account and fee per script.
• All writers’ names should be listed on the online entry with the primary contact entrant’s name first. All writers must authorize submission of the entry for it to be accepted into the Contest and if after submission the Contest learns that any one writer did not authorize the entry then the entry will be deemed null and void without refund.
• All cash awards will be shared equally between all winning writers and all other prizes will be divided at the winning writers’ discretion but only one of each prize will be distributed by Nuvotech and prize sponsors, associates and partners.
• All scripts must be the sole property of the writer(s) submitting the entry.
• Scripts which have been sold, previously produced for profit, or are currently under option, or a shopping or development agreement are not eligible. Scripts with a prior option, shopping or development agreement are allowed, but at the time of submission and for the duration of the Contest, must remain exclusively the writer’s property. If a script becomes sold, optioned or produced during the contest it will no longer be eligible or considered for a prize.
• Adaptations are not eligible unless the source material was written by the writer(s) of the submitted Entry in question or the source material is in the Public Domain in which case the entrant assumes all responsibility in assuring the source material’s copyright status. Scripts are not eligible if the source material has been sold, produced, or is currently under option to any third party. If the script entry is based on another person's life story, a statement attesting to the rights obtained must be attached.
• The Contest’s aim is to foster emerging talent and as such, each writer, or writing team, may not have earned more than $30,000 in writing fees in the previous two years or more than $150,000 lifetime earnings — contest winnings excluded.
• Notification of winners and official finalists will be sent by email and posted on our website. It is the responsibility of the winners and finalists to redeem any prizes allotted to them by the Contest and our partners and sponsors. Entrants will be repsonsible for providing current contact information and mailing addresses for prize redemption purposes.
• Nuvotech, the Contest, its judges and readers will utilize whatever criteria they deem appropriate in scoring submissions and deciding a winner.
• Deadlines, submission and resubmission fees, announcement dates, judges and prizes may be changed at any time at the discretion of the Contest and Nuvotech. Any changes will be made public on the Contest website and all winners affected will be notified of such changes via email. If through no fault of their own the Contest is forced to withdraw a prize or judge from the Contest, the Contest will exercise its best efforts to replace said prize with one of equal worth, and said judge with one of a similar industry background and experience. All prizes provided by sponsors or partners are subject to said sponsor or partner providing the prize and as such the Entrant agrees and accepts that the Contest is not responsible for a sponsor or partner's failure to deliver a prize.
• All scripts will remain the property of the writer(s) throughout the contest and at no point will anyone associated with the Contest attach themselves to the entrant’s script without the entrant’s express consent.
• Entrants must retain at least one copy of the submitted material and understand that any material we receive cannot and will not be returned under any circumstances.
• Entrants understand and accept that they may be contacted as a result of the contest by Nuvotech, Buckle Up Entertainment Ltd, the judging panel, industry partners or other industry professionals in regards to representation, production, development, sale and/or option of the entered work.
• Entrants are under no obligation to sell or option their work or otherwise attach themselves to representation in any form — this includes the Guaranteed Option prize offer.
• Decisions of the judges are final and may not be disputed and no correspondence will be entered into regarding an Entry's placement or lack of placement in the Contest. The judges and Contest administrators may not be held responsible for any errors or omissions on the part of the judges, readers, script analysts or Contest.
• The Contest reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to change or modify these terms at any time without notice.
• By entering this contest, you agree to receive periodic emails from the Contest and its organizers Nuvotech and may unsubscribe to these at any time.
• All entrants understand and agree to allow the Contest to post details on their script (title, writer’s name, logline, genre, and competition details) as well as regarding the writer (biography, picture) to their site and associated sites and social media accounts operated by Nuvotech to help promote the entrants’ work and Contest.
• All purchases and submissions are final and entry fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. Your entry’s script and category cannot be changed after submission and all Entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE – in all circumstances, even for duplicate submissions (unless caused by a verifiable website/server error) or if the writer(s) changed their mind.
• The Contest recommends that entrants register their original material with Hollywood Script Express, the WGA, The Library of Congress US Copyright Office or a similar copyright registration service prior to submitting to this or any other screenwriting competition, however this is not required.
• Except where prohibited by law, participation in the Contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to the Contest and its organizers Nuvotech, agents, associates, partners and sponsors in the use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for advertising and promotional purposes on social media, websites and in any media, worldwide in perpetuity without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
• You agree to release and hold harmless the Contest, Nuvotech Limited and Buckle Up Entertainment Ltd, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, readers, sponsors, partners, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising, or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, plagiarism, idea theft, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Contest and its sponsors, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorney fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the competition and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize.
• By entering the Contest, you represent and affirm that your entry is an original creative work that does not infringe, misappropriate or violate the copyright, trademark or other intellectual rights of any third party, and that to the best of your knowledge you have the legal right to submit it to this contest. Furthermore, you acknowledge and agree that contest readers and judges receive numerous submissions of ideas, loglines, stories and scripts, and that your Entry, and the ideas and stories embodied in it and its logline, may be similar or in some areas identical to other material already received and/or developed by one or more of the readers, judges, partners including but not limited to Nuvotech Limited, Hollywood Script Express and Buckle Up Entertainment Ltd. You also agree that you are not entitled to any compensation or credit for use by contest readers and judges of any such other material.
• Nuvotech reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the Contest, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures, or any other factor beyond Nuvotech's reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Contest, as determined by Nuvotech in its sole discretion. Furthermore, Nuvotech reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the Entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Rules and Conditions or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and should such an attempt be made, Nuvotech reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Nuvotech's failure to enforce any term of these Rules & Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
• By entering the Contest you agree that a) you have read all of these Rules and Conditions; b) you have the authorization to submit this script to the contest; c) your screenplay is owned entirely by you and any co-author you have stated in your Entry submission; and d) you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based service and database for hosting, managing, and/or transmitting your submission file(s).
• Entries that do not meet all the stated Rules and Conditions will be automatically disqualified and the submission fee will not be refunded.
• Nuvotech's decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.
• By entering the Contest the entrant understands and agrees that these Rules and Conditions (and those stated in this website's Terms Of Use and any additional terms agreed upon at checkout) constitute a legally binding "Agreement" which shall be deemed to have been entered into and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and the parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales. If you disagree with any of these terms you may not enter the Contest.

For full details of eligibility, rules and FAQ, please visit: https://www.scriptstudio.com/screenwriting-contest

Awards

1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Will receive all genre winner and finalist prizes plus...

• $2,500 Cash — (includes genre cash prize)
• $600 Development Package from Dan Bronzite — produced screenwriter, award-winning director, Buckle Up Entertainment CEO and creator of Script Studio.
• “Story Notes” replaced by:
  • Detailed Development Notes
  • One-hour Zoom Consultation
  • Pitch and Logline Development
  • Query Letter Edit
  • Career “Game Plan” Advice
• 6 Extra Script Studio Plugins — Breakdowns and analyses from popular Hollywood movies
• 10 Free Pitches — (in total) from Virtual Pitch Fest
• ISAConnect Membership — 1 year (in total) community membership for resources, writing gigs, webinars, discounts and more

GUARANTEED OPTION PRIZE

A minimum of one entry will be selected by one or more of our industry partners (which include Buckle Up Entertainment) to receive an option offer for their script. This option offer will be time-limited but completely optional without any obligation upon the writer(s) to accept. The option offer will be made with the intention to develop and/or produce the script, or to market the script and raise the profile of the writer(s) in order to secure development or production. To qualify for this prize, entrants must have selected the “Guaranteed Option” add-on when submitting their entry. This prize is not contingent upon placement in the contest and projects selected for this prize may or may not have been a winner or finalist in previous rounds.

7 GENRE WINNERS

All genre winners will receive finalist prizes plus...

• $500 Cash
• Script Circulation — Project and writer exposure to industry partners
• Script Studio® Pro Screenwriting Software — Free License
• Story Notes — Development notes from Hollywood Script Express
• 3 Free Pitches (in total) from Virtual Pitch Fest
• ISAConnect Membership — 6 month community membership for resources, writing gigs, webinars, discounts and more

35 FINALISTS

5 Winners in Each Genre will receive:

• Copyright Registration from Hollywood Script Express
• Hollywood Deconstructed Ebook — Breakdowns and analyses of 12 popular Hollywood movies
• Hollywood Screenwriting Directory 10th Digital Edition — a specialized resource for discovering where and how to sell your screenplay
• 1 Free Pitch from Virtual Pitch Fest
• Script Studio® Pro Screenwriting Software — 50% Discount
• Promotion — Raising your profile on our affiliated newsletters and social media channels
• Official Laurel — Promote your accolade

SEMI-FINALISTS & QUARTER-FINALISTS

Placed entries will be listed on our site and receive our official laurel to promote the accolade.