Non-compliance with these rules and terms will disqualify a submission.
Submissions are invited from writers with legal residency in Canada; if there is more than one writer, at least one co-writer must have legal residency in Canada.
Submissions are open between December 15, 2020 and February 28, 2021.
Submission Fees:
Regular Fee (December 15, 2020 to January 31, 2021): $5 per submitted script of any length
Late Fee (February 1, 2021 to February 28, 2021): $10 per submitted script of any length
1. The contest only accepts short- or feature-length screenplays with English as the primary language (other languages in script dialogue can be used as long as the predominant language [80% of dialogue] is English).
2. The contest is open to scripts written by a BIPOC or mixed heritage writer, or co-written by at least one BIPOC or mixed heritage writer; OR featuring at least one BIPOC or mixed heritage character in a leading role.
Only one (1) prize will be awarded per winning or shortlisted script, regardless of the number of writers/collaborators.
3. Please use standard industry script format for screenplays or stage plays, in 12-point Courier font with numbered pages.
4. Page count must be between 80-120 pages for a feature screenplay, and up to a maximum of 40 pages for a short screenplay, plus a “blind” title page with the title only and not identifying the author’s name or contact information.
5. Please submit a .pdf document only, with no identification of the writer on any page.
Please include the genre, a logline, and short synopsis of 50 words or less, in a separate .pdf document.
6. All entries are judged on story structure, scene construction, dialogue, characters, formatting, imagery, originality, the skill of the writer, and how creatively the script challenge systemic bias and racial divisions, or non-progressive mainstream perceptions of what scripts and stories BIPOC creators write and tell; stereotypes of BIPOC characters in mainstream media; and of what BIPOC audiences want to see – with an emphasis on the opening hook and the ability to capture the reader’s interest in the first 5-10 pages, for a feature screenplay; or first 2-5 pages, for a short screenplay.
7. The script must be an ORIGINAL concept and not an adaptation of another work, unless the writer owns the underlying rights and can provide proof of chain of title.
Writers may submit more than one script. Each must be submitted separately, with a separate submission fee paid.
8. After a script is submitted, no substitutions of new drafts or corrected pages are accepted. A revised script draft must be resubmitted as a separate entry, and another submission fee paid per the fee rate for the date submitted.
9. Please submit by the deadline. Deadline or fee waivers are not available.
10. All rights remain with the writer. The writer gives Scripting Aloud /the Pan Asian Staged Reading Society permission to promote, feature, or advertise the work submitted and/or the writer(s) as part of its contest or event promotion and activities.
11. All communications will be sent electronically, including selection and notification letters. Please make sure the email address and phone number provided as the submission contact on the entry are current and correct.
Please do not send resumés or press kits with the submission.
12. Judges' Comments are available for a separate fee of $20 per submitted script, to the first twenty (20) submitters who pay the Judge’s Comments fee. The Judges’ Comments fee is in addition to the submission fee. The Judges’ Comments will not exceed one (1) page in length (approx. 500 words).
13. Entrants agree to indemnify and hold us, including our employees, our officers, and our partners, sponsors and affiliates harmless against all claims arising out of entry or participation in the “Write It In” Scriptwriting Contest, Scripting Aloud, or the Pan Asian Staged Reading Society.
14. Script submitters will be notified of the results in mid-April 2021. Winners and top two Shortlisted scripts in each category will be announced in the first week of May 2021. The Winning Feature script and Winning Short script will be read at a special event in late May 2021. The top two Shortlisted scripts from each category will be read in the Scripting Aloud 2021-2022 season.
15. By submitting your script to the “Write It In” contest you agree that you have read, understood, and agree to all the aforementioned rules, terms and guidelines. You also assert that you are the author and owner of the original work.
