1st Writing Paycheck: Spark - International Screenwriting Competition

- Screenplay contest material submitted to SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders is accepted via electronic submission only.

- Submissions must be in PDF file format. There is no preference in what elements can be included in the title page. Title and writer’s name should suffice.
All prize monies will be paid to winners via Paypal only. No other payment options (check, bank transfers, money orders, etc.) are available.

- There is no limit to the number of screenplays you may submit. Maximum acceptable page counts: Screenplay=130.

- Submitted script material must be received by midnight of each deadline date and submission fee payment must accompany your material.

- All entry fees are non-refundable; submissions in any file format other than PDF will be disqualified with no refund.

- All material submitted to this screenplay contest must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).

- Screenplays and scripts must be submitted by the credited writer. Screenplays and scripts written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).

- If a screenwriting team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the screenwriter submitting the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money, with no direction from SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders’s administrators, staff, or judges.

- Once submitted, material is promptly assigned to analysts and judges and reading/scoring begins. Revisions, rewrites, addenda, or substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered screenplay or script material require a separate paid entry.

- Multiple entries are accepted.

- By using our service, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s), including FilmFreeway.

- All copyright, ownership and derivative rights to the material submitted to SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders remains with the original rights holders and/or author.

- Plagiarized or non-original written materials will be disqualified.

- All scores are final and purely at the discretion of the Judges.

- Writer acknowledges that any and all written feedback and analysis commentary is objectively presented and intended to be illustrative, instructive, and helpful in guiding the writer along a professional path. Scores and comments are in accordance with current professional film and television industry standards, but writer accepts them as purely subjective pursuant to the judgment and opinion of the individual reader-analyst and agrees not to request, demand, or suggest alternate, different, or revised written feedback; no guarantees of satisfaction on the part of the writer are expressed or implied.

- Once announced and delivered, all prize package items are the responsibility of the recipient.

- SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition reserves the right to cancel the competition with no prize given if the number of submissions is below the needed for the competition's financial viability. In this case, participants will be refunded.

Eligibility:

- All writers of submitted material must be 18 years of age or older on the date of submission, and each writer or writing team may not have earned more than $50,000 or the foreign equivalent (jointly or individually) for work as a screenwriter and/or fictional television writer.

- Judges, sponsors, administrators, and independent contractors who work with or for the SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders are not eligible to enter the competition, nor are their spouses or other immediate family members.

- The screenplay material submitted must be in English.

- All screenplay material submitted to other competitions or contests is eligible.

- There are no limitations or restrictions as to date of authorship of submitted screenplay.

- The screenplay, television script, or short film script material submitted must not be encumbered by any obligation to, or option held by, any third party prior to entering the screenplay competition. If a script has been sold, is currently under option, is being produced, or is in any other way encumbered by a third party on the date of submission, the script is not eligible for an award. 

- Screenplay, television script, or short film script material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.

- No limitations regarding title page content. Title and name of screenwriter and contact information on cover page is recommended.

Third party companies, organizations, studios, agencies, or management professionals with which the judges are affiliated are not sponsors of this contest nor are they responsible for its policies, procedures, systems, or operations.

While judges and administrators are dedicated to the anonymity of submitting writers and work to maintain the highest levels of fairness throughout the reading and judging process, there is no guarantee whatsoever as to the scoring, outcome, or publicity of any submission. We reserve the right to amend contest rules at any time.

COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP


Neither SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders nor any other partner, employee or agent associated with these competitions claim any ownership in any original material submitted to us. All ownership and rights to the material submitted remain with the writer claiming authorship of the scripted material. Writer assumes all copyright liability and duties to protect same at any given time.

PUBLICITY


Submission of written materials establishes each writer's consent to SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders to the use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes. We will honor any request to keep the identity of any writer private upon written request.

REFUND POLICY


Once a script is submitted, administrative processes commence; therefore all fees submitted are non-refundable.

SUBMISSION CONDITIONS AND RELEASE


Writers submitting to SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders agree to release and hold harmless SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, judges, screenplay readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting your submission of material, against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, and to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition by ScreenReaders and its owners, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities. SUBMISSION OF MATERIAL IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law.

NO WARRANTIES


- All written or oral coverage, critique, criticism, or analysis of submitted material is provided subjectively based upon objective standards as they are applied to the writing submitted and under consideration.

- No warranties are expressed or implied as to the utility, value, or accuracy of statements written or spoken by our reader-analysts with regard to material submitted to us by writers, customers, or contest entrants.

- Comments provided by judges, readers, administrators, or other writers are based upon personal opinion only and do not reflect the opinions of management; management assumes no responsibility the academic, creative, professional, economic, or emotional impact or consequences of the opinions we provide.

- Submitting writers agree to hold harmless against claims of any and every kind, each and every employee, independent contractor, reader, analyst, system administrator, or officers of the company in perpetuity.

- Material submitted to the competition is solely at the risk of the individual registering, entering, or offering written material for scoring, analysis, judgment, or commentary.

- Once submitted material has been read, reviewed, analyzed, critiqued, scored, or commented upon by agents, employees, representatives, or management of the company, no refund of entry fee will be made.