Inari 150th Anniversary – Screenwriting Competition Rules
The Municipality of Inari, in cooperation with partners, is organizing the Inari 150th Anniversary screenwriting competition.
Partners in the competition include Yle Drama, the International Sámi Film Institute, the Indigenous Film Centre Skábma, the Indigenous Film Festival Skábmagovat, and independent production companies Whatever Pictures, NTRNZ Creative and Dreammill Productions.
The competition is part of Inari’s 150th anniversary year, and its aim is to encourage both new and established writers to develop audiovisual stories and formats set in Inari.
The competition is open to writers working in or aiming to enter the audiovisual field. Participation is possible individually or as a team.
Genre and format are free. Entries may be submitted in English and in all official languages of the Municipality of Inari: Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi, Northern Sámi and Finnish.
Purpose of the competition:
• To promote diverse screenwriting and the creation of new texts
• To support writers in developing an idea into audiovisual content
• To highlight stories and perspectives from the Inari region
• To support the development opportunities of stories and formats set in Inari
Competition schedule:
• Submission period: 1 June–16 August 2026
• Preselection: September 2026
• Final: pitching competition on 6 October 2026 in connection with a TV and film industry seminar held in Inari
Entries must include the following materials:
• Idea paper, synopsis, treatment or concept (1–5 pages)
• A short introduction of the writer (1 page), in which the writer explains their position in relation to the work in development
• Optional script sample (max. 10 pages)
Evaluation criteria:
• Originality of the story and concept and the writer’s unique voice
• Production feasibility of the work
• The role of the Inari region in the story or concept
• The story or concept reflects Inari’s 150-year identity, for example by highlighting the municipality’s unique nature, the diversity of cultures and languages, and the connection between past and present.
COMPETITION RULES
The competition is organized by the Municipality of Inari, hereinafter referred to as the organizer.
1. Competition period
Entries may be submitted between 1 June and 16 August 2026.
2. Participation
Anyone aged 18 or older may participate.
Each person may submit one script. The idea, script or format must be original. Material that has been published, has participated in another competition or has already received funding will not be accepted. Participants must hold full copyright to the story or format used. The story must be written by the participant. AI-generated texts are not accepted. The story or format must not violate Finnish law, copyright or other intellectual property rights, nor may it be offensive, indecent or contrary to good practice. Individuals involved in planning or implementing the competition are not eligible to participate.
Participants agree to follow the guidelines on portraying Sámi people found via the link: https://isfi.no/article/pathfinder-guidelines/
Entries are submitted by sending the documents specified in these rules to the organizer via the FilmFreeway platform.
Participation is free of charge. Competitors cover all their own potential travel and accommodation costs.
3. Competition process and jury
The competition proceeds in two stages. In the preselection phase, a maximum of 10 scripts will be selected to continue. The selection will be made jointly by representatives of Whatever Pictures Oy, NTRNZ Creative Oy and the Indigenous Film Festival Skábmagovat.
Those selected will receive instructions and coaching for pitching during the autumn before the final pitch event on 6 October.
The final will be held in connection with a TV and film industry seminar in Inari on 6 October 2026. The jury will include representatives from the Municipality of Inari, Yle Drama, the Sámi Film Centre, the International Sámi Film Institute, and the production companies NTRNZ Creative, Dreammill Productions and Whatever Pictures.
Winners will be awarded at the final.
If audience voting can be arranged, an audience favorite will also be awarded.
4. Responsibility of the organizer
The organizer is not responsible for telecommunications disruptions or technical issues that prevent form completion, submission or voting. The organizer reserves the right to remove participants who attempt to manipulate vote counts or otherwise interfere with the competition results.
These rules apply to all participants. By participating, all participants agree to comply with these rules and accept the terms related to prizes and their redemption.
The organizer reserves the right to amend the rules. Any changes will be communicated to all participants.
The organizer also reserves the right to suspend, postpone or cancel the competition for justified reasons. In such cases, the organizer is not obliged to compensate participants for any costs or damages resulting from the suspension, postponement or cancellation.
5. Prizes and their redemption
During September, up to 10 selected participants will be rewarded with instructions and coaching (remotely) to prepare for pitching.
The top entries will receive prizes provided by partners, including:
• Loan of filming equipment and Supervise service for short film production, to the extent allowed by the script / Dreammill Productions Oy
• Opportunity for development and sales coaching for a format or documentary toward production / NTRNZ Creative Oy
• 5 hours of coaching from production and content perspectives / Whatever Pictures Oy
• A two-hour dramaturgy meeting and coaching / Yle Drama
In addition, there are other prizes. The winners of the screenwriting competition will be announced immediately after the pitching competition on 6 October 2026. The winner and the prize provider will agree on the details of prize delivery. The organizer is not obliged to participate in arrangements related to prize delivery or redemption.
6. Rights
The organizer and partners have the right to use information submitted to the competition about participants and their stories or formats at the level of titles and genres. The organizer and partners may use this information in their communications (internet, newspapers, videos, social media, etc.) without separate compensation. The information will not be disclosed to third parties.
Copyright and data protection:
Participants retain the copyright to their works. Personal data will be processed solely for the implementation of the competition.
Participation:
Competition page: Inari 150 Screenwriting Competition – Inari 150
Registration via the FilmFreeway platform.
The Municipality of Inari reserves the right to make changes to the competition rules and terms as necessary.
Register description
Controller: Municipality of Inari
Email: inari@inari.fi
Website: www.inari.fi
Contents of the register:
Name, email address, phone number, justifications and attachments submitted via the form.
Sources of data:
Data is obtained from the data subject at the time of registration.
Purpose of the register:
Data is used for organizing the screenwriting competition held by the Municipality of Inari (communication and information). p
Disclosure of data:
Data will not be disclosed to third parties.
