Rules & Terms
The Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards is committed to maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and artistically focused environment.
We are a politically neutral and non-religious platform.
While we recognise that storytelling often explores complex and challenging themes, submissions that promote or incite:
Hate speech
Discrimination or harassment
Racism or racial superiority
Sexism or gender-based harm
Religious intolerance
Violence against individuals or groups without clear narrative context
will not be accepted.
Scripts that engage with sensitive, social, or political subject matter in a thoughtful, narrative-driven, or critical way are welcome. However, the awards do not support works that are overtly propagandist, inflammatory, exploitative, or designed to provoke division.
The Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards does not accept pornography or scripts whose primary purpose is sexual arousal.
We reserve the right to determine eligibility at our discretion.
Submissions must meet the following requirements:
Entries must be in English
Submissions must be made by PDF only
Pages should be numbered
Multiple entries are allowed
Each script must be submitted separately
All submitted material must be the original work of the writer or writers
Adaptations must credit the original source material
Submitters must hold all necessary rights, licences, clearances, and permissions for the script and its contents
We accept:
Feature Screenplays: 41–160 pages
Short Screenplays: 6–40 pages
Micro Short Screenplays: Up to 5 pages
TV Pilots and Web Series scripts: accepted where submitted in the appropriate category
Revised drafts will not be accepted within the same competition cycle after submission.
Scripts that have been produced, optioned, sold, or are subject to existing rights agreements may not be eligible.
The Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards is not looking for perfection. Judges are not seeking only the most polished, commercial, or technically flawless scripts. While craft matters, we recognise that some of the most powerful writing comes from limitation, risk, instinct, and emotional truth.
Scripts may be judged on:
Story
Structure
Character
Dialogue
Originality
Emotional impact
Artistic intention
Screen potential
Strength of the writer’s voice
Overall truth and impact
We are not simply looking for scripts that are likeable, conventional, or easy. We are looking for work that has impact, honesty, and soul. A script may be challenging, raw, uncomfortable, imperfect, or unconventional and still be worthy of recognition.
To keep the process simple, additional award categories may be created at our discretion to best reflect the scripts received.
The Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards may create, add, combine, amend, or remove award categories at its discretion to ensure submissions are recognised in the most appropriate way.
All awards are determined by the awards body, its judges, or its appointed selection panel based on artistic, technical, and storytelling merit.
The Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards does not operate:
Audience voting
People’s choice awards
Random prize draws
Raffles
Lucky door prizes
Chance-based awards
No production, public reading, performance, representation, development opportunity, or industry placement is guaranteed.
Selected writers may receive official laurels and recognition through the Sweeping Plains platform.
The Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards reserves the right to determine eligibility, category placement, selection status, and award outcomes at its discretion.
By submitting, you confirm that you hold all necessary rights and permissions for the script and its contents.
All submitted material remains the property of the writer or writers. The Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards does not claim ownership of any submitted script.
Submission fees are non-refundable.
Submission to the Sweeping Plains Screenplay Awards constitutes acceptance of these Rules & Terms.
