Submission period: May 1- August 31, 2012

General Guidelines:

1. Competition open to all unsold screenwriters. Material to be © or WGA registered but not previously produced, sold or optioned.

2. At least 75% of the locations in the script must be filmable in Nevada.

3. No materials other than a standard feature length motion picture screenplay will be accepted. To avoid disqualification, please do NOT submit correspondence, books, short stories, articles, stage plays, treatments, synopses, audio or visual items, etc.

4. Material cannot be pornographic.

5. Scripts must be typed in standard industry script format and must be between 90 minimum and 130 maximum pages in length. If you do not own Screenwriting software, there are several books and websites available on the proper way to format a screenplay.

6. Submitted materials will not be returned.

7. Substitutions of corrected pages or new drafts of the entry screenplay will not be considered.

8. Submission period May 1 thru August 31.

9. No limit to the number of scripts a writer may submit. Entry fee is $25.00 per script when submitted in PDF (Portable Document File) format and $50.00 per script if submitted in hard copy format. (Note: Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter, Movie Outline and other screenwriting software have this capability) Checks or money orders payable to: Nevada Film Office / CED. Each script requires its own separate submission release form. All entry fees are non-refundable.

10. Screenplays will be judged anonymously. Only one screenplay will be selected as the 1st place “Best Screenplay” winner. All decisions are FINAL.

11. Disqualified scripts that do not meet the criteria specified here and on the website will not be judged or eligible for refund. All qualifying scripts entered will receive comments and scoring from judges based on the following categories: Structure, Writing Quality, Story, Dialogue, Characterization, Conflict, Pace, Theme, Title and Marketability.

12. “Best Screenplay” winner will be notified by telephone and all others will be notified by mail on or before December 31st each year. NOTIFICATION DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE and may be in January if script judging takes more time than anticipated.

Submission Guidelines:

13. Hardcopy scripts submissions must be 3-hole punched pages and bound with two or three metal fasteners. Loose pages will not be accepted.

14. All script submissions (pdf and hardcopy) must have a cover page with only the title of the script, and a separate information page, listing:(a) script title, (b) author's name, address, telephone number(s), fax, e-mail address, website, etc. if available, and  (c) Notation of copyright or WGA registration.

15. For acknowledgment of receipt of a hardcopy script submission, please send materials by certified return receipt mail. If you submit electronically using the email address provided below,  you will receive an email reply that is automatically generated  upon the receipt of your email.

16. A completed and signed submission release form must accompany each script, which will allow judges to read your material. Without the release form, your script(s) cannot be considered.

PDF SUBMISSIONS

• For PDF submissions please email your script as an attachment to the following email address after May 1, 2012:  screenwriters@nevadafilm.com.

  Put the title of your screenplay in the subject line of the email.

• The first page of your script should be the title page, with NO IDENTIFYING information about the author. (This is why a separate information form is requested; this allows anonymity during the judging process.)

• Please attach a separate information sheet as mentioned above, which includes: (a) script title (b) author’s name, address, telephone number(s), fax, email, website, etc (c) Notation of copyright or WGA registration.

• Fill out the submission release and payments forms in the box above and remit with payment to the Nevada Film Office mailing address listed below.

HARDCOPY SUBMISSIONS

• For hardcopy submissions, mail script, information sheet and submission release form, payment and information page to the NFO mailing address indicated below.

Fill out the Submission Release Form by typing in your information, then print and sign it, and send it in with payment (check or money order only, please) to the following address:

If you can’t print from our site, call us TOLL FREE at 1-877-NEV-FILM and we'll e-mail, snail mail or fax you the information!

JUDGING

All judging decisions are final. Contest applicants must accept without reservation the decisions rendered by the judges. Any attempt to contact the judges directly or indirectly, will result in disqualification.

Judging for the 2012 Nevada Screenplay Competition will be done by experienced, professional writers and story analysts from a script service company.

2012 WINNER PRIZE PACKAGE (Pending)

The winning script will be eligible for consideration to be pitched to production companies willing to read the winning script. Winner will also receive  a complimentary posting of logline, synopsis and full script on the premier  screenwriting marketplace InkTip.com, two (2) complimentary roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines and two (2) complimentary room nights at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas*

* Some restrictions may apply