The Chicago Film Office, Rubinstein Law, and Emanuel Congregation present a new screenwriting competition for Chicago-based feature and television scripts.
Accepting Features and TV Pilots
The Chicago Film Office, Rubenstein Law Firm, and Emanuel Congregation present the Chicago Social Justice Screenwriting Competition. This competition aims to further the voice of the disenfranchised though narrative media and shine light on social justice issues currently not on the forefront of narrative film and TV. Contestants should submit a thought-provoking screenplay with a personal voice and individualized style centered around social justice and/or equality.
“The prizes include $25K of in kind services to help in the production of the project.” said Chicago Film Office Director, Kwame Amoaku.
Finalists will meet in Chicago on November 1st for a pitch competition with industry professionals. The winner will receive $25,000.00 in in-kind services to assist in the production of their screenplay.
RULES:
- All writers of submitted material must be 18 years of age or older on the date of submission.
- Writers who reside in countries other than the United States are welcome to enter the contest; however, all scripts must be submitted in English
- Scripts must be the original work of the author(s) and on the date of submission must be wholly owned and controlled by the author(s).
- Only original screenplays and teleplays are eligible for awards. Novels, short stories, stage plays, treatments, synopses, reality show concepts and spec scripts for existing TV series are not accepted in the contest.
- Adaptations of books, plays, or any other source material written by another author are not eligible under any circumstances. A script that you have adapted from your own book, play, or other source material is eligible if you have retained all film and television rights to the property.
- Subject matter must be social justice and equality.
- The contest and its administrators are not responsible for submissions or entry fees that are lost, stolen, or damaged in transit, and we cannot return scripts or refund entry fees once they have been submitted.
- Once a script has been entered in the competition, under no circumstances will we accept substitutions of new drafts or corrected pages. If you wish to submit a revised draft of your screenplay, you must enter it as a new submission and pay the appropriate entry fee. (PLEASE NOTE: We do understand that you want the Judges to have the opportunity to read your very best work; therefore, as a special courtesy, if you advance to the Semi-Final Round of the contest you will be invited to send us the latest draft of your script for the final two rounds of judging completely free of charge. So, do keep revising and refining your script as the spirit moves!)
- Scripts should be written in standard spec screenplay or teleplay format, set in 12-point Courier font.
- 75% or more of the screenplay must take place in Chicago.
CLICK HERE for information and entry.
