Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition

Rules

1. Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only.
2. There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
3. Entries must be received on or before the deadlines and payment made in full at time of the submission.
4. All submitted material must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).
5. Material must be submitted by the writer.
6. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other.
7. If a writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project.
8. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money.
9. If a writing team is chosen as the Grand Prize winner, representation will be offered to the writing team.
10. Each applicant will receive an e-mail notifying them of the writing competition results.
11. Substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered material are not allowed.
12. It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition.

ELIGIBILITY:

1. All writers are eligible. However, a writer who has earned more than $25,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding year is not. (Contest winnings not included.) Professional writing services shall refer to screenplay options, sales or writing assignments in the Film or Television Industry.
2. All ages from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be in English.
3. All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible.
4. There are no requirements as to when the material was written.
5. The material submitted must not be optioned, published, produced or purchased prior to entering the competition.
6. Any submitted work that becomes optioned, published, produced or purchased between the time of submission and the end of the judging period will no longer be eligible.
7. Material should be submitted in its proper format, font, spacing and margins.
8. Adaptations are ineligible unless the underlying rights are owned by the writer or the work is in the public domain.
9. Feature Screenplays longer than 130 pages will not be eligible.
10. All material must be submitted as a Word doc, PDF or in Final Draft or it will not be eligible.
11. Previous Grand Prize Winners, clients of Attraction Entertainment and employees of Fresh Voices past or present, are not eligible to enter.

FAQs

Screenplay competitions are a great way to break through the Hollywood gridlock, to be heard and recognized. However, there are some points to consider when deciding whom to entrust with your material.

What happens if I win and what does winning do for my career?

More than just a competition, winning Fresh Voices is a great launching pad for any writer looking to start a career writing full time. Being a Fresh Voices finalist is seen as a great validation of your writing skills industry wide and we are committed to your success.

Great material deserves a great strategy. Fresh Voices will work with the Grand Prize Winner to discuss a targeted approach that is unique to the material and the writer. All winners receive on-going support and consultation.

Who is reading my material?

Fresh Voices has a team of readers who assess the first round of judging. Our second round of judging is done by a small team of in-house judges. These judges are the same people who prepare coverage and story notes for the most prominent agencies, producers and studios in Hollywood.

Our competition is not administered by other writers, consultants, readers, or ex-executives out of touch with today's realities. We are knowledgeable, well connected industry professionals in the business of discovering new writers and introducing them to the industry.

How do I know I am getting an equal shot?

All judging is done in-house by a small team who each judge according to the same process and criteria to ensure a clear and transparent process. No one judge reads the same material twice.

We also have multiple categories and awards. We do not throw all scripts into one pile as there is no fair way to compare a low budget independent drama to a high concept action film.

Fresh Voices scores every screenplay using our unique 15 point Evaulation System to bring a consistency to the scoring process.

How do I know my material is actually being read?

Fresh Voices offers your Judge's 1pg Scorecard and Feedback for only $50 with entry. We also offer a more in depth 5 pg. script analysis if you choose. 

How do I know my idea is not going to be ripped off?

As a writer your two greatest assets are your material and your talent and both must be nurtured and protected. We take great care in how your material is handled, and seek to protect our writers. While not obligatory, we recommend you take these two simple steps.

1. Register your material with the Writers Guild of America or the Copyright Office.
2. Download our submission agreement which ensures we won't run off with your script.

We do all reading and judging in-house to protect the integrity of your material. By signing our submission agreement, we agree to not share your material with anyone until we have a conversation with you, the writer, and determine a strategy moving forward.

Am I giving up any rights to my material?

Absolutely not, but be ready to if a producer expresses interest in optioning it. You retain all rights in your material until then.

If you have any more questions please contact us.