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Program Description

More Than Just a Screenplay Contest

  • We fly you to the Chicago International Film Festival.
  • You’ll participate in 4 days & nights of films, parties & networking.
  • A director will workshop scenes from your screenplay with professional actors to be performed at a table read during the festival.
  • We celebrate you after the table read with a wine reception.
  • After your exciting week, you’re invited into the ISA Development Program, where we’ll introduce your screenplay to producers, agents & managers to really catapult your career.

A Table Read can help change your script, one of ours can jump-start your career! 

      


TRMS SUCCESS:

2017 OSCAR nominee and TRMS Grand Prize Winner Timo von Gunten to direct Eiffel, an action/heist film that chronicles the exploits of international con man Victor Lustig. Von Gunten’s La Femme et le TGV, TRMS Grand Prize winning romantic drama, is nominated for an Academy Award in the live action shorts category. Read the story or listen to the podcast.



Denise Meyers’s 2015 Table Read My Screenplay - Austin Grand Prize Winning short, The Dark of Night, directed by Robin Wright and starring Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb, had its red carpet premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May.  Meyers also recently optioned three projects with actor and producer Jay Ellis, who stars as Lawrence on HBO'S Insecure, and his producing partner, Aaron Bergman.  

 

Deadlines and Fees

Early
Oct. 05, 2017
Regular
Nov. 01, 2017
Final
Nov. 30, 2017
Category 1
Standard Fee
$0
$0
$0
ISAConnect Fee
$0
$0
$0
Category 2
Standard Fee
$0
$0
$0
ISAConnect Fee
$0
$0
$0
Category 3
Standard Fee
$0
$0
$0
ISAConnect Fee
$0
$0
$0

Program Benefits

GRAND PRIZE WINNER goes to an International Film Festival! 

•  1 FEATURE/PILOT GRAND PRIZE WINNER  
•  1 SHORT GRAND PRIZE WINNER
•  1 ISA CHICAGO WRITER AWARD WINNER

PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES:
  • $1000 Cash Prize
  • Flight & Accommodations to Chicago, IL during the 2017 Chicago International Film Festival in October, 2017.
  • A Director will workshop scenes from your screenplay with Professional Actors to be performed at the TRMS Showcase Presented by the ISA in Chicago.
  • 4 Days of Film Events, Networking and Parties.
  • Special Invitation into the ISA Development Program and ISA Spotlight.
  PLUS:   GRAND PRIZE SHORT WINNER:
  • $500 CASH PRIZE
  • You’ll receive a Table Read recording of your Winning Screenplay by Professional Actors.
  • You’ll receive a Script OR Career Consultation  with a Professional Screenwriting Coach for up to 120 pages from Jacob Krueger Studio ($1000 value)
  • You’ll be announced on The Tracking Board with a dedicated write-up and submitted to over 1,700 Industry Professionals for review.
  • Listed on the ISA website and The Tracking Board as Official ISA Spotlight Selection.
  • All prizes in the Top 10 Category and Semi-Finalist Categories.
INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITERS’ ASSOCIATION CHICAGO WRITER AWARD

TRMS would like to award a special honor in celebration of the local talent. This accolade will be offered to a writer whose hometown and residence is in the city we visit, on this occasion – Chicago.

  • Professional Actors will perform scenes from your screenplay at the TRMS Showcase Presented by the ISA in Chicago.
  • Special Invitation into the ISA Development Program and ISA Spotlight.
  • 1 Year ISA CONNECT Membership ($100 Value)
  • Plus prizes from the Semi-Finalist Categories.
TOP 10 CATEGORY WINNERS

       

TOP 100 OVERALL

American Beauty: Seven Act Structure ($150 value)
w/ Award Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger

This seminar not only breaks down the seven acts of this classic but delves into the motivations of writer Alan Ball; both when he set out to pen this film and upon revising it. Award-Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger discusses the various motivations of the characters in order to show how their organic growth changed the structure of the story we as an audience are told.

EVERYONE WHO ENTERS RECEIVES:

Getting Past the Gatekeepers:
How To Get Producers, Managers, and Agents on the Phone with Award Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger

Announcement Dates

Semi-Finalists

Sept. 07, 2017

Grand Prize / Top 10

Sept. 27, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 Q: What forms of payment do you accept?

A: Paypal and all major credit cards.

 

Q: Can I mail a copy of my Screenplay, Submission Form and Payment?
A: No, we’re sorry. We only accept online submissions and payments at this time.

 

Q: Should I include my contact information on my title page?
A: Yes, but it does not affect judging either way if you forget to include it.

 

Q: Who will be reading my screenplay/judging the contest?
A: The feature/pilot GRAND PRIZE winner will receive coach airfare and hotel accommodations resulting in a four-night stay.

 

Q: Will you fly me to Chciago if I win?
A: The respective GRAND PRIZE winner(s) will receive coach airfare and hotel accommodations resulting in a four-night stay.

 

Q: Does the short GP or local winner get a hotel stay too?
A: No, the Short Grand Prize winner nor the local winner receives airfare or hotel since the local winner will live in/around Chicago. Parking for events will be compensated with a $50 stipend for the week.

 

Q: When will my Table Read be scheduled?
A: It will be in Chicago in October 2017. If the final date as selected by TRMS does not work for the winner, TRMS will not provide any cash value matching for the non-accepted airfare and hotel expenses turned down by the winner. We will be as flexible as possible, but the ultimate decision resides solely with TRMS.

 

Q: Is this contest affiliated with ISA.
A: Yes, TRMS is affiliated with ISA.

 

Q: How will I participate in the Table Read?
A: You sit back, relax, and observe as a director works scenes from your winning screenplay with the actors in preparation for the showcase of your first 20 pages.

 

Q: Do I maintain the rights to my screenplay?
A: Absolutely YES, you retain all the rights to your screenplay!

 

Q: Do I need to submit a Synopsis?
A: No.

 

Q: Can I submit a screenplay under a pen name?
A: Yes.

 

Q: Does my screenplay have to be registered?
A: No, but we do recommend registering your work with the WGA West , the Library of Congress Copyright office or other similar organization in your country. It’s really easy and a VERY smart thing to do.

 

Q: Do you accept TV Pilots, Web Series and Short screenplays?
A: Yes.

 

Q: If I select that I am a Chciago local will I only be considered for the ISA Chicago Writer Award?
A. No, all local writers are eligible for the ISA Chicago Writer Award as well as all other awards listed on the prizes page.

 

Q: I will be moving before October 2017. Am able to change the location category I submitted for during the contest?
A. You are only eligible for the location prize from where you held residence when you submitted. For example, those who submit locally will not be offered airfare if they are suddenly living in another country in October. Please be prepared for this and take your October location into account when submitting. There won’t be any exceptions.

 

Q: What’s the minimum/maximum required page length?
A: Feature – (70 – 120 pages), Shorts – (1 – 40 pages) , TV Pilots – (10 – 60 pages)

 

Q: Does genre matter in my submission?
A: Yes, but only to determine what your goal is for your work. All categories and genres of scripts are in competition with one another.

 

Q: What genres do you accept?
A: All genres are welcome. When submitting, please choose the genre category that BEST suits your screenplay!

 

Q: Can I submit my screenplay in multiple categories?
A: Yes, you can. Each time you submit in each category, you will have to pay the entry fee.

 

Q: If I make the TOP 100 what elements of the screenplay are taken into consideration during the judging?

A: We are looking for excellent Originality, Story, Dialogue, Description and strength of Characters, scripts with their own true Voice, and Marketability.

 

Q: I don’t live in the United States; am I still eligible?
A: Yes, but all submissions MUST BE IN ENGLISH!

 

Q: Are flights paid for by TRMS?
A: Yes, we will purchase an international flight not to exceed $1,500, Domestic flight not to exceed $800. Parking will be compensated for the showcase and panel series events with a flat $50 stipend for the week.

 

Q: If I choose not to fly or stay in your hotel, is there a cash equivalent?
A: No. If you decide not to utilize the flight or hotel, they are simply forfeited.

 

Q: Is an adaptation of a published novel (by somebody else) eligible?
A: You must have the legal rights to adapt the book to enter your screenplay.

 

Q: Can I make a change to a submission?
A: You may make a change to submission within 24 hours of the original submission ONLY.

 

Q: What stops you from taking my idea and developing it yourself?
A: Our panel of judges is comprised of respected industry professionals, and they have no intention of stealing your material. They’re actually hoping to find new talent to work with. If you make it to the TOP 100, your work will be seen by these professionals, which in turn, gets you one step closer to getting your screenplay produced. You can sit at home and protect your ideas all day long hoping for that one right person to come along, or you can get your work out there and show us what you’ve got!

Rules

  • This contest is open to anyone except all employees, directors, associates, and immediate families of the TABLE READ MY SCREENPLAY Contest.
  • Multiple entries are permissible, but each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry form and entry fee.
  • We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. It is our intention that all qualified submissions be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on script-related factors alone.
  • Promotional discounts offered may only be utilized at the time of submission and no partial refund for a promotional code may be issued after an entry has been officially submitted.
  • Once material has been entered, no substitutions of new drafts or corrections will be considered past 24 hours from original submission time and date. After this time you may fill in an entry form and pay the appropriate entry fee to submit any script revisions or changes as many times as you like up until the deadline. You are free to email info@tablereadmyscreenplay.com with a revised logline or contact details at no additional charge.
  • Those that receive free feedback are not eligible to receive a free resubmission, which comes as an option with purchased feedback, unless otherwise noted in the promotion.
  • Table Read My Screenplay cannot guarantee feedback will be received within enough time to resubmit.
  • The writer understands that feedback can take up to 90 days turn-around time and may not be received before the end of the contest.
  • TRMS Feature or Pilot Grand Prize winners from previous seasons may only submit to a contest city outside of the city in which they won and may only submit with a new screenplay. Previous short winners may enter any contest provided they enter a feature next. If a writer wins the Grand Prize in 2 cities they may no longer submit.
  • To be considered as a “local” you must currently reside in or around Chicago. Locals will not receive airfare or hotel.
  • TRMS Top 10 winners may submit again with a completely different screenplay. Those who have placed as a category winner 3 times with three separate screenplays are ineligible to submit in any future contest season.
  • Adaptations from other works are permissible provided you have the writer’s written permission to adapt the work.
  • Adaptations of works in the public domain are permissible, however you are responsible for the legalities of this.
  • Collaborative work is eligible; the writers are responsible for the distribution of the contest prize(s).
  • Writers under the age of 18 years old must have parent or legal guardian’s permission to participate.
  • The work or submitted material must not be in a current option agreement, or may not have been previously sold or produced for profit.
  • Writer understands and accepts without reservation that he/she is an independent contractor and that the contest administrators are not responsible for withholding any taxes or payments on prize money to any government agency, at any level, be it state, local or federal.
  • Writer understands that it is his/her sole responsibility to register material with the U.S. Copyright Office and/or with the Writers Guild of America West or the appropriate agency in his/her country.
  • You must retain at least one copy of the submitted material, and you understand that all material we receive cannot and will not be returned under any circumstances.
  • Recommended length of your work:
    Feature – (70 – 120 pages), Shorts – (1 – 40 pages), TV Pilots – (10 – 60 pages)
  • If a screenplay is submitted for feedback and is over 120 pages, an additional fee of $1 per page will apply and the contestant will be contacted and billed separately for the extra, or only the first 120 pages will be read.
  • All entries must be received by Final Deadline. TRMS reserves the right to extend the contest deadline up to 90 days.
  • TRMS is not responsible for late, lost, unacceptably formatted, corrupt, or incorrect submissions.
  • Contestants may submit their screenplay to any other person, contest, producer, agent, publisher, and/or organization.
  • Contestants retain all rights to their screenplay, subject to the terms and agreements contained herein.
  • TRMS will only accept your submission if you assure us that to the best of your knowledge you are the sole originator of the idea and that you have the legal right to submit it for judging to TRMS.
  • You understand that your logline and/or screenplay will be reviewed by our employees and/or our panel of Industry Judges for evaluation. You also understand that any one of these employees or judges may have been or may be exploring ideas similar to yours and you hereby waive any claim that TRMS, its employees or judges may have misappropriated any ideas or portions of your submission logline or script.
  • No agreement for compensation, other than the TRMS prizes listed, has been implied.
  • TRMS intends to submit the TOP 100 to respected producers upon their request on your behalf with your permission, which will be granted upon clicking the ‘I have Read and Understand the Contest Rules’ button. You can withdraw from this process at any time.
  • When your screenplay, application, and payment have all been received, you will be notified by email only. Please provide an appropriate email address. If your email address changes, it is your responsibility to let us know.
  • By entering this contest and in the event you are declared a TOP 100 finalist (also known as Semi-Finalist), you understand and accept that TRMS will be free to use your name and likeness for advertising or promotional purposes without additional consideration.
  • If you are a GRAND PRIZE Winner, 2nd or 3rd Place overall winner (if applicable), you agree to give TRMS permission to post your video or audio Table Read on its web site.
  • All contest participants understand and agree with the following:
  • TRMS reserves the right to award a cash prize, at its discretion. A Grand Prize Winner is under no obligation to accept the associated prizes but will not be awarded or owed a cash replacement upon electing not to move forward with prizes offered. This includes local winners.
  • International flight not to exceed $1500. Domestic flight not to exceed $800. There is no cash reimbursement for flights that cost more than the limit nor will there be a disbursement of the difference for flights that are less than the $1500 / $800 limit.
  • The Local Grand Prize winner does not qualify for hotel or airfare. They do qualify to have their script read at the applicable venue. A $50 stipend will be given to help with parking and gas for the TRMS events.
  • TRMS may develop a series or documentary style program based on the inner workings of the contest and the production resulting there from. TRMS reserves the right to contact contestants with offers to participate in any such production. Contestants are under no obligation to participate therein.
  • Contest applicants must accept without reservation the decisions rendered by the judges.
  • TRMS has the right to change or add to the prizes at any time, without notice, and/or substitute prizes of equal or lesser value.

Contact Information

submissions@tablereadmyscreenplay.com

8581 Santa Monica Blvd

#438, California, West Hollywood

90069

Program Description

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