Nevada Film Office Accepting Submissions for 24th Annual Screenwriters Competition

The 24th Annual Screenwriters Competition of the Nevada Film Office (NFO) is open for submissions until Aug. 31, 2011. Screenwriters may send PDF or hard copies of their screenplays and other required documents for the competition. The downloadable Submission Release Form and Payment Form are available online at the NFO website . If unable to print the documents from the site, an email, snail mail, or fax request may be requested by calling 1-877-NEV-FILM toll free.

General Guidelines

An entry must be a full-blown script using industry format and should be between 90 to 130 pages in length. Submitted entry should be final, as corrected pages or new drafts will not be accepted. It must be unsold and not previously produced or optioned. Locations in the story must be at least 75 percent filmable in Nevada. The material should also be non-pornographic.

PDF Submissions

For PDF submissions, an entrant must email the script as attachment at screenwriters@nevadafilm.com . For the purpose of anonymity during the judging process, each entry must have the screenplay's title as the email subject line and there should be no identifying information about the entrant on the title page or any other page of the script. An automatically generated email reply will acknowledge receipt of an entry.

The writer must include an additional attachment of a separate information sheet mentioning the script title, author's name, address, contact numbers, website, and other personal and contact details. There should also be a notation of the copyright or the Writers Guild of America (WGA) registration. The Submission Release and Payment Forms must be printed and signed, along with the remitted payment (check or money order), to the NFO mailing address: Nevada Film Office (c/o Screenwriting Competition), 555 E. Washington Ave. Suite 5400 Las Vegas, NV 89101.

Hard Copy Submissions

For hard copy submissions, an entrant must print out a copy of the script, which should follow the same requirements as PDF submissions. Only scripts with three-hole punched pages and bound with two or three metal fasteners will be accepted. A separate information sheet, along with the filled out Submission Release and Payment Forms and the remitted payment, must also be included in the package. These documents must be sent to the same NFO mailing address as the PDF documentary submissions. Mailed submissions may only be acknowledged through certified return receipt mail, which should be requested by the mailer.

Submission Fees

An entry fee of $25 per script is required for a PDF submission. Meanwhile, a fee of $50 is required for a hard copy submission. Fees are non-refundable. Payments should be made payable to the Nevada Film Office/CED. As there is no limit to the number of entries a person can submit, when sending more than one entry, each one should have a separate Submission Release Form. For more inquiries, writers can contact the NFO at 877-638-3456 or 702-486-2711 or email lvnfo@nevadafilm.com .

Judging

Judges for the competition will include industry professionals, mainly writers and story analysts from a script service company. Each submitted script will receive a score sheet and notes with constructive criticism about the work. Feedback will focus on the script's characterization, conflict, pace, theme, title, and marketability. These will be made available at the close of the competition.

Winning Script

The winning script will receive a complimentary posting of the logline, synopsis, and full script on InkTip.com, a premier screenwriting marketplace; two complimentary roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines; two complimentary room nights at Red Rock Resort Las Vegas; and membership eligibility to the Independent Writers Caucus of the Writer's Guild of America West (WGAW). The script will also be eligible for consideration for pitching to various production companies.

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