FAQ / Rules / Coverage Release
Top Ten Finalist Feedback:
Your initiative is visionary and extremely helpful to newcomers in the business. It’s exciting and informative and I highly commend and thank you for it.
Lynn Santer
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Fees and Deadlines
- $45 – Early Deadline- November 30, 2024
- $55 – Standard Deadline- January 31, 2025
- $65 – Final Deadline- June 1, 2025
- $75 – Extended Deadline- June 17, 2025
Year Eleven Winners announced July 2025
Dates reflect deadlines for electronic submission of scripts.
Screenplay Contest Submissions
The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition only accepts online fees and entries. Scripts must be in PDF format. PDF converter here if needed.
Please follow Hollywood industry format, examples here.
Each script submission must include a logline and a minimum 1 page, maximum 3 page synopsis. Please follow sample here.
TV Pilot entries also require a synopsis. Short Films under 25 pages do not require a synopsis.
Each submission should consist of either:
*A full-length screenplay (approximately 80 to 120 pages, 150 maximum) or,
*A standard 30 or 60 minute TV Pilot.
*Short Films may be 1 to 49 pages.
Scripts do not need to be registered WGA but we recommend it.
Title Page– to be fair to all writers, Title and any WGA/copyright info only on title page, NO writer(s) name or contact info. This is captured on entry form. Do NOT include personally identifying information (name, etc.) on ANY page of your script or synopsis.
Do not include resumes, casting suggestions, letters, or other supporting documentation with your submission.
Script file name must contain Title only e.g., “Terminator.pdf”
Script synopsis file name format e.g., “TerminatorSynopsis.pdf”
Multiple Entries
Entrants may submit multiple entries of same script to different genre categories. Each submission must include its own entry and must include a separate file and separate entry fee. Entries will be considered for the genre prize in each category entered, as well as for the other prizes.
Eligibility
The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition is international and open to any individual who is 18 years of age or older at the date of entry and has access to the Internet.
Employees, officers, directors, contractors and agents and their immediate families of the Capital Fund Screenplay Competition and its respective divisions, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents are not eligible to enter.
Scripts are not eligible if the source material has been sold, produced, or is currently under option to any third party. Adaptations are not eligible unless the source material was written by the screenwriter of the entry in question or screenwriter has written permission from original author. Works of public domain origin are eligible.
Gold Circle Prize winners are not eligible to re-enter the winning script in future Capital Fund Screenplay Competitions. They are, however, eligible to enter different scripts for consideration.
Co-Writers/Prize Division
Screenplays written by up to four people may be entered in the contest. Only one entry fee is required for such entries. All writers’ names should be listed on the online entry, no pen names may be used. All writers must authorize submission of the entry. By clicking Submit, you attest all writers authorize the submission.
All cash awards will be split equally between all writers. If there are multiple writers, only those writers listed on entry form may join the single conference phone call consultation prize awarded to each winning script.
Revisions/Resubmissions/Refunds
If the script is rewritten during the entry submission period, the writer(s) may resubmit a script as a new entry for consideration in the contest. A resubmitted script is treated as a new entry and requires an entry fee.
Revisions or missing pages will not be accepted under any circumstances once an entry has been received. No material received will be returned.
Once an entry has been submitted and payment has been processed no refunds will be issued. Be SURE you submit the correct file, no refunds will be issued and no scripts accepted via email if you contact us to inform us that you submitted the incorrect file. You will need to re-submit as a new entry if you choose to do so.
Ownership/Release
Capital Fund Screenplay Competition entrants retain all rights to their screenplays.
By entering, you represent and affirm that your entry is an original creative work, and does not infringe, misappropriate or violate the copyright, trademark or other intellectual rights of any third party.
By entering, you acknowledge and agree that the Competition, its Judges, affiliates, organizers receive numerous submissions of ideas, stories and scripts, and that your entry, and the ideas and stories embodied in it, may be similar or identical to other material already received and/or developed by one or more of the Judges, organizers and/or affiliates. You also agree that you are not entitled to any compensation or credit for use by Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, Judges, organizers and/or affiliates of any such other material.
By agreeing to these Rules and Conditions you agree that you have read the rules and that you have the authorization to submit this screenplay. You further agree that your screenplay is owned by you (and co-author(s)).
VOID where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.
The Capital Fund Screenplay Competition and/or judges’ decisions are final and disqualification can occur. If necessary prize substitution of equal or greater value may occur and is at the sole discretion of the competition and/or judges.
Gold Circle Winners- Option terms and fee amount is determined at the sole discretion of the offering financier. Winner may elect to enter into the option agreement or decline the option offer. If declined, all other prizes in category are still due to such winner.
Potential Winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. The potential Winners will be required to sign and return to Sponsor, within five (5) days of the date notice is sent, an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release (except where prohibited by law) in order to claim their respective Prizes. If a potential Winner of any Prize cannot be contacted, fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period or if the Prize or Prize notification is returned as undeliverable, the potential Winner forfeits the Prize. In the event that a potential Winner of a Prize is disqualified for any reason, Competition may award the applicable prize to an alternate Winner from among all remaining eligible Entries.
Except where prohibited by law, participation in the competition constitutes each Winner’s consent to Competition, organizers and its agents’ use of Winners’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. The entrant shall indemnify and hold harmless Capital Fund Screenplay Competition its employees, contractors, organizers, affiliates, agents and Judges from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim including but not limited to those involving copyright, trademark, credits, and/or publicity of the writing material entered.
Coverage Release
I hereby submit written material(s) to Capital Fund Screenplay Competition,
(hereinafter “you” or “your”):
This material(s), consisting of motion picture or television script(s) (or portions thereof), ideas, logline(s), stories, formats, suggestions, synopses and the like (collectively, the “Project”) is being submitted for analysis/coverage only.
I appreciate your concern that an examination of the Project without a full release of liability might expose you to a claim of plagiarism, or claimed existence of an implied in fact contract or other claim or litigation. Therefore, as an inducement to you to examine, and in consideration of your examination of, the Project, I hereby acknowledge the following understandings and conditions:
• My submission of the Project to you is voluntary, not solicited by you, and not in confidence.
• There is no agreement between us, express or implied, relating to your use of the Project other than for coverage/analysis.
• I will not assert against you, your affiliates, subsidiaries, licensees, organizers, assigns, officers, agents or employees any claim based on plagiarism, infringement, confidential relationship, implied contract, unfair competition or otherwise arising out of any alleged use by you of the Project.
• I am at least eighteen (18) years of age.
• The Project is completely original with me (or to a minor extent in the public domain), I am the sole owner and author of the Project, and have the exclusive right and authority to submit the Project to you upon the terms and
conditions set forth herein, and none of the rights granted herein will libel or defame any third party or otherwise violate the rights of any third party, whether under copyright or otherwise.
• It is my sole responsibility to protect the Project, including filing or registering the Project with the Writers Guild of America or the United States Copyright Office. You have the right to request proof of copyright for the project.
• Literary evaluation is subjective in nature and reasonable people may disagree as to the merits of the Project. You cannot warrant or guarantee that Coverage of the Project will be complimentary or positive in its evaluation.
• You do not purchase literary material and are not agreeing to purchase or to arrange for purchase of the Material.
• I have retained a copy of the Project and do not expect you to return the copy of the Project I submitted to you. I assume full responsibility for any loss, theft or destruction of such copy while it is in your possession or in transit.
• If any provision of this agreement is deemed to be invalid, it shall be considered deleted here from and shall not invalidate the remaining provisions.
This Agreement may not be changed, modified, terminated or discharged except in writing signed by both you and me.
This Agreement, regardless of where executed or performed, shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California applicable to agreements executed and to be wholly performed therein, any action shall be brought in such state and I hereby submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts thereof.
I hereby state that I have read and understand this Agreement; that no oral representations of any kind have been made to me; that there are no prior or contemporaneous oral agreements in effect between us pertaining to the Project; and that this Agreement states our entire understanding.