Julie Gray, Partner

Expired. Previous Deadline: 06/01/2010
Contact contest for this year's deadline.

Quarterfinalists: July 1st, 2010. Semis: Aug. 1st. Finalists: Aug. 25th. Grand Prize: Sept., 2010.

In our never-ending quest to make you a better writer, The Script Department created a screenwriting competition like no other. Even with over $10,000 in prizes, we reward our entrants with something even more precious than silver or gold - a chance to kick start a career. The Grand Prize winner will fly to Los Angeles, stay at a four-star hotel on the Sunset Strip, dine with an A-list writer (our 2008 winner, Hilary Graham, dined with David Arrata Academy Award Nominated co-writer of Children of Men and Steve Faber, co-writer of Wedding Crashers) have a day of three meetings with three managers, enjoy cocktails with The Script Department at the Chateau Marmont and have the experience of a lifetime. And that's on top of winning a MacBook Air, an iPhone and tons of other great prizes. Meeting a deadline, receiving validation, making valuable connections AND winning some great stuff - it doesn't get better than that.

• Golden Age

Applicants over 18 years old

$49 (by May 15, 2010); $59 (by June 1st, 2010)  wsPro $5 Discount 

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Screenplays must:

• be written in English
• be an original feature script
• be between 30 and 130 pages
• have numbered pages
• be in standard format

Any genre is accepted.

Multiple submissions are accepted as long as each is accompanied with an application and the entry fee.

Only one copy, draft or version of any single screenplay may be submitted by any entrant or entrants. Under no circumstances will substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entry screenplays be allowed.

Collaborative work undertaken by two writers is eligible. Collaborative work by three or more writers is not eligible. All prizes will be split 50-50 by collaboraters.

Entering the competition constitutes permission to use finalists' names and likeness for publicity and promotions with no additional compensation. We reserve the right to publicize and promote any and all progress, development and success of the entered scripts.

Partners, affiliated members and employees of The Script Department and their immediate families are not eligible, nor are competition judges and their immediate families.

No applicant may have earned money or other consideration as a screenwriter for theatrical films or television, or for the sale of, or sale of an option to, any original story, treatment, screenplay or teleplay for more than $8,000. Applicants may not have received a screenwriting fellowship or prize which includes a ''first look'' clause, an option or any other quid pro quo involving the writer's work.

Adaptations of previously written work are not acceptable. The only exception being if the writer had adapted his/her own unpublished work. Material adapted from a previously published source to which the author has secured the rights, such as a novel, short story, or play, is ineligible.

The judges' decisions are final. The Silver Screenwriting Competition reserves the right to substitute prizes for other prizes of equal monetary value. Scripts may be disqualified for not adhering to the rules and requirements. No refund will be issued for disqualified scripts.

In an effort to make a contribution toward a better environment, The Silver Screenplay Competition is a paperless contest. We only accept scripts and payments electronically through Withoutabox. Do not mail scripts or payments.

All monetary prizes will be paid in US dollars.

The airfare portion of the travel to Los Angeles for the Grand Prize winner is limited to $500 and will only be awarded if the winner lives more than 200 miles outside of Los Angeles. International fliers will have a $750 limit.

The Grand Prize winner must work within the schedule and time constraints of the special guests and managers donating their time.

Travel Stipend for the winners of Killer Screenwriting will only be paid to the winners if they live more than 25 miles away from the location of the class they attend.

All participants will be automatically registered for the Script Department Newsletter. Clear instructions on how to unsubscribe are available or those who prefer not to receive it.

All submissions must be processed through Without a Box and adhere to the submission process and procedures.

GRAND PRIZE

• MacBook Air
• Round trip flight to Los Angeles
• Lunch with SHANE BLACK
• A one-on-one conversation via Skype with Chris Sparling, writer of red hot Sundance feature BURIED, starring Ryan Reynolds
• 3 nights accommodations
• A meeting with Kristen Campo, CE, Fuse Entertainment
• A day of meetings with 2 managers
• $3,000  in cash
• Pilar Alessandra's 12 Week online Weekly Workshop
• A free 30 minute phone consult with Karl Iglesias
• A copy of Save the Cat Goes to the Movies PLUS the Save the Cat software package

SECOND PRIZE

• TSD Story Notes with Julie Gray
• $500 gift certificate to The Writer's Store
• Two manager reads of your work
• Two production company reads.
• $1,000 in cash
• A copy of Save the Cat Goes to the Movies

THIRD PRIZE

• Free 3 Reader Service from the Script Department
• $250 gift certificate from the Writer's Store
• ''What comes next'' phone consultation with Julie Gray
• Two manager reads of your work
• Two production company reads.
• $750 in cash
• A copy of Save the Cat Goes to the Movies

In addition, the Top Ten Finalists will all receive an invaluable, free one year subscription to It's On the Grid, a cash value of over $3,000!