• significant financial reward - our winner receives $10,000 cash plus all other finalists receive a cash award as well
• industry recognition - we promote the winners in a number of ways including an ad in the Hollywood Reporter; an international press release to newspapers, TV  stations, radio stations and magazines; direct mailings to more than 6,500 studios and production companies; and the presentation of awards at the ASA Screenwriting Hall of Fame Awards during the San Diego Film Festival / ASA International Screenwriters Conference
• writer development - finalists receive a full script consultation or script critique from a top Hollywood script consultant; the winner receives a script development trip to Hollywood or our San Diego conference; and we get the winning scripts into the hands of Hollywood decision makers from studios to production companies, and agents to managers
• student support - for all full-time students entering our competition, we offer a discounted entry fee AND in addition to having your script considered in the regular competition, we will also have your script judged in a special side competition (at no extra cost) where your script competes against other student entries. The winning student entry receives $500 cash!

Click here to enter your information for on-line, mail in and student entries

Student Entry Information

FIRST PLACE PRIZE: $20,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES

• $10,000 cash
• Free Networking and Script Development trip to Hollywood or Free registration in the 2007 ASA International Screenwriters Conference, VIP festival pass, and presentation of your award(s) at the ASA Screenwriting Hall of Fame Awards during the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival in 2008.
• Round-trip Airfare * 
• Lodging **
• Rental Car **
• A personal development meeting with at least four (4) production companies, producers and/or agents: 
• A script consult package from Michael Hauge who will read your script and provide 3 hours of one-on-one coaching 
• A script critique lunch reviewing your script with a leading Hollywood script reader, who will assist in providing additional ideas for marketing your work (you will receive the script critique in advance of coming to LA so you can rework your script prior to meeting with producers)
• Advertisement promoting you and your winning script in The Hollywood Reporter 
• Names and log lines of the winner and all finalists will be announced via ASA press release to the media, trade publications, studios, and more than 6,500 agents and producers, and will be posted at www.goasa.com, which is viewed by more than 2 million people a year!
• The Mick Caswell Screenwriting Award, presented at the ASA Screenwriting Hall of Fame Awards during the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival
• Final Draft software 
• A pitch coaching session from Michael Hauge to guide you on how to best get people to read your script through effective pitching techniques. 
• DVD version of The Hero's 2 Journey's with Michael Hauge and Christopher Vogler. 
• An e-mail announcement about your winning screenplay to 6,500 industry professionals courtesy of InkTip.com 
• One free registration in a comprehensive 10 week Gotham Writer's Workshop class 
• Placement of your logline, treatment, synopsis and script on Ink.Tip.com's password protected web site 
• Inclusion of your logline (pitch) for your screenplay in Ink.Tip.com's printed publication, which is mailed to 5,000 industry professionals
• One year Professional membership in the American Screenwriters Association
• One year subscription to Moviemaker Magazine
• Two free books from Michael Wiese Productions

SECOND PLACE: $4,100 IN CASH AND PRIZES

$1,000 cash

Advertisement promoting you and your winning script in The Hollywood Reporter

Script Consult Notes by Rob Tobin. Includes 10-15 pages of detailed analysis of every facet of the script including suggestions for improvement. The real world analysis will include a description of what elements are working and what's not, and why. 

Names and log lines of the winner and all finalists will be announced via ASA press release to the media, trade publications, more than 5000 agents and producers and will be posted at www.goasa.com, which is viewed by more than one million people a year!

Free registration to  the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival VIP pass, and presentation of your award(s) at the ASA Screenwriting Hall of Fame Awards during the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival

Final Draft software

A pitch coaching session from Michael Hauge  who will guide you on how to best get people to read your script through effective pitching techniques. 

A CD version of THE HERO'S 2 JOURNEYS with Michael Hauge  and Christopher Vogler.

An autographed copy of Rob Tobin's book, Screenwriting: the Formula

An e-mail announcement about your winning screenplay to 6,500 industry professionals courtesy of InkTip.com 

Placement of your logline, treatment, synopsis and script on Ink.Tip.com's password protected web site 

Inclusion of your logline (pitch) for your screenplay in Ink.Tip.com's printed publication, which is mailed to 5,000 industry professionals 

One year Professional membership in the American Screenwriters Association

One year subscription to Moviemaker Magazine

Two free books from Michael Wiese Productions

• $500 cash
• Advertisement promoting you and your winning script in The Hollywood Reporter 
• Full script evaluation from David Trottier 
• A pitch coaching session from Michael Hauge who will guide you on how to best get people to read your script through effective pitching techniques. 
• Names and log lines of the winner and all finalists will be announced via ASA press release to the media, trade publications, more than 5000 agents and producers and will be posted at www.goasa.com, which is viewed by more than one million people a year!
• Free registration to  the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival VIP pass, and presentation of your award(s) at the ASA Screenwriting Hall of Fame Awards during the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival
• Final Draft software
• Michael Hauge’s book, Writing Screenplays That Sell. 
• An e-mail announcement about your winning screenplay to 6,500 industry professionals courtesy of InkTip.com
• Placement of your logline, treatment, synopsis and script on Ink.Tip.com's password protected web site 
• Inclusion of your logline (pitch) for your screenplay in Ink.Tip.com's printed publication, which is mailed to 5,000 industry professionals
• Names and log lines of the winner and all finalists will be announced via ASA press release to the media, trade publications, more than 5000 agents and producers and will be posted at www.goasa.com, which is viewed by more than one million people a year!
• One year Professional membership in the American Screenwriters Association
• One year subscription to Moviemaker Magazine
• Two free books from Michael Wiese Productions

• $250 cash
• Advertisement promoting you and your winning script in The Hollywood Reporter 
• Script critique from Kenneth J. Rotcop (www.pitchmart.com ) who will critique the script and when he thinks it is ready he will try to help get the author a top literary agent who is a signator with the WGA.
• Names and log lines of the winner and all finalists will be announced via ASA press release to the media, trade publications, more than 5000 agents and producers and will be posted at www.goasa.com, which is viewed by more than one million people a year!
• Free registration to  the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival VIP pass, and presentation of your award(s) at the ASA Screenwriting Hall of Fame Awards during the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival
• Final Draft software 
• One free copy of The Screenwriter's Bible
• An e-mail announcement about your winning screenplay to 6,500 industry professionals courtesy of InkTip.com
• Placement of your logline, treatment, synopsis and script on Ink.Tip.com's password protected web site 
• Inclusion of your logline (pitch) for your screenplay in Ink.Tip.com's printed publication, which is mailed to 5,000 industry professionals
• One year Professional membership in the American Screenwriters Association
• One year subscription to Moviemaker Magazine
• Two free books from Michael Wiese Productions

• $100 cash
• Advertisement promoting you and your winning script in The Hollywood Reporter 
• Script critique from Blake Snyder  who will work with the author on content and structure, beginning with the log line and discuss the "15 beats" on which he will coach the fifth place finalist.
• Names and log lines of the winner and all finalists will be announced via ASA press release to the media, trade publications, more than 5000 agents and producers and will be posted at www.goasa.com, which is viewed by more than one million people a year!
• Free registration to  the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival VIP pass, and presentation of your award(s) at the ASA Screenwriting Hall of Fame Awards during the ASA International Screenwriters Conference and San Diego Film Festival
• Final Draft software
• An e-mail announcement about your winning screenplay to 6,500 industry professionals courtesy of InkTip.com 
• Placement of your logline, treatment, synopsis and script on Ink.Tip.com's password protected web site 
• Inclusion of your logline (pitch) for your screenplay in Ink.Tip.com's printed publication, which is mailed to 5,000 industry professionals 
• One year Professional membership in the American Screenwriters Association
• One year subscription to Moviemaker Magazine
• Two free books from Michael Wiese Productions

QUARTERFINALISTS will receive a free script critique through ASA's script critique serviced valued at $100. Quarterfinalists also receive a discounted registration fee for the ASA International Screenwriters Conference/San Diego Film Festival and advanced sign-up privileges to this limited attendance event!

STUDENTWINNER in the student category receives $500 cash

Preparing Your Entry:
1. You may enter as many scripts as you like, but each must be accompanied by a separate Official Entry Form or facsimile thereof and the required entry fee (check or money order made payable to Gotham Writers Workshop). If submitting more than one script, you may mail all entries in the same envelope and write one check for the total entry fee, but remember to attach a separate Official Entry Form to each script. You may mail separate entries in separate envelopes as well.

2. Your screenplay must be in English, original and unproduced (unproduced means that your script has not been purchased for production or actually produced) at the time of submission. If your script is purchased after submission you can withdraw it from competition but any entry fee is non-refundable due to staff time involved with processing the script, bank charges to process your entry fee and judge time involved with scoring your script. Optioned scripts are acceptable for entry.

3. Screenplays must be properly bound (white cover stock front and back with brass brads) and written in standard screenplay format. Your entry must adhere to industry standards (if you're not sure we highly recommend The Screenwriters Bible as a resource). Scripts must be between 80-130 pages in length but we will give you leeway of a few pages either way if your script is just under 80 pages or just over 130 pages. All pages other than the first page should be numbered, and please no writing on the spine of the script. For more details on standard formatting, please visit http://www.goasa.com/scriptformatting.shtml. 

International Entries: The use of A4 paper is acceptable for entries outside the USA where A4 paper is the standard.

4. Please do not put your name or other identifying information (address, script registration number, etc.) on the title page or anywhere in your script. We want the judges to read and score your script anonymously so it's best they don't know who wrote the script they are judging.

5. No additional materials, such as illustrations or casting suggestions, should be attached. We appreciate your creativity but it doesn't enhance the reading and judging of your script.

6. Script collaborations are allowed, however, each writer must sign the application form (there are multiple lines for co-writers at the bottom of the form), and the work must be the sole and exclusive property of the collaborators. 

7. Substitutions of new drafts for entries once received will be not accepted under any circumstances. We have to do this because your script is processed immediately upon receipt and given to a judge for reading, so we cannot accept new versions of the same script once submitted.

8. We highly recommend you don't send your only original copy of the script. Materials will not be returned.

9. You do not need to include a synopsis, treatment or logline with your script entry.

10. Writer(s) retain ALL rights for their entry(ies) regardless of if you win or not. The only time you give up any rights on your script is when you sell or option it, and only then the rights agreed to in the sale or option. Winner, finalists, quarterfinalists and all entrants in our competition retain all rights to their script when entering our competition.

11. Adaptations are acceptable for entry in our competition as long as you have all the appropriate and/or required approvals/waivers/permissions from any and all right holders. If you are unsure please consult an entertainment attorney for your own protection.

12. You will be emailed confirmation of your entry within 7-14 business days of receipt of your entry to the email address you provide. At higher processing times (usually closer to our entry deadline(s) the confirmation time may be longer.

13. Our competition is currently for FEATURE FILM scripts only; we are not accepting television, documentary or short film scripts at this time.

14. Your script may not have won more than $5,000 in other competition(s) earnings to be eligible for competition prizes.

* ASA member discount rate applies to Professional and Platinum members who's membership is paid and up to date. At this time the discounted membership rate does not apply to free Associate memberships. If you are not currently an ASA member you can join by clicking here and receive the discount entry rate.

Early Entry Deadline: Postmarked by October 31, 2007

Final Entry Deadline: Postmarked by November 30, 2007

First Round Judging: December 1, 2007 - February 28, 2008

Quarterfinalists Announced: March 18, 2008 or earlier

Quarterfinalist Round Judging: March 18, 2008 - April 15, 2008

Semifinalists Announced: April 30, 2008 or earlier

Semi-Finalist and Finalist Round Judging: April 15, 2008 - May 31, 2008

Semi-Finalists and Finalists Announced: Finalists will be announced at the end of Final Round of judging.

Note: We make every effort to adhere to our timeline. However, sometimes due to circumstances beyond our control, the timeline may be altered without notice to allow for adequate judging time, notification time and/or the awarding of prizes. Announcement of each round of judging may occur slightly ahead of or behind schedule.

1. Judging will be anonymous. That is, your entry form(s) and screenplay(s) will be assigned corresponding numbers, and your screenplay(s) will be identifiable to the judges by number and title of your script only. Please do not put your name or other identifying information (address, script registratration number, etc.) on the title page or anywhere in your script. 

2. Judges' decisions are final. Prizes are non-transferable.

3. We cannot return submitted scripts. However, to receive notification of the receipt of your manuscript, send a self-addressed stamped postcard along with your entry. Additionally, if you provide an email address (which we highly recommend), you will receive an email confirmation your script was received.

4. The following are not permitted to enter the contest: employees of  the American Screenwriters Association, or Gotham Writers Workshop faculty and staff and their immediate family members. 

5. Individuals active in the film and screenwriting community will conduct preliminary judging. The top scoring scripts will continue to the Quarterfinal Round. Quarterfinalists will be posted on the ASA Web site prior to March 31, 2008. An announcement will also be sent out in the ASA e-newsletter, Script Notes (if you are not on the ASA newsletter list, go to our home page and sign up).

6. The Quarterfinal scripts will be re-read and re-judged. Semi Finalists and Finalists will be selected. 

7. A panel of industry experts and screenwriting professionals will conduct the final round of judging. (A list of previous judges is available on the ASA web site.) The First Place Prize Winner and Second through Fifth place winners will be announced at the ASA International Screenwriters Conference, and on the web at www.goasa.com. Prizes will be mailed by or after the conference in late September 2008.

8. In the event a collaborative screenplay is selected as a finalist, the writers must determine who will receive the prizes. Only one prize package per finalist placement will be awarded.

ASA strives to get your script, logline and/or synopsis into as many industry decision maker's hands as possible. Some of the process occurs through direct mail promotion, email promotions, posting on ASA web site and use of Inktip.com. You should always keep us apprised of anyone who asks to read your script and especially if your script gets optioned or purchased!

Questions?
Got questions? No problem! For common script submission problems and script formatting guidelines use these helpful links. For other questions, contact us via email screenplay@write.org or review our Frequently Asked Questions web page.
 

TO ENTER YOUR SCRIPT ON-LINE:

TO ENTER YOUR SCRIPT AND PAY BY MAIL: 
Click the links below for an entry form, print it, complete it, and send it with your screenplay and entry fee to: