If you have any further questions, please visit our FAQ at https://www.atlantafilmfestival.com/screenplay-submission-faq

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition is open to any writer from anywhere in the world. However, the Atlanta Film Festival prides itself on highlighting the work of independent and emerging writers and filmmakers. Therefore, it is preferred, but not required, that applicants have not had previous screenplays produced by non-independent companies or groups.

To be eligible for consideration, submitted screenplays should not be optioned, purchased, or otherwise produced. If your screenplay is optioned, purchased and/or produced during the course of the competition, please contact us immediately.

UPDATED DRAFTS & DUPLICATE SUBMISSIONS

• After a submission is received and processed, updated or revised drafts of that submission or associated screenplays cannot be accepted.

• Applicants can submit as many UNIQUE screenplays as they’d like to the competition. Each submission requires an application, payment, and PDF.

• Duplicate submissions are not allowed. Any duplicate submissions of the same screenplay, with or without revisions, will be disqualified without refund. Please be sure to carefully review and edit your screenplay before submitting.

SUBMISSIONS WITH MULTIPLE WRITERS

Screenplays with more than one author or contributor are eligible, as long as all are identified in the application material. Please make note of each author’s name in your submission. Should a screenplay with two or more writers be named a winner, the award will be divided equally among the authors. A work without adequate attributions may be disqualified.

FORMATTING

Screenplays should be formatted according to general industry standards. Pages should be numbered and must be typed in 12 point Courier font with customary screenplay margins. Entries must be in English. Dialogue in another language is acceptable, so long as an English translation is provided.

While the competition has no specific rules regarding title pages, it is recommended that the title page includes the title, author(s), and any relevant registration or copyright information.

Screenplays must be submitted as a PDF. Any other format will not be accepted and can result in automatic disqualification and a forfeiture of the submission fee.

FEEDBACK

All screenplays will be reviewed by the reading committee and festival staff. Due to the high volume of submissions, feedback, notes, and coverage are not included with entry.

DEADLINES

Please keep track of the deadlines closely to submit within specific submission windows. The only difference in deadlines are the associated submission fees. All deadlines are set for 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time (with the exception of our final deadline on November 3, 2024, at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time).

Any submission with an unpaid balance after a deadline will be required to pay the subsequent deadline’s submission fee. Failure to pay the appropriate fee will result in disqualification without refund. Any entry without a submission fee paid in full by the final deadline will be disqualified.

The full list of deadlines (and associated submission fees) can be found at: atlantafilmfestival.com/submit-your-screenplay.

REFUNDS AND REVISIONS

Once a project is submitted and processed on Coverfy or FilmFreeway we are unable to offer refunds for any reason, including (but not limited to):

- Submission to the wrong category

- Duplicate submissions

- Failure to pay the full submission fee by the final deadline

- Failure to provide a PDF

- Failure to comply with submission Rules & Terms

- Change in Option or Production Status

- Withdrawing your submission for any reason (including changes of heart)

Please be sure to carefully review and edit your screenplay before submitting. Revised or updated drafts cannot be accepted once an entry is received.

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES & PRIZES

Please review all submission categories carefully before submitting your project. All entrants are required to pay the submission fee for their film’s appropriate category. If you believe you have submitted your screenplay to the wrong category, contact us immediately. While we can typically facilitate a change in category, the entrant will be responsible for any changes in submission fees. We cannot offer partial refunds for categories with a lower fee. If the new category has a higher fee, the entrant is responsible for paying the difference. ATLFF reserves the right to determine eligibility of a submission in each respective category. Refunds will not be offered for submission to an incorrect category.

FEATURE SCREENPLAYS can be between 70-130 pages in length. Anything outside of that page range may be disqualified without refund. Feature screenplays of any genre are eligible.

PILOT SCREENPLAYS can be between 10-70 pages in length. Anything outside of that page range may be disqualified without refund. Upon submission, the writer must indicate the nature of the television screenplay: webisode, half-hour, hour, mini-series, comedy, drama, or any combination of the above.

Supplementary materials are not required for Pilot Screenplays. Additionally, the competition cannot guarantee that any supplementary materials will be reviewed. However, you may include supplementary materials in your submission or email them to screenplay@atlantafilmfestival.com. Supplementary materials include, but are not limited to: concept summaries, character descriptions, and future episode summaries.

SHORT FILM SCREENPLAYS can be between 5-40 pages in length. Anything outside of that page range may be disqualified without refund. Short film screenplays of any genre are eligible.

GEORGIA SCREENPLAYS

A discount is available for submissions written by Georgia-based screenwriters. In order to qualify, at least one writer must CURRENTLY reside in the state of Georgia.

Email GA@atlantafilmfestival.com for more information. Please allow up to 7 business days for a response, particularly when approaching a submission deadline.

Please note, submitting with the Georgia Screenplay code makes no difference to the chances of being selected as a winner. This code is intended as a way to support our local filmmaking community by offering a low-cost means of entry (and also makes it easier for us to identify local screenplays within the thousands of submissions we receive each year).

All screenplays submitted with this code must follow all of the rules and terms for the category they submit to. If you submit using this code without meeting the necessary criteria, you will be disqualified from consideration for the festival and will not be issued a refund.

COPYRIGHT

Feature screenplays and television screenplays must be the original work of the writer(s). If the screenplay is based on another person’s life, the writer(s) must also attach a signed statement acknowledging and approving the Life Rights. A screenplay containing copyrighted ideas, characters, or storylines without the proper paperwork will be disqualified without refund of submission fees.

By submitting to the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition you are affirming the following:

• That the screenplay being entered is the sole work of the writer or writers who in totality contributed 100% of the contents of the screenplay.

• That for works written by more than one writer, all writers have agreed to submit the work for consideration or that any collaborators no longer involved and not claiming copyright privileges over the material have relinquished their claim to copyright in writing, proof of which can be provided.

• That the screenwriter(s) has permission to use any work included in the screenplay that they have not written themselves.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

ATLFF regularly uses private, secure third-party software to organize, track, and review submissions. By submitting to our competition, you are authorizing us to include your screenplay in those third-party softwares.

In order to ensure an inclusive and pleasant experience, we do not allow any behavior that conflicts with our official Code of Conduct, including but not limited to: purposefully abusive, discriminatory, inappropriate, disruptive, or otherwise disrespectful behavior towards members of ATLFS staff or attendees of our events. Violation of this Code of Conduct may result in expulsion from ATLFF programs including the annual Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition, as well as other associated events. ATLFF reserves the right to revoke the submission, tickets, and/or credentials of any guest or group, without notice or refund, who violates our Code of Conduct. For our full code of conduct, please visit our website at http://www.atlantafilmsociety.org/code-of-conduct.

The Atlanta Film Festival reserves the right to disqualify any screenplay at any time without refund, even after the competition has ended or prizes have been awarded, at the sole discretion of ATLFF staff. The Atlanta Film Festival also reserves the right to cancel or reimagine any portion of the prize, particularly as it relates to a planned staged reading.

By entering your project for consideration in the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition, you authorize that your work is cleared for submission and accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property therein. The submitter and all writers associated with the project shall indemnify and hold harmless the Atlanta Film Festival, Atlanta Film Society, and any representative or affiliates 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 involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the contents submitted.

If you have any questions that are not answered here or in our Screenplay FAQ please email us at screenplay@atlantafilmfestival.com. We are unable to address inquiries via phone.